A practical module embracing all aspects of the controlled shooting environment. Studio lighting techniques, camera operation and format, studio accessories and backdrops, image import and organisation, manipulation/corrective processes. Types of object photography include still life, 'packshot', macro and miniature building. This module is intended to provide diverse opportunities to learn fundamental photographic techniques associated with image production within a controlled environment.
Module - Content
The term 'objects' is used in order to encompass not only photographing inanimate forms but also 'still life', close up work and eventually commercial applications. these may include 'pack shots', product photography, photographing three dimensional artwork and recording natural forms. Opportunities will be provided for the design and construction of 'sets' suitable for photographing forms. Substantial emphasis will be placed upon lighting theories through 'live' production workshops and group seminars. The module will conclude with the student presentation of their portfolio for assessment.
Tutor - Andy Farrington
28th September 2011
Andy introduced the objects module and explained the format the module would take over the next few weeks and how our work would be assessed.
Next week we will be given the task of taking photographs of a perfume bottle in a variety of different lighting conditions. We will have to complete this during the course of the lecture next week.
Prior to that our task is to research different lighting.
The types of lighting we will use are:
- Daylight - when taking photographs outside daylight is the most common setting as we are more likely to be out and about with a camera on a sunny day. The WB may still need some adjustment because the quality of light changes depending on the time and movement of clouds etc.
- Cloudy/overcast - as it sounds, daylight but less direct sun.
- Tungsten - lighting units in the studio are tungsten but it can also be used when the subject is lit by old fashioned bulbs or street lights.
- Flash - either on or off camera units
- Fluorescent - the most common lighting found in the modern workplace.
PECHA-KUCHA
PechaKucha or 20x20 is a simple presentation format where you show 20 images, each for 20 seconds. The images forward automatically and you talk along to the images. An internet search reveals it to be an important tool, globally for designers and architects to present their cases in a concise format. The restriction of 20 images makes the presenter think about the core message they need to get across and the 20 seconds per images prevents any extraneous information being delivered.
I have viewed several examples of presentations online and I am now seriously worried about having to produce something similar.
Tools to assist in still life photography.
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| extension tubes |
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| macro bellows |
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| tilt shift macro tubes |
- Extension tubes - these are simple tubes which fit between the camera body and lens. They increase the focal length of the lens and allow the camera to get closer in to the subject and still focus correctly.
- Bellows - these are the most flexible and versatile of all the ultra close up accessories, but they are also the most bulky, cumbersome and fiddly to use. They consist of a rack that attaches to the tripod with a set of rubber or cloth bellows mounted on front and back frames. The frames have a lens mount on one end and a camera mount on the other. To increase magnification you extend the bellows. This will either adjust by unlocking the rail and manually sliding it to the necessary extension or by a rack and pinion method. The latter is the more precise type. Both usually have a fine focus control to ensure the sharpest results. When the bellows are extended you really need a TTL meter or you will have to manually compensate for the loss of light reaching the film. The further you extend the lens from the film the more light lost. Some of the more expensive models have an additional focus rail that lets you swiftly move the whole camera/bellows position closer to the subject so you do not have to continually adjust the tripod position. There are also tilt shift bellows to allow the lens to be tilted to focus on the same plane as the subject, avoiding converging verticals.
We discussed the different concepts of colours. Wainwrights Bridge was described as blue or green. The colour pink was described in various different ways. We discussed the potential problems of producing images of the correct colour on a variety of equipment and the need to calibrate the monitor of the computer used for image editing. If the image is to be printed, there is a further variable in the process of printing. In order that the printer reproduces the image accurately the correct profile should be used for the printer and type of paper.
Research on still life, photographers and lighting techniques.
Before I began to research Still Life I had a boring image in my head of bowls of fruit as painted by old masters. I had no interest in the subject.
I began to research the lighting used in still life. In the studio there are a wide variety of lighting sources which can be used on there own or in combination. Coloured gels can be used to create different coloured light. The lights can be diffused, direct or reflected onto the subject.
Lights can be arranged around the subject to create different effects with shadows.
The background is important, it needs to only contain details that are relevant to the shot. A plain background cloth or screen is the simplest way to ensure clarity. The studio shown below looks busy but the subject is isolated in the camera shot.
