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Still Life - Eggs

PostPosted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 2:18 pm
by whitey
Been too long since I picked up the camera....

Image

First still life I have done. SB600 through brolly left and SB900 bare bouncing off the roof right.

Happy with the lighting, DOF. Not happy with the green on the egg carton now that I look closely. Also struggling to get CLS working - changed the custom settings a while ago and cant get TTL working properly :evil:

Feedback is welcome as have some time planned for more shooting in the coming day or so.

Re: Still Life - Eggs

PostPosted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 3:00 pm
by surenj
I think you've done well with a boring subject!

I can't see anything wrong with the lighting.

Any other compositions that we can have a look at. I think eggs are hard...and boring. I don't have any other compositions in my mind to suggest. I am sure the others will have some ideas.

Re: Still Life - Eggs

PostPosted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 3:14 pm
by whitey
Thanks surenj, eggs were what was sitting on the kitchen table. Planning on a few other setups later will post them up as they are done.

Re: Still Life - Eggs

PostPosted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 3:33 pm
by aim54x
surenj wrote:I think you've done well with a boring subject!

I can't see anything wrong with the lighting.

Any other compositions that we can have a look at. I think eggs are hard...and boring. I don't have any other compositions in my mind to suggest. I am sure the others will have some ideas.


+1

Are you using your camera as the commander or another flash?

Re: Still Life - Eggs

PostPosted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 3:36 pm
by whitey
aim54x wrote:
surenj wrote:I think you've done well with a boring subject!

I can't see anything wrong with the lighting.

Any other compositions that we can have a look at. I think eggs are hard...and boring. I don't have any other compositions in my mind to suggest. I am sure the others will have some ideas.


+1

Are you using your camera as the commander or another flash?


Using Camera as commander, for some reason TTL not working properly and had to push flashes up to +3. Will check it out later.

Seems eggs get the thumbs down though :violin:

Re: Still Life - Eggs

PostPosted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 3:45 pm
by aim54x
I am not sure how TTL works with off camera flashes as they really dont know what distance they are from the subject, so I have never thought this behaviour (of chimping TTL to get the right balance of light) is normal, especially since I usually use CLS with a light tent and/or diffuser caps...

Re: Still Life - Eggs

PostPosted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 3:49 pm
by whitey
Not sure how it works either, do know that is was working much better last time I used it. Basically whenever I stop down the apeture ie from 1.8 to 4.0 the flashes arent compensating. So camera is over exposing.

Re: Still Life - Eggs

PostPosted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 7:10 pm
by surenj
Could you post a few images with just changing the aperture at the camera with flashes on 0 compensation? Apart from DOF, this should look similar providing ambient was similar between the shots.

Also check that your camera isn't set to compensate for flash. I am assuming that your camera is on manual. PS: I don't own Nikon so I am just guessing. :chook:

PPS: Also for still life with constant light conditions, I would strongly suggest manual camera and manual flash to keep things simple.

Re: Still Life - Eggs

PostPosted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 8:38 pm
by rflower
Personally I don't mind it.

I think the exposure is pretty spot on.
I like the reflections in the table (?)
I think the DOF separation is pretty good. The egg in the foreground is nice and sharp, and the eggs behind are nicely out of focus.

I do have a couple of nitpicks though.
The spoon looks dirty (brown tinge in the spoon part ...)

The egg looks a little dirty ... I know they come like that ... but you coulda given it a bath before you took photos of it :-)
The egg cup looks like it is tarnished or something. I almost want to see shiny (stainless steel) surface like the spoon, or a different coloured egg cup ...

The green doesn't worry me though, because it helps to define the top of the egg carton.

Re: Still Life - Eggs

PostPosted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 9:57 pm
by biggerry
The egg looks a little dirty ... I know they come like that ... but you coulda given it a bath before you took photos of it
The egg cup looks like it is tarnished or something. I almost want to see shiny (stainless steel) surface like the spoon, or a different coloured egg cup ...


:agree:

I think technically this is looking good, but a buffed up cup and spoon and a pristine egg would go along way - maybe some photochop is required...

good to see some more stuff from ya whitey :cheers:

Re: Still Life - Eggs

PostPosted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 10:33 pm
by whitey
rflower wrote:I do have a couple of nitpicks though.
The spoon looks dirty (brown tinge in the spoon part ...)

The egg looks a little dirty ... I know they come like that ... but you coulda given it a bath before you took photos of it :-)
The egg cup looks like it is tarnished or something. I almost want to see shiny (stainless steel) surface like the spoon, or a different coloured egg cup ...


Yeah, now that you say that a bit of silver polish wouldnt go astray. It was all a bit spur of the moment. The missus just had the room repainted and bought a shiny new table and as I walked through this morning I realised it was a big light tent so grabbed whatever was out and shot off a few frames.

biggerry wrote:good to see some more stuff from ya whitey :cheers:


Yeah, been a bit busy. But time should free up a bit now.