Still life for comment

[Lee Bold]

I have finally got around to updating my website and photos are being updated daily, well when i get round to making stuff.
I have been playing around with the photography and not being very well up on still life any comments would be appreciated.
Lee






Please comment and give honest opinions, i won't cry. well maybe a little.
And if you want to see more you can go to my site
http://www.leebold.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

[Andrew Shepherd]

Hi Lee

Here's my 2p's worth...

image 1 - it took me a while to get my head round what was going on with this one - I thought something was missing (I'm assuming the clock is balancing). I think it's because the left hand side looks cropped off (which I don't think it has). Clock face looks a little soft too - I just wonder whether it should be photographed head on and/or create more shadows?

image 2 - absolutely spot on for me - nice and sharp and the white floor and background is nicely lit - I like this one.

image 3 - again great photo, but the floor/background looks a little dull. Would be good if you could get that as crisp as number 2.

image 4 - nicely lit but there's something around the edge/floor in the shadows which is distracting me - what is it?! If it was clean black background it would be spot on - might be an easy fix for Photoshop.

image 5 - really nicely lit and a clean surface background - nice one.

I'm very impressed with the wood turning - I used to love it when I was at school!

Andrew

[John]

For a start you have good still life subjects there, so there's plenty to explore in terms of shape and texture. That could work very well in black and white, but colour does add an extra element to play with. Have you thought of using mixed lighting? I sometimes use a mixture of daylight and tungsten which gives an interesting effect.

I actually like all of them except the clock. I think the clock should be as sharp as the rest and this will mean much more depth of field will be needed. If you use f/32 and focus one third of the way in to the scene you will be at the "hyperfocal distance" and will maximise your DOF.

Don't worry too much about the lens being a bit softer at the smallest apertures - they are there to be used when DOF is the primary consideration and it will be better than out of focus images.

Hope that helps!

[Lee Bold]

Hello everyone and thanks for the comments much appreciated.

The light shadow at the bottom of the castle i hadn't noticed and i think its just were the light has created a rim effect I'll clone it out i think

The basket weave bowl was originally photographed with the same light set up as the others but because of all of the holes it created a flattening effect were the light came through and you lost a bit of the depth, i don't know a way round this but i'll have a play.

Most of the images were shot with f16 except the clock which i need to re do, i was trying to have the face sharp and then blur away giving more to the illusion and make people wonder how it stands up on such a small base. Anyway i think with the f4 i used i might of been slightly of the mark and given it a soft feel all over.

By the way it is just balanced, using complicated maths and science i was able to come up with the angle and weight to get it to balance. LOL Ok i guessed and it worked.

Thanks for the comments hopefully others will follow and put some of their favourite subjects on

Lee

[Andy Milne]

Hi There Lee.... images 2 3 & 5 work nicely.... Two could do with something that would give you a sense of size perhaps... the overall lighting is flattering...and the shadow is soft and even...nice graduation....

The basket weave might benefit from a rear light...adding a specific light either one stop OVER or UNDER and see which effect you prefer... I would say OVER would be best...as It should give you a set of highlights that will give you a sense of depth....

Image 5 is around 1/2 a stop over lit from behind.... that would remove the twin shadows... which are wee bit confusing...

On a note of shooting on a black paper roll.. you want to take into account of the reflectance properties..... paper by its nature IS shiney... cloth absorbs.... that is why you find cloth backdrops so readily available from all the major sources....

If you take one bit of black paper , one bit of black cloth and one bit of black velvet...put them together in the same place side by side... you WILL see a big difference...
but the camera sees black as black... you decide which black it sees...

ANdy

[Lee Bold]

Thanks for the comments andy, i know what you mean about the black backgrounds i've been meaning to get some velvet for a while, it would make life a little easier. I'm going to try image 5 and the basket weave again with everyones comments on them just to make them that bit better.
Image 2's size is small about 2" x 2" would anyone recommend me putting a coin in the pictures to give a relation to size.
Lee