BTS: Desktop Cyclorama
BradfordBenn
Registered Users Posts: 2,506 Major grins
Hello DGrinners-
I have been shooting and lurking recently so I wanted to provide some content. (Hopefully I am placing this in the right spot...). A fuller version of this post appears on my blog at http://www.bradfordbenn.com/2015/11/desktop-photoshoot-behind-the-scenes/
I have been working on a way to take "product shots" of some of the collectibles so I can keep track of them plus use them for things like posting my current mood:
I know that there are photographic tools designed specifically for this task. However as I looked at the various solutions I found things that prevented me from being satisfied by the solutions that were available. The key item was that I hadn’t quite determined what I wanted to do yet. I went browsing at Amazon, brick and mortar Calumet Photographic, and Gene’s Camera Store. I still couldn’t figure out which one was going to meet my needs.
I had done some research years ago about building a light box on my own. I had found one on Instructables.com and thought it was pretty close. I had done some experimenting with just using a roll of white craft paper and ambient light with a long exposure and had come up with some pretty decent shots.
As you can see the color is off and there is some shadowing. However the cyclorama effect does work with just a piece of white paper taped and draped behind it. I purchased a 2 foot by 25 foot roll for testing and it worked really well
When I was building my standing desk and the seated work space, one of the things I thought about was how to use it as a table top photo studio. The vertical standards are metal so I could attach paper with magnet, there are lots of places to attach lights, my mind started going through the options. The first attempt to build a cyclorama and do some shooting, before buying a lightbox, I simply put a piece of paper on the standard using tape and taped the other end to the shelf. I then swung a desk arm lamp over and started doing some shooting.
These didn’t seem to come out too badly. Better color temperature as I had more practice but there was still too much shadow for my eye.
I tried setting up some off camera flashes with shoot through umbrellas however the spacing physically was just not going to work out.
After searching for a lightbox, I finally decided I could configure the work space to be a tabletop cyclorama with the purchase of a few accessories and perhaps building my own. I sketched up what I wanted.
I wanted to build the system out of parts that could be reused and retasked easily not just made to be a lightbox and then no longer available. I came up with the following idea, two systems of a clamp to hold a small pivoting arm with a bolt/stud on it to attach the flash’s cold shoes to. I will tell you that there are times trying to purchase these things off the Internet is too complicated. Off to Calumet to try out the idea and build the idea. I took all sorts of items out of boxes and just started mixing and matching studio clamps and adjustable heads. I came up with a solution that would work and was under budget. I then figured to make it three sets as that way I could also mount a camera easily without a tripod at times. I ended up purchasing the following:
3 – Calumet MF6822 Studio Clip Clamp
3 – Calumet MF6817 Adjustable Head With Support Platform
I also was not able to find any small soft boxes in the store, so I thought about making my own, however after a quick Amazon search I found a six inch by nine inch soft box for less than I could build my own for. I was all set, time to build up the system. As you can see it truly was tabletop based and ready to be overrun by bobbles.
I am happy with the results of the shoot as well
Hope this information is helpful to someone else. Any questions feel free to ask.
I have been shooting and lurking recently so I wanted to provide some content. (Hopefully I am placing this in the right spot...). A fuller version of this post appears on my blog at http://www.bradfordbenn.com/2015/11/desktop-photoshoot-behind-the-scenes/
I have been working on a way to take "product shots" of some of the collectibles so I can keep track of them plus use them for things like posting my current mood:
I know that there are photographic tools designed specifically for this task. However as I looked at the various solutions I found things that prevented me from being satisfied by the solutions that were available. The key item was that I hadn’t quite determined what I wanted to do yet. I went browsing at Amazon, brick and mortar Calumet Photographic, and Gene’s Camera Store. I still couldn’t figure out which one was going to meet my needs.
I had done some research years ago about building a light box on my own. I had found one on Instructables.com and thought it was pretty close. I had done some experimenting with just using a roll of white craft paper and ambient light with a long exposure and had come up with some pretty decent shots.
As you can see the color is off and there is some shadowing. However the cyclorama effect does work with just a piece of white paper taped and draped behind it. I purchased a 2 foot by 25 foot roll for testing and it worked really well
When I was building my standing desk and the seated work space, one of the things I thought about was how to use it as a table top photo studio. The vertical standards are metal so I could attach paper with magnet, there are lots of places to attach lights, my mind started going through the options. The first attempt to build a cyclorama and do some shooting, before buying a lightbox, I simply put a piece of paper on the standard using tape and taped the other end to the shelf. I then swung a desk arm lamp over and started doing some shooting.
These didn’t seem to come out too badly. Better color temperature as I had more practice but there was still too much shadow for my eye.
I tried setting up some off camera flashes with shoot through umbrellas however the spacing physically was just not going to work out.
After searching for a lightbox, I finally decided I could configure the work space to be a tabletop cyclorama with the purchase of a few accessories and perhaps building my own. I sketched up what I wanted.
I wanted to build the system out of parts that could be reused and retasked easily not just made to be a lightbox and then no longer available. I came up with the following idea, two systems of a clamp to hold a small pivoting arm with a bolt/stud on it to attach the flash’s cold shoes to. I will tell you that there are times trying to purchase these things off the Internet is too complicated. Off to Calumet to try out the idea and build the idea. I took all sorts of items out of boxes and just started mixing and matching studio clamps and adjustable heads. I came up with a solution that would work and was under budget. I then figured to make it three sets as that way I could also mount a camera easily without a tripod at times. I ended up purchasing the following:
3 – Calumet MF6822 Studio Clip Clamp
3 – Calumet MF6817 Adjustable Head With Support Platform
I also was not able to find any small soft boxes in the store, so I thought about making my own, however after a quick Amazon search I found a six inch by nine inch soft box for less than I could build my own for. I was all set, time to build up the system. As you can see it truly was tabletop based and ready to be overrun by bobbles.
I am happy with the results of the shoot as well
Hope this information is helpful to someone else. Any questions feel free to ask.
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