drivebyshooter
07-04-2007, 07:28 AM
http://drivebyshooter.net/gallery/ipap-photos/Splash%20One.jpg
I posted that image (attached below) here on the DBS forum (http://digital-photography-school.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3436) and drivebyshooter.net (http://drivebyshooter.net/2007/07/02/pour-me-a-drink/]on my own blog[/URL] recently - and I promised to share how I took it.
Posted here is an abridged version. You can find the full version, with shots of the whole setup, at [URL="http://drivebyshooter.net/2007/07/02/pour-me-a-drink/), my personal site. I apologize if I keep linking back to the original post, but I couldn't figure out how to format text & images here.
Choosing my weapons
I used a Sigma 28-70 f/2.8 mounted on a Canon 350D. I would have loved to use a longer lens (I was dealing with splashing water after all), but this was pretty much what I had in my bag.
Keeping things steady
I used three different tools to keep things steady during the shoot. A tripod, a clamp (for the glass), and a remote shutter release cable. More on this here (http://drivebyshooter.net/2007/07/02/pour-me-a-drink/).
Lighting it up
Lighting diagram in full post (http://drivebyshooter.net/2007/07/02/pour-me-a-drink/) and also attached below.
The setup looked pretty much like this - the main light (a softbox in this case) and the camera pretty much pointed directly at each other. My background, which also doubled as a gobo, was a large black illustration board.
Making a splash
I used three different ways to make the water splash around (and out of) the glass: dropping small pieces of glass, using a dust blower, and pouring water from a pitcher. Sample shots of each in the original post (http://drivebyshooter.net/2007/07/02/pour-me-a-drink/).
Cleaning up the mess
I cropped one of the shots I liked slightly to get the image vertical instead of slanted. I also adjusted the curves to darken the background a little.
One thing I wish I didn’t have to do was use the channel mixer to reduce the image to grayscale. There was an orange reflection in the glass that I overlooked.
Doing things differently
After a few days, and after putting the image up for critique at the Digital Photography School Forum, I can think of ways I want to redo this shot.
First, I want to spend a little more time preparing my set. I still got stray reflections in the shot that forced me to convert it to black and white. Yes, the subject is naturally monochromatic, but a little orange spot ruined that.
Second, I will beg for, borrow, or steal a longer lens. I continually had to deal with water splashing on my lens and obscuring the shot.
Third, I will not get lazy about adjusting lights and other pieces. If I weren't too lazy to do that the first time around, I would have better wide shots - just as the doctor ordered.
Fourth, I will think of another way to secure the glass. I had to crop the clamp out of the frame for this shoot - I'm still trying to figure out how to get the whole goblet in frame.
Lastly, I will check my results on a large screen before packing away. If I had done so last time, I could have noticed the soft stem and motion blur. Then again, I posted the shot anyway, so I guess I thought it wasn't that bad.
I posted that image (attached below) here on the DBS forum (http://digital-photography-school.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3436) and drivebyshooter.net (http://drivebyshooter.net/2007/07/02/pour-me-a-drink/]on my own blog[/URL] recently - and I promised to share how I took it.
Posted here is an abridged version. You can find the full version, with shots of the whole setup, at [URL="http://drivebyshooter.net/2007/07/02/pour-me-a-drink/), my personal site. I apologize if I keep linking back to the original post, but I couldn't figure out how to format text & images here.
Choosing my weapons
I used a Sigma 28-70 f/2.8 mounted on a Canon 350D. I would have loved to use a longer lens (I was dealing with splashing water after all), but this was pretty much what I had in my bag.
Keeping things steady
I used three different tools to keep things steady during the shoot. A tripod, a clamp (for the glass), and a remote shutter release cable. More on this here (http://drivebyshooter.net/2007/07/02/pour-me-a-drink/).
Lighting it up
Lighting diagram in full post (http://drivebyshooter.net/2007/07/02/pour-me-a-drink/) and also attached below.
The setup looked pretty much like this - the main light (a softbox in this case) and the camera pretty much pointed directly at each other. My background, which also doubled as a gobo, was a large black illustration board.
Making a splash
I used three different ways to make the water splash around (and out of) the glass: dropping small pieces of glass, using a dust blower, and pouring water from a pitcher. Sample shots of each in the original post (http://drivebyshooter.net/2007/07/02/pour-me-a-drink/).
Cleaning up the mess
I cropped one of the shots I liked slightly to get the image vertical instead of slanted. I also adjusted the curves to darken the background a little.
One thing I wish I didn’t have to do was use the channel mixer to reduce the image to grayscale. There was an orange reflection in the glass that I overlooked.
Doing things differently
After a few days, and after putting the image up for critique at the Digital Photography School Forum, I can think of ways I want to redo this shot.
First, I want to spend a little more time preparing my set. I still got stray reflections in the shot that forced me to convert it to black and white. Yes, the subject is naturally monochromatic, but a little orange spot ruined that.
Second, I will beg for, borrow, or steal a longer lens. I continually had to deal with water splashing on my lens and obscuring the shot.
Third, I will not get lazy about adjusting lights and other pieces. If I weren't too lazy to do that the first time around, I would have better wide shots - just as the doctor ordered.
Fourth, I will think of another way to secure the glass. I had to crop the clamp out of the frame for this shoot - I'm still trying to figure out how to get the whole goblet in frame.
Lastly, I will check my results on a large screen before packing away. If I had done so last time, I could have noticed the soft stem and motion blur. Then again, I posted the shot anyway, so I guess I thought it wasn't that bad.