Within still life there are a lot of professional commercial photographers producing high quality images of products for advertising. Below is an example from Phil Cook found on the production paradise website. The image is so clean and sharp, using reflections where useful but avoiding them where it would be distracting.
Still life can also involve creative use of Photoshop.
Food photography is a major part of pack shots. Each subject is photographed in a way which is relevant to the subject.
Ice cream is a fun product and can be shown as such. In this example it is shot simply with bright colours like a summers day.
When photographing wine however, the product shot needs to show sophistication and elegance. The lighting is subtle and the setting classy.
Matthew Carden is a still life photographer who some time ago was doing a lit of food work when he decided to use small figures to keep his creative side interested. I really like the detail, imagination and the humour in his images.
Another of his images - a chocolate mine I would like to work here!
Following on from Matt Carden, one of my favourite photographers is Slinkachu - I don't know his real name. He creates dioramas in the street, using tiny figures to mirror the behaviour around him.
Nature still life is a challenge when done out in the field without the control of lighting and background. Most photographers carry with them lights, reflectors, a cloth for the background and an umbrella for protection.
One of my flickr contacts, Carlos Poveda produces beautiful images of fungi and insects.
The below image is one I saw earlier this year, it was the winner of APOY Macro in nature category. The photographer, Peter Gilbert, used a ring flash to light his subject with an led torch as a supplementary light source for back-lighting. The result is very striking.
I have looked at this image many times and have finally worked out how the photographer Bill Gekas did this. By converting to mono the darker colours are now darker shades which give the translucent effect.
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| Drooping Tulips - Bill Gekas |
This poppy was yellow streaked with orange. I converted to mono to take away the distracting colours to emphasise the shapes and textures in the image.
One of my friends has produced some stunning flower still life images using a black board as background, natural light and a reflector. Below is a link to one of her images.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cygnus_ra21/
My final image is the first photograph I ever took of still life. 40 years ago in Regents Park, London with a Kodak 127 brownie, whilst on a day trip with my parents who were clearly feeling the pace of the day.
References
http://www.productionparadise.com/
http://www.matthewcarden.com/
http://www.novoflex.com/
http://www.pecha-kucha.org/
http://www.thephotoargus.com/inspiration/35-superb-examples-of-still-life-photography/
http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/apoycompetition/
5th October 2011
The lecture today was split into two parts:
The first hour was spent photographing a glass perfume bottle in a variety of lighting conditions, both inside and outside the building. Together with classmate Mike I took the first image in the carpark with the bottle in full sun against a dark wall background. This opening shot allowed us to settle upon a correct aperture to get enough but not all of the bottle in focus but blurring the background. Inside the building there was sufficient daylight for effective reflection. In the studio we were able to isolate our subject from distracting backgrounds and multiple light sources. Tungsten, flash and fluorescent light were all available. I also found a pleasing result by using Mike's preflash to illuminate the bottle, it gave a nice fiery glow.
The task for the second hour was to create an Aperture library on a personal external hard drive, to do minor adjustments, select the best images and upload them to flickr ensuring that the correct colour profile was used for web and the files were an appropriate size. This task was reasonably straightforward as I have used Aperture before but I did need Andy's help to resize my selected images as the inbuilt flickr uploader wanted to use firefox which would not work for some reason. The task was completed within the time allowed.
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| WB - daylight, daylight through window |
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| WB - daylight, strong light through window |
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| WB - daylight, lighting fluorescent |
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| WB - daylight, sunlight |
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| WB - daylight, lighting tungsten |
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| WB - tungsten, lighting tungsten |
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| WB - daylight, lit from prefocus lamp from Mike's 550D |
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| WB- daylight, lighting flash |
The preparation for next weeks lecture will be to download the 20/20 template and prepare a presentation based on research and experimentation with still-life photography and lighting techniques.
Wednesday 12th October 2011
We all presented our 20/20s and survived to tell the tale.
The task for next week is to bring an object in to be photographed in the studio. Any object that is small enough to fit on the table.
