Tuesday, December 14, 2010

P.S. to previous 'Tech Talk Tuesday' post

In the last post, I realized there were a whole lot of words and no photos.  That is a disgrace for a photography blog!!  So I wanted to show those of you who are 'afraid of the flash' that it's easier than you think.  Here is the image, SOOTC that I took 5 minutes ago on my dining room table:


LIGHT READING or ENLIGHTENED READING?

I probably should have waited until evening to take this photo and show off the candle light effect better, but I was impatient.  So I closed the shutters in the dining room, but still had to contend with the light from huge windows in the great room on the other side that also light up the dining room.  Luckily it is a dark and overcast day.  I lit the candles and took some test shots, and saw that the light was too dark on the Bible, which is my main point of interest.  So I put my camera flash on a stand, and placed it to the right of where I was standing, and pointed it at the Bible.  The flash spilled over onto everything and made the whole image bright and boring while I was going for a more moody feel.  So considering my previous lighting post, I started thinking about how I could simply modify the light.  I needed to make it more directional, more like a spot light.  See photo below for my complicated light modifier:


I hope this doesn't ruin the impact of the first image, because there's not much mood or feeling to this shot!!  But I wanted to show you what I did in 5 minutes.  After I moved the dining room chairs out of the way, I experimented with different candles and compositions.  I took some test shots until I got the composition I wanted, remembering to emphasize the focal point of the image with a narrow depth of field.  Then I lit the candles and started fiddling with the light.  This photo shows my final set up.  One light, my camera flash unit, mounted on a stand!  That's it!  And that professional looking light modifier is three pieces of typing paper taped around the flash.  I could have used a fancy 'snoot' modifier or other type of spot if I'd had one,  but I think this high lights the words 'Holy Bible' very nicely.  Oh, I also experimented with the amount of flash as well.  See how simple this was?  There really is no excuse not to use off camera lighting when you are shooting indoors!!

I hope this little tutorial has been 'enlightening' and more importantly, I hope we all are 'enlightened' this season by welcoming the 'Light of Christ' into our lives.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Karen. Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving a comment. Your blog has definitely caught my attention, as my thoughts have been on setting up a home studio. I'll have to read Part 1 and Part 2 of your Tech Talk Tuesday. I'm sure there will be other posts of interest to me as well. I think of myself sometimes as a sponge in regards to anything photography. I read about it, see it and soak it up. Thank you for following me; I am following you as well.

Lisa said...

I love your tech Tuesdays and dont want to miss them . I love the image ..The first and the second is with the light is stunning.
Thanks Karen. Your creative, helplful and so full of life.
.We have a snow fall warning. Your warm light here add a bit of warmth to me.
Have a wonderful night.

Lisa said...

PS or Blog PS . I ve been playing with my new flash .. thanks to you and can create some nice things I never thought I could.

diane b said...

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. I love the way the picture oozes warmth and love. The red tones are great and of course the lighting super. (Could I be bothered...is the question. I'm a bit tired today maybe when my batteries have recharged.)

Scott Law said...

Karen, this is super. I'm especially glad to see that I'm not the only one that leaves stuff lying around like the tape and matches. Love the tip on the quick paper scrim too.

Ginny Hartzler said...

Well, I don't know how much better it would have been if you waited till evening, this is just exquisite. But it's not just about the light. You have to know how to arrange a scene like this, which I cannot do, I don't have an artistic bone in my body. You, on the other hand, are a real artist, and know exactly how to arrange a scene.

Judy said...

Hi Karen,

Absolutely a gorgeous photo! Love the colors! You truly have a gift. Have you done any sports photography? I just posted some action shots from my son's lacrosse game last Sunday. Had to push my ISO to 6400 just to get the shutter speed I needed. But boy is there lots of digital noise. Would like your thoughts when you have a moment.

Blessings,
Judy

chasity said...

you are so talented...
thanks for all your great advice and tips!

Dawning Inspiration said...

Fabulous info - thanks for sharing. Gorgeous image, too! I need to create a stand!!

troutbirder said...

Interesting. I definitely need some help in this area. And often look to Montanagirl for ideas on nature photography.

MadSnapper said...

the first thing you have that i don't have is that gorgeous table and all the wonderful, wonderful things on it. this is really interesting and very helpful to. i love the paper cone around the light. and the first photos is absolutely beautiful, perfect for a Christmas card. all this beauty and phun to

Tanna said...

Oh, you did a beautiful job on that image! And, I love that you wrapped typing paper around the flash to get that beautiful effect! And... the message if the Light of Christ. Thank you, Karen!

darlin said...

Karen you are brilliant! I love the first photo here, you have the perfect shot and thanks for the second photo to show how you achieved the look. I'm going to have to play around now that I have a wee bit of time to do so! Thank you for sharing your wisdom and creativity!

marty said...

your blog is very interessant ! I think I have a lot of things to learn Thank you
have a nice day !!