I shot this with all colours of background cloths, different lights and spot lights...no flash, single flash, multiple flash and darned if I liked any of the images a whole lot.

Shooting still images indoors in the winter isn't as easy as I'd thought.

Here's the best I got...then I gave up. The display was too big to fit in the light box I use for rings, guess I'll spend part of the winter making a collapsable larger light box. Hmmm, could be fun!

It's a shot of the jewelry from my metal detecting this year piled on a 9" half shell with bits of coral and shell glued on. I made it from shells and coral picked up on my trip to Grand Cayman.



Any ideas on backgrounds, lighting.....?

[bdavis]

This image is flat, possibly because the lighting is so even. Likewise, I'm sure your subject matter is interesting, but the colors just aren't vibrant enough in your resultant image to give it any punch.

There is a DIY lightbox/shooting tent thread floating around here somewhere, but I have to admit that I've never used anything of the kind. I would try one strong directional light off on an angle. Yes, this will create shadows, but also take a smaller light from the other direction to soften the shadows, but not eliminate them. Continuous lights are nice because you can see exactly what you're doing, but you can also do this with flash.

This will help with the lighting, and sometimes it's enough to help the colors too, but you can step on the saturation a bit without harm.

[thomasjmpark]

Well it looks interesting, I didnt realise what it was until I read you note.

Im still new to this indoor photography game but I would suggest a stronger more directed light instead of the diffused look, maybe one bright light from the side then on the other side a dim light just to fill the shadows a bit, a light from the top helps aswell. There doesnt seem to be enough contrast in the pic, although you could sort that in PS.

Anyway thats how i set up the cork shots if you have seen them.

Its proving to be good fun experimenting

[Kaimarx]

Personally i would spend time arranging the components so that they come across more appealling, its kind of hard to look at any one thing here because they look thrown together without any real reason (at least thats my first impression). Giving it a theme is the best way to look at it, something like a "treasure chest" or something to do with rings. Much easier to think of the lighting and background.

[thomasjmpark]

lol Beth you beat me to it! This will probably explain what I meant better than my rambling!



Forgive the un-ironed backdrop!

[scott-devon]

Thanks all! Some good suggestions on the lighting there, and definitely yes the subject is too much of a jumble of items not helped by being crammed into the shell. (it seemed like a good idea at the time...)

Ah well, I've got all winter to play and learn about indoor lighting. That shell idea may work better with just single items shot close up on various parts of the corals.... Hmmm.

[benjikan]

Like one of the greatest art directors Jacques Michel Verger of "Depeche Mode" magazine once said to me...

"if you think you are in too close, come in closer..."

Ben

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Last edited by benjikan; 12-08-2007 at 07:26 PM.

[roentarre]

Wow, thanks for showing new perspective.

The buzz word - closer and closer... (Sounds like kissing, right?)