Simply orange, C&C Please

[abhi]

Another fruit as I practice composition. I really like how this one turned out. It is a learning exercise for me so fire away with your comments and critiques

View on Black

Canon EOS Digital Rebel, Canon 50mm f/1.8, 30s@f/8, ISO 800.

PS: Is the sharpening a little too high?

[jiro]

Abhi, your background is too bright that the attention now shifts to your background instead of the oranges. It would be nice if there is some sort of texture on that glass (was it glass?). The composition is a little bit vague, too. Which is your main subject? The peeled skins or the opened orange? Determine your main subject and that would guide you on your composition. Hope this helps.

[Geoff F]

I wonder how this would have looked on a shiny black background, like some CinC members use.

It has almost worked so I would definitely say have another go. The idea is good.

The white 'pith' of the orange seems a fraction on the overexposed side, but that might just be my cheap internet computer monitor.

[abhi]

Abhi, your background is too bright that the attention now shifts to your background instead of the oranges. It would be nice if there is some sort of texture on that glass (was it glass?). The composition is a little bit vague, too. Which is your main subject? The peeled skins or the opened orange? Determine your main subject and that would guide you on your composition. Hope this helps.

Jiro, the subject was the open orange. Looking back at the image out of LR, it looks like during pp I have managed to reduce the slight focus blur that was present on the peeled skins. I was just looking at the orange. I will post the new version tomorrow. I am not sure if the subtle focus blur will work or not, otherwise I've a copy at f/2.5

It was a actually a mirror. It does not have any texture, but it did have some colour due to the reflection of the ceiling. I can restore that. What if I made the orange, and the peels darker?

Thanks, Jiro

[abhi]

I wonder how this would have looked on a shiny black background, like some CinC members use.

It has almost worked so I would definitely say have another go. The idea is good.

The white 'pith' of the orange seems a fraction on the overexposed side, but that might just be my cheap internet computer monitor.

I will have to find a way of tying a black cloth over the oranges . They are sitting on a small mirror. The white pith is probably overexposed due to me setting the background white in PS. (banging head on the wall: details hold the key)

[jiro]

Jiro, the subject was the open orange. Looking back at the image out of LR, it looks like during pp I have managed to reduce the slight focus blur that was present on the peeled skins. I was just looking at the orange. I will post the new version tomorrow. I am not sure if the subtle focus blur will work or not, otherwise I've a copy at f/2.5

It was a actually a mirror. It does not have any texture, but it did have some colour due to the reflection of the ceiling. I can restore that. What if I made the orange, and the peels darker?

Thanks, Jiro

If you want to nail a good exposure with this kind of shot, the simplest way to go is to use a gray card. You can make a crude gray card by buying a spray can at any hardware store then paint a clean white board with it using 5 - 8 coats on top. That's what I use regularly and the deviation from a really good exposure is only 1/3 EV.

If you make the oranges darker, as I have said you are forfeiting the essence of the main subject itself. Our eyes prefer brighter subjects than darker ones so the first thing that the eyes will look on in an image are the bright areas. I would go with Geoff's idea - this kind of shot would make a killer impact if you can make a black board reflect on the mirror to change the backgrounds color. I think Rob is the man to educate you with this technique as he has already mastered them here at CiC.

[abhi]

If you want to nail a good exposure with this kind of shot, the simplest way to go is to use a gray card. You can make a crude gray card by buying a spray can at any hardware store then paint a clean white board with it using 5 - 8 coats on top. That's what I use regularly and the deviation from a really good exposure is only 1/3 EV.

If you make the oranges darker, as I have said you are forfeiting the essence of the main subject itself. Our eyes prefer brighter subjects than darker ones so the first thing that the eyes will look on in an image are the bright areas. I would go with Geoff's idea - this kind of shot would make a killer impact if you can make a black board reflect on the mirror to change the backgrounds color. I think Rob is the man to educate you with this technique as he has already mastered them here at CiC.

I think I should make a gray card . I am going to try the black background tomorrow morning. Right now I need to go and put a fence around my setup, so that no body throws the peels away or worse eat the carefully balanced orange .

PS: I have already been pestering Rob to give me feedback. And he has been extremely helpful

[jiro]

Take a look at this: Envy

I shot this using a regular white cartolina and a white subject. Still, you can see some texture and separation on the subject and the background. I used a gray card to help me know the proper exposure for the camera. Hope this helps, Abhi.

[abhi]

Take a look at this: Envy

I shot this using a regular white cartolina and a white subject. Still, you can see some texture and separation on the subject and the background. I used a gray card to help me know the proper exposure for the camera. Hope this helps, Abhi.

That is really nice, Jiro. I am going to try that later Part of the problem might be that I am using a mirror which really has no texture. I will try a textured white background along with the black one.

In the meantime, here is the photo out of LR with just an output sharpening. The background had colour but no texture.



Does the orange stand out better against the peels now, or should I use a lower f-number. I also took shots at f/2.5 and f/5. I chose this one as there is a subtle focus blur on the two peels on the inside, and the entire orange is more or less in focus. At lower f-numbers part of the orange starts getting OOF.

[jiro]

That is really nice, Jiro. I am going to try that later Part of the problem might be that I am using a mirror which really has no texture. I will try a textured white background along with the black one.

In the meantime, here is the photo out of LR with just an output sharpening. The background had colour but no texture.



Does the orange stand out better against the peels now, or should I use a lower f-number. I also took shots at f/2.5 and f/5. I chose this one as there is a subtle focus blur on the two peels on the inside, and the entire orange is more or less in focus. At lower f-numbers part of the orange starts getting OOF.

