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NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
edited March 28, 2011 in Weddings
... a wedding not a wedding? Part 2.

The feedback I got to Part 1 was so helpful, I would like to run past you some more shots for the promo of Pear Ridge (the name of my friend's venue) as a venue for weddings. This is a set of the tables as if set for a reception. Would you like to comment on how appropriate they are, how "bridal" they look, how "bridal' you think the ambiance is.

To put you in context, in addition to how I described my friend's plans and the placement of Pear Ridge in the local demographic in my first post, she wants to convey the idea of "rustic charm", at a moderate price (Pear Ridge is in the countryside about 20min drive from our little city of Hobart).

It's a somewhat home-grown affair (including some of the wine and vegetables). My friend lived in France, had a French husband, and speaks French, so there is something of la compagne Française about it all.

Thank you!:thumb



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Neil
"Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

http://www.behance.net/brosepix

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    ShimaShima Registered Users Posts: 2,547 Major grins
    edited March 22, 2011
    #1 and 2 seem a little blown out too me, might want to try toning them down. I think #3 could be a great photo to use with the business name laid over it perhaps. I really like #6 for some reason. For showing off place settings I think #7 does that the best. #4 doesn't really do anything for me. Do you have any wider lenses? I'd really like to see a nice wide shot of the set up of the room for showing that off as a venue.
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    NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
    edited March 22, 2011
    Shima wrote: »
    #1 and 2 seem a little blown out too me, might want to try toning them down. I think #3 could be a great photo to use with the business name laid over it perhaps. I really like #6 for some reason. For showing off place settings I think #7 does that the best. #4 doesn't really do anything for me. Do you have any wider lenses? I'd really like to see a nice wide shot of the set up of the room for showing that off as a venue.

    Excellent feedback, Shima, thank you!

    Yes, the first couple are quite bright, however the histogram is behaving on the right end!mwink.gif I made them that way partly to create the impression of a glow, and thinking that they might just do the trick when printed in the mag, since highlights typically dull down in some printing.

    My favs are 3, 7 and 8. All were shot with a 35mm f1.4L on a 40D. The interior space of the venue is quite small, though not tiny. I'll post some wider shots of the indoors soon.

    Neil
    "Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

    http://www.behance.net/brosepix
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    ShimaShima Registered Users Posts: 2,547 Major grins
    edited March 24, 2011
    NeilL wrote: »
    Excellent feedback, Shima, thank you!

    Yes, the first couple are quite bright, however the histogram is behaving on the right end!mwink.gif I made them that way partly to create the impression of a glow, and thinking that they might just do the trick when printed in the mag, since highlights typically dull down in some printing.

    My favs are 3, 7 and 8. All were shot with a 35mm f1.4L on a 40D. The interior space of the venue is quite small, though not tiny. I'll post some wider shots of the indoors soon.

    Neil

    35 is a great lens, but on a crop body like a 40D that is like me shooting at ~50mm which isn't wide enough for a proper full room shot. Can you get your hands on an EF-S 10-22mm to borrow? That would be plenty wide on your 40D
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    NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
    edited March 24, 2011
    Shima wrote: »
    35 is a great lens, but on a crop body like a 40D that is like me shooting at ~50mm which isn't wide enough for a proper full room shot. Can you get your hands on an EF-S 10-22mm to borrow? That would be plenty wide on your 40D

    I have a 14mm, and I've used that on other indoor shots here, and it is quite wide enough. With these shots I was aiming to get details of the tables, rather than the whole indoors. Both are desirable as you say.

    Neil
    "Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

    http://www.behance.net/brosepix
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    slpollettslpollett Registered Users Posts: 1,196 Major grins
    edited March 25, 2011
    I really like #6 & #7. 1 & 2 are a little blown out as previously noted.

    I think the venue looks nice and the table settings look nice. I know you were trying to get marketing images, but the lighting is a little too bright (imho) to really get a feel for country ambience. A little more subdued 'mood' lighting would make the room cozy. :)

    Also, for what it's worth, I'd suggest losing the golden pear table ornaments. I know that's a tie to the name of the place, but they are kind of weird looking pieces. In some of the shots they look a little, um, inappropriate, if you know what I mean.

    Sherry
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    NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
    edited March 25, 2011
    slpollett wrote: »
    I really like #6 & #7. 1 & 2 are a little blown out as previously noted.

