paperweight macro photo - DPChallenge Forums

06/03/2005 11:45:07 AM · #1

i just took both of these photos of a paperweight i have sitting around. i put a florescent light under it and did a manual focus with my wide angle lens touching the paper weight. i would like some opinions on these two photos and some critiques on how to make it better or maybe a suggestion on doing something different for something new to try.also if u think a different title might apply please suggest it as im not to happy with the ones i have picked out. thanks in advance for any comments. sorry for the link and not a thunbnail( as i have noticed that this keeps people from commenting as much here) but i am not a member here YET but will be in the near future.
burning at both ends
golddust flame

:o)~~Cher~~

sfalice

Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

06/03/2005 11:57:01 AM · #2

Originally posted by smilebig4me1x:

burning at both ends
golddust flame

:o)~~Cher~~

Both of these are show an imaginative use of your equipment and are striking images. Expect you were able to find even more exciting compositions with this technique. If you have a macro, it might be fun to play with that using similar lighting. Also try diffusing the florescent light a bit. A colored gel works well of course, or a colored plastic bag might do in a pinch...

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

06/03/2005 01:13:12 PM · #3

Originally posted by sfalice:

Originally posted by smilebig4me1x:
burning at both ends
golddust flame

:o)~~Cher~~

Both of these are show an imaginative use of your equipment and are striking images. Expect you were able to find even more exciting compositions with this technique. If you have a macro, it might be fun to play with that using similar lighting. Also try diffusing the florescent light a bit. A colored gel works well of course, or a colored plastic bag might do in a pinch...

thanks... I thought of using a colored page protector but i didnt want to lose the clear glass and i dont know what it might do for my light source, but i think i will try it. anyone else have ANY suggestions for these two photos? i am wanting to try new things so i can learn to work my camera better and maybe learn something new. out of the 20 or so shots i took here these are the two best(IMO). * Need more input*

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

06/03/2005 02:53:04 PM · #4

Get a translucent, white cutting board at a kitchen supply shop. They work great to diffuse light when you are lighting from beneath, and this will produce a much more interesting rendition.

R.

06/03/2005 03:05:04 PM · #5

Originally posted by bear_music:

Get a translucent, white cutting board at a kitchen supply shop. They work great to diffuse light when you are lighting from beneath, and this will produce a much more interesting rendition.

R.

would a frosted glass one offer the same effect?

06/03/2005 03:07:38 PM · #6

i want to have a black background with only the lit up paperweight visable...any one know how i can do this without cut-n-paste in PS or without overprocessing in PS?

Pentax DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF

06/03/2005 08:27:41 PM · #7

bump for night crowd....maybe someone has a few suggestions

faidoi

Pentax K10D

06/03/2005 08:38:01 PM · #8

Pretty cool abstracts. Might be cool to play around with different colors lights to see what else you can come up with.

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM

06/03/2005 10:29:56 PM · #9

Originally posted by smilebig4me1x:

i want to have a black background with only the lit up paperweight visable...any one know how i can do this without cut-n-paste in PS or without overprocessing in PS?

anyone know how i can do this?

rox_rox

Canon EOS-20D

06/03/2005 10:40:37 PM · #10

Originally posted by smilebig4me1x:

Originally posted by smilebig4me1x:
i want to have a black background with only the lit up paperweight visable...any one know how i can do this without cut-n-paste in PS or without overprocessing in PS?

anyone know how i can do this?

Not an expert, but perhaps making a background out of black posterboard, cutting a hole beneath the paperweight and lighting from below?

Message edited by author 2005-06-03 22:40:51.

karmat

Apple iPhone 7

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM

06/03/2005 11:29:17 PM · #11

I was also going to suggest a hole cut in the paper/background

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

06/04/2005 12:24:30 AM · #12

Originally posted by smilebig4me1x:

Originally posted by bear_music:
Get a translucent, white cutting board at a kitchen supply shop. They work great to diffuse light when you are lighting from beneath, and this will produce a much more interesting rendition.

R.

would a frosted glass one offer the same effect?

Similar but different. One thing to watch out for is that most glass has a strong green component in it, even though you're not aware of it. "Frosted" glass has been subjected to a surface treatment, so the effect is quite a bit different from the plastic, which is a truly translucent material and has much more of a diffusing effect.

R.

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM

06/04/2005 11:42:02 AM · #13

bear_music~~thank you...i didnt know there was such a difference.
greatandsmall~~ but wouldnt the light reflect off the board?

rox_rox

Canon EOS-20D

06/04/2005 12:16:29 PM · #14

Originally posted by smilebig4me1x:

bear_music~~thank you...i didnt know there was such a difference.
greatandsmall~~ but wouldnt the light reflect off the board?

That sounds like a fun experiment. I don't know the answer to your question, but if I had that paperweight I would play around with these ideas:

Set up the black posterboard like a backdrop (curved, propped up against a vertical surface. Cut a hole (smaller than paperweight) towards the front. Leaving enough area on all sides to fill in picture frame. Then place the cutting board beneath the hole and set it up so that you can try different lights below.

Place the paperweight over the hole and shine a light up through the cutting board.

I wonder what would happen if you shone an adjustable flashlight (Maglight) directly into the paperweight (minus the cutting board)?

Also, wax paper diffuses light. I would experiment with that too.

All of my experiments don't work, but it's fun trying.