Critique invite on kitchen utensil lighting..

Canon EF-S 15-85mm IS USM

11/09/2013 12:48:29 PM · #1

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Message edited by author 2013-11-19 04:34:42.

Garry

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

11/09/2013 12:51:55 PM · #2

For me, on my monitor, it's too underexposed. Also don't feel the cracks in the slate add anything to the shot. Find them to be quite distracting.

LN13

Canon EOS-60D

11/09/2013 01:08:08 PM · #3

Kinda dark

MelonMusketeer

Nikon D7000

Nikon MF 50mm f/1.4

11/09/2013 02:28:16 PM · #4

Wow, I didn't even know that they had specialty tools for litchen.
You made me grin. : ) Thanks.
You might try a polarizer to reduce the highlights in the slate. That's a very difficult scene to light, as bright metallic objects are generally photographed with a light, reflective background and very soft lighting.
I agree that the whole scene looks pretty dark. Maybe you could make the steel pop by using a light directed across the slate, and just above the slate, and shade it from actually shining on the slate.

Message edited by author 2013-11-09 14:33:22.

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

11/09/2013 03:20:08 PM · #5

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Message edited by author 2013-11-19 04:34:55.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

11/09/2013 04:53:37 PM · #6

The banding is probably due to the reduction in bit-depth in going from the RAW file (probably 16-bits/channel) to the JPEG (8-bits) -- you lose several levels of gradation, so over a given span of pixels you only have two levels of gray rather than several.

Also, if you go from color to grayscale, the effect will probably be heightened, since some of the channels may be at a higher level at any particular location, in a small enough area to not introduce a color-cast, but enough to help smooth out the gradations.

ETA: I would still like to see the whisk lighter -- it's supposed to be a bright shiny object. Maybe try lighting it from both sides with near-horisontal lighting so that it will be brighter and yet cast little or no shadow.

Message edited by author 2013-11-09 16:57:48.

Canon EF-S 15-85mm IS USM

11/09/2013 05:35:51 PM · #7

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Message edited by author 2013-11-19 04:35:37.

LN13

Canon EOS-60D

11/09/2013 05:52:29 PM · #8

Originally posted by xml5000:

Thanks Paul. I found that adding 0.5 noise to the image
breaks up the banding. I also brightened the image some.

Result below.

much more better

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

11/09/2013 05:53:37 PM · #9

With the lighting at that angle the top loop of the which seems to almost disappear into the darkness as it bends downward -- I think it looks a little odd, though my monitor also runs a little darker than some.

11/09/2013 06:00:50 PM · #10

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Message edited by author 2013-11-19 04:35:10.