Hi Everyone
Apr 19, 2018 15:26:38 #
Woodcrafter10 wrote:
My name is Ken and I live in Ohio. I came to this... (show quote)
Hi Ken... The "bowing" is probably due to the use of a "wide angle lens", which tends to bow the edges.. Back up a bit more using a 100mm lens... I suggest that you bring your plaques to a window and let the outside light work its magic...
Apr 19, 2018 17:17:18 #
Apr 22, 2018 14:07:09 #
Woodcrafter10 wrote:
I will try that, thank you.
I also found that the plaques were not rectangular but bowed out in the middle.
My son suggested I use my smartphone, which I did, but I also found my Samsung tablet took better pictures, just now need to make an adapter to mount on the tripod.
I also found that the plaques were not rectangular but bowed out in the middle.
My son suggested I use my smartphone, which I did, but I also found my Samsung tablet took better pictures, just now need to make an adapter to mount on the tripod.
That bow you talk about is caused by the lens. That's what the poster above was talking about when he said you have the wrong tool. It may also be a factor of being too close to the plaque with too low of an fstop. Like the others said, set it for f8 or f11 and don't get quite so close and it may help with the distortion.
Apr 23, 2018 09:04:51 #
Thank you, I have moved back about 4 feet and messed with some setting and things improved, not there yet but working on it.
Apr 28, 2018 11:14:13 #
LouV
Loc: Juno Beach, FL
A few things:
As others have said, zoom in and get farther away to eliminate the bowing.
Avoid flat lighting. Try two lights, one on either side at fairly oblique angles to try to create some depth in the engravings. Experiment with different positions.
I don’t know the capabilities of your camera but if you can shoot in aperture priority, try different f-stops to find the one that is sharpest. It’s not necessarily the smallest aperture. Most lenses tend to be sharpest in the mid-range.
Finally, to avoid the glare from the varnish, why not just photograph them before you varnish them?
As others have said, zoom in and get farther away to eliminate the bowing.
Avoid flat lighting. Try two lights, one on either side at fairly oblique angles to try to create some depth in the engravings. Experiment with different positions.
I don’t know the capabilities of your camera but if you can shoot in aperture priority, try different f-stops to find the one that is sharpest. It’s not necessarily the smallest aperture. Most lenses tend to be sharpest in the mid-range.
Finally, to avoid the glare from the varnish, why not just photograph them before you varnish them?
Apr 28, 2018 22:45:02 #
Thank you for your input LouVLuckily I do have the ability to try different f-stops. Slowly I am getting a better understanding of using them. The one idea you have that intrigues me is photographing them before I varnish them.
When I see the plaque on the LCD screen it is exactly what I want, but I can not replicate that view yet if I can at all. That is what has been the most frustrating. It seems if I get the color and depth of the lettering right, (the lettering is approximately 1/10 inch deep and painted black, the plaque is stained a medium brown), it looks blah, my scientific term for not having character. I see shots in magazines of similar items, like furniture and they have sharpness and reflection and character. A lot of this will be my learning by trial and error and a lot of input from all of you who know photography.
When I see the plaque on the LCD screen it is exactly what I want, but I can not replicate that view yet if I can at all. That is what has been the most frustrating. It seems if I get the color and depth of the lettering right, (the lettering is approximately 1/10 inch deep and painted black, the plaque is stained a medium brown), it looks blah, my scientific term for not having character. I see shots in magazines of similar items, like furniture and they have sharpness and reflection and character. A lot of this will be my learning by trial and error and a lot of input from all of you who know photography.
Apr 29, 2018 16:13:56 #
Woodcrafter10 wrote:
Thank you for your input LouVLuckily I do have the... (show quote)
The great thing about digital is that it costs nothing to shoot hundreds of trial shots. Unlike the old days of film where you had to send it out for processing and pay and pay and pay. Keep working at it. You'll get there. Nobody mentioned the possibility of renting a high quality camera and lens setup for a few days. It's very reasonable in most places to rent a camera, lens and lightbox setup. SOme places around here even have a studio you can rent by the hour.
Apr 30, 2018 10:49:34 #
Pixelstan has it correct - there is light contamination off to the right. I would light from the top of this plaque at 45 degrees with diffused light and you can use a reflector from the bottom to help. Pull back - 16" is way to close and that's why your getting so much distortion and probably why your letters aren't in focus on the edges. Pull back and zoom in to crop. I would use min f5-f6 for aperture for a little more depth of field but you may have to bump your light up a bit for that. Make sure your centered vertically and horizontally on you item as Pixelstan suggested. Last - color cast off your ceiling, walls and backdrop will affect the color of your subject so try to get clean light directly on your item don't reflect it off the ceiling. I would suggest a white background not the light blue.
Woodcrafter10 wrote:
My name is Ken and I live in Ohio. I came to this... (show quote)
Jun 19, 2018 01:34:25 #
An 8X10 to do this? Overkill to the extreme. If you can get 2 lights and place at 45 degrees to the sign, then place polarizer covers over them, which are not too expensive, then a polarizing filter over the camera lens and use a tripod and medium focal length lens, you can make this perfect. And to ensure that the lights are correct, you can place a pencil perpendicular to the sign, and adjust until you see no shadows in any direction.
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