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mtpenmaker

New Member
I make pens and sell them at juried arts and crafts shows and also through my website. I'm testing a new background for the pen photos to use on my website and would like some comments/suggestions about how to improve it. This shot was take with my D40 and 18-55mm lens set at 55mm. I use a homemade like tent and 3 27w 5500K CFL bulbs. The light tent is covered with a white sheet. The pen is resting directly on the black plexiglass. The material is Kingman Turquoise and the fittings are copper plated.

I don't see a way to post a photo directly, so here's a link.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1051/1312617222_678cecbac2.jpg

Thanks in advance for your comments, good or bad.
 
Gerry - I like black glass and have experience working with it. However, I don't think it's appropriate for everything. I think your pen would look much better on white glass. I would recommend the same lighting. With white glass you'd see more detail and the reflected light from below the pen would show more of the pen's detail and shape. I used white glass to photograph some wooden bowls I turned when I was wood turning. The white glass really showed off the shape of the bowls and the dramatic grain of the wood. Good Luck.
 
Thanks. I'll order a piece and give it a try.

Actually, do you know how much light can be transmitted through white plexiglass, say 1/8" thick? I've been thinking of building a new light box and white plexiglass might work quite nicely.
 
I agree about a white background would work better with the pen. I recently photographed a flower on white where I wanted the light to come up from underneat but the light could also be used on top. I couldnt find any milky plexiglass so went to an art supply store and bought a very thin plastic poster board. Its shiny on one side and is translucent. I set it on a piece of plain glass on top of 2 horses but chairs work just as well then put my flash unit under it and a white board a couple of feet over the flower to reflect some light back. It worked great and was inexpensive to set up. The thin poster board I rhink was around 20 x 32" and I had it slope up in back.
 
oh and 1/8 plexiglass works great for light boxes I used it all the time when I did commercial photography. I preffer "opal glass" though since its stiff for a light box. Most glass stores carry the milky opal glass.
 
Thanks for the info. I'm going to order some 1/8" white plexiglass. The opal glass might be better but I would rather have something that won't shatter if it somehow gets knocked off the table.
 
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