52/52 - Talk to the hand

Talk to the hand

Here's the last entry for the project. I can't believe its been a year but I'm glad that I was able to actually complete it! I used a standard two light setup to light this one. I wanted this shot to have a bit of a cold feel to it so opted to use blue gels on the main light.

Lighting setup after the jump.

Lighting diagram - Talk to the hand

The main light was a Canon 580 EX II fired at 1/32 and zoomed to 105mm, through a full CTB gel. This coloured the highlights on the fingers as well as the hand.

A Canon 430 EX II was fired at 1/64th from camera right (zoomed to 105mm) through a CTO gel. I used a CTO gel to correct the tungsten colour balance on the camera.

I'm thinking of starting another project 52 focusing on Macro photography but not straight away. possibly in the new year.

51/52 - Estée Lauder

Estée Lauder

For this weeks entry I decided to go for a high key (sort of) product shot. I picked up this bottle of Estée Lauder lotion as lighting the reflective lid would be a challenge. I used two lights for this shot but if I did have a third I would have used it to light the background and bring up the white a bit more.

Lighting setup inside.

Lighting setup - Estée Lauder

This was a two light setup but the two flashes were aimed away from the subject. Two foam-core boards were used to bounce the light back onto the subject. Instead of lighting the lid directly, I lit the reflection.

A Canon 580 EX II was fired at 1/32 from camera left at a white foam-core board also placed on the left of camera.

A Canon 430 EX II was fired from camera right at 1/32 onto a white foam-core board placed on the right hand side of the image. 

A piece of glass was used under the subject to create a reflection. A piece of white paper was used to create the background.

50/52 - The Pianist's Hands

The Pianist's Hands

This is the 50th entry for my project. I've got two weeks to go and I'm looking forward to doing something different. Possibly another project 52 focusing on macro photography. 

I used a basic two light setup for this shot. One for the base exposure and a second strobe was used as a key light.

Lighting setup shots inside.

 Lighting setup - The Pianist's Hands

A Canon 580 EX II was used as the main light for the photograph above. It  was fired at 1/8th into  a reflective umbrella which was positioned above the piano. I also used a CTO gel on the flash to warm up the light a bit.

The key light was a Canon 430 EX II fired at 1/32 through a homemade snoot, directly at the pianist's hands. This flash was also fired through a 1/2 CTB gel to cool down the colour of the highlight.

49/52 - They're Alive!

They're Alive!

I have used a number of lighting mods (mostly home made) throughout this project but realised that I hadn't used any gobos to date. So for this weeks shot I used 2! A gobo (derived from "go between" or goes before optics) is something that can be used to block light and control what is lit.

Lighting setup inside.

 Lighting Setup - They're Alive

The main light for this shot was a Canon 580 EX II fired at 1/128 and zoomed to 105mm from camera right. I also used two picture frames as gobos to ensure the light only hit wall-e and didn't spill onto the marbles. I used a third picture frame, which was white in colour, to bounce the light form the 580 EX II on the other side of Wall-e.

The second light was a Canon 430 EX II fired from high camera right. This strobe was fired at 1/32 and zoomed to 105mm. The red gel on this strobe created the "eyes" on the marbles.

48/52 - Cherries

Cherries

This weeks shot is of water splashing off some cherries. The hardest part of this shot was getting a decent splash. I wanted to light the cherries using two lights. I wanted one of them to light the overall image and the second to act as a key light. I could have used one light and the ambient to achieve a similar result.

Lighting setup inside.

 Lighting setup - Cherries

The main light was a Canon 580 EX II fired at 1/4th through a shoot-through umbrella from high camera left.

The key light was a bare Canon 430 EX II fired at 1/32 from camera right.

I used a black foam-core board as the background. I tried a white foam-core board but the water droplets were not as clear.

47/52 - Marble

Marble

This week's shot is a bit late as I was away over the long weekend. I decided to photograph a marble and I wanted the colour to drop off towards the left of frame. I picked a "Sangria" coloured gel to create the background colour. If I were to shoot this photograph again, I would try and get a bit more colour on the right hand side of the marble.