Wednesday 19th October 2011
Katy took the lecture today which was due to be a practical session in the studio. She reminded us that we are able to book the studio at any time for our own purposes. I have not done this yet because the studio is an alien environment and the vast array of equipment is intimidating. Maybe after todays session I will have more confidence to make use of this facility.
We discussed the nature of photographing objects in the studio and the narrative around the image. Different lighting can be used to produce hard or soft shadows as well as harsh and soft lighting. The shadows are just as important to the overall image as the subject itself.
By careful use of light and dark the flat shape of an object is turned into a 3D form.
An example is the work by Edward Weston. He was an American photographer who photographed a variety of subjects with the common factor being his use of shadows which gave his images depth.
Two of his iconic images are Pepper and Shell.
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| Pepper |
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| Shell |
Nick Knight is a fashion photographer who also does flower and studio work. He pushes the boundaries in his fashion work and his flower images are unconventional. The below image was used by Massive Attack as an album cover.
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| Nick Knight Roses |
Our task today came in three stages:
Stage 1
Get a correctly exposed image of your object in sharp focus with a considered composition.
Do this by making decisions about:
- ISO settings
- Aperture setting
- Shutter speed
- Consider using a tripod
- Check the white balance you have set in relation to the type of light you are using
- If in doubt learn the differences by making comparative images rather than asking what is 'right'
I chose to light the subject with softboxes from the sides and below. I stood it on the translucent table in the studio. I set my camera on a tripod and used my 50mm 1:1.8 lens. I chose an ISO of 100 because the lighting was adequate but primarily because I wanted to reduce the amount of noise which would detract from the clear surface of the glass. The lighting units were rated as daylight so I set the white balance as daylight - test shots showed that this gave the colour balance I wanted.
I initially set the aperture to 1.8 but the resulting image was not very effective. The depth of field was too shallow and did not suit the subject. After a few trial shots I settled on f/8 which gives a depth of field big enough to get the whole globe in focus, but not any marks on the background surface.
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| F/8 gave a better depth of field |
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| Depth of field too shallow |
Stage 2
Photograph the same image but change the lighting effect to create a different mood; take at least three variations:
- Consider the position of the camera(you!); the light and the object in relation to each other;
- Try a 'backlit' silhouetted image;
- Try an under-lit image;
- Change the exposure setting to expose for different areas of the image where appropriate;
I kept the globe on the same studio table and tried different colours on the light situated under the table. I settled on purple because the resulting tint was subtle and I liked the tint inside the globe. By placing tissue paper on the softbox under the table the light intensity was reduced and the reflection was softer. I was using aperture priority so the camera was able to adjust the shutter speed as the lighting changed. I liked the impression that the globe was floating in the air.
Whilst moving the colours around under the table I noticed that from a lower viewpoint there were some interesting reflections on the perspex table as it curved upwards. I lowered the camera on the tripod and included the reflections in my shot. I like the result. I deliberately placed the globe to one side to give the reflections more impact. It almost gave the impression of movement as if the globe had slid to the right during the course of the shot.
Stage 3
A hint of narrative.
Consider a narrative context for the object you are working with - what might the object symbolise? If it were used for a book title what kind of lighting might be appropriate to set a mood. How would composition influence meaning?
How can the photograph have IMPACT?
I had looked at how the globe could be shown to give the impression of floating and sliding but the images did not have much impact. In order to do get more impact I used the rest of the session to use the studio flash units. I need more time to really understand the relationship between the shutter speed and flash modes. (research later)
I had time to experiment with the flash set up and was pleased with the impact of the resulting image.
I was able to just illuminate the globe and the bright light picked out internal features in the globe. With further experiment the globe could be portrayed as a cystal ball with maybe the light hotspots at the bottom exaggerated to give the impression that the contents were moving. (will try this in a later studio session)
Extension Task:
At home or in the studio select an object to illustrate a book, an album or a film you like; Photograph the object as if it were for the cover - leave compositional space for text and consider orientation and aspect ratio according to the output format. (for example a billboard is 'landscape orientation')
Use humour, horror, irony, shock, romance or kitsch if you wish or use understated subtlety, simplicity, styling and good taste. You decide!
