I did this "studio" shots just because it's sunday and doing this is better than TV. I don't do this very often, but i sure like the preparation needed to make studio pictures. Maybe i like more preparing the setup than actually taking the pictures.
I placed the subjects (the toad and the banana peel) on a white surface with glass to make a reflection, illuminating them with two flashes, one as the main light for the subjects and the other to make the background white. The flashes where triggered by a wireless radio transmitter. Camera was handheld. The resulting pictures where then manipulated in Photoshop to make the final images shown below. The settings are in the exif data below. http://www.w3photos.com.br/fotoblog/wp-content/photos/23-06-08/3.jpg http://www.w3photos.com.br/fotoblog/wp-content/photos/23-06-08/2.jpg
Model = NIKON D1X
Exposure Time = 1/500"
F Number = F13
Metering Mode = Matrix
Exposure Mode = Manual exposure
ISO Speed Used = 125
White Balance = FLASH
Focal Length = 70mm
Focus Mode = AF-C
Setup shots: This is how i made the shots: A shoot thru white umbrella with a sb800 in manual mode, full power for the front (main) light, a Vivitar 285HV at manual, 1/2 power. A 10 feet tripod set at about 4 feet for the main flash and the background flash laying on the ground, aimed to a white surface used as background in the pictures.</blockquote>
Doing things like that is an interesting challenge, for most photographers photography is a subtractive art where we are presented with a jumbled busy world and we have to decide which parts of it to show and which parts to cut out.
Shooting like you've done is rewarding to me because you've started from scratch and turned it in to an additive process.