Studio (Nikolovski): Week 3: Glassware Lesson

Today's lesson was fantastic. Here is a sum up;

`shutter speed doesn't matter
`light meter is only useful for spotting the background

Method

After you set up;

1. Take a spot reading of the background
2. For example, if it is f/45.

Thus f/45 = ZONE 5

+ 3 stops

f/22 = ZONE 8

Remember:

Zone 8 = White background. Don't go beyond this for DSLR's, causes flare.
Zone 7 = Bright but not completely white

Types of Lighting

1. Black Backround
`use large softbox
`black cardboard (small - just enough to cover frame) placed in front of softbox
`can use white reflectors on either side and on top give a white outline

2. White Background
`use black reflectors either side and one on top to give black outline

Class Exercise

1. White Background

Settings:

Spot reading of b.ground: f/45

Zone 8 = f/22

Camera Setting: f/25 @ 125th

ISO: 200

Focal Lengh: 135mm (max)

EF 28-135mm IS USM on 5D

Lighting:

White square softbox,

Black reflectors on left and right, as well as top

Em and I had fun with this image!

Next Time:

`Use more food dye to give deeper saturated water

`The three colours (blue, purple and green on the glass) are a bit much. But since there was only blue food dye not much we could do to compliment these colours. Definately go shopping for some cool glassware and food dyes:)

Like the black edges around the water as well at the top - and the way the water is poured and an angle and just slightly jumping out of the glass. Go team:)

Haha Em missing the glass... go em!!!

Actually looks pretty cool - my dad liked this one the best lol

I like this close up, but the horizon is a bit distracting. Also not quite parallel

2. Black Background

Settings:

same as above,

Focal Length: 100mm

Lighting:

white softbox (same),

black small rectangular card just filling the frame as the background

snoot at front right pointing at label, also illuminating glass and part of background

Problems

This is the slightly edited version (used eye dropper to determine real white in label and black in backround)

The original (which i will put up) was slightly underexposed (So we needed to change the aperture to f/16 which would have been one stop brighter) or possibly to f/11.

Also the mirror was reflecting some of the light of the snoot, causing a line in the middle of the label, making the bottom half twice as bright as the top. We can over come this by having a bigger mirror which will throw the same amount of light on the whole label, or narrowing the snoot with a black piece of card and smaller cut out hole.

The top of the bottle needs more of an outline so we needed a white reflector on top.

Apart from that I think the image works really well.