Saturday, February 11, 2012

Post(Card)-A-Day 11: Picture Imperfect


This was one of the very earliest attempts - poor angle, harsh sunlight, way too many shadows.

Same here, although I do sort of like the imperfections here. At least I got the angle right.

This has potential, even for a shot in artificial lighting, but bubble wrap does not make a very good background...

Another case of artificial lighting not producing quite the desired result...

Although we got this fantastic macro shot out of the session!

10 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Very beautiful typewriters. The Oliver is one of my favorite old typewriters.

    At times lighting can be a challenge whether film or digital. Most times natural light with a reflector or absorber can work the easiest and best.

    Most of the time I do not take the time or make the effort to do really good shots to post on line. Yours are always well done.

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  3. I think they are all really good shots, and you make them look like the desirable design objects they really are.
    Do you shoot with a long lens most of the time and use reflectors?

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    1. You are so kind :-) No, I am not a camera expert or fanatic, and most of the time I leave the settings on my basic point-and-shoot at "automatic". I have only just learned how to adjust the exposure while taking a picture...

      All this to say that the good shots are a combination of luck, natural lighting, and a steady hand. Plus after shooting quite a few typewriters I have some idea of which angles work well and I stick to that formula.

      You should take a look at Georg's gallery on Flickr; he uses superior equipment and gets some really nice shots: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shordzi/

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  4. AN OLIVER NO. 1!!!!!! You have an OLIVER NUMBER ONE!!!!????? I'm going spastic and apoplectic at the same time!! Tell me you have an Oliver no. 1!!! Where, how, when, did you get it???? I'd sell my children for an Oliver no. 1! (If I had any, that is.)

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    Replies
    1. Steady, Martin. It's a postcard photo, not one of Adwoa's.

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    2. Shucks, I knew it was too good to be true, one of us mere mortals in tloggosphere stumbling across the Holy Grail. Nay-the-less, all the pics here make great eye-candy.

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  5. I think your photos are great. And they're one of the reasons why I've fallen in love with typewriters :) This machines are so pretty they deserve to be register for posterity. In taking photos is one of the ways to do it.

    Lighting can be troubling but I just use my dinning table with the lamp above I a let the camera (and the automatic mode) do the rest.

    And the maroon Kolibri is just beautiful. The macro shoot is perfect. And the way you've played with the exposure makes the photo look as old as the typewriter.

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  6. To me, every photo you present here has its charm. The orange background has become your trademark, which is nice. It's also nice to recognize your photos right away in google picture search. There is many ways to portrait a typewriter, and I think all are equally valid, whether it is taking pictures in natural light, or setting the typewriters in their natural habitat, so to say, or rather strive to picture them in front of a neutral background, with emphasis on the object as such. Also, snapshot vs. carefully composed picture: both have their charm.
    PS: still looking for this reply button

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  7. One thing I enjoy about digital cameras is the ability to experiment on the cheap. The "magic hour" lighting is still a great option, even with the white balance flexibility of digital.

    Someone else mentioned reflectors. I keep a piece of foam core around to create a neutral background or bounce is some side light. I have a good flash for my Canon and can barely remember the last time I used it.

    Your end results are consistently attractive. That is not easy to achieve. You may be tempted to change your backgrounds, but it is too late as orange is now your distinct fingerprint on the Web. Yes, that does make Google searches easier, as well.

    Thanks for sharing your experiments!

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