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the various and sundry creations of sylvus tarn
Studio Photography
Now, with better ceiling diffusion...

Home Depot has flexible, 1/8"–thick white plastic 4x8’ sheets that are just about perfect for making smoothly curved backgrounds. I had meaning to put up drywall, curving from the wall to ceiling, for years, but the project, which would involve making multiple cuts at 1" intervals on the back of 1/4" drywall, daunted me. But then we found this stuff. It's made my life a lot easier.

First, I tried shooting on white:

36" light tent, zipper on ‘floor’, top panel completely removed/open to new ‘ceiling’. Customer didn't like it, felt the colors were too washed out. This was shot with the lumix, as was the thumbnail link (not shown—sorry, I have no idea how I accomplished that...) Directory: 20170321KP

Note that studio props (boxes, styrofoam) are flat, and black plastic is tilted behind them. Foam blocks to give add'l height; also plastic is resting on 1qt yogurt container (filled with clay) for height. This sharp angle not only gives more ‘background real estate’ it looks better too.

  • hero (i.e. pendant) 3" from front edge of table
  • camera up to 15" from front edge of table (i.e. 18" from hero)
  • flash 18" from front edge & (left) side edge of table (i.e. 45deg <)
  • flash angled up at 30 degrees; half power; used f5.6–f8
  • black plastic propped with 1 qt yogurt container (roughly 40? deg) immediately behind props;
  • NOT SHOWN: 9x24 (approx) white diffusing panel to block specular highlights from halogen light, stray light from leading edge of flash
  • ALSO, nota bene: white styrofoam or ‘foam fabric’[1] positioned from front edge of display to just under lens to bounce light onto front metal edges of pendants. White foamcore to the right side is also to help balance light.

side view clearly shows under-lens bounce for front of metal.

And here's the photo taken with the setup shown. E620, zuiko macro lens

20170929

another flash setup howto for myself, now with bigger backgrounds. 29sep2017

 
20151116

I shoot two artist's work regularly: my own, and Kristin Perkins'. While both of us use opaque accents in our beads, we tend to emphasize transparency. Kristin adds another layer of complication (from the photographer's point of view) with the highly polished silver in which she sets her beads: ...

 
20150801

How to shoot Kristin Perkins' jewelry, Aug 2015 edition. 01aug2015

 
20141124

Shooting earrings with flash. 24nov2014

 
20070810

In which both Kristin & Sylvus make incremental improvements. Originally posted 10aug07. 10aug2007

 
20061115

This pendant features autumn colors for fall 2006. 15nov2006

 
20060626

A rainbow of bangles. . file created 25jun06. 26jun2006

 
20060625

Being helpful without realizing it ; created 19jun; group photo added 25jun06. 25jun2006

 
20060617

Very cool hair adornments ; file created 16jun06; spelling error in artist's name corrected 25jun06 17jun2006

 
20060625

Ice blue theme resurrected ; file originally created 29aug05; reworked and renamed 25jun06 25jun2006

 
20060618

Aqua flowers ; file created and originally posted 18jun06 18jun2006

 
20060616

Kristin's work is featured in a local publication. Created & posted 14aug05 16jun2006

 

20240129

summer wind bell/furin/風鈴 photographed against a winter sunset 29jan2024

 
20240115

2021 snowy field 15jan2024

 
20240115

Misty trees in mid winter. 15jan2024

 
20231230

Autumn leaves gift 30dec2023

 
20231207

Siberian squill. 07dec2023

 
20231012

link dump... 12oct2023

 
20230627

I mentioned two-three intros ago that my favourite camera review site, DPreview, was being shut down, to my and many other photographers' dismay. Well, here's some good news to go along the plethora of not-so-good: DPreview has been sold, and looks to have a new home. I surely hope it works...

 
20230401

Amazon's April Fools joke on photographers, aka DPreview is getting shuttered. 01apr2023

 
20230401

rock iris with a blurred, yet glittering background. 01apr2023

 
20230302

photography, large and small 02mar2023

 
20230302

icicles on oak leaves 02mar2023

 
20230128

snow covered trees 28jan2023

 
20221031

Halloween Photography 31oct2022

 
20221103

Spooky spiderwebs for Hallowe'en week 03nov2022

 
20221010

photographing bicoloured roses with the sweet 35 10oct2022

 
20220922

fringed blue gentians 22sep2022

 
20220921

amazing astrophotography. 21sep2022

 
20220912

Photography hack for making believable sunny blue-skies window. 12sep2022

 
20220606

smearing lenses. 06jun2022

 
20220519

Evidently I have a couple of flaming parrots. Tulips, that is.

 
20220514

Slowly learning how to use the new (used) lensbaby on the Sony A7c. 14may2022

 
20220424

Great Egret, Casmerodius albus

 
20220415

Cinder, round and round we go 15apr2022

 
20220406

glass bunnies for easter baskets:) Or nihongo miyage, take your pick. 06apr2022

 
20220114

dried yellow roses. 14jan2022

 
20220112

Bridge during a winter sunrise

 
20220104

Misty autumn morning 04jan2022

 
20220112

2021 was kind of a sucky year. 12jan2022

 
20210728

so much rain. Here's some on phlox 28jul2021

 
20210712

Playing with image editing on a red daylily 12jul2021

 
20210619

Miscellaneous messing about with the new camera 19jun2021

 
20210626

End of the 2021 peonies, part I. 26jun2021

 
20210601

Deep purple irises. 01jun2021

 
20210531

Peony weighted by rain.

