After taking a few weeks off I’m ready to resume the blog. The big news is that I started off the New Year with my very own SB-700 Speedlight. It finally arrived the week after Christmas after a long wait. The original order was made in September. Of course, I have a lot to learn, but that’s the fun part, waiting was not. Coincidentally, the Tulsa Digital Photography Club started off the year with a wonderful Pot Luck Dinner and a Still Life Photo Shoot. There is no better group of people to learn from concerning digital photography. Turns out I didn’t need my new flash for the event since several members brought their full-blown lighting setups. Studio lighting can get pretty sophisticated (and expensive). There are many many things to think about and do before pressing the shutter button: framing the shot, positioning the strobes, adjusting the light levels, etc. Subtle changes can make a big difference. Below are a couple of images from the shoot.
For the first photograph the image was cropped for composition and the background darkened to remove any signs of the muslin backdrop. I think the high contrast between the fruit and the background make it work. I also like the separation between the main subject and background provided by the crust. In hindsight I wish I had experimented more with depth of field to see its effect, good or bad.
Fruit Pie – Nikon D90/16-85mm f/3.5-5.6 DX – 85mm, f/5.6 @ 1/60 second, ISO 200
In the second photograph, the setup recreates the look of window light on the subject which I found very exciting. I like images made using window light. Shots were taken from several different angles to see how the view-point changed the composition. This one conveys a comfortable and warm setting appropriate for the subject. The drama is in the subtlety.
Cookbook – Nikon D90/16-85mm f/3.5-5.6 DX – 35mm, f/11 @ 1/60 second, ISO 200