Hello. everyone.
I want to share how I take a picture of glass art. I hope it is helpful.
things you need
- a "good camera". - It doesn't have to be expensive one, but you might want to have a SLR(single-lens reflex) camera. Digital or Film
- Tripod
- 2 or 3 lights with softbox
- a black plexiglass
- a white plexiglass (not clear plexiglass)
- space - Bigger space is always better. Glass reflects everything.
Setting
Black background
I personally use 2 lights with soft box for black background picture.(see the first image)
White Background
If the sculpture is clear glass, use white background with back light and 1 or 2 side light (see the third image).
Tips
Use a plexiglass plate, that is thin enough to bend. Make sure not to bend the plexi more than 90 degrees. This will prevent an awkward reflection behind the sculpture, which almost makes the image look out of focus.
If you don't like reflection on plexiglass, use frosted plexiglass. This is easier to work with, but if you are trying to get a reflection under the sculpture it is worth the trouble to go with plexiglass with a more sleek finish.
Set one of the softbox lights brighter than the other to have enough volume.
You might want to adjust height as well.
Use a higher aperture(5.6-8) to have a clear in-focus image.
You shutter speed will be slower when you use a higher aperture. That's why you need a tripod.
The best lens to use is a 50 mm lens. Its degree of view is much like the human eye and it's also a quick lens (means that you can use higher aperture with faster shutter speed),
50mm 1.8f lenses from most brands cost about $90-$120. There is a 50mm with 1.4f, but It is much more expensive. I recommend the 50mm 1.8f lens to save some money, without affecting the quality of the picture.
If you have the space you can step back to get everything within your eye lens or viewfinder. If you do not have that much space you can still use a wide angle or zoom lens. However, be careful, since a wide angle or zoom lens tend to distort the form and shape of your sculpture.
If you have remote controller or shutter release, USE it. If you don't, use the camera's timer feature. This will prevent moving your camera when you actually take the picture.
If you use a digital camera, make sure to use a right white balance setting (custom setting). Studio light bulb should have information about its kelvin scale(ex: 3200k, 4000k...). Set same Kelvin scale in custom white balance setting of your camera.
If you use a digital camera, use the Raw file format as the saving method. The RAW file format has many advantages. If you would like more info on that, please check out the following website: http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/RAW-file-format.htm. In the RAW format, you can also adjust white balance, sharpness, etc. in your computer. It means that you don't have to worry about those settings when you are taking pictures. Many PC and Mac applications (such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, Apple Aperture, Nikon Capture) can handle most raw file format.
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If you want to add any tips, or have suggestions and opinions, please feel free to write any comments. I will update this post to answer any questions.
Jung.
Comments
JUNG,
THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION!!!!!!! I CAN'T WAIT TO TRY IT. I have been using black velvet in my photography and use the low light setting on my digital.
catherine
PSS
I LOVE THE FLOWERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
catherine
The flower is Frabel and Hung's work, and another is Hung's work.
Excellent - appreciatet the information. Going to give it a try on the weekend
if its etched flat glass, take a pic with a dark background, moderate lighting and no flash....
http://www.chrissommer.com
You made great shots there. However, the process looks complicated, at least to me.
Great information from Jung. Thanks for the detailed instructions and images. I use mylar drafting film for my background with a back light. I used a scrap piece of drafting film from an architecture studio. It has a matt finish and optical properties similar to frosted glass. It is very flexible and easy to bend and drape. I also hang this material in front of shop lights to diffuse the light similar to a softbox. You can see the effect in my gallery Thirty Transcendent Virtues. I welcome comments and criticism regarding the photos in this gallery. I am just learning so please be honest - you won't hurt my feelings.
Greetings....that is such an exquisite photo of the flower! Your advise is tops, but I must show my ignorance 1) WHAT IS A SOFT BOX?? 2) is the mylar drafting film purchasable in both black and white? And where would one find it?? 3) in my digital camera collection, I only have three different versions of Kodak Easy Share (before the dawn of digital photography, my Minolta 35MM and its lenses took AWESOME pictures for me). SHOULD I INVEST IN A BETTER CAMERA....and if so, please...somebody please...tell me a brand and model number, as I am not that camera savvy on these digital ones and am camera illerate!! I confess....i am an eBay Junkie, but tend to sell the very high end items, therefore my pictures must be of studio quality. Currently, I own two Lowell Ego digital imaging light and have been pleased with them, however the glare sometimes gets the best of me. Rather than investing in another of their lights, what can I use for a third light?? (By the way, I have two lights on stands for photographing clothing). I purchase, for resale, many crystal items and crystal items with etched patterns. Your help will be greatly appreciated. I can tell there are some super intelligent people on this forum, and hope you will have some pity on me!!! AND,
karmatetra, your "Thirty Transcendent Virtues" is absolutely incredible. I will look forward to learning from all of you. With kindest regards, Rachel
Hello Jung,
Thank you for the great info on taking a good pic. I have yet to take a really good pic of my work that actually does it justice so I cannot wait to try out these techniques. I have a decent camera but have only been working with one light source which I think is part of the problem. I am planning on getting 2 more lights. I also take all of my photos at night to avoid all of the unwanted light coming in from the various windows in the glass studio as I have found that it tends to provide alot of unwanted glare. I also turn off all overhead lights and use just the spots to focus the light. I also have been using cloth backgrounds but think I may have to try the plexiglass.
This is great! My photos have always been lacking that special "something" to make them stand out.
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Thanks for Such an nicer post on Photography
Keep Blogging.
Your ideas are innovative as its really tough to get best glass arts.
KIndly upload more posts like that.
Thanks
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