 
20210528

photography. 28may2021

 
20210503

Virgina bluebells, narcissi & hummingbird moth 03may2021

 
20210501

White violets. 01may2021

 
20210423

(City) squirrels and bunnies are relatively easy to photograph. 23apr2021

 
20210423

focus on buns goes to opposite ends of the spectrum 23apr2021

 
20210416

Cotton Carrier's strapshot isn't optimized for small hands and cameras... 16apr2021

 
20210416

Squirrels have whiskers. 16apr2021

 
20210414

Vendor, specification, & tut link roundup pertaining to my new sony A7C. 14apr2021

 
20210415

early efforts with the sony alpha7C. 15apr2021

 
20210412

Getting the most from my cell phone camera 12apr2021

 
20210409

Photographs as aids memoir. 09apr2021

 
20210409

Throwback thursday features mushroom drawings & photos 09apr2021

 
20210405

recipe for roasted fruit, especially citrus such as oranges. 05apr2021

 
20210401

Bokeh and light on iris, snowdrops & a plant stick 01apr2021

 
20210214

Snow crystals and butterflies, both beautiful. 14feb2021

 
20210204

Heavy snowfall is magical 04feb2021

 
20210126

A giftwrap with a three year span... 26jan2021

 
20210125

Another robot gift wrap; playing with Gimp's modes 25jan2021

 
20210121

cool patterns from...analogue something-something cameras... 21jan2021

 
20210119

Snow crystal photography tut, gallery, science page. 19jan2021

 
20210105

Christmas covid beads & earrings 05jan2021

 
20201226

cyrstal photography of frozen soap bubbles 26dec2020

 
20201225

My bestie gives me something old, something new—2 xmas ornaments for 2020 25dec2020

 
20200925

local hike photography: lobelia, rudbeckia, erigeron, setaria... 25sep2020

 
20200406

snowdrops...in snow:) 06apr2020

 
20200407

rock iris 07apr2020

 
20200408

veronica/speedwell flowers 08apr2020

 
20200409

Chionodoxa, beautiful star-eyes... 09apr2020

 
20200219

I had the pleasure of photographing Kristin Perkins' jewelry from 2006–2019. 19feb2020

 
20200127

2015 speckled poinsettia 27jan2020

 
20200103

pink, green and cream kumi—w dark to light background.

 
20200103

Old images, only a little chewed up by time... 03jan2020

 
20181213

a bit of image editing rescuses this garden/bouquet style silk flower gift wrap, made in Jul2014 13dec2018

 
20181203

Not sorry to leave those bad old days of film behind. 03dec2018

 
20220429

updating an old image of a garnet, black onyx & antique curliQ necklace... 29apr2022

 
20181001

Darktable is not my friend... 01oct2018

 
20180921

A hairy, multi-floret purple bell. With raindrop. 21sep2018

 
20180920

I get lucky with the light while shooting a birdhouse. 20sep2018

 
20180919

Vermeer style photography. 19sep2018

 
20180917

Mixed loopback frame & spoke technique 17sep2018

 
20231211

intro needs (new?) completed text... 11dec2023

 
20180425

how to use a mask to selectively brighten part of an image.

 
20180306

2 pictures of a friend's cats 06mar2018

 
20171213

notes on some 2012 Creation is Messy samples. 13dec2017

 
20170929

another flash setup howto for myself, now with bigger backgrounds. 29sep2017

 
20160603

red rose giftwrap. 03jun2016

 
20160530

Dogwood necklace in lampwork & leather cord. 30may2016

 
20160309

2016 heart charm bracelet includes many gifts &/or scavenged items. 09mar2016

 
20171218

Making do with less, photography version. 18dec2017

 
20151021

flash fill can be handy. 21oct2015

 
20150918

5 shots of so-so beads taken on a battered table. It's all about the technique. 18sep2015

 
20160311

Ever so slowly I am becoming more comfortable shooting with flash. Oh, and Cindi B's beads feature some very nice scrolling. 11mar2016

 
20150801

How to shoot Kristin Perkins' jewelry, Aug 2015 edition. 01aug2015

 
20141218

In which I go on a xmas light bike tour 18dec2014

 
20200113

2014 autumn photography 13jan2020

 
20141128

links to documentaries—2nd wave feminism, Mona Lisa recreated photographically, fabulous mushroom photos 28nov2014

 
20141124

Shooting earrings with flash. 24nov2014

 
20130401

The first flowers to bloom this year. 01apr2013

 
20120823

Red begonias, with lensbaby. 23aug2012

 
20101021

Autumn photo of milkweed pods—the swamp variety, I believe. Originally posted 21oct10

 
20101019

These heart shaped leaves encompass the two opposing facets of the season for me: glorious golden light—symbolic of life; yet they also presage the death—or dormancy, at least—of winter. 19oct2010

 
20151009

Some pretty pink flower I shot on the mystic date of 101010... 09oct2015

 
20100701

pretty picture of a stella d'oro daylily

 
20240215

In which I am fascinated by pitcher plants at the Frederick Meijer Gardens. Back in 2010. 15feb2024

 
20100529

This shot of an opening clematis blossom was one of those serendipities.

 
20200413

2010 pix of peas & purple loosestrife recycle an old 2010 page 13apr2020

 
20150827

a piece of black and white bead embroidery photographed over several years with 4 different cameras... 27aug2015

 
20071020

comparison of two yellow abstracts made with Creation is Messy Hades black and Effetre Dense 066 black. Originally posted 20oct07 20oct2007

 
20050612

Nichols Arboretum's glorious peony field . 12jun05 12jun2005

 
20040522

Granted, this picture is for a single bead, but it shows the camera mounted on the tripod, with the black plexi, the light (make certain the base is ceramic). Use tungsten fujichrome type II 64T film, and matching 500w photofloods (I can never remember whether that's 3200 or 3400 kelvins, but the ...

 
20040522

Just the one bead , but includes a shot of the setup used to photograph it, too. (posted 17dec03) 22may2004

 

[1]the latter shown