We do not sell any equipment, but if you'll find our articles helpful, please consider to buy hardware using our Amazon link below.
It won't make any price difference for you, but amazon contribution will help us to support this web site.
|
I continue to use my tilt-shift adapter for DSLR, and now I explore the limits of the system. Below is the watch, at a very narrow angle, shoot by using Rodenstock Rodagon APO 80mm F4 lens at aperture set to F16.
 Watch photography using tilt-shift DSLR
The lighting schema is simple: two narrow soft boxes on top, each highlighted top and the bottom part of the watch. There should not be direct reflection form a watch’s glass, as it immediately become dull and low contrast. Continue reading Watch photo shoot: advantages of using tilt-shift camera adapter
 
When one of our client’s ask me to shoot several bracelets, it looked like an easy task, at first. But when we started to talk about technical requirements, the photo session become more challenging than I was thinking…
First, he wants a spot-like gradient background, from deep purple to a complete black.
Second, bracelets must be shoot in frontal position, not a simple from-top shoot. Saying that they also mentioned that full bracelet must have as maximum details as possible.
So, how to get the first task done? Hang bracelet on a tiny fishing lines and project a a spot on a dark background? Master background digitally, after the shoot? I am not a big fun of such massive digital post processing, especially when I shoot for a catalog, hundred of pieces. Same dislike of a complicated to repeat setups because of product’s quantity.
What I did is this: 2 light sources ( Paul. C Buff monolights) , one mirror and one white paper background on rails. Plus, unfortunately, one photoshop task for a post production, you’ll see later what I mean.
The setup, was simple: Jewelry was placed on a mirror positioned so it was reflecting a white paper backdrop when looked from a camera’s angle. However, backdrop was black, as no other light source was pointed on a backdrop. Narrow rectangular softbox was placed directly on top of the jewelry, so no lights was escaping on a backdrop behind.
Now only spot (honeycomb attachment was used) needs to be pointed to appropriate place on a backdrop to create a nice gradient.
The same but in drawing:
 Lighting schema for jewelry photography Continue reading Photographing jewelry: the lighting setup, tips and tricks plus bonus video
Everyone knows how tricky may be a shooting reflective object, especially if the object is spherical shaped or cylinder, like a kettle. Recently we had a photo session for a new Walmart kitchenware, and I want to share some tips and trick I was using to get it done.
First, a kettle:
 Product kitchen Photography. Electric Kettle. Continue reading Kitchenware Photosession: Lighting setup for highly reflective objects
Several people have asked me how I protect my important files, so I decided to share my answers in this article, summarizing everything on one place.
In my opinion, storing your files in a back-up is a must not only for a professional photographer, but for a serious amateur. Who wants to lose photos or videos of children, parents and grandparents, or friends? Each passing year these images and videos become more and more valuable, and storing them securely is important. Most PC (or even Mac users, I guess  had some experience with loss of data: HDD may just stop working, file system can be corrupted, PC can be infected by a virus and data erased.
Continue reading How to protect your images: RAID, DVD, Online Storage or something else?
This Sunday we were lucky with nice and warm weather, so I’ve took some photos outside a studio, picturing our twin toddlers playing on a backyard. I was playing with my newly built tilt-shift adapter for Canon EOS to tilt Rodenstock enlarging lens (80 f4).
The photos were taken with wide open (f4) aperture, no photoshop post production to alter focusing were made.
I love this unusual focusing plane, reminds me fairy tale books I’ve read long time ago..
Few weeks ago I was working on a tilt-shift adapter for Canon EOS cameras, (see my previous post). Now I have first in studio test – review of this system.
Lens: Rodenstock APO Rodagon N 80 F4.
Camera: Canon EOS 1Ds mark III.
Lights: White Lightning 1800, various light modifiers.
Camera/lens setting: 1/250 sec, F8.
The main idea is to see what quality I can achieve on this system and what benefits would give me the ability to tilt the lens. So, What I did it this: Took a first photo with a non tilted lens, focusing on a closest part of watch’s dial. Second shoot with exactly the same lightning, exposure (F stop was not changed), but I tilted lens both horizontally and vertically. The result is below:
1. This shot was made without any tilt, you can clearly see a where the focus plane is. I’ve used a relatively shallow DOF to show what you can do with such great lens attached to such a nice system:-)
 close up image of product photography Continue reading Tilt-Shift adapter in studio test review: EOS 1Ds mounted on a large format system camera
Inspired by a tilt-shift adapters like Cambo X2 -PRO and Cambo Ultima 35 Kit with desire to have ability to use virtually any medium/large format lens but not willing to spend almost $2000 for a ready to use system, I decided to build my own version of such device. At the end I was hoping to have much heavier (:-( but more adjustable camera system (:-) for much less money (:-). Keeping cost low helps me to be more competitive on the market.
So, I start looking for a non-expensive used large format 4×5 view camera with full geared movements ( Sinar went off from my list at this point, as it is usually too old or too expensive ). Eventually I ended up by choosing between Horseman and Cambo , and Cambo won. I am not saying that a Horseman is not as good (it might be better, I never had one), but there was a good deal on a Cambo that time.
I’ve got Cambo Master PC 4×5 view camera in a great shape ($260 from eBay), few lens boards (including one recessed) , found an old tripod head and about 3-4 hours total to build this:
 Tilt Shift system for 35mm digital camera for medum format lens mout Continue reading How to: Developing a tilt/shift system for 35mm digital camera based on 4×5 view camera
|
|