Lighting setup inside.

Lighting Setup - Marble

I used a snooted Canon 430 EX II fired at 1/8 to light the image. I tried firing the stobe in a number of positions, including straight down at the marble, before I settled on firing it straight into the background. I'm not sure how to expose the right hand side of the marble. Should I use another flash or should I just re-position the snooted strobe?

I'll probably end up experimenting with this one after the project finishes. The setup, as you can see, is quite straight forward.

46/52 - Smokin

Smokin

Here's this weeks entry for the project. I know I have photographed a Tennis ball before but opted to use one again for this shot. I wanted to use smoke to give the shot a feel of speed and movement. I'm nto sure if I succeeded but here are the results anyway.

Lighting setup shots inside.

Lighting Setup - Smokin

I used a two light setup for this one (I would have preferred to use three lights but I've got only two!).

A Canon 580 EX II was fired "on axis" at 1/128th and zoomed to 105mm to light the ball. The camera was set to a white balance of tungsten to give the smoke a blue colour. To correct this, I used CTO gels on the 580 EXII.

The second light was a Canon 430 EX II fired from camera right at 1/64th and zoomed to 105mm to light up the smoke. The light from this strobe was bounced back onto the ball with a white foam-core board form camera left.

A black foam-core board was used for the background.

45/52 - Ace

Ace

I was quite sure that the strings on a Tennis racquet could be used to produce bokeh if lit from the correct angle. I decided to test this out yesterday and produced a couple of photographs which doubled up as this week's entry for my project. The main problem which I had to contend with was working out an angle which produced bokeh as well as a half decent composition for the photograph itself.

Lighting setup shots inside.

Lighting Setup - Ace

This again was a two light setup.

The main light was a bare Canon 430 EX II fired at 1/64th from camera left. This light was used to light the closer edge of the racquet. I placed a white foam-core board at a slight angle under the racquet to bounce the light from the 430 EX II back onto the under side of the racquet and create some separation on the black bottom edge. The effect is subtle and can be seen on the bottom edge of the racquet on the right hand side of the "Wilson" sticker. If I hadn't placed the white foam-core board under the racquet, this section would have been black and would have merged into the background.

The bokeh was created by a Canon 580 EX II fired at 1/128th from in front of the camera and slightly to the left. This flash had a CTB gel on it. The light from this flash also created the highlights on the further edge of the racquet.

I used a black foam-core board as the background.

43/52 - Spice it Up

Spice it Up

I raided the pantry cupboard for spices to come up with this shot. I found Cinnamon, Szechuan Pepper-corns, Cardamoms, Cloves, Curry leaves, Chilli Powder and Garlic. Coming up with a decent composition was not easy as all the spices had to be visible and I didn't want to shoot from above.

Lighting setup inside.

 Lighting Setup - Spice it Up

As far as lighting goes, this was a straight forward two light setup.

I used a Canon 430 EX II fired at 1/2 and zoomed to 24mm from camera right. The flash was fired over the spices, at a white foam-core board that was positioned on the left of the frame. The board was positioned to re-direct the light back onto the spices. I used the board so that the entire image was evenly lit.

I also used a Canon 530 EX II fired at 1/128th and zoomed to 105mm (not in setup shot) from camera right as a key light. This created the highlights on the Cinnamon and the Szechuan Pepper-corns.

41/52 - Idea

Idea

As this project winds down I seem to find it a lot more difficult to come up with ideas for weekly photographs. I guess going out and shooting something outdoors is an option but for one reason or another I have been unable to do so. I've got 11 weeks more to change this!

Lighting setup shots inside.

Lighting Setup - Idea

This was another two light setup.

The main light was a Canon 580 EX II fired at 1/32 through a shoot through umbrella from camera right, in front of the subject.

The key light was a Canon 430 EX II fired at 1/32 from camera left. The strobe was zoomed to 80mm to ensure it only lit the edge of the tiles and created a highlight on the frame.

