Photography...UGH!!

Most artists I know cringe when it comes to taking product shots of their work.  I'm one of them.  I've taken classes and tried a number of different set-ups including shooting outside.  Most of the time I shoot inside with a light tent.  I've tried using one light source, two light sources, three light sources....the variations have been endless.  So once again I'm trying something new.  I have been shooting against a black background.  It's actually a black shelf I bought at Target.  It's a bit reflective and it's flat.  When I take a long shot or a picture of something tall I end up getting the back of the light tent in the picture.  I have twisted and draped and arranged myself in a number of positions to avoid this.

So now I am trying another variation. I finally found some lights with small stands on them that I can position on the table.  Before these I had lights with clamps on them and I was clamping them to chairs and to the overhead chandelier....and hoped that I wouldn't bring it crashing down.  I also got a graduated back sweep which blocks out the back of the tent. 

Tonight I took some pictures of a copper cuff....a big ass copper cuff that I am putting in the South Wing Gallery show. 

 

 

I still like a black background even though most magazine photographers tell you to use white or a graduated one.  I can see I still need to play with this a bit.  The pics taken on the white background look a little washed out to me.  They looked better in Photoshop. 

 

Guess I will keep plugging away at it.  I wish photography was something that I had a handle on.  This continuous tweaking takes up way too much time.

 

Which photos do you like best???

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