For this task I thought long and hard about a suitable subject before choosing 'Coraline' by Neil Gaiman who is one of my favourite authors. Gaiman's books are very dark as well as humorous. Coraline is a scary children's book which when read by adults is just as scary but on a different level.
Coraline is a young girl who moved to an old house and found a door that most of the time opened onto a brick wall but one time opened onto a mirror image of her own world. Once in she could not get back. All the people on the mirror side of the wall had buttons instead of eyes.
I first read this book sometime ago and the part I found most disturbing was when Coraline's mirror parents wanted to give her buttons instead of eyes. This gave me the inspiration for the image. I found a large needle and thread, a couple of random buttons and some scissors. I placed them on a white cloth and lit them with a dim overhead light. I took many shots with them in different positions in portrait format as suitable for a book cover.
My resulting image was edited with Silver Efex Pro in Aperture to give an old appearance as it is set in an old house. I wanted it to be creepy. The thread makes an open mouth scream and the scissors coming in from the top are threatening. I solely focussed on one of the buttons to give it emphasis. I moved the light around until it picked out the buttons making them appear to be eyes looking at the scissors.
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| Coraline |
Flash Photography Research
My camera is a Canon 50D which has a built in flash. I have not used this at all preferring to use the available light. At the start of the course I bought a secondhand Canon Speedlite 580EX which I will be learning how to use in it's different modes.
By happy coincidence last weeks Amateur Photographer Magazine contained an article by Richard Sibley explaining the use of flashguns.
References
http://www.learnslr.com/slr-beginner-guide/105-eos-speedlites
http://www.humanflowerproject.com/index.php/weblog/comments/irving_penns_human_vases/
http://thedistributionchannel.blogspot.com/2011/02/irving-penn-photographer.html
http://mag.walldone.com/flora
http://www.edward-weston.com/edward_weston.htm
Wednesday 2nd November 2011
Today we worked in the studio where Andy took us through different lighting senarios.
Part 1
Lighting a perfume bottle on a studio table with continuous light sources.
The softboxes were placed at 45deg to the subject opposite each other, front and back.
The lights were then placed to the front of the table, at 45deg to each other and the table.
The same techniques were done using a different bottle
Andy then photographed individual sets of keys for a collage.
Part 2
Flash lighting
The flash heads were in softboxes and controlled by wireless remote controls which fit on the cameras hotshoe.
We dispensed with the bottle and Mick stepped in as a model. The first shot was a straight forward equal sided light source just using the flash modelling lights.
It gave a very flat portrait
We took the next three portraits at the following:
500 at f/22 - half of him is missing.
250 at f22 nearly there
125 at f22, and doesn't he look pleased with the result!
We then looked at lighting ratios, to do this one flash head was left on full power and the other was turned down in increments. For example 1:2 means that left is on full power and right is on half. The same effect can be achieved with continuous lighting by moving one of the lights by corresponding increments. For example 1:2 one light is half distance to the subject when compared to the other light. This is called the inverse square law.
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| 1:1 |
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| 1:2 |
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| 1:4 |
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| 1:8 |
Wednesday 9th November 2011
In this session we spent time in the studio looking at the types of lighting available and the effects of distance on the nature of the light hitting the subject.
The flash heads in the studio are Bowens, there are different models so we need to make sure that if we want to balance the light, a matching rated pair of heads are used.
Standard reflectors (mirror insides and umbrella clamp)
Umbrellas - bounce light
Honeycomb grills - make sharp edged shadows.
Beauty dish - used in portraits
Standard flash head without modifiers gives long shadows and distracting highlights.
Andy moved the flash unit 2x closer, the lighting was softer and when he moved it 4x further away the lighting was harsh.
Softbox is softer the closer it is to the subject and harder when it is moved further away.
Beauty dish spreads the light out.
We then started looking at the effects on the bottle on the table of the different lights.
Snoot narrows the beam down and can produce excessive highlights
Close in soft box gives soft white lighting showing the curve of the bottle.
Softbox and snoot on boom behind the subject (each lighting source metered separately) removes the shadow from the front.
The shoot a subject 'low key' use a black background and underexpose by half stop. Black card narrows softbox to confine light to subject. Snoot to rear to bring out the back edge from shadow.
