Exercise 4.13 – Shiny surfaces

For this exercise I’ve used a stainless steel cake slice. I used the 10-20 mm lens, set at 20 mm, to enable a low height on the tripod while maintaining a good depth of field. The camera remains in the same position for each image, in aperture priority and using minimum aperture.

Baseline

This image was taken with the light positioned next to the camera at a height of approx. 0.5m. The backcloth is shown as completely black while the camera obscures most of the blade, due to the exposure for the bright light area. The reflected light has caused bad burn out in the image.

Tracing paper cone with light 0.5 m directly above

The light is in the same position, but the set was covered with a cone made from tracing paper with the camera lens protruding through its apex. All light is now outside the conical tent. This has reduced the glare from the light and allowed a longer exposure resulting in this image which shows much more of the knife and some detail in the backcloth. The reflection of the camera lens is still too evident.

Tracing paper cone with light 1 m directly above

With less light playing on the cone the exposure time is extended, allowing more detail again. The image is slightly lighter, allowing more detail throughout (including the lens reflection).

Tracing paper cone with light 1 m to the right

The light reflected onto the lens is slightly less, but still most annoying.

Blade tilted with tracing paper cone with light 0.5 m to the right.

The blade has been tilted forward so that the lens is not reflected in it. The light is coming from the right hand side. Although the lens is not now showing, the reflection of the side lit tracing paper detracts from the image.

Blade tilted with tracing paper cone with light 0.5 m directly above

With the blade tilted, the light is moved to next to the camera at 0.5 m. The brightness and directness of this light has produced a flat looking image. The blade looks as though it’s made of paper.

Blade tilted with tracing paper cone with light 1 m directly above

Slightly more detail, but mainly in the reflected paper.

Blade tilted with tracing paper cone with light 0.5 m to the right

Light is still reflected on the blade, but to a lesser degree. The handle is now shining brighter than the blade and we can see more texture in the backcloth. This is the most satisfactory image, but not one I’d be pleased with.

We’ve seen that varying the angle of light and the distance it is held have an impact on this type of image. I feel that the size of the cone was very restricting in this exercise. It meant that very little difference was made when the light was moved, so the positioning of the blade to find a better view was also restricted. Personally I would try to find an angle where the reflection on the blade is more pleasing – definitely not taken from directly above, and I’d use my light tent, which allows a great deal more flexibility with lighting and better access to the set.