Looks MUCH better!! Please keep this up for my reference. I want to shoot it again tonight.. (I was up until 1-am, with this damn thing..).. Yep, it was underexposed... I was shooting at f/18.. and then for a few frames I bumped it to f/22.. yawn... opps
Okay.. I have two lights I can use.. Are you saying that I should light it from under? Thus, build some type of platform for it to sit on and place a light under it...then have the other light hitting it on the side?
well ther are a few ways to skin that pineapple ...
Looks like you're going for the "Tiffany" look with a reflection. So using a piece of glass for Mr Pineapple to sit. Fire you 580 from underneath, you'll need a bit of space, say set up on a saw horse/trestle so you can zoom/snoot it to match the bottom of MR PA so you don't flood the base with light. You could try cutting a mask with white paper to control the light and you should still be able to maintain the reflection.
The BF lighting is working OK, you just need to hit MR PA with some side lighting/directional lighting to get those facets to sparkle. I sometimes use mirrors or Al foil to add those highlights. The blck flags are working, they're giving you some nice definition.
I wouldn't be going anywhere pass f16, no need and you'll start to get aperture diffraction. (light bending around the aperture which actually softens an image).
Or again leave the BF lighting as is. Try a SB of the side but just skiming the front edge. Should still give those nice dark shadows for definition but the ridges should reflect a bit for that punch. Those crvices look like they will zing once you find the sweet spot.
You really don't want to loose the definition you have of MR PA, so try "spotlighting" MR PA so you don't blow it with too much light.
Hope I'm making sense Travis, been a big day my end.
I sharpen the "L" lightness chanel which doesn't add artefacts or effect the colour tone of an image. You obtain a far cleaner and sharper image.
I do a bit of jewellery and it's the ducks guts for sharpening with out effecting the image.
I created an action in PS which makes the whole show a snap, as part of the action I create a seperate layer to work in LAB mode and then adjust the opacity for what I want to achieve.
If I can find a tutorial I'll pm you rather than take over Travis's thread.
Gaz - What is the "BF", "MR PA" I think SB = softbox Wait, I think MR PA.. is "Mr. Pineapple?" ... i'm going to throw this thing across the room in a few!
I don't have any glass.. I used polish black grant tile. But, I guess I could go buy some glass.. Is this really going to be the best way to light it.. from under? Good idea on the mask... I would just place a cutout white paper under the glass, leaving room for the light beam?
I ended up placing a small black flag directly behind the PA.. was this okay to do?
haha. yep, Mr PA is Mr Pineapple, BF = bright field, SB = softbox.
Well, I'd go with the glass and mask but I have a bit of crappola, oops, lighting/grip equipment lying around after collecting all sorts of things over the years.
Yep, cutting a hole in the granite would be a tad time consuming...
Ok, try from over head but snooted so that you're lighting through the throat of MR PA so you don't loose your edges (highlighting the glass lip and Mr Diss-appear arrives).
and try a bit of edge lighting, you're almost there, just need Captain Sparkle to join the show.
Cheers Gaz
I'm off to sleepy town, good luck Travis and have fun, remember. It all magically works it's self out once you've had a brew or two ....
Ok, try from over head but snooted so that you're lighting through the throat of MR PA so you don't loose your edges (highlighting the glass lip and Mr Diss-appear arrives).
Yeah, this is what I did last night. I had a 580EX pointing down on subject, snooted from about 2-feet away. I used an AB800 behind me (camera) up high pointing down with shoot through umbrella. I placed a tiny black flag behind the subject, and some around the sides just out of frame.
I only have two lights... adding a edge light is not an option for me Maybe I can use a large reflector?
Travis Harris wrote:
...
I only have two lights... adding a edge light is not an option for me ...
Since the scene is static, you're free to composite multiple exposures. Just move the Canon flash around to generate some sparkle. The process is no longer WYSIWYG, but evaluating the nuances of glitter needs PP anyway. I love shiny subjects, but that pineapple is something else!
rico wrote:
Since the scene is static, you're free to composite multiple exposures. Just move the Canon flash around to generate some sparkle. The process is no longer WYSIWYG, but evaluating the nuances of glitter needs PP anyway. I love shiny subjects, but that pineapple is something else!
Sorry Travis, I miss read your gear, I though you had 2 studios lights and a 580 to play with.
Agree with Rico, as it's a static shot, you can comp a few images together.
Use the "Family of Angels" to work out your incedence v reflection, where you can get the most out of the item.
SIDELIGHTING with all those lovely crevices, you should obtain Mr Sparkle. You need strong directional lighting and a bit on the harsh side to give you sparkle.
These blokes use under lighting simliar to what I've mentioned (about halfway down there is a blue goblet similarly cut like Mr Pineapple) It's a bit cheesy but may help you. Sorry I don't have any set up shots to show http://www.tabletopstudio.com/documents/glass_photography.htm
Another option is to Mr Pineapple directly on your AB, would it sit on the reflector OK?
The Star filter is a fairdinkum filter that was used a lot in the seventies to give a sparkly effect (think something a way bit too trippy). Don't go for the BS shopped star brushes. They look false!
The sparkle in faceted gems is best seen when the stone is illuminated by a single point light source. That's how they are displayed and viewed in stores. In light of that you might want to try a composite strategy combining a dark background illuminated with a point source above and behind with what you have here already.
