Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/09/21

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Subject: Re: [Leica] More flash questions!
From: "Mike Durling" <durling@widomaker.com>
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 22:55:42 -0400
References: <B5EFC6E1.752B%howard.390@osu.edu>

The secret to photographing reflective objects is to light what they reflect
not the object.  You don't shine light on a mirror you light what is in the
mirror.

Mike D

- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Martin Howard" <howard.390@osu.edu>
To: "Leica Users Group" <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2000 2:08 PM
Subject: [Leica] More flash questions!


>
> I need to take pictures of a few things to put up on eBay.  I'm using two
> flash units for this: relatively small, hot-shoe mounted thingies.  Both
are
> on stands, one is connected to the camera via a PC-sync cord, the other is
> on a slave-trigger shoe on another stand.
>
> I use a separate lightmeter to measure the aperture I need to expose
> properly.  So far, so good.  I get correctly exposed pictures, with
> correctly balanced light (I have one provide one f-stop less light than
the
> other: key light and fill-in).
>
> But, the problem I have is that there is too much 'glare' on chrome
surfaces
> and in highlights.  One way around this is, I guess, to move the lights
> further away, but I have a whole bunch of different objects, some shot
from
> 15cm, some from 70cm (all with a macro lens), so how do I calculate how
far
> away the lights should be?
>
> I have a Photo Techniques article about macro flash, but it doesn't offer
> any useful advice on light-to-subject distance.  However, they have
pictures
> in the article of highly reflective metal objects with beautiful
detailing,
> correct exposure, and no 'glare' in the highlights.
>
> Any advice?
>
> M.
>
> --
> Martin Howard                     | "I am Pentium of Borg.  Division is
> Visiting Scholar, CSEL, OSU       | futile.  You will be approximated."
> email: howard.390@osu.edu         |                            -- Unknown
> www: http://mvhoward.i.am/        +---------------------------------------
>
>
>

In reply to: Message from Martin Howard <howard.390@osu.edu> ([Leica] More flash questions!)