Lightbox macro

[mlambson]

New at macro shooting...decided to build a lightbox for my wifes lampwork beads...need a critique.

[Doug Sundseth]

It doesn't look to me like you're using a lightbox at all. I'm seeing specular highlights from three separate lights and the speculars have enough detail that I'm pretty sure the light nearest your camera was a bare bulb.

With a highly specular subject like this one, you really want to limit distracting reflections. To do this, you need light sources that subtend very large angles (light sources that seem very large from the PoV of the subject.) The most common way of doing this for tabletop shoots is a light tent (like the one in this article on Strobist.

Second, I think short DoF shots can work well for pendants or other jewelry where the interesting part is small. For a necklace like this one, where you have important detail around almost the full length, I think you want more sharpness throughout the subject. Since you didn't include the EXIF detail requested in the forum rules, it's a bit hard to suggest what you should change to increase your DoF, though.

[mlambson]

Originally Posted by Doug Sundseth

It doesn't look to me like you're using a lightbox at all. I'm seeing specular highlights from three separate lights and the speculars have enough detail that I'm pretty sure the light nearest your camera was a bare bulb.

With a highly specular subject like this one, you really want to limit distracting reflections. To do this, you need light sources that subtend very large angles (light sources that seem very large from the PoV of the subject.) The most common way of doing this for tabletop shoots is a light tent (like the one in this article on Strobist.

Second, I think short DoF shots can work well for pendants or other jewelry where the interesting part is small. For a necklace like this one, where you have important detail around almost the full length, I think you want more sharpness throughout the subject. Since you didn't include the EXIF detail requested in the forum rules, it's a bit hard to suggest what you should change to increase your DoF, though.

Doug,

You were right on with the use of 3 lights...My light box is very similiar to the one on strobist in fact that was the tutorial I used. I dont have the right lights so the use of the light box with regular bulbs is all I have until I can purchase the right stuff. I am loooking for sharpness especially in the beads as they sell on Etsy and would like to get them as genuine looking as possible. To get the sharpness that I had I had to put a bulb in front of my camera...it was to dark without it. Yes I would like to get rid of the shadow.

Thanks,

[Jo.T]

we really need some more info to help, but i will give a few suggestions to try.

There is nothing wrong with using house lamps or even natural light, i have see some great results with simple DIY set ups. You may need to use stronger globes as you cant get them too close to the sides, it depends on the size of your tent, see if you can rig an over head light rather than putting one infront next to your camera.

Try longer exposures this may mean going to manual. Start with Aperture priority get your dof right if your not getting enough light change to manual set your f/ and start to make you exposure longer until your happy with the results, a tripod is a must for this.

Hope that helps, let us know how you go

Cheers Jo

[windrider86]

Please do us a favor and read the guidelines posted at the top of each page. Once you do, please come back and include the info asked for. Thank you in advance!