3.16. Nighttime Photography

3.15. Photographing Objects

Most people usually photograph people and places. Every now and then, however, you'll need to photograph things: stuff you plan to sell on eBay, illustrations for a report, your personal belongings for insurance purposes, and so on.

POWER USERS' CLINIC
Built-In Flash vs. External Flash

More expensive digital cameras offer serious photographers a wonderful feature: a place to plug in an external flash attachment.

An external flash moves the light source away from the lens, which reduces red-eye, especially if the flash is on its own separate bracket rather than a hot shoe right on the camera. The external flash makes your camera's battery last longer, too, because it has its own batteries. You'll be grateful during long events like weddings.

The most versatile way to attach an external flash is with a standard hot shoe right on top of the camera, as shown here. You can either connect the flash directly, or you can use a dedicated flash cord that allows you to move the flash away from the camera, but still retain communication between the two.

Some cameras just aren't big enough to accommodate a hot shoe. To circumvent this problem, some camera makers have engineered a system that uses a tiny socket on the camera that connects to the flash via a proprietary cord and bracket. This system isn't the height of versatility, but it does allow you the flexibility of an external flash on a very compact camera.

A wedding is one key example of a situation where you'll find this useful. When you're not the primary photographer, you won't get the prime shooting locations during big events (like the cake cutting). Therefore, you'll need all the flash power possible to get the shots even when you're out of position “another advantage of an external flash unit.

Finally, a detached flash attachment gives you more flexibility, because you can use it to bounce light off the wall or ceiling to provide fill lighting for certain shots.

A good external flash with a dedicated cord costs at least $200, and, of course, only the fancier digital cameras can accommodate them. But as you become more serious with your photographic pastime, you'll find that external flashes help you capture shots that on-camera flashes just can't get.

The macro (close-up) mode of your digital camera makes it easy to shoot objects. All you need to do is set up and light your shot; the camera does the rest.

3.15.1. The Home Studio

The trick to lighting any object professionally, whether it's a painting or a teapot, is to position two lights, each at a 45-degree angle to the plane of the subject.

At a hardware store, buy a couple of lamps. Sometimes called shop lights, they have clamps and ball joints to lock the lamp at a certain angle.

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Note: Buy lamps that accommodate regular lightbulbs, not the high- powered halogen models that melt everything within 50 yards.

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Regular 100-watt "soft light" bulbs work fine. While you're at the hardware store, look for some white butcher paper or some other paper that will give you a seamless background at least six feet long and four feet wide. (Camera stores also sell paper backdrops for about $30 a roll.)

Now you're ready to set up your temporary photo studio. Slide a table against the wall, then hang your butcher paper about three feet above the table. Tape it to the top surface of the table, making sure that it has a gentle curve as it goes from vertical to horizontal. Place the item that you want to photograph in the center of the table, about a foot in front of the paper curve.

Figure 3-17. You don't need to build a home studio to produce great product shots. This picture was created by setting a table next to a north- facing window. A piece of white cardboard was used as a reflector to bounce some light back onto the shadow side of the object.

Next, it's time to set up your lights. You can use chair backs to clamp your lights, which should be pointing directly at your subject at a 45-degree angle, about three feet away from the subject, pointing slightly downward.

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Note: Some photographers eschew the two-light setup, preferring a bit of shadow on one side of the object. For this effect, use only one light; on the opposite side, create a reflective surface like a white piece of cardboard, aluminum foil, or white foam board. Make sure that the reflector bounces the light toward the object's non-illuminated side.

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Now your subject is evenly lit, with a minimum of glare and harsh shadows. Even though this homemade product rig might not look beautiful, the shots you create with it can be very appealing (Figure 3-17).

Some other tips:

• Adjust your camera's white balance for the type of light you're using (page 46). Uncorrected incandescent lights produce an overly warm (reddish) cast; flash tends to produce images a bit on the cool (bluish) side.

• A tripod helps keep the camera in precise position.

• If your camera has a manual-focus mode, use it to lock the focus on the object's area that's most important to you.

• Once your camera is positioned and focused, you may find its remote control or self-timer mode convenient , so you won't have to constantly bend over during the course of a long shoot.

You're ready to shoot.

3.15.2. Natural Lighting for Objects

Of course, you won't always be at home with a bunch of lights and roll paper at your disposal. Many of your object shots will be more spontaneous , impromptu affairs, or you may decide that a home studio isn't your cup of tea. In these cases, let nature provide the lighting.

In taking natural-light shots like this, the trick is to keep your subject out of direct sunlight, which would create harsh contrast and "hot spots" on the object's surface. Instead, work in open shade , preferably in the morning or late afternoon hours when the light is the "sweetest." A north-facing window is perfect for this type of shooting.

Once again, pay close attention to the background. You might have to get creative in setting up the shot so that it has a continuous background without any distracting edges.

Finally, set the white balance controls to the Cloudy setting to offset the blue cast created by open shade.