39/52 - Brownies and Cream

Brownies and Cream

I was running out of time for this weeks entry for the project and didn't have any idea as to what I was going to shoot. Coming up with a new idea every week is probably the hardest part of this exercise. I opted to photograph one of the Brownies which my wife had baked earlier in the day. I'm glad I photographed them when I did because they didn't last much longer.

Lighting setup shots inside. 

Lighting Setup - Brownies and Cream

The main light for this photograph was form a Canon 580 EX II fired at 1/8th through a shoot-through umbrella. The umbrella was placed slightly behind the Brownie.

The angle of the main light meant the front of the Brownie was in shadow. To only light this area I used a Canon 430 EX II fired through a grid spot at 1/16th. The grid spot allows you to control the light from a strobe and only light a very small area. The highlighted area in the photograph below was lit by a grid spot.

A Brownie only lit by a grid spot

38/52 - Little Creatures Pale Ale

Little Creatures Pale Ale

This weeks entry for my project 52 is a photograph of the cap of a bottle of Little Creatures Pale Ale. I had to play around with a few different compositions before I settled for this one.  I liked the effect of the condensation on the bottle top (click on the image to see a larger version) and I tried to light it in a way which would emphasise the droplets. Not sure if I succeeded but I like the end result.

Read on for lighting info and setup shots.

Lighting setup - Little Creatures Pale Ale

I wanted to light this from two separate angles so that the photograph had a bit more depth. 

I used a Canon 580 EX II fired at 1/128th through a CTO gel as the main light. It was placed on the left of the camera and slightly behind the subject. This light created the highlight on the left hand side of the lid.

I used a Canon 430 EX II fired at 1/32 through a 1/2 CTO gel and a reflective umbrella to bring out the label on the neck of the bottle and the right hand side of the lid. This light was placed slightly behind the subject on the right of the camera. I used a reflective umbrella because I wanted the image to be lit evenly.

I created some Bokeh by placing a red tea light holder just behind the lid. The effect is subtle but I think it helps balance out the image.

Let me know what you think in the comments below.

37/52 - Jeans for Genes

Jeans for Genes

The 5th of August was Jeans for Genes day in Australia. Jeans for Genes is a charity event aimed at raising funds for the Children's Medical Research Institute and is held on the first Friday of August. People are encouraged to wear Jeans on the day and donate generously. 

Lighting setup inside.

Lighting Setup - Jeans for Genes

This was a single light setup. I used a canon 430 EX II fired form the top right of the image at 1/16th. I opted to use a shoot through umbrella to create even light across the jeans. The light was positioned at a relatively low angle so that the folds on the jeans would create shadows and add a bit of depth to the image.

I'd like to find out what you guys think of the end result. If you do have a minute to spare let me know via the comments.

36/52 - Tune Up

Tune Up

Firstly, sorry for the delay between my last post and this one. I was away in Sri Lanka on a months holiday and just got back (with about 130 GB of images to process). I tried to keep the project going while I was away but with the trips and the fact that I didn't have a computer with me made things a bit difficult. However I did shoot a couple of shots, this one included, specifically for the project.

Lighting info and setup shots after the jump.

Lighting setup - Tune Up

This was a two light setup and I wanted to focus on the tuning pegs of the guitar. 

The main light for this shot came from a canon 580 EX II fired at 1/64th through a 1/2 CTO gel.  The flash was fired from camera right.

The key light was a Canon 430 EX II also fired at 1/64th from camera left through a 1/2 CTB gel.

In order to get a dark background I used a black towel to hide the patterns on the table cloth.

If I were to shoot this photograph again I'd use a slightly smaller aperture to increase the depth of field. I used an aperture of F4.0 for this one.

35/52 - Yet another pair

Yet another pair

I've never understood women and their need for shoes. However, with my wife bringing so many of them home I guess it was only a matter of time before I decided to photograph them as part of this project. I went for a black background to make the colour of the shoes stand out a bit. 

