It's all about the light
The hard light used here is a bit brash and takes away from the instrument. A contrasty shot is nice but there are some blown out (overexposed) areas that distract from the subject. Check your histogram while shooting and bring the ev down a bit as you can bring up what areas you want in post (another forum..sorry David ).
Trying to take some photos of a sax we had around the house. Your comments and suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
While I mostly concur with what Swartzy said, I wanted to ask you what were you trying to achieve? Help can be so much more effective if we knew that...
I agree with Nikolai and Swartzy - if you are looking for a documentary type pic - "here's a sax", then you need softer light and probably a tidier (maybe darker) background.
If you want to show off the sax, I'd go for a more abstract composition - use a closer view and follow the curves. Show the mechanics of the valves and play with DOF a bit.
It looks like a great instrument to do a study of!
Matthew
PS - I hope you don't mind me posting this image but this is the kind of view I was thinking of. Some will hate it, some might not... It's a picture of the soundbox and arm on an old portable gramaphone, I prefer this to some other shots I did that show the whole box.
I see what you mean, Swartzy, about the overexposed areas. I'm going to reshoot with a softer light and see how it looks.
Nikolai, I'm not really sure. As a learning experience, I would like to end up with a series of photos of the sax. As Matthew suggested, sort of a photographic study of the instrument. It would help me learn more about composition and lighting. For example, the shot that Matthew posted here would be interesting to try and recreate with my sax.
I started with this shot of the entire instrument, although did start trying to isolate interesting parts in other shots. Not real happy with any results yet, but, I'm having a BLAST trying!:D
I'll post the next try at this shot when I get it done later in the week. Have to help with a kids theatre production today.
Trying to take some photos of a sax we had around the house. Your comments and suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Reflective objects can be very difficult to shoot. I would recommend using some type of soft box / diffuser for your lights. I also think you need more than one light. I would get the background well behind the sax. Consider hanging the sax from a monofilament line. How about a black background? You may even think about cross polarization, although that’s a little more difficult. Looks like a great project. Have fun. Sam
Thanks for the tips Sam. What is cross polarization?
Cross polarization is when you get a polarizing gel for the strobe lights, and use a polarizing filter the camera. I have yet to try it, but one can become dangerous after a little riding on the Internet. Sam
The first 2
that you shot without the focused light is much more appealing. Now, if you could get a background to compliment the sax, you'd have it. A few ways to accomplish this: Use a black background with no wrinkles, suspend the sax using fishing line having the backdrop well behind the horn. Focus the lighting on the sax allowing it to be dark behind...shoot it from different angles. Another idea is to lay the horn on a wrinkless backdrop and model the light in such a way, the keys are prominent.
Lighting a reflective subject is quite tricky but with patience and moving the lights around, using diffusers, bounces, umbrellas.....shoot, hang a shower curtain in front of your light source (preferrably not some bizzare colored fish one ). For still objects such as this, I prefer using studio type lights that are on the whole time....helps you see what you'll get through the viewfinder pretty easily.
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The hard light used here is a bit brash and takes away from the instrument. A contrasty shot is nice but there are some blown out (overexposed) areas that distract from the subject. Check your histogram while shooting and bring the ev down a bit as you can bring up what areas you want in post (another forum..sorry David
Reshoot it using softer light.
NAPP Member | Canon Shooter
Weddings/Portraits and anything else that catches my eye.
www.daveswartz.com
Model Mayhem site http://www.modelmayhem.com/686552
While I mostly concur with what Swartzy said, I wanted to ask you what were you trying to achieve? Help can be so much more effective if we knew that...
If you want to show off the sax, I'd go for a more abstract composition - use a closer view and follow the curves. Show the mechanics of the valves and play with DOF a bit.
It looks like a great instrument to do a study of!
Matthew
PS - I hope you don't mind me posting this image but this is the kind of view I was thinking of. Some will hate it, some might not... It's a picture of the soundbox and arm on an old portable gramaphone, I prefer this to some other shots I did that show the whole box.
I see what you mean, Swartzy, about the overexposed areas. I'm going to reshoot with a softer light and see how it looks.
Nikolai, I'm not really sure. As a learning experience, I would like to end up with a series of photos of the sax. As Matthew suggested, sort of a photographic study of the instrument. It would help me learn more about composition and lighting. For example, the shot that Matthew posted here would be interesting to try and recreate with my sax.
I started with this shot of the entire instrument, although did start trying to isolate interesting parts in other shots. Not real happy with any results yet, but, I'm having a BLAST trying!:D
I'll post the next try at this shot when I get it done later in the week. Have to help with a kids theatre production today.
I really appreciate your help.
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Reflective objects can be very difficult to shoot. I would recommend using some type of soft box / diffuser for your lights. I also think you need more than one light.
I would get the background well behind the sax. Consider hanging the sax from a monofilament line. How about a black background? You may even think about cross polarization, although that’s a little more difficult.
Looks like a great project. Have fun.
Sam
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Cross polarization is when you get a polarizing gel for the strobe lights, and use a polarizing filter the camera.
I have yet to try it, but one can become dangerous after a little riding on the Internet.
Sam
Following are two more shots, both with different lighting. And with a little editing. Are these are any better?
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b&w
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Different light
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b&w
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that you shot without the focused light is much more appealing. Now, if you could get a background to compliment the sax, you'd have it. A few ways to accomplish this: Use a black background with no wrinkles, suspend the sax using fishing line having the backdrop well behind the horn. Focus the lighting on the sax allowing it to be dark behind...shoot it from different angles. Another idea is to lay the horn on a wrinkless backdrop and model the light in such a way, the keys are prominent.
Lighting a reflective subject is quite tricky but with patience and moving the lights around, using diffusers, bounces, umbrellas.....shoot, hang a shower curtain in front of your light source (preferrably not some bizzare colored fish one
Hope this makes sense.
NAPP Member | Canon Shooter
Weddings/Portraits and anything else that catches my eye.
www.daveswartz.com
Model Mayhem site http://www.modelmayhem.com/686552
I've never owned a sax, so I'm not sure of the colors, I'm kind of guessing.
Basking in the shadows of yesterday's triumphs'.
This is a bit radical but thought it fun to make it shine! I'll remove it if you want.
My take
NAPP Member | Canon Shooter
Weddings/Portraits and anything else that catches my eye.
www.daveswartz.com
Model Mayhem site http://www.modelmayhem.com/686552
Sam
Thanks everyone. I'm going to try and isolate it from the background and see how it turns out. Thanks for all your help!
And I'll try to find a shower curtain without the colored fish ... hmmm maybe it would make for some interesting lighting though!
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