Kris Bentham Photography

5x4 print

Iv collected my 5x4 transparency from palm labs the exposure has come out well but I have lost light due to the long bellows needed to get the focus on the screwdriver resulting in non of the back light being caught on the transparency.

The side lighting has done well to create depth with in the image but the focus plane is slightly off due to the angle the pen was hanging at. I did try and alter the focus plain but found this difficult under the lighting i had set up.

Photography of transparency

if i was to reshoot the image alterations i would make are:

Have a stronger back light, either by moving it closer or giving it more power
Get the focus plane to match the screwdriver, this can be achieved by using the movements on the camera or hanging the screwdriver straight.
Use a fill light instead of the reflector so i have more control over the light
is a larger ƒ. to get a larger depth of field.

I did find the 5x4 camera hard to set up but the quality of this image is worth the effort, i would like reshoot this to try and achieve the look I had with my digital test shots allowing me to compare the two.

Screwdriver product shoot with the 5X4 camera

As part of my assignment I planed a product shoot and use the 5X4 camera. I choose to use a Rolson multi-screwdriver as my product, I used product shots of pens as my inspiration as screwdrivers tend to have basic pack shots.

My plan was to shoot the tool suspend, side lit with a soft box and to use a reflector to fill in the over side of the product to give some depth and interest to the product.

Test shoot on white background

My first intention was to get a grey use a unlit white background. after a couple of test shots I found this wasn't working due to too much light spilling on to the backdrop. so moved to the black backdrop and faced the soft box away from the background, I also positioned it front eh right instead of left as the highlights where distracting form the Rolson logo

After moving on to the black background i decided to mover the key light to the right to make the logo clearer (image unedited)

To add some interest to this added a snoot on to the background, I was limited by the hight of the light stand and would have liked to have a steeper angle, I did later adjust the angle and position of this light, if i was to reshoot this i would consider using a flashgun to get lower or use different accessories to achieve a different spread on the backdrop. I purposely tried to used this to highlight the bit of the screwdriver so its not mistaken for a pen

The addition of the fill light on the backdrop makes the tool pop of the page. (image unedited)

The studio setup

ISO:100 SS:1/125 Aperture:ƒ8 lighting ration 1:4

As the tool was so reflective I feathered the key light by poisoning it toward the camera, I used a reflector to bounce some fill light on to the logo side of the object.

The 5x4 Camera

Once i was happy with the lighting I setup the 5X4 camera, this was new to me having such a small object didn't help with the framing as I had to get close to the tool after a long time altering and adjusting the focus, I didn't find the flipped perspective a problem it was the dull image on the back of the camera due to me using flash I only had the modelling lights to try and focus the image with.

Focusing the 5X4 camera

I sent the transparency off to palm labs to get developed and will see the result on friday.

overall I am happy with this shoot, I thought about what i wanted and how to achieve it which is why it went well. when my plan wasn't working i was ready to try new things and alter the out come. things i would improve are:

Uses the space I've got, the setup was fairly cramped when it came to setting up the tripod for the 5X4 i found myself knocking the tool stands.
Experiment with the background lighting, had i spent more time with this i could have used to the really pull the tool form the page.
Reduce the lighting ration at 1:4 the back light is really subtle.
Practice with the 5x4, this is a complicated tool to use so the more practice I get with it the more I will feel at home and get the most out of it.

I edited one of the Images to remove the cotton and see how i could improve on the lighting.

Burn tool, this was used to brighten the fill light off the reflector
Crop tool and Ruler, I used these to correct the composition and straighten the tool
Lens correction, to remove a slight amount of chromatic aberration found in the highlights.
Curves, to add contrast and blacken the blacks.
I duplicated the layer, desaturated it and inverted the colours them blended it using the overlay to brighten the background.
unsharpen mask to make sure everything is clear.

Screwdriver product shoot with 5X4

My plan was to shoot the tool suspend, side lit with a soft box and to use a reflector to fill in the over side of the product to give some depth and interest to the product.

Test shot on white background

After moving on to the black background i decided to mover the key light to the right to make the logo clearer (image unedited)

The lighting was starting to give the pen depth (image unedited)

The addition of the fill light on the backdrop makes the tool pop of the page. (image unedited)

The setup used

ISO:100 SS:1/125 Aperture:ƒ8 lighting ration 1:4

As the tool was so reflective I feathered the key light by poisoning it toward the camera, I used a reflector to bounce some fill light on to the logo side of the object.

The 5x4 Camera

Focusing the 5X4 camera

I sent the transparency off to palm labs to get developed and will see the result on friday.

Uses the space I've got, the setup was fairly cramped when it came to setting up the tripod for the 5X4 i found myself knocking the tool stands.
Experiment with the background lighting, had i spent more time with this i could have used to the really pull the tool form the page.
Reduce the lighting ration at 1:4 the back light is really subtle.
Practice with the 5x4, this is a complicated tool to use so the more practice I get with it the more I will feel at home and get the most out of it.

I edited one of the Images to remove the cotton and see how i could improve on the lighting.

Burn tool, this was used to brighten the fill light off the reflector
Crop tool and Ruler, I used these to correct the composition and straighten the tool
Lens correction, to remove a slight amount of chromatic aberration found in the highlights.
Curves, to add contrast and blacken the blacks.
I duplicated the layer, desaturated it and inverted the colours them blended it using the overlay to brighten the background.
unsharpen mask to make sure everything is clear.

The image Edited.

The library of Birmingham and Reference Works

During the RBG shoot in Birmingham we spent some time with in the library. The new building is big and open using lines and curves thought out the interior and exterior. There is a calming blue tone on the escalators making them look like they came straight form the set of Tron this give a futuristic look to the simplistic shapes of the building.

Reference Works was displayed in the Gallery the work displayed is a reaction to the new library. There where 4 photographers displaying work at the exhibition

Brian Griffin took a series of portrait with people involved with the renovation of the building, these portraits are very staged with people in strange positions holding props such as books and rocks. I had a mixed oppion on these portraits some of them worked well such as the development fund image which had 4 people positioned tightly facing different ways. The awkward positions and strange props seam to alienate me and left me thinking why?

Michael Colins images have a distinct feeling of the ƒ.64 group pushing for maximum detail. his subject was the construction of the building, although these where especially empty spaces the detail and choice of light with in the image attracted me theres so much to look at.

Stuart Whipps focused on documenting the old building before its destruction, this offers a unique window to see how the library worked before it reincarnation. this work will become more important with age being of archival

Andrew Lacons work was very abstract images and models of white structures i did not relate to this work.

the show was a mixed bag I think the documentary side worked well and serves a purpose but the portraits where a bit too posed, a good idea but the exhibition just confuses me.

RBG

RBG contact sheet

I have selected my best 9 images, in my selection it tried to get a good variety but keep a predominate blue tone to the images i collected the image form Bromyard Weston-super-mare, Solihull and Birmingham and used both my phone and DSLR.

After spending the afternoon around birmingham i found it hard to find creative, exciting images in the city. for the rest of the week was on the look out for blue objects i could include in the project.

5x4 print

Screwdriver product shoot with the 5X4 camera

Screwdriver product shoot with 5X4

The library of Birmingham and Reference Works

RBG

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