Showing Black Tri-Corn

[Frank Schmidt]

Here's a little puzzle.

I wanted to shoot this image on-order for employees at a local "Roll-Your-Own" smoke shop as a gift for their boss. (I don't smoke but they favored me with some cut tobacco for my Dutch still-life pictures; and I'm repayng with a cost-plus picture).
While working it up Brandi suggested using the boss's cig. lighter and his tri-corner hat.

Big Problems here !

My EXIF info tells me that this was a long open shutter: 84 seconds, f/20, ISO 160, 50mm, NO flash. No strobe.

Two test shots without hat or lighter looked good but.....insert lighter and it is way too metalic/reflective and has a lot of detail to be shown so too much light on it blows out the detail.

Second issue: The tri-corner hat is black felt so my black background will not work. You can't see flat black on flat black.

The solution: Use a spot light to "Paint light" on the scene so I can selectivly highlight elements from left and right. This allows me to minimze light on the cig lighter so it is not blown out with too much light. With flash or strobe you would light the whole scene and give too much to one element or the other. (This all takes place in a dark room, OK? with camera on a tri-pod)

Also, with a hand-held spot light I can apply light to the background behind the black felt hat to highlight its edges.

Why not use a white background behind the hat for contrast? Because the whole scene is meant to focus on the right side patriotic fabric and I don't want light background on camera left to distract. So use dark green valour fabric and hit it with with tightly focused spot- light to highlight the hat in front of it.

I'm happy with it. They paid me. You can offer suggestions if you wish..... but too late: I already spent the money.

See more of my work at: FrankSchmidt | RedBubble

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