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| setting up high key |
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| setting up low key |
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| how not to do high key |
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| Very high key |
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| high key |
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| nearly low key |
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| low key |
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| f-stop explanation |
Reminds me of something from contextual studies -
Wednesday 16th November 2011
Tutorial with Andy who went through my blog and told me I should try to be esoteric (relating to the objects module) I think he means that I should find a subject I am interested in and use that in my objects work. He suggested cycle parts as he knows I like cycling.
During the rest of the lecture time I went into the studio and worked on some photographs of a bottle of whiskey and two coke cans. Using 45deg lighting with two flash heads in softboxes. I moved the angle of the lights to change the effects on the subjects. I liked the reflections on the table but the last shot shows the bottle shape best. Not completely satisfied with the result but it is better than previous efforts.
Bearing in mind Andys advice I asked a fellow student if I could photographic his prized Hassleblad. A far more interesting subject than vases and bottles. Subtle lighting suited the 'hassie' best and I really like the colours in the lens.
I then took some shots using my extension tubes looking closely at details. I think I might like this objects module after all!
Friday 18th November 2011
Booked a studio to try and work out what I want to do towards the objects brief.
I have been lent a Mamiya C330 tlr camera by a friend which has inspired me to do more black and white medium format film work. Between films the old camera is a good photographic model.
The lens units make good subjects on their own
The main attraction - the c330.
I need to do more work on the reflections in the lenses to try and get a less busy appearance.
Photographing the C330 photographing a jar of Marmite (chosen because it is recognisable back to front/upside down)
Finally I had a play with the extension tubes but I need to rethink the lighting set up when working in close. I kept moving into my own shadow. I love the texture on these old cameras.
Three hours passed very quickly.
Time to sort my images out for the portfolio to be assessed in January
The contents of my objects portfolio are below -
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| Hasselblad |
Image 1 – Hasselblad 501c
I chose this camera as my commercial product because to me it is the iconic image of a camera. I love the style and build of the camera. It feels like it is built to last.
I shot it in the college studio, lit from both sides, towards the front, with the flash heads at 45deg. I wanted to bring out the sheen on the black surface as well as the red in the lens element. I positioned the softboxes to give the split reflection on the lens.
I used a small aperture of f/27 to get the maximum depth of field as I wanted the camera in focus from front to back.
The image was processed in Aperture using plugin curves to increase the contrast to bring out the camera and bleach the background.
The image was printed on my Canon MG6150, using Canon original inks, Canon Photo Paper Plus Glossy. My printer and monitor are calibrated regularly using a “colormunki” The print quality was set to high.
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| Marmite |
Image 2 – Marmite
I have recently taken up medium format film photography and started with a borrowed Mamiya C330 TLR camera. This shot was taken with the focussing hood removed. I placed a marmite jar in front of the camera and focussed on it. I chose marmite because it is instantly recognisable even reversed and in black and white. I took the hood off so by looking down with my DSLR I could get all of the camera and bellows in focus.
It was lit from both sides, avoiding too much reflection on the screen but giving enough light on the bellows. I deliberately omitted the jar from the final image because it was not needed.
The image was converted to black and white in Aperture. A small amount of sharpening was applied to bring out the edges of the lens.
The image was printed on my Canon MG6150, using Canon original inks, Canon Photo Paper Plus Glossy. My printer and monitor are calibrated regularly using a “colormunki” The print quality was set to high and greyscale selected.
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| Unpacking |
Image 3 – Unpacking
My mini set build. I bought a film camera and whilst researching on the internet I found lots of videos just showing unpacking new gadgets which I thought a bit sad but gave me the idea for this image. I am a fan of Slinkachu and Matt Carden who use small people in their work. I lit the box from the front deliberately leaving some of the camera in shadow to give some depth to the box. I used an aperture of f/32 giving a depth of field which encompassed the whole scene. I chose my focus point to slightly blur the figures in the foreground adding to the impression of depth to image.
Minor adjustments to the levels were made in Aperture before printing but no sharpening was needed.
The image was printed on my Canon MG6150, using Canon original inks, Canon Photo Paper Plus Glossy. My printer and monitor are calibrated regularly using a “colormunki” The print quality was set to high.
