Light Snoot

This is something still related to light. This round, I'm going to use a snoot to project the flash light to my subject. Light snoot is a method where by the light source (in this context it's the flash unit) will be controlled to project a tighter end of the light instead of let it wide spread. You can either use a foam cup, a paper cup or even a tooth paste box to snoot the light. In this testing, I'll be using a foam type of paper which is white in color to snoot the light. I tied it around the flash and tried to squeeze the smaller hole possible.

For the flash setting, I mounted it on the camera this time and I set it to multiple-flash. I used the setting between 5Hz~8Hz and flash it 5~10 times in one shutter click. The output power was around 1/4 ~ 1/8.

My subject for this testing would be my newly bought spaceship wannabe wireless router modem.



I'm trying to create some elegant feel in this product...make it looks like there's a spotlight shines on it creating attention on it...

What do you think now? Is it okay? acceptable? or nothing special? or not good?

Not forgetting to share some EXIF data for this shot.

Aperture => F13
Exposure => 1.3 second
ISO 200
Metering => Center Weighted
Focal Length => 135mm (202.5mm in APS-C)

Light Painting

Right after the Sony Alpha Convention...I really learned a lot of photography techniques and some essential way of exploring more deeper into photography and of course....what can I get from my photography. I felt contained...and start to think the unusual way of doing photography(at least for me at this stage)....

So...with my new flash in my hand...I tried to play with it as much as I could...I'm trying to understand more on lighting issue in photography....hence...I suddenly thought of one of the speaker during the Alpha Convention, Darren Chang told us about light painting. In this context...Light Painting is a kind of technique where you keep on flashing the light source towards the subject from different angles (it's up to you). In order to achieve the effectiveness of light painting....it's advisable to do it in a almost complete dark room with no other distracting light source. Light source other than the flash unit is fatal to the result of light painting.

Initially I wanted a good product shoot...but I do not have light tent, and other form of light source...I only had one flash unit and it's not enough to create the good effect on a particular product shoot. So I do this light painting with a simple set up in my room to do the experiment...at the beginning I don't know how well it will work....but surprisingly the end result was pleasing....



Here's what I did....my camera setting was as follow:-
Exposure => Bulb Mode
Aperture => F20
Focal Length => 130mm
Lens => Minolta 70-210mm F4 (Beercan)
Room lighting => Lights off

So...that's it....what do you think? It's worth trying it by yourself...it's all about experimenting by yourselves.

Next...I'll talk more on lights....it's light snoot. ^_^

Testing on Reverse Macro....

I was reading on a forum and happen to come across a photography technique so called reverse macro. Reverse macro is done by using a lens mounting to the camera body in a reverse manner. OMG, yes...it's reverse....but how to do it? And I learned that there's a thing so called "Reverse Macro adapter". it's use to mount on another lens which is normally attach to the camera and another lens for the reverse position to mount on it...and tadaaaa....you got it now and can start to take some serious macro. How serious it can be? I had done some testing during my very very free until nothing better to do....but it's done without the adapter. I just hold the lens using my hand as I don't have any adapter. So here I used the combination lenses of my kit lens 18-70mm and the 50mm as the reverse lens.

First, I have to use folded paper piece to manipulate the aperture actuator so that it's open wide at f/1.7. Without the adapter....my hand can be unstable to hold onto a position still to take a real close macro hence I used a tripod to aid me in this.

How near is near for the minimum focal distance? My kit lens requires a minimum distance of 38cm from the subject and the prime lens requires a minimum distance of 45cm from the subject. But, with this combination.....transformation to a reverse macro lenses, it has take the lens a huge distance nearer to the subject to create a serious macro situation where the minimum focal distance is in between 1cm-2cm. Isn't it great? Below are the results from my little testing.....

This was the subject for my testing...letter opener...



Here's the result from the reverse macro technique....



Does this looks real near to you? It looks like a life size subject to me...^_^"

There you go....a 100% crop from the above pic....



The IQ acceptable kan? I think it could be even better if I use an adapter to aid me. So now...do you feel like want to play around with it....maybe with some interesting subject...like say....a bug or insect?