Adjusting to the northern light was been a challenge over the year. I do have these great big windows lining my living room wall and take photos with natural daylight. One thing that I find challenging is too much light creates dark shadows and makes my camera wonky. Yep, technical term there.
My solution? A piece of paper. Mmm-hmm, that's it. You can see the dramatic results above that the paper tent creates. I'll sometimes use a piece of vellum, but I didn't have one yesterday and a good ol' sheet of printer paper worked like a charm.
Fancy - I know! I may break down and work on a more professional set up later this year - when winter and dull gray days are here. For now, I still like the natural light best and will work with what I have.
Here is another example. Another thing I have been playing with and I don't know if it works or not but I'm pretending that it does - for a few of my photos, I pull the camera back a little and then zoom in. It's been softening up my backgrounds and creating more depth of field. I'm liking it.
9 comments:
You are brilliant. I was expecting to see a binder or a literature holder or a bunch of bubble wrap! I will have to try that trick... but my set up is shot late late at night and I do use velum over my high powered lamps! And I love the way you get a soft background. My lens filters in +4 and +10 take my macros from meh to amazing!
Enjoy the day!
Erin
Oh your photography is amazing - and shows off your beads to perfection - I just adore these colours. They are so warm and Autumnal - the colours of my garden now that the leaves and plants are different shades warm, and glowing, not the bright zappy summer shades. I love autumn weather, misty, moisty, and deeper blue skies, and being snuggled up in warm jumpers and scarves. You work evokes such feelings.
Sometimes I drap a piece of toilet paper or kleenex (might have to separate the layers) over my flash to soften the flash. This is a different effect, of course, than what the piece of paper is doing.
Everything you wrote in this post resonates with me!! When I get out of practice, I forget all those little numbers and shutter speeds, blah blah. So I switch it into auto and get all frustrated because my pics don't look right. The paper tent, yep, I do that too. Tell me why making casting a big shadow over the jewelry creates more light in the picture?? Somehow it works!
You've got such wonderful material to work with. :-)
Great solution. I have seen paper taped to the window for the same effect- I like your solution better and will give it a try.
nice trick! love your photography
Great Tip! I wish once you mastered something - especially with using daylight - that it would just work every time. That one thing: Daylight, can be so tricky. I have the natural light from the south at my house so I chase it during the day - knowing that prime photo time is middle of the day to late afternoon for mine (which changes by the season and if there is leaf coverage or not...).
What a difference! I have a vast array of card stocks, and I even use a light blue clear cutting-board mat to help. I'll now be adding a sheet of folded white paper to my photography props pile :)
My photos are still a disaster! lol I have a lot to learn. Love the first pair of earrings. Beautiful.
Bead Soup Mix
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