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| Gingers Wall of Death |
Image 4 – Wall of Death
Photographers who use little people in their work tend to refer to them as if they had a life of their own which started me thinking about another image – what would little people get up to when left alone on a studio table with a large lens.
I placed my 300mm lens on my product table and glued Ginger onto his scooter. The lens was just the right size for a wall of death ride. I placed the other figures as if they were watching or walking to see what he was up to.
Experimenting with lighting and camera settings I finally settled on high key lighting and wide aperture of f/13 to just have Ginger and the front of the lens in focus.
A small amount of dodging and burning in Aperture brought out the reflections of the watchers. No sharpening was needed.
The image was printed on my Canon MG6150, using Canon original inks, Canon Photo Paper Plus Glossy. My printer and monitor are calibrated regularly using a “colormunki” The print quality was set to high.
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| Macro |
Image 5 – Macro
Film cameras, especially older ones have really interesting textures in their construction. Using 50mm f/1.8 lens and extension tubes I examined my Bronica. I found what looked like a face on the side where the film winder fits. I used a wide aperture to isolate the metal spindle showing the machining marks. The textured leather type material shows the lovely bokeh produced by the 50mm lens.
I converted the image to black and white in Aperture increasing the contrast slightly to bring out the highlights in the machining marks on the spindle. I didn’t apply any sharpening as I did not was to affect the fluffy appearance of the background.
The image was printed on my Canon MG6150, using Canon original inks, Canon Photo Paper Plus Glossy. My printer and monitor are calibrated regularly using a “colormunki” The print quality was set to high and greyscale was selected.
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| Historical Object |
Image 6 – Historical Object
This image is the only one taken on film. I bought these two box cameras at a Christmas fair and photographed them when I got home. I like the feel of film images taken in the studio. Digital images are too clinical for some subjects. I am not too confident yet in film so this is the only submission at this stage.
I used constant lighting at 45deg to the front and a wide aperture to just have the fronts in focus.
I processed the negative in the college darkroom and scanned the negative. The only editing was to remove bits of dust from the background. It was refreshing not to have to consider the white balance or have to sharpen to bring out the subject. The parts in focus are sharper than would be if it had been taken on my DSLR. The entire front on both cameras are not completely pin sharp but I think this adds to the old appearance of the image.
The image was printed on my Canon MG6150, using Canon original inks, Canon Photo Paper Plus Glossy. My printer and monitor are calibrated regularly using a “colormunki” The print quality was set to high and greyscale was selected.
Wednesday 14th December 2011
Last day of term and the last session on the objects module. Time for a checklist from Andy -
Have You?
- Photographed your/macro/close up image - are you happy with the result Yes and yes
- Attempted a 'mini-set' build Yes
- Photographed a product - a commercially viable one! Yes
- If you have done reflective, have you checked that reflections/specular highlights are professionally appropriate. Yes
- Revisited the museum or located an historic object of your own Yes
Is your?
- research material in order and does it include visual and written examples Yes
- image evaluation spell checked Yes
- box/folder labelled with your name and the module name/number Yes
- printing organised and booked in - do you have enough ink and paper if you are doing it yourself Yes
Phew!!!
Module Summary
In this module we were introduced to the use of studio lighting. To begin with it seemed like I was having to learn a foreign language, there were so many apparently unconnected things to think about using a studio to photograph objects. With practice it became clearer and when we were able to photograph objects of our choice it became interesting.
My research into still life photography introduced me to some interesting photographers who apply humour to their images. One of whom Matt Carden I researched as one of my case studies in PDP.
The 20/20 presentation was not as bad as we all feared I don't think I did too badly but hope I will be a lot better next time we have to do one.
In the studio we used both flash and constant light sources, both could be modified by use of softboxes, filters or shading.
The tables could be lit from all around not just 45 45 setups giving wide scope for experimentation.
Despite my initial misgivings I really enjoyed the production of my portfolio in this module from the planning through to the printing. I know creativity is my weakness so set out from the start to produce imaginative images applying a little humour where possible.
My technical strength (engineering background) helped me approach each image methodically setting up each shot to get the best result.
