It’s Not All Firewood

In photographing art objects, the lighting conditions will change depending on the light source. When photographing with celluloid film, we use filters of various colors to balance the color of the light to the specific nature of the film being used (daylight or tungsten for example). With digital photography, it is important to have the correct white balance setting. Without the correct white balance, the colors in the image will not be right.
Every time the lighting situation changes, the white balance should be checked and reset because the amount of light that falls on an object that’s one meter from the light source is far greater than the light striking the same object from 2 meters away. If the lights are moved closer or further away from the subject, reset the white balance. If the lights are rearranged front to back, reset the white balance.
Digital cameras have various pre-configured white balance settings that can easily be selected from the menus (check your camera’s manual for the proper way to access the white balance settings).  These are factory settings for certain situations such as bright daylight, sunsets, cloudy days, fluorescent or incandescent lighting, etc. None of these settings are completely suitable for the precision required for our purpose without a lot of time consuming alterations in computer software, so a manual white balance setting is necessary for true color representation. After all, the color of the product is one of the most important aspects that we’re trying to show off in the photograph.
White balance can be manually set by pointing the camera at a neutrally colored object under the exact same lighting as the subject and pressing the appropriate button combination. The most common neutral colored object is a photographic grey card. They’re commercially available at most high quality camera stores. A grey card reflects exactly 18% of the light that strikes it. This is a decades old photographic standard.
Other neutral objects can be used as substitutes for the grey card such as an even grey back ground cover or the boards of an old fence or old asphalt paving (not new black asphalt). Just look around for something that’s not bright, not dark and neutrally colored.
Set up the camera on a tripod and arrange the lights. Before the art object is placed in the scene, place the grey card exactly where the object will be. Then use the camera’s menus to set the white balance, making sure to fill the camera’s measuring zone with the grey card. Take a good careful look at the display screen to quickly judge the colors and the effects of the setting you just made. Once set, the white balance can be ignored until the lights are moved or rearranged. Any object placed in the same spot will have proper colors in the final image.
If you have any questions, please ask.

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There are two types of cameras – digital and film, and each type has several different categories, we’ll limit our discussion to the kind that is generally referred to as point and shoot and the SLR (Single Lens Reflex) varieties.

Today, the vast majority of cameras available are digital, but film cameras have their benefits as well. Film has far superior resolution and the resulting print will always be sharper than any of today’s digital cameras. Digital may eventually catch up but it will take a very long time. Another benefit of celluloid film cameras is that they can use slide film which results in exactly what the photographer took. Slides can be printed in ultra high quality Ciba Chrome or projected on a white wall or silver screen.

Let’s assume that digital pictures are the desired end result, suitable for alteration on the computer and posting on a blog or sending via e-mail. What camera features will be required to photograph a woodturning (or any other similar object)?

1. Manual white balance settings

2. Manual or semi-automatic exposure settings

3. Medium telephoto lens

4.Tripod socket

5. Self timer/Camera shake stabilizing system

6. Large memory card capacity

7. RAW format picture files

8. More than one battery

9. Easy downloading to computer

10. Auto Exposure/Auto Focus Lock

In the next pages I’ll expand on each of these points. Some are more important than others.

If you have any questions, please ask.

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One of the more important lessons I learned from my career in camera sales is the difference between taking snapshots and making photographs.

A good photographer can make a great photograph with the cheapest featureless camera available but a person who doesn’t care or can’t tell the difference will still take snapshots with the most expensive fully decked out camera money can buy.

The main point of this lesson is to make the distinction between a photograph and a snapshot. Take a moment and think about the photograph’s subject – the lighting, the background, the camera position and angle, the camera settings, etc. or just whip out a camera and grab a quick shot. Either can become a great photograph or a snapshot, depending on how the photographer approaches the end result.

One can also make the distinction between different types of photographers. Some will choose one with many settings and attachments, others will require a camera that’s simple to use with all automated settings. There are photographers who buy the latest greatest model as soon as it comes out, others who wear the most expensive camera the way a woman would wear a diamond necklace – they don’t really understand the camera’s functions completely but, hey! do they ever look good wearing it!

Only after deciding which type of photograph one wishes to present can one move on to the purchase of the most appropriate camera and accessories suited to the needs. The best of both worlds would be a model that offers a complete set of desired features with the ability to become completely automated.

For the purposes of this site, we’ll discuss photographic equipment and features suitable for photographing finished woodturnings of various sizes and shapes. We’ll further delve into the accessories required and techniques involved as well as some of the problems that might be encountered and solutions.

As always, if you have some questions, please ask and I’ll try my best to answer them.

Tags: art photography, Auto Exposure, Camera Selection, check your camera’s manual, digital photography, digital pictures, digital still life, digital vs film, How to Select a Camera, Manual or semi-automatic exposure settings, photographic techniques, Photography, point and shoot, point and shoot camera, portrait photography, portraits, Which Camera Should I Buy, woodturning photography