    I think the venue looks nice and the table settings look nice. I know you were trying to get marketing images, but the lighting is a little too bright (imho) to really get a feel for country ambience. A little more subdued 'mood' lighting would make the room cozy. :)

    Also, for what it's worth, I'd suggest losing the golden pear table ornaments. I know that's a tie to the name of the place, but they are kind of weird looking pieces. In some of the shots they look a little, um, inappropriate, if you know what I mean.

    Sherry

    "a little, um, inappropriate" rolleyes1.gif Wonderful!

    Yes, I agree with the "cozy". Actually, I am waiting for the owner to settle more helpfully on the "look" she really wants. This tryout is mainly beneficial for that reason.

    I really need to see contact sheets to judge the "over brightness" thing. I can see it, of course, but I don't know yet how it translates.

    #7 is the most successful for me.

    Many thanks for your comment Sherry!

    Neil
    "Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

    http://www.behance.net/brosepix
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    InsuredDisasterInsuredDisaster Registered Users Posts: 1,132 Major grins
    edited March 27, 2011
    Can you set your camera on a tripod and do away with the flash all together? I'm guessing you used an on camera flash in several of the shots and it seems a bit hot compared to the background.

    Also, while #1 is a bit blown out, I also noticed a chair or stool or something in the upper left. My first thought was that the cloth was actually being used to cover up a pile of furniture.

    I like #6 as it shows the candle light, and #7 as it shows the place a bit better. I'm guessing that there are just 2 tables in this place?
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    NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
    edited March 28, 2011
    InsuredDisaster wrote: »
    Can you set your camera on a tripod and do away with the flash all together? I'm guessing you used an on camera flash in several of the shots and it seems a bit hot compared to the background.

    Also, while #1 is a bit blown out, I also noticed a chair or stool or something in the upper left. My first thought was that the cloth was actually being used to cover up a pile of furniture.

    I like #6 as it shows the candle light, and #7 as it shows the place a bit better. I'm guessing that there are just 2 tables in this place?

    Thanks for the interesting comments!

    My technique needs quite a bit of finessing in lighting and a few other things!rolleyes1.gifD First time I've lit an area this big (maybe 400sqft) in very low early evening natural ambient through the windows to total blackness, with artificial. I used three lights - one on-camera with a diffuser, one on the left side just above table height with diffuser, and one on the right side bounced off the ceiling. All on manual and synced with the IR master on the camera. Minimal shadows on the tables, and lots of speculars in the glasses. In PP in a couple I added a glow, which gave the impression of a brightness boost, which wasn't too successful, as everone has said, but I'm waiting to see how it might be utilised in printing. It might be nice. Easily rolled back if not. The average highest level reading on the white-white linen is 240, and even visually you can see that no detail is lost. Even the brightest speculars (except the flames) are about 250. Light balance is not ideal in some, as you point out, but easily adjusted with a gradient if need be. So, yes there are some issues with the lighting, and it's great to have these commented on, because that lets me know how other eyes are reacting to these shots, and guides me in making PP and future lighting decisions.thumb.gif

    The bar is behind the drapery. Only two tables were prepared since the idea for this set was to show one table-dressing style with details, rather than the actual interior, which is four or more times larger than you see in these shots.

    I agree #7 is good, and usable.

    Neil
    "Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

    http://www.behance.net/brosepix
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    InsuredDisasterInsuredDisaster Registered Users Posts: 1,132 Major grins
    edited March 28, 2011
    Thanks for the explanation.

    I did notice what I was thinking were windows in #7. Since you mentioned natual lighting, do you think in the future you could shoot a bit earlier (if anything is worth seeing outside) and catch something on the outside as well? If there is nothing to show I think you could let them go black, but I think in some shots I've seen in magazines, they let the outside show a bit. But then you will probably have white balance issues, more difficult lighting, etc. When you actually do shoot the shots the proprietor uses, I'd love to see them!
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    NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
    edited March 28, 2011
    InsuredDisaster wrote: »
    Thanks for the explanation.

    I did notice what I was thinking were windows in #7. Since you mentioned natual lighting, do you think in the future you could shoot a bit earlier (if anything is worth seeing outside) and catch something on the outside as well? If there is nothing to show I think you could let them go black, but I think in some shots I've seen in magazines, they let the outside show a bit. But then you will probably have white balance issues, more difficult lighting, etc. When you actually do shoot the shots the proprietor uses, I'd love to see them!

    Yep.

    Stay tuned!

    Neil
    "Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

    http://www.behance.net/brosepix
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