“tom & grace stokes” wrote: "Bud, I read your recent post regarding
photo tricks with much interest…
I did miss you previous post about using a lampshade. I’ll go back
to the archive and retrieve it. You asked about what equipment that I
use, it’s all Canon 35mm. I have a digital, but it’s a rather simple
Casio and just doesn’t do it. I’ve tried just laying pieces on the
scanner AND using my computer camera to snap a picture. None of it
works very well. What has been working reasonably, is a three point
lighting of the outside of the lampshade. My tripod has a “neck” that
will allow me to direct the camera straight down (between the legs) and
through the opening at the top, with no trouble. Maybe the biggest
thing that I didn’t mention is that I use various combinations of
"close up" filters. I have a set that allows me to go from about 2x
through 9x (I think). This is not a “doubler” (which might work) but
screw on lens filters that give different focal points for the picture.
I don’t use a flash because I want to “get what I see”. I use clip
on reflector lights with photofloods at three points around the shade.
Like you might light a still portrait. Normally, portrait lighting is
done with two fill lights at 45 degrees and a larger flood straight in
from the front. I fourth back light is often used to get dynamic
lighting behind the subject and remove shadows. Jewelry is similar
(without the need for back lighting) in that from the sides of the
shade, you need three sources of lighting to get an all around even
picture without shadows in the piece. I’d suggest changing from the
flash to multiple lights and maybe try the “filter lens”, as well.
Hope this helps some… Bud
Cravener