Pencils… an exercise in macrophotography

[Kodiak]

Olivier (still 15 for the next three weeks!) was curious what it would be
to use as background a floor tile that I bought. "We don't need that… we
have no floor like that!?!?" I know, this is for the studio!

So he went to his desk to pick up a few thing and, being the big boss
in the studio, started to built up a set, the computer, the camera and
finally the strobe.

Adjusting this and that, he cooked this shot:



"What da ya think, dad?"
—May I try an adjustment?
"It's all yours… I'm finish. …but remember, you said an adjustment."

I reframed the shot and… "NO WAY DAD! ONE ADJUSTMENT!"
Ok, voila:



…and insisted that since he did the setup, it should be his name too!
I still have a few thing to explain him. I am more happy when he
does setups by his own, than having my name…

C&C at CiC always welcomed.

[Loose Canon]

I like them both Kodiak!

I really like your new surface too.

[jcuknz]

I prefer the second which is "going somewhere" rather than the first "just flat on" .... but both nice shots technically.

[Kodiak]

I prefer the second which is "going somewhere" rather than the first "just flat on" .... but both nice shots technically.

Hey John, thanks for your comment.

The first shot was technically set up by my son with very little input from my
part. I also think it is pretty good. The second take was more to show him all
the freedom he may take at "laying out" the elements in a take. He still has to
learn and develop artistic and aesthetic values.

[Mike Buckley]

The carpet tile works great for these. Both nice shots! It's the soft shadows and depth of field that work especially well for me.

He still has to learn and develop artistic and aesthetic values.

Me too. That's my biggest weakness.

[Shadowman]

Nicely done, very well expose. Who did the lighting setup?

[Kodiak]

Who did the lighting setup?

Hey Shadowman, thanks for comment!

Since the weekend, I shot "for quiet moments" and "3D portrait" and posted
them here. Olivier is learning ways to use the strobes and the many modifiers
we have and their specific qualities. For this exercise, he cooked up this take
using and adapting the same one light scenario as to remember it.

The only input from my part is to have suggested to bring the one strobe gridded
head much closer (from a meter to +/- 20 cm) and slide a tracing paper over
the subject.

[Manfred M]

These are both very nice images and I think Olivier is learning all about working the subject this way.

I think the first image is probably what will spring to mind at first and the second shows that someone has progressed beyond that first step. Next shot; a view of the newly tiled studio floor?

[Kodiak]

Next shot; a view of the newly tiled studio floor?

No way! Hi Manfred,

Three years ago, I tiled 135 m² of the basement floor… I will not set a single
tile more for the rest of my life!

If I find nice tiles, I will buy them one by one, all different, and with Olivier's
approval now that he discovered how to use them. I already have a nice
collection of tiles that I used in many commercial photography jobs.

[Shadowman]

Hey Shadowman, thanks for comment!

Since the weekend, I shot "for quiet moments" and "3D portrait" and posted
them here. Olivier is learning ways to use the strobes and the many modifiers
we have and their specific qualities. For this exercise, he cooked up this take
using and adapting the same one light scenario as to remember it.

The only input from my part is to have suggested to bring the one strobe gridded
head much closer (from a meter to +/- 20 cm) and slide a tracing paper over
the subject.

Kodiak,

Thanks for the follow up, the lighting has such a nice natural feel to it, but I noticed the highlights/shadows were very soft. Nicely controlled.

[IzzieK]

Very nice work, Daniel...Show Olivier the comments generated here, especially Manfred's -- I bet he will be thrilled.

[Kodiak]

… I bet he will be thrilled.

Every day this summer, Olivier works with me. So far, our production and
working standards have become "normal" to him. He is well aware that he has
now to make his all he saw and learned… and is working on it. He makes me very
happy when I realize that things have been quiet since some time because he
disappeared in the studio and closed the door behind him.

He surprises me by the way he takes care of the equipment and, at this point,
he is only thrilled by new ways to use ordinary things… such as floor tiles!!!