[williame3590]

Sweet Frank, may have to spring for one as well. Pretty cheap considering all you received.
Your doing a great job with it all.

Does this mean the McCoy is going up for sale???

Bill
ps. notice how I buttered you up before asking the big question...LOL

[g1975a]

Here's a little bit on white balance: http://www.lowel.com/edu/color_tempe...mystified.html

I believe those are halogen lights in that kit (I have a similar one) so since the colour temperature is close to that of a normal incandescent (tungsten) light bulb, you should be able to add in another light to brighten up the background. I like the cheap clip-on lamps like THIS ONE or THIS ONE when I'm using constant lighting for smaller subjects.

Frank, a bit more experimenting and you'll be a top-notch product photographer.

[g1975a]

Originally Posted by williame3590

Sweet Frank, may have to spring for one as well. Pretty cheap considering all you received.

The shipping's the killer part. I found this similar one on Amazon for around $65 shipped from the GTA:

Light tent kit

Light tent kit

Bill, if you ever need to borrow one, let me know as mine doesn't get a lot of use.

[Frank Klenk]

I was not impressed with the first few pics I took. So, I folded the top lid back and allowed light from my overhead neon light to shine inside and it made an improvement. I'll pick up some clip lights too and try it.

[papatango]

Firstly, good for you for improving the quality of your photography; it really makes a difference when you're reading a build, ad, or article, when it's got great, clear photos.

I won't get in to my lighting background, but try these few tips and you may get some better results:

1)Start from scratch. Take your lighting and place it to the side. Place your background further back(2-3') and zoom in your camera. This will put the wrinkles out of focus, once you've recomposed on your subject. You may need to move your camera away from the subject.

2) Start with your key, or main, light. Put one of your diffusion panels as close to your object as possible, without getting it in shot. Slightly ahead of it, to one side, and angled 45 or so to the subject. this will be the "source". Then point one of your lights through it, filling as much of the panel as possible. This will provide soft, relatively even but sculpted lighting to your object. Move the panel around until the main light has the most desirable effect.

3) Next, ad your fill light(which does not have to be a light at all). A piece of white foamcore, or better, white styro beadboard, opposite your "key" light, will fill in the shadows, giving them detail. This is generally opposite the Source or Key light, and is meant to reduce the contrast ratio between light and shadow. Too much fill and the lighting will look flat and boring. To little fill, and the the effect will be to dramatic. Eg; a technical manual will use flat, broad lighting, where a theatre production will use dramatic, contrasty lighting, to convey visual effects.

4) You should still have a spare light from the kit(2?). If the background is translucent, place the background light behind the fabric, and open it wide. Alternatively, if the background is opaque, place the light in front, and try using the doors on the light to control and shape it, so you get a decently lit background, in relation to the subject.


Make sure your camera is on manual, if possible.

Set the Aperature to F8-F16; this will give you good depth of field, ensuring that the object is in focus, and the wrinkly background is not.

Adjust the shutter speed until you get the desired exposure on the subject. if the camera automatically adjust the subject too much, simply use the "exposure compensation" feature to get the desired level.

You can then fiddle with the background lighting till the ratio of subject to background is to your liking.

Don't use direct lighting on shiny objects, unless you're trying to reveal cracks, dirt, flaws etc. Its very harsh. Bouncing or diffusing the light is much friendlier to glossy surfaces.

Make sure you're using the same types of light; tungsten/halogen is warm, daylight is quite cold(blue), and flouros can be greenish or magenta, depending on the type.(your camera should have a setting for the type of lighting, under it's white balance menu).

If you need a little more detail in any area of your final photo(inside engine cylinder, carb detail, etc), try this: Take a flashlight, diffuse the lense with a small bit of tissue or crinkled acetate. and roll some dark, opaque paper into a short 4-6" long tube. Tape the tube over the end, and shine it at the problem spot. Pinch or modify the end of the tube until the desired amount of lighting is achieved.

Have fun, and feel free to ask if you need any help. RC photography is fun and rewarding, a lot more so than trying to make a slab of ground chuck look like it was crapped out by the God of 1/4 pounders, or making the sun shine on a cloudy day......

[Frank Klenk]

Originally Posted by williame3590

Sweet Frank, may have to spring for one as well. Pretty cheap considering all you received.
Your doing a great job with it all.

Does this mean the McCoy is going up for sale???

Bill
ps. notice how I buttered you up before asking the big question...LOL

Bill
I just used the McCoy 49 for eye candy. It's on of my favorites. I've also got big brother 60 although not as pretty. Needs a good cleaning first.

[johnav8r]

Frank, pictures look great.