Equipment photo - 1st attempt - Pentax ME Super

[PhantomLord]

Hi,

This is my beloved Pentax ME Super with Auto Rikenon 55mm/1.4 (M42 lens with M42->PK adapter).
I was aiming for dark photos with only metal parts of the camera showing up, but with matte reflections + just a little light on the front of the lens, but I'm not sure about the outcome. It's on the road to what I wanted achieve, but not there yet.
Therefore any comments or hints would be appreciated.

I used single speedlight with diy grid.

#1


#2


Mateusz

[David]

I've gotten the look you're aiming for -- low-key.

I don't keep copies of my video splash screen, so check out the first seven seconds of these videos to see if I understand your aim:

http://youtu.be/h-tASyfQx44
http://youtu.be/ZmjCX3OJj4A
http://youtu.be/hwpP_XSYAs8


Okay, so first thing to do is meter off the silver.

Next, pull the camera away from the background about a foot, and use a black backdrop if possible.

You'll want your flash to the side (of your taking camera, aimed 45-60 degrees at the subject) so that the excess light does not hit the background. If your flash front pulls out for a telephoto setting, that would give you more targeted light.

If it's too light, cut your shutter speed or lower your sensitivity. If that's still too bright, put an ND filter over the flash. If that's still too bright, use some tin foil to cover all but the central 1/3 of the flash. You can still use the ND filter over the tin-foiled flash.

That ought to get you pretty far down the path, if not there.

[David]

OH! One personal thought on framing. I try to frame so that part of the camera I want emphasized is the central focus and also at an angle to the taking camera. So picture it light this.



\ [subject camera facing left-ish]

\ [flash facing right-ish]

____ [taking camera facing forward


I like to have the model number facing being closest and sharpest. I also change it up so that the brand is closest and sharpest. Those are personal preference, though, and good photos could be taken with other framing.

[PhantomLord]

Hi David and thank you for the tips.
Actually I would like to achieve something different from the typical low-key, as I prefer having whole camera more or less equally lighted. On your splash screens on your videos cameras are partially in the shadow, which I would like to omit and also I was aiming for the silver parts not to be shining like metal do, but covered in soft light to look more matte.

It's good tip to cover part of the flash if it's too bright - I didn't thought about that, but it wasn't the issue in this series. Black background - certainly better idea than the wood .

Actually later that day I took these I decided to re-shoot it with the black background and different lightning - 2nd attempt as you know and I completely agree with that the background turned out too bright, but the results are more up to what I was wanting to achieve.

Mateusz