[xs400]

I've been interested in doing some commercial photography for quite some time, but never pursued it. Recently I met the owner of a small kitchen design firm. Turns out the firm has a poorly designed website with, what I consider, poor quality images of the kitchens on the website. The owner told me she needed to update the website to try and get more business. I told the owner I could do the photography, and to show her what I could do, I took some shots in my kitchen. Here are the shots I got: > The kitchen

She liked my work and has asked me to shoot several kitchens for her new website.

As bad luck would have it, I recently bought an FA 77mm f/1.8 Limited. Not a lens I can use much for photographing kitchens. I may have to sell the FA 77 to help fund the purchase a DA 12-24mm for interior work. Oh well, easy come, easy go!

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Last edited by xs400; 07-23-2009 at 11:32 AM.

[jimH]

Nice shots Frank, I'm afraid I can't give you any constructive criticism. The lighting looks good and your horizons look good and they do a good job of showing the cabinetry.

jimH

[mtroute]

I've been interested in doing some commercial photography for quite some time, but never pursued it. Recently I met the owner of a small kitchen design firm. Turns out the firm has a poorly designed website with, what I consider, poor quality images of the kitchens on the website. The owner told me she needed to update the website to try and get more business. I told the owner I could do the photography, and to show her what I could do, I took some shots in my kitchen. Here are the shots I got: > The kitchen

She liked my work and has asked me to shoot several kitchens for her new website.

As bad luck would have it, I recently bought an FA 77mm f/1.8 Limited. Not a lens I can use much for photographing kitchens. I may have to sell the FA 77 to help fund the purchase a DA 12-24mm for interior work. Oh well, easy come, easy go!

If you are charging for the shoot, rent the lens, or better yet build the price of the lens into the bid for the shoot. If it's a "portfolio" shoot, well I feel your pain.

[timbo13]

congratulations, Frank, your kitchen images look great. I agree you should rent the 12-24, at
least until you make enough to buy one!

[xs400]

On Saturday I will do my first kitchen shoot. I was told the kitchen I will be shooting is part of a fairly long room and I should be able to get back far enough to get the entire kitchen in the frame. Hopefully my DA 16-45 will be sufficient. I told the owner of the business I will shoot the first kitchen and if she likes the work, I'll get a wider lens for the future work. I'll be using exposure bracketing for each shot and, if necessary, combining images using Photomatix Pro to even out the lighting.

[joeyc]

Frank, great job on the new gig. I hope it works out long term for you. I have had some similar good fortune and it has led to another job and boosted confidence. Kitchens can be tricky, especially with varying types of lighting. Watch out for low voltage under cabinet lighting. This combined with some type of overhead lighting and sunlight can be tough. In my experience Photomatix does not handle this situation well. Cutting the low voltage lighting may work to your benefit. Just a thought.

[xs400]

Frank, great job on the new gig. I hope it works out long term for you. I have had some similar good fortune and it has led to another job and boosted confidence. Kitchens can be tricky, especially with varying types of lighting. Watch out for low voltage under cabinet lighting. This combined with some type of overhead lighting and sunlight can be tough. In my experience Photomatix does not handle this situation well. Cutting the low voltage lighting may work to your benefit. Just a thought.

I have observed the color problem with low voltage under cabinet lighting - the fluorescence lighting under the cabinets sure looks bad with the wrong WB compared to the rest of the kitchen. Thanks for the reminder. One of the reasons I have tried Photomatix is primarily to lighten up the under cabinet areas, and it seemed to help with my first try in my own kitchen.

Thanks again for the advice.

[joeyc]

Yes, your shots came out quite well. I enjoy Photomatix for exposure blending - especially with interiors and kitchens. I just have not been able to work well with those low voltage lights. Good luck!

I have observed the color problem with low voltage under cabinet lighting - the fluorescence lighting under the cabinets sure looks bad with the wrong WB compared to the rest of the kitchen. Thanks for the reminder. One of the reasons I have tried Photomatix is primarily to lighten up the under cabinet areas, and it seemed to help with my first try in my own kitchen.

Thanks again for the advice.

