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forum > Digital/Traditional Photography > Home Studios

Home Studios

1. crisderaud20 March 2010, 13:06 GMT +01:00

Show shots of your home studio here. Home studio shots are both informative and fun. Members are able to see 'behind the lens' on how you produce a shot for your gallery.

Share your ideas and techniques on lighting, equipment and setup.

2. crisderaud20 March 2010, 13:13 GMT +01:00

I recently photographed an orange ping pong ball so that it could be used in compositions and manipulations as a sun. You can easily make an illustration of a yellow/orange circle to be a sun, but I wanted to provide a real photograph.

Here is the setup:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30748724@N00/4445954493/

Here is the finished stock photo:
http://www.rgbstock.com/image/mlcgZZI

3. saavem21 March 2010, 0:01 GMT +01:00

Great result!

4. crisderaud21 March 2010, 14:04 GMT +01:00

Here is one of my early setups using a shooting table and incandescent lamps.

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVKslkA

5. ervinbacik26 March 2010, 22:54 GMT +01:00

I think i have to make something like that for myself. Thanks for the idea, Chris.

6. crisderaud27 March 2010, 0:16 GMT +01:00

Today I made a texture photograph of some art canvas. For this one I used all fluorescent lamps. Here is the setup with the front lamp off. The color in the room has some green in it as I had the blinds open for the setup shop and the sun was hitting the leaves of the bush outside.

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqmhTEi

Here is the result that I uploaded: http://www.rgbstock.com/image/mlRcaSC

Post processing was difficult as the brightness and contrast varies wildly depending on how it is viewed on the screen. The thumbnail is much darker than when zoomed in. The detail of the thread raised the file size to over 8 MB.

I used a 50 mm prime lens for the shot.

7. crisderaud28 March 2010, 12:22 GMT +02:00

Here is the setup for my newest shot of a small children's school chair. I was happy to be able to obtain an all natural white background with some shadow under the chair.

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=TsBq9cA

I had an extra front light that is not on in this picture.

The result: http://www.rgbstock.com/image/mlYX5zM

8. ervinbacik29 March 2010, 11:00 GMT +02:00

Chris, if it is not a secret, can you tell me what sort of light are You using? I have recently started to experiment with isolated objects, but i was never satisfied with the final outcome.

9. crisderaud29 March 2010, 13:48 GMT +02:00

I am using Verilux full spectrum fluorescent bulbs 40 watt. http://www.verilux.com/fluorescent-tubes/fluorescent-medium-pin

I have two pairs of 4 footers above the table. (A front one and a back one) Sometimes I have them both on or I may just one (the front or the back one on) depending on the object or angle.

I also have a loose set of 4 footers that I can position from the front or the side for added light and shadow effect. A single bulb 2 footer is used on the table in from of the object for extra front light. (often diffused with a FotoFlex translucent disc.) You can use tracing paper as a diffuser but the discs are easier to handle and more uniform than tracing paper.

The fluorescents cast soft shadows and adequate illumination. They don't have hot spots common with incandescent "hot" lights. They don't burn your diffusers and heat your subject either.

Make sure you get full spectrum bulbs. Daylight bulbs aren't as good. You want true full spectrum bulbs for proper color. Verilux invented them in 1956. Luckily, I can get them locally.

You can mix flash with with the fluorescents but not with incandescent. You can not mix incandescent and fluorescent.

Get a 18 percent neutral grey card for setting custom white balance. It works better than white paper.

10. crisderaud5 April 2010, 16:58 GMT +02:00

I did a photo of a large gold picture frame yesterday.
Here is the actual jpg version of the setup shot.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30748724@N00/4491551012/sizes/o/

I used the RAW image version of this same shot to make the final shot for rgb:
http://www.rgbstock.com/image/mmIHR16

For doing larger frames like this I put cardboard in the picture space then draw a line cross corners to locate the center of the frame where I tape a focusing target. This target looks like a shooting target, but for smaller targets I use fine graph paper with black lines on white. You can make the graph paper with PhotoShop or go to http://www.printablepaper.net/.

I finish by erasing the the cardboard and outside the frame with PhotoShop.

11. micromoth12 May 2010, 22:27 GMT +02:00

Hi Cris,
When you shoot an object (such as @7) what is the white surface you use - paper or cloth? Any particular kind?

12. crisderaud13 May 2010, 4:14 GMT +02:00

The paper I use is bright white photography background paper I got at the local photography store. It comes in a role made to hang from a background rack and is 4.5 feet wide. This paper is guaranteed to be white and has a texture and reflectivity that makes clean looking shadows.

Butcher paper tends to be too shiny and slick but is cheaper and not as wide.

I also had a roll of white art paper my brother got me from the art store, but it had a slight warm hue to it although the package said it was white. When I adjusted my shots to make the paper white, my objects turned blue.

I just decided to get the product made for photography and pay the price and that turned out to be the best decision for working under full spectrum fluorescent lights indoors.

13. krayker13 July 2010, 5:36 GMT +02:00

@ Cris, you are getting some great results!

14. GerbenVanErkelens14 July 2010, 12:37 GMT +02:00

I just got some photo's through here @ RGBStock made in a mini studio upstairs. Due to some flashing problems I had to keep some piece of cloth before the camera flash so it wouldn't distort the stuido flashes :-)

The result you can fine @
http://www.rgbstock.com/photo/mw8Sao0/High+Heel+Boots
http://www.rgbstock.com/photo/mw8Sahy/High+Heel+Boots
http://www.rgbstock.com/photo/mw8SakM/High+Heel+Boots

15. crisderaud31 August 2010, 22:41 GMT +02:00

I took a photo of a simple acorn today. This is the lighting setup that I used. I elevated the tent close to the light and added a light from the side.
http://screencast.com/t/NGRmNjQ1OTc

All this for a simple acorn. But I think it turned out pretty good.
http://www.rgbstock.com/photo/mALeHI6/Acorn

Hopefully some people will find this photo useful.

16. krayker4 September 2010, 6:32 GMT +02:00

interesting setup, neat result

17. crisderaud11 November 2010, 19:08 GMT +01:00

DIY Photography has an extensive series of home studio projects to help you make your shot in your limited home space without buying the expensive equipment.

Lots of lighting projects, tips and tricks.

http://www.diyphotography.net/taxonomy/term/153

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