Glass is tricky

[RustySterling]

I did the latest assignment (ghetto lighting) using a dragon etched in glass against a black background. I didn't realize how much the black would skew everything. I went back to it. It's hard shooting something that is glass. I still used the wood base with a small tungsten light bulb in the base but this time with a white background and I'm much happier with the result.

I'm tellin' ya, shooting clear glass is tough, even with a base light. But a great challenge. This is more more like the real thing than what I posted in the assignment with a black background:



BTW. it appears as if the glass etching is bubbled toward the camera (does that make sense?) it's actually going away from the camera. Like I said, shooting glass is tricky and tough.

[DavidWayne]

WOW...it turned out perfectly...great job...I love dragons!

[RustySterling]

Originally Posted by DavidWayne

WOW...it turned out perfectly...great job...I love dragons!

Thanks David. I love dragons too. And I have quite a collection of dragons. But this one was really tricky to shoot. What I posted for the weekly assignment, with a black background, came out very differently. Frankly, I'm happier with the second attempt with a white background. It just looks more real.

Here's what I posted with a black background for the weekly assignment:

[DavidWayne]

OH my!!! WOW, this one is great too! but I think I like the white one better too!!!

[RustySterling]

Originally Posted by DavidWayne

OH my!!! WOW, this one is great too! but I think I like the white one better too!!!

Thanks again David,

I agree that the white one looks a lot more natural. I couldn't believe how much other color the black background introduced -- particular the blues. The contrast is great but the colors are just too unnatural to my eye. At first I was entranced by the colors until I kept looking at it and wondering what was wrong.

The white background really brings out detail and realism that the black just doesn't seem to cover.

I'll be posting more picks of dragons in the future since I have quite a collection to date.

[Fred flyfisher]

That is totally awesome. I really like how the light from the base is reflected by the etching in the glass. Great work.

[RustySterling]

Originally Posted by Fred flyfisher

That is totally awesome. I really like how the light from the base is reflected by the etching in the glass. Great work.

I agree. I love how the light is picked up in the edges. The one with the black background is pretty close to what I was seeing but the white background is more true to the statuette.