Congrats Frank. You never know when something is going to turn up do you?

[xs400]

I got quite a few shots from my kitchen job. I ended up shooting the pics in the showroom of the kitchen design office. The office was quite small, but I think I got a few good shots. I used the K20 and both the DA 16-45 and Tamron 28-75mm. If interested, you can see a few of my shots here > KL Kitchens

[K-9]

I'd also check out the Sigma 10-20mm as it's about $250 cheaper than the DA 12-24mm. There's even a new Sigma 10-20 with a constant f3.5 but I am not sure it's out for Pentax yet. The Canon version is still a good $50 less than the 12-24 so it should be less for Pentax too.

[George Lama]

Check out the lenses available at cameralensrentals.com. I've rented from them multiple times and their service is excellent.

They have the Pentax 12-24 and Sigma 10-20 available for rent. Might as well try them out before you commit.

Great shots by the way!

[Peter Zack]

Nice work Frank and I hope it grows into more. As for a wide angle lens. I think the 16mm will do the majority of the work and if not use a tripod and stitch a couple shots together. Might make for some unique shots on the web site and give you all the width you need.

If at some point (don't sell the 77mm) you feel the need for the 12-24mm range, Spend the extra for the Pentax. I have owned the Sigma 12-24mm (very good) the Sigma 10-20mm Not as good) and now the Pentax 12-24mm. it is the best of the three. The Sigma 10-20mm is soft in the corners and this you wind up cropping shots too much, loosing the benifit of the wider angle. Plus the Pentax controls distortion better than the Sigma. Finally the Pentax is f4 and the Sigma is variable. Variable lenses are a PITA with strobes and flash.

I use mine for work and hands down the Pentax is the superior lens in every respect.

I would also suggest she get some props like fake food, fruit and some colourful plates or bowls. Sex up the shots more with some colour and make the viewer want to own the kitchen. Be careful if you are showing 'rustic' or distressed parts of the work. I noticed a knot in one panel of the honey coloured cabinet (picture 10). The area around the knot was rough and feathered. If I were buying that unit I can see food and grime getting caught there. Also get up high. Use a monopod or something to raise the camera up. Don't take all your shots from eye level. Put the camera up near the ceiling and fire some shots via remote or whatever you have.

[K-9]

Nice work Frank and I hope it grows into more. As for a wide angle lens. I think the 16mm will do the majority of the work and if not use a tripod and stitch a couple shots together. Might make for some unique shots on the web site and give you all the width you need.

If at some point (don't sell the 77mm) you feel the need for the 12-24mm range, Spend the extra for the Pentax. I have owned the Sigma 12-24mm (very good) the Sigma 10-20mm Not as good) and now the Pentax 12-24mm. it is the best of the three. The Sigma 10-20mm is soft in the corners and this you wind up cropping shots too much, loosing the benifit of the wider angle. Plus the Pentax controls distortion better than the Sigma. Finally the Pentax is f4 and the Sigma is variable. Variable lenses are a PITA with strobes and flash.

I use mine for work and hands down the Pentax is the superior lens in every respect.

I would also suggest she get some props like fake food, fruit and some colourful plates or bowls. Sex up the shots more with some colour and make the viewer want to own the kitchen. Be careful if you are showing 'rustic' or distressed parts of the work. I noticed a knot in one panel of the honey coloured cabinet (picture 10). The area around the knot was rough and feathered. If I were buying that unit I can see food and grime getting caught there. Also get up high. Use a monopod or something to raise the camera up. Don't take all your shots from eye level. Put the camera up near the ceiling and fire some shots via remote or whatever you have.

Many reviews I've seen say this lens has bad fringing and CA, and considering it's price, I don't see how that can make it superior in every respect. At f4, the new Sigma's constant f3.5 is faster, and it will still be cheaper. I'll be the first to praise Pentax glass, but this lens has gotten some of the least favorable reviews I've seen of all the DA lenses. In fact, it came in dead last out of 12 wide zooms tested in Digital Photo's May issue of this year.

[Jonson PL]

Great looking shots, congrats on the gig