Lighting setup after the jump.

Lighting setup - Yet another pair

This was a two light setup.

I fired the Canon 430 EX II at 1/4th into a reflective umbrella. This was the main light and also created the specular highlight on the back of the shoe on the left. 

I used the Canon 580 EX II fired at 1/128th as the key light. It's effect is subtle. The highlight on the shoe on the right and the back of the shoe on the left were created by it. 

I also used a black foam-core board as the background and placed the shoes on a piece of glass to create a reflection.

34/52 - A Mars a day

A Mars a day

The inspiration for this weeks entry for the project came from an advertisement for Mars bars that runs on TV. The actual shot in the commercial is a lot closer than this one but I wanted to include the texture of the chocolate on the top of the bar and had to shoot a bit wider as a result. I felt this composition was better than a zooming right into the chocolate and making the nougat the dominant feature.

Lighting setup after the jump.

Lighting setup - A Mars a day

This was a two light setup.

The texture for the chocolate came from the main light which was a Canon 430 EX II fired at 1/8th into a reflective umbrella which was placed behind the subject on the right of camera (about 2 o'clock on the final shot).

The insides of the chocolate was lit by a Canon 530 EX II fired at 1/16th through a home made grid spot from below the subject. The chocolate was placed on a piece of glass and this created a reflection. 

A Piece of white paper was placed just out of frame on camera left to bounce the main light onto the subject and light the other side of the chocolate.

A black foam-core board was placed behind the chocolate for the background.

33/52 - The Macro

The Macro

I photographed my macro lens for this weeks entry. The challenge with this photograph was controlling the specular highlight on the lens itself. I had thought the process through and was happy with the fact that I had to actually use only one light setup. At lest I seem to be learning something! I used a two light setup for this one.

Lighting setup shots after the jump.

Lighting setup - The Macro

The lens was lit using a snooted Canon 430 EX II fired at 1/8th through a 1/2 CTB gel. I used the snoot because I only wanted a section of the lens to be lit. The highlight on the edge of the lens was created by this flash.

The specular highlight on the lens was created by a Canon 580 EX II fired at 1/32 into a white foam-core board on the right of the frame. 

32/52 - The Rose

The Rose

This weeks entry for the project was fairly quick and pain free. I used a single strobe and the macro lens to produce the shot above. I did move the flash around a bit to add a bit more depth to the image by creating shadows of the layers of petals. I converted the shot into a black and white image and I'm quite happy with the result.

Lighting setup shots and a black and white version after the jump.

Lighting Setup - The Rose

I used a Canon 580 EX II fired at 1/16th to light the flower. Looking down at the end result, the strobe was positioned at about 2 o'clock. The flower used for the shot is highlighted in the setup above.

Here's the black and white version.

The Rose in Black and White

31/52 - In the drink... again

In the drink...again

Here's another shot I was experimenting with last weekend. I got the idea for this shot when I came across some unused golf balls at home. I didn't have a fish tank to use for the shoot so opted for a rectangular vase instead. This was a two light setup but I would have liked to use a third light fired through a get to light the background and make it a bit more interesting.

Setup shot after the jump.

Lighting Setup - In the drink...again

The lighting for this shot was fairly simple. I used a canon 430 EX II from the left and a Canon 580 EXII from the right and fired them both at 1/64th.

I also used a black foam-core board as the background.

30/52 - Pomegranate

Pomegranate

Its Pomegranate season so I thought I'd use one for this weeks shot. I'm not too sure about the composition for this one and would like to get your feedback on it. I thought of including a few of the seed casings in the fore ground to add another layer of interest to the composition and the Pomegranate itself to the top right hand corner to fill up the empty space.

Lighting setup inside.

Lighting setup - Pomegranate

This was a one light setup. A conon 430 EX II was fired into a reflective umbrella from behind the subject on camera right (about two o'clock). The flash was fired at 1/4th power. A white foam-core board was placed just out of the frame on camera left to bounce the light back onto the fruit.