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photographing small things
James,
Excellent carving - I love it! I had to go back and find the other thread but I agree, the photos were a bit, ah, less. :)
For these photos, BTW, I like the second one best, simply because of the point of view - lower, on the "dog's eye" level. It shows the shape better and the "personality" of the celebrity.
Are you interested in improving photos? I suspect so based on your comments. The lighting is always key, of course, but the first thing I would recommend is to pay attention to the background. Even in your latest set the background competes with the subject, partly because of the detail and partly because of the contrast, or lack there of in places. One easy thing to do for small subjects is to use a piece of mat board (from any framing shop) and bend it so it forms both the base, the wall, and a smooth transition between them. Mat board is available in a wide variety of colors but I prefer a light to medium grey so the color of the background doesn't mess with the visual perception of the color of the object.
Here is a simple setup I used to use and photos from it:
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This was better than I got before but could still use some improvement. The lighting is still not good and the shadows are a little sharp and poorly placed.
It is far better if you can control the light - light is everything! For small photographing small things this usually means photographing indoors and shutting off all overhead and room lights, closing blinds, and using several well-placed lights just for the photo. I use cheap lamp fixtures with bright bulbs that have a color close to that of daylight. This works well with almost any camera with no corrections.
To further control the light, it is best to use something too diffuse, or soften, the light. You can put things like tissue or cloth in front of the light or bounce the light off white cardboard or something. A softer light gives you soft shadows.
An easier way for small things is a cheap, home-built photo cube. I made one from PVC pipe and fittings for almost nothing. I put the curved mat board inside and pined shear white cloth to the sides to soften the light. The lights are positioned towards the front and moved to where they work the best. I often use another smaller light on a gooseneck to put highlights on things. The PVC is not glued so the whole thing pulls apart in a few minutes for storage.
Here is the photo cube in the shop, sitting on the table saw:
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A hand-held camera can be used but it is better to use some kind of tripod to minimize shake, focusing problems, and to give more flexibility in exposure if desired. Even the little point-and-shoot cameras I have can be mounted to a tripod.
If you can swing it, it would be best to use one of the many digital "SLR" cameras available today at dropping costs since they give you very quick control over focus, depth-of-field, color temperature. Some point-and-shoot cameras will also do this but through a bunch of klutzy menu selections. What a pain...
The two large light bulbs at the sides are photo CFLs ordered from Amazon. Note that using light bulbs like this will eliminate color problems with any camera you use. The LED light is in the front for highlights - I attach cloth or paper to soften it if needed. Sometimes I use a mirror or white piece of cardboard inside the photo cube to put a little more light where needed.
I stretch a stick across the top to fasten thin wires when I want to suspend something. I generally use either a light or darker grey mat board depending on the object.
Here are some random examples from this setup (I've posted these before, mostly in Turning):
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I use photo editing software on almost every photo, to crop, size, adjust brightness and things, remove a dust spot if needed, and make composites to show several views in one photo. This is incredibly quick with good software.
If you are interested in more about the photo cube or about lighting or photography in general, photo editing, color temperature, just ask - zero experience needed. An amazing carving like yours deserves an amazing photo!
JKJ
