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shooting zoom pictures in bright sunlight


 
 
Hello

I would like some advice on shooting zoom pictures in bright sunlight. The only time I can really use is early morning and late afternoon, so the number of pictures is limited by the sun. I can't afford studio lights, so I shoot my pictures outside. I have Sony Cyber-shot camera with zeiss lenses (8 megapixels). I take pictures of jewelry I make so I need a lot of light but too much of it results in harsh contrast... Any advice?

Thank you


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January 03, 2005

 

Michael H. Cothran
  Elaine,
It isn't the 'QUANTITY' of light that makes your images harsh, but the 'QUALITY' of light.
Remember that!
There's also a good possibility that your camera's meter is being fooled, especially if you are using a dark background for your jewelry, which would make your images washed out, and seem very harsh. More on this below.

Taking 'studio-type' pictures outside is not that complicated, but you do need to understand your light better. Here's a simple solution -
Obtain a white transluscent panel, and place this above your jewelry, so that the light that strikes your jewelry is filtering through the panel. This will give you very soft, even lighting.

Where do you get a transluscent panel, you ask??

Many commercial manufacturers offer them in a variety of sizes and fabrics. Check out some Studio lighting firms like Photoflex, Chimera, and lots others. They can be somewhat pricey, but they work.
Now, if you're even a little bit creative, and you must be, you can build one yourself for next to nothing. Buy some cheap 1x2 lumber, and make a square frame about 30" x 30". Modify the size if you think you need bigger, but that should be fine for small jewelry. And yes, you WANT a big light source over your jewlery.
Then buy a white shower curtain from Walmart, stretch it over your frame, and staple it. Now, figure out a way to hold it over your jewelry, as CLOSE to the jewelry as possible, yet giving you room to manipulate your camera. You will be amazed at how much nicer your jewelry looks under this panel compared to the harsh sun.

If you are using your in-camera meter, you will need to bracket your shots to determine the best exposure. If your background is dark, you will probably need to UNDER expose anywhere from -.5 to -1.5. Remember, a dark background will fool your meter into thinking that there isn't much light, thus your meter will try to OVER expose in order to compensate, so you, in turn, must UNDER expose to compensate for the meter's miscompensation!! How much to compensate is difficult to say since every background and jewelry piece will 'read' a little different. That is why you bracket, and if you shoot -.5, -1.0, and -1.5, one of them should be right. If your camera reads in thirds, use -.7, -1.3, and -2.0.
Good Luck
Michael H. Cothran


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January 05, 2005

 
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