with Rob Bowker and Alan Seaver's encouragement
I decided to finally try to take some catalog-style photos of my collection.
these are the results of my first attempt.
after a bit of adjusting color balance and brightness in photoshop
I've gotten some very good results
but also run into a few problems getting the background to be white enough.
I've had surprisingly good results so far, mostly,
and with time I'll figure out what I'm doing.
all it took was this giant piece of cardstock, a whiteboard, a sunny day, and my Fuji X10.
Very nice results! (:
ReplyDeleteThey look great.
ReplyDeleteI usually need to play around a bit to make the background perfectly white. Photoshop's dodge tool is helpful.
Great results Nick. I find an overcast day (or even a couple of reading lamps) is just as good but you need a tripod and a remote release or at least a shutter delay, Other tips might include strapping a circular polarising filter to the lens to eliminate reflections and, if there's room, you can angle the typewriter so it isn't as square-on to the light source/reflector. But hey, you are finding all this out as go anyway. I like the way the approach turns them into museum exhibits.
ReplyDeleteThe main problem right now is finding a place to set it up—I don't actually have any chairs! I just put it at the only decent place I had.
DeleteI've been thinking about getting a polarizing filter for a while… probably should get one this time.
It really does give a totally different feel compared to my usual desktop shots.
Talking of museums
ReplyDeleteSome great looking shots there. Good work.
ReplyDeleteThese look great Nick!
ReplyDeleteMaybe the "not entirely white background" is caused because the sun comes from one side instead of above? I don't really know anything about it, but it seems some kind of shade.
I'm pretty sure that's the problem, or else that the edge of the glass doesn't reach all the way over to the back of the posterboard. It was just a quick setup and I already know ways to improve it.
DeleteSimple idea. Beautiful photos...and typewriters.
ReplyDeleteThat is a great setup, Nick. Photographers and painters have used the softness of north window light forever for natural light portraits. I used to teach that years ago at Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, NV. The addition of the reflector greatly helps to even out the light. Regarding lightening the background, it just needs more light on it, of course. You could move the whole rig forward to that the windowlight falls more directly on the background, and/or use a taller reflector to bounce more light down onto it. But what you have there is great.
ReplyDeleteNorth window light is the best!
DeleteThanks for the suggestion of the taller reflector, I hadn't thought of that. I'm just waiting a while, figuring out what's going to be the best thing to do with my setup, before I go out and buy whatever more materials I need. I've tried different setups, but this side-light one really is the most convenient by far so I'm going to see what I can do to make this work out the best.