Sailjunkie

This is a different article by Hogan. 

Now that I have most of my "stuff" downstairs in my "studio", I suspect it won't be too long before Angela gets after me to do something similar.  Enjoy! 

The DP Review article that this links to is interesting.  Not sure what to make of it, just yet.

https://nikonrumors....px/#more-121120

I do know that the title of the Nikon Rumours piece is going resurrect the Monty Python Dead Parrot sketch.  Warning:  I'm going to an on-line scream the first time that someone tries to tell me that this camera is pining for the fjords!   

Photographing Beer Mugs.  I can't think of a nice way, to spend a cloudy April afternoon in Port Moody.

I used the Sigma 105/2.8 DG lens

ISO 64

1/250 sec.

f11

2 Yongnuo speed-lights - power levels varied from 1/64 to 1/16

I used a Westcott 28" soft-box on one side.  For the other side, I originally tried a large white foam card.  When I wasn't happy with that, I added the second speed-light and placed it behind a home-made scrim.    I was much happier with that.    I also used a large foam card that was placed on top of each light source.   I tried to get some fill light on the front, with a hand-held foam card.  I wasn't as happy with that as I had been the week before.

All of these were taken with the soft-box and the home-made scrim.

As you can see, I gradually increased the power.  My only complaint is that my 7 year-old Windows laptop is next to useless, when it comes to evaluating exposure.  I think that my iMac 27" retina screen has spoiled me rotten.

I was quite pleased with the final results.  However, I will never stop trying to build a better "mouse trap" 

Thanks for looking everyone. 

Gee, I'm caught up on my editing, but the Vancouver weather still stinks!  What to do?  Try some still life photography! 

Truth be told, it wasn't just boredom.  Before he bought his own condo, our son lived in our semi-finished basement.  Now that he's happily on his own, we're converting for our own purposes.  Angela has a small area for her hobbies and I've moved most of my gear down there, to turn the rest of it into my comfy little studio.  

This project began as a dry run, to see how much space I really have to work with; and what changes are required.  After I set up a few things, I thought:  "what the heck, grab the camera and try a few shots"!  I had so much fun that I did some more testing a few days later.

I've been wanting to photograph this watch for some time.  It's 9 years old and showing it's age.  It even works!  I have a newer watch, but this still makes a great back up.

Settings:

D810

Sigma 105/2.8 DG macro

ISO 64

f11

1/250 sec

I used 2 speed-lights in soft boxes, with a white fill card above everything.  I also used a smaller hand-held fill card and tweaked the speed-light power.

The front of the watch isn't as bright as I would like, but I didn't want to increase speed-light power and brighten the background too much.

For this shot, I decided to get rid of the box altogether.  I tilted the face of the watch forward as well.  I thought about setting the watch hands at 10 and 2.  I would for a commercial shoot.  But this is my backup watch.  Hand-holding the fill card worked a bit too well.  I can see the dust specks on the foreground. 

I'm posting in this forum because it has been 6 months since I played with the feathers.  Comments and suggestions are very much encouraged.

Thanks for looking everyone.  

Not sure if anyone at PN has had this problem.  Thought it would be worth posting, for reference.

https://nikonrumors....px/#more-120891