Testing on Plexi

[Jim Poor]

I decided to break down and test some plexi for "flooring" today. I originally didn't want to use plexi for fear of sharp edges and puppy paws, however, I think I could work with that.



There are things, however, that I don't think I can work with very easily.



Not Bad, but the first problem shows up right away. No matter where light hits plexi, it is transmitted to the edges and lights them up. You can see the rear edge of the plexi in the first photo.




Now's where it gets tough. Any smudge causes the light to "escape" for lack of a better term the flat surface of the plexi on the way to the edges. This refraction results in some funky, blotchy color in the third photo. We'll get to the fur in a minute.





Next issue: Static Electricity. When you are photographing pets, static electricity sucking in every little stray fur and finding fur you didn't even know you existed makes the surface look crappy. For a single session with plenty of time to clean the surface, I could get around that, but I'd never try to use it for a group fundraiser event or the like.

You can see the fur (and the reason dinosaurs became extinct) in the next two photos.











Yep, Corgi: 1 - Dino 0




Conclusion, nice for product shots on small surfaces, Looks real nice for reflections in general, but way too high maintenance for regular use in the studio or on location.

[wvsports]

I love these images. Nice technique! The last I think is my favorite