I would say this one is much pleasing to the eyes than the first one.

[abhi]

I would say this one is much pleasing to the eyes than the first one.

Lol. And does the orange stand out better in comparison to peels, or should I use f/4 or f/5 tomorrow?

[abhi]

Here's the one on black. This is SOOC, and needs a fair amount of cloning/healing to fix the background. But I wanted to share a copy before I ruined it with PP. I will post a final version tomorrow.


Canon Digital Rebel, Canon 50mm f/1.8 @ f/5 for 30s, ISO 100.

Black really works much better than the previous background, and makes the orange pop. Thanks, Jiro and Geoff for your helps and tips yesterday. They were very useful.

Jiro, I did try a textured white background using a sheet of thermocol, but the texture didn't really show up through the mirror and the background is similar to yesterday's. Here is an example. I did not really get a chance to play around with a diffuser to increase my exposure time a thunderstorm was building up outside and light was dropping fast. I will try and see if it works better with a properly exposed white reflection.

Rob, I used both a reflector and a diffuser for this one. Window light from the back left was the main source of light. I used a reflector to get some fill, and a diffuser to reduce the highlight you see on the reflection of the orange. Your tutorial in the other thread was really useful. Thank you, Sir.

[Wirefox]

Abhi

I really like the first one.I think it is far to easy to get into trying to C&C this image as if it is supposed to the a 'faithful capture'. It is high key and it is punchy. The last image is just another orange shot, well done no doubt but simply does not have the pulling power of the first shot.

[abhi]

Abhi

I really like the first one.I think it is far to easy to get into trying to C&C this image as if it is supposed to the a 'faithful capture'. It is high key and it is punchy. The last image is just another orange shot, well done no doubt but simply does not have the pulling power of the first shot.

Thanks, Steve. But now I am confused. I like them both. We need the option to post a poll on CiC! I also want to try the PP that makes it look like a painting, but all that's for tomorrow. Then my wife decides which one to print for our kitchen, if any

[Geoff F]

For me, the second attempt with a slightly more matt finish looks better. But I think that if you can get the black background to work like Rob's reflection photos it should be stunning.

I think he used a piece of shiny black plastic and spent a lot of time with the lighting.

[abhi]

For me, the second attempt with a slightly more matt finish looks better. But I think that if you can get the black background to work like Rob's reflection photos it should be stunning.

I think he used a piece of shiny black plastic and spent a lot of time with the lighting.

Thanks, Geoff. By second attempt do you mean the one with the black background, or the white one (one with the gradient in the bg) that I have linked to?

If I could even get one of my photos to look like Rob's, I will buy myself a new camera. I am waiting for Rob to drop by and tell me his secrets. Though, I suspect he scares the light into bending in weird ways; so, I may have little hope. Hopefully, he will give me PP hints though

[Geoff F]

Yes, I meant the second of the white attempts.

A little while ago, Rob did give an explanation of his method but I'm not sure if you could find that post now.

[abhi]

Yes, I meant the second of the white attempts.

A little while ago, Rob did give an explanation of his method but I'm not sure if you could find that post now.

Thanks for clarifying, Geoff. I wish I could spend some time with that one to get the bottom left part of the background whiter. But, the light was dying on me and the wind knocked off the carefully balanced orange to top it off.

I probably can find Rob's post. I remember he even had a photo of his setup and all. At the moment, though, I am trying to catch up with the posts before I go to bed, and new posts are popping up faster than I can read them. Thank you again, Geoff.

[jiro]

Here's the one on black. This is SOOC, and needs a fair amount of cloning/healing to fix the background. But I wanted to share a copy before I ruined it with PP. I will post a final version tomorrow.


Canon Digital Rebel, Canon 50mm f/1.8 @ f/5 for 30s, ISO 100.

You have a quite an interesting setup here, Abhi. For one thing, the main object is backlighted and only being lit by a diffuser or reflector in front. What I was thinking is quite the opposite. Normally, this kind of shots will use a big softlight to really bring out the softness of the oranges. If you want to make it contrasty then forego with the soft box and go with a bare light for strong shadows. I like the play between the color orange and the black background. Now, that is contrast!

Play around with the way you set up your lighting, Abhi and see if a certain type of light and positioning will favor your subject more. The mood that you want to convey determines the type of light that you'd use for still life type of photography. Hope this helps. You're learning a lot through experimentation. Basically that's how I learned, too.

[abhi]

You have a quite an interesting setup here, Abhi. For one thing, the main object is backlighted and only being lit by a diffuser or reflector in front. What I was thinking is quite the opposite. Normally, this kind of shots will use a big softlight to really bring out the softness of the oranges. If you want to make it contrasty then forego with the soft box and go with a bare light for strong shadows. I like the play between the color orange and the black background. Now, that is contrast!

Play around with the way you set up your lighting, Abhi and see if a certain type of light and positioning will favor your subject more. The mood that you want to convey determines the type of light that you'd use for still life type of photography. Hope this helps. You're learning a lot through experimentation. Basically that's how I learned, too.

Thanks, Jiro. I did not use a softbox here. My home-made softbox is not very good at giving soft lighting.

Just the natural window light, on a very cloudy day. Hence, the 30s exposure. I wanted to focus on the different textures of in an orange. Hence, the side/backlighting, the turned over peel, and the slight backlighting on the peel in the center. I do hope that the reflected light from the front brings out some of the softness of the orange.

Oh! I did take a photo with more fill light, but that destroyed the backlighting on the center peel, so this was my pick. Here it is. Again SOOC.



My apologies for accidentally deleting the SOOC images from Flickr. But the final edit is below