Friday, January 8, 2010

Photo Testing

I've been experimenting with taking photos with my new light box and comparing them with the ones previously taken in the natural light.  Here are a few samples below:

Natural Light              Light Box

 

 

 

The first photo is of a pendant that I have had a hard time trying to capture in it's best form.  It would  reflect the light and the colors always seemed to appear washed out.  Both photos were taken on the same white paper background and neither one had any editing done to them at all.

The black and white earrings were also difficult to photograph in the natural light.  One nice thing about this particular light box is that it comes with a background cloth that is reversible with blue on one side and grey on the opposite.  I used the grey background for the earrings as well as the tiger print beads which give them both a much softer look.

These are the pros and cons that I have come up with so far:

Cons:
It takes a bit of space so you need a good place for it.  The inside measurements are 16" x 16" x 16", however the complete outside setup measures 21" deep x 25" wide.  Although any light box you choose will still require a bit of table space and extra set-up for your lamps (this one the lights are built in).

Pros:
1)  The inside is big enough for using an average to tall size jewelry display.
2)  I can take my pictures of my work any time of the day or night and I don't have to worry about whether it is a sunny or cloudy day.
3)  The photos I take are more consistent so I won't have to fidget with adjusting my camera settings as much and also means saving time on the computer later with having to make further lighting adjustments.

I only tested it out for one day but all in all I am happy with my light box so far and I think it is definitely a keeper.

5 comments:

Cindy Lietz, Polymer Clay Tutor said...

Great info Carolyn! Although you did a great job with your natural light photos, I will agree with you that the photo box ones were an improvement. The colors look softer and the shadows almost completely disappear, without losing the depth of the pieces. Also love the idea of being able to photograph at any time without having to change the camera settings. Thanks for sharing your findings so quickly!

2 Good Claymates said...

You're welcome Cindy. I've been spending a good part of the day taking more photos and I do like the results. I mainly have to crop and not fiddle with the exposure as much which is nice.

Julie Behm said...

Oooh, thanks for posting this. I've been thinking of buying something similar in the near future, so getting this info is very helpful!

joan tayler said...

Ya sold me! I went out and bought one too.

Melobeau said...

I so appreciate your sharing this helpful info. My DH and I are in the (frustrating) process of photographing pieces for my website and we've been wondering if spending the $ on a photobox would be worth it. I think you've really helped answer that question. Thanks!