Oh...boy... another 1-am night with Mr.Pineapple... (yawn, just waking up)... I am determined to get this thing right. I made another stop at the office store and got some more foam core and I found some glass to work with. I used two chairs to prop up the glass etc... I have another pic.. it looks better (maybe??)... but I don't have access to my work server to post it... Is there a place where I can upload this to for free so I can link it here... Maybe I can e-mail it to you, and you can post?
I do have two AB800's and a 580.. But I only have three pocket-wizards So, I can only trigger two lights at a time.
Okay.. Let me know about posting the picture I have now.. I can't get into the office today. I will try another shoot after lunch and I will build a mini studio for Mr. PA out of a 14x14x14 box I bought. I will 100% line the inside with white foam core, and place seamless, and black flags. I will have the back open for the seamless roll to come through and use the AB to light it up. Then I can play with the 580 inside? But, then there will be a reflection of the flash? I will play some more with it...
On the plus side.. I did a nice shot of a glass with the bright field lighting setup! It looks nice, and I would like to show it as well. (it was SO much easier to get a nice shot with a solid glass, then this damn Pineapple!! The pineapple must be like a diamond in therms of getting a shot? This MUST be the hardest thing in the world to shoot??) My book, "Light Sci, Mag" does not mention such a surface... so the technique they reference for glass is the closest to what I am doing... So, I am basically setting up for bright field, and then having to add a "punch" light for effects?
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I like the composite idea... I need to re-look at my images... and take a few more with a total white environment...
Once you've uploaded to their server simply copy and paste the "IMG Code" No need to use the link option in the FM reply box.
Hey, you'll be able to conquer anything after Pineapple head. Yep, it's like a big diamond.
We don't have ABs down in Oz but every studio light I've used in the last 10 years or so has an optical slave. Is that something the ABs don't have or have you overlooked it?
This a cheap thing I use when I'm working close and can be used with the 580EXII or earlier versions with a hot shoe adapter or mini jack to whatever the ABs jack is, cost about $30AUD
This is where I would start with MR Pineapple. The snooted 580 is for sparkle and then I'd play with the DLites to see what I got. On/Off/ratios/distance/flagging/blocking/blah blah. It works fine with diamonds so I see Mr Pineapple as just a bigger version of what I normally shoot.
To be honest I have tried every setup both in the LSM book, and ones listed here. Lighting this thing up is NOT the same as lighting up "glass" using conventional bright / dark field lighting setups. I do have a shot that I kinda like. however it is not really what the client wanted. Mine is more of a darker image, showing off the Pineapple, and the client needs something "light" and "white" to portray peace and tranquillity... I do have one on a white BG, but I don't think it is as nice as the one I just did.
The one I just did was very simple to do. . Glass over foam core on table top, 580 mounted on a stand directly above subject with snoot at about 1/64, NO BG (shoot into open space for natural black fall off).. shot at about f/16 1/200... I did place a small piece of white paper behind the subject to "fill in" some of the holes... It came out nice.
I know, pics, pics, pics... I am too tired to fool with on-line photo sharing at the moment...
I will upload all shots to my "client" gallery. Please take a look and let me know your fav. shots that you feel are best.
www.travisharrisphotography.com Then, click "client access" and enter "pineapple" for password. Thanks again for following me through this!!
- Travis
PS - Only one has been edited.. let me know if you think they are good... I am at the point with the pineapple where I would not know a good shot if I took it... I don't even really know what my goal is with it, unlike shooting glass. The sections in the pineapple that are dark, are impossible to rid. Even in the sealed white environment... must be some imperfections in the glass? Perhaps it is reflecting inside of it... One thing the client wants.. is the "star" light "refraction's" She probably thinks that I can make this happen just by shooting it, and bouncing light around. How do I do it? Do I "need" a special filter for the camera? I would rather not place anything on my lens... is there a sure way to ad this effect in PS? Let me know... I am dyeing on this one...
Well... I took a look through the images again this morning. I guess, I am at kinda a loss as to what I am trying to accomplish with getting a "great" shot of this pineapple. For example, I know that from reading Light Sci, mag.. that to get a "great" shot of a glass.. that I need no reflections and excellent edge definition on either a dark or light field setup. No problem.
On the pineapple... ?? What is my standard to go by? The little black spots in the crystal? I feel if that, there were no dark places on the crystal that there would be a lack of depth to the image and it would be hard to tell what it is?
At this point, the only thing I feel that I could do.. is shoot it yet again, and this time just hold the 580 in my hand and hit it from every angel I can.. and then mix them in PS. I guess this is the only way to get it one right?
My entire living room is torn apart.. and I am puling out my hair on this. Any other thoughts before I throw this thing off a 21 story building
I don't see much wrong with 3089E. The only nit I would pick is the double reflection caused by the glass. I think you have enough dark spots to show off the texture while highlighting the glass.
Oh, I have a question about bright / dark field lighting setup. Lets say that I have a dark field setup with one light, and my subject is a martini glass with some olives in it. I want to not only light the glass, but also the content IN the glass. I would assume that I would add another light *directly* above at a low power to accomplish this? But, wouldn't this add reflections and/or take away from the main source of light??
Here is an example on what I want to accomplish. The photographer in this case mentions a light above?
I`ve been following this thread with great interest but had nothing to contribute. This has just occured to me though, could Mr.PA be "painted" with a constant light source and then colour corrected in post? BTW Travis, I hope you`re being well paid for this. Don`t forget to bill for aspirin.
... i'm going to throw this thing across the room in a few!
Maybe I can use a large reflector?
you might want to try a composite strategy combining a dark background illuminated with a point source above and behind with what you have here already.
