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- #61
Replicating natural light indoors: cheap solution?
- Thread starter bmilcs
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Ya, the first set is a little overprocessed and the plating has lost it's polished look... picked up a bead-blasted appearance.
The 2nd set retains the polished look better, but the purplish shadow makes it look blown out.
The 2nd set retains the polished look better, but the purplish shadow makes it look blown out.
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- #63
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- #64
Thanks. The purplish appearance is due to a technical error.
I'm not blurring or editing the pics in anyway minus the white background. It's all lighting effects
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- #65
So less is more. I just wanted to see what it looked like with a completely white background but it takes away from the realistic effect.
The stark white background gives it a sterile and uninteresting look. A slight bit of color in the background so it doesn't appear as a cgi I think is a good thing. The more you do to the image with lighting the better. Post processing can only do so much, but starting with a better image only give you more opportunity.
Your images have really made a leap from drab "craigslist for sale ad" to a nice pleasing image. Great work! Now go try a gold tone razor and see the difference th light color temperature makes on that!
-Xander
Your images have really made a leap from drab "craigslist for sale ad" to a nice pleasing image. Great work! Now go try a gold tone razor and see the difference th light color temperature makes on that!
-Xander
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- #67
Thanks for the input guys.
I bought the materials to construct a better, larger light box. Now, I need lamps. I made a separate post regarding a cheap source of wide angled desk lamps to splay the light out as much as possible.
Also, I just realized my parents have a decent Nikon DSLR! I plan on using it when they return from vacation so for now I'll be sticking with my iPhone.
As far as the lightbox goes, should I plan on leaving a solid border around the opening so that there is more white to reflect --- less of a wide open gap where light escapes. Is this a good idea?
I bought the materials to construct a better, larger light box. Now, I need lamps. I made a separate post regarding a cheap source of wide angled desk lamps to splay the light out as much as possible.
Also, I just realized my parents have a decent Nikon DSLR! I plan on using it when they return from vacation so for now I'll be sticking with my iPhone.
As far as the lightbox goes, should I plan on leaving a solid border around the opening so that there is more white to reflect --- less of a wide open gap where light escapes. Is this a good idea?
- Thread starter
- #68
Also, since you guys seem pretty creative, maybe you can help out with my shaving soap storage dilemma. I am looking for a better way to house labels in my Grundtal Soap Containers. Essentially, right now, I push up a photo paper print out of each label and the bevel of the lid keeps it in place. However, the moisture from the soap has been causing the labels to bend and lose their shape. So, I am thinking about building a flat, rigid "shelf" for them to be glued to and then pushed up into the dome of the lid. What kind of material would be good for this? I need a hard plastic type material maybe that I can cut into an accurate circle.
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View attachment 373655
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- #69
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- #70
Those look really nice.
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- #72
Thanks. So good as is?
I think they are as good as anything we see posted. I'm not seeing the red in the corners.
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- #74
Lightbox near done
Looking good! I do see the slight bit of purple fringing in the corners, could be the image compression, but if you are seeing it on the original it could just be from your lens. I find that when I go to snap pics with my phone that there is usually finger prints and oil on the lens from being used as a phone.
I think the coolest part of this thread has been watching you go from "I take pics with my iphone outside and they look good, but I want them to look good inside for cheap." To "I just built my first light box and am buyin more stuff to make it better, and might get a real camera too." Just seeing your excitement as you begin to understand what the lighting is doing and how to conrol it make me happy.
If you do decide to get into photography, just don't ever let this enthusiam go. If you get in a rut, just remember how trying something new led to experimentation and excitement! Oh, and good results too.
Cheers!
-Xander
I think the coolest part of this thread has been watching you go from "I take pics with my iphone outside and they look good, but I want them to look good inside for cheap." To "I just built my first light box and am buyin more stuff to make it better, and might get a real camera too." Just seeing your excitement as you begin to understand what the lighting is doing and how to conrol it make me happy.
If you do decide to get into photography, just don't ever let this enthusiam go. If you get in a rut, just remember how trying something new led to experimentation and excitement! Oh, and good results too.
Cheers!
-Xander
- Thread starter
- #76
Thanks man.
I borrowed my parents seldom used SLR and took some amazing photos. Sadly I don't have them on my phone to post. I will update you later. I spent a good 3 hours on my lightbox and it's perfect!
I'm about to start a new thread regarding cool things you can do with one... To get ideas on how to spruce it up with different backdrops and flooring.
Thanks again for all the help. I am extremely passionate regarding my interests - photography being far from exempt from my pattern of behavior
- Thread starter
- #77
View attachment 374212View attachment 374213
Here they are! Examples from my SLR shots, I used a shopping bag in the Fat Boy shot.
Here's my new post: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/367152-Sprucing-up-a-lightbox
Here they are! Examples from my SLR shots, I used a shopping bag in the Fat Boy shot.
Here's my new post: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/367152-Sprucing-up-a-lightbox
All kinds of materials you can use for a "floor".
I've used orange cotton shirts, black polyester shirts, blue jeans, leather jacket, bath towel, oak plank... whatever I think will provide a contrasting background to show detail.
I have not yet built a light box. I've done a mix of ambient and direct flash lighting. Recently, I've been experimenting with bounce lighting and I'm liking the results, but I really do need to build a light box and do it right.
The first one with the blue bag is bounced with manual exposure control, and it's a little hot (the D3100 does not properly meter bounce with a Sigma flash, but it works beautifully with an SB800)
The rest are all direct from either the D3100 or my L810.
I've used orange cotton shirts, black polyester shirts, blue jeans, leather jacket, bath towel, oak plank... whatever I think will provide a contrasting background to show detail.
I have not yet built a light box. I've done a mix of ambient and direct flash lighting. Recently, I've been experimenting with bounce lighting and I'm liking the results, but I really do need to build a light box and do it right.
The first one with the blue bag is bounced with manual exposure control, and it's a little hot (the D3100 does not properly meter bounce with a Sigma flash, but it works beautifully with an SB800)
The rest are all direct from either the D3100 or my L810.
Blue jeans, oil absorbing paper, and a Dickies jacket....
One of my favorite backgrounds is crumpled up brown paper bag. Sometimes I use my nautical charts or drawings I have done. The wifes scrapbooking papers are always handy too.
Hey Rich, what type of flash are you using? I've got a cool little cheesy flash modifyer for ya if it will work, gratis.
-Xander
Hey Rich, what type of flash are you using? I've got a cool little cheesy flash modifyer for ya if it will work, gratis.
-Xander
