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Roscoe pictures (from Roscoe Forum)

#361
If you're using flash, the good news is the florescents won't really contribute to lighting. That's one of the goals when I'm shooting - take the ambient light right out.

These are shot with two strobes (you could use hotshoe flashes or studio strobes) in umbrellas. The trick was for me to "skim" the light across the basses, so that the highlights wouldn't just reflect right back into the lens. It's actually really soft light, because the umbrellas are just out of frame (larger the light source is in relation to the subject, the softer the light....)

Anyway, hope you like

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#363
^ It is, believe it or not. A few times now I've been able to shoot using others' rigs, and its awesome. Obviously you have to control the lighting, but with newer gear that's a piece of cake - it literally took me 15 seconds to command two remote flash units with my camera. No glare, just soft, even light...just as in Jon's pics. Of course, the artistry there is in placing the lights (and the subject) to net the result you're after.

I still really enjoy using natural light...I think that's obvious for anyone into photography...it's where art trumps form. But when you're marrying the two, creating and leveraging the right lighting is a beautiful thing. Or in other words, just see Jon's pics above.
 
#364
Check's in the mail, Jerry - you're too kind!

I like available light, too. Like Joe McNally, every f'in light available!
 
#365
I'm not sure what you'd call what I do... it's not really natural light, it's two bulbs that are always on. I can see the glare through my viewfinder before I even pull the trigger on a photo, so I know pretty much what I'll get before I take it. Flash seems like it would require more back and forth... take a photo, judge the glare, adjust the lights, repeat...

I'm sure it's like anything, you get better the more you do it. And obviously in my situation, I could dial it in and eventually forget about it.

I'm already googling umbrellas and whatnot... thanks for the GAS!! :)
 
#366
Not sure what it is about bassists and photography, but there's an undeniable link.

Visit your favorite website, load up your shopping cart with a few things, and you can frighten yourself at the dollar amount. Fortunately, decent lighting rigs can be had for pretty little investment. (Although, Greg, the problem in your case might be in controlling the lights...not sure if your current camera is capable.) For me, it's all about space...I live in a tiny house and the day gig is a mid-60's building that doesn't lend itself to anything resembling, "photographic"...so there's just no spot I can call my own for something like this. Wah, wah. :)
 
#370
RocketMusic said:
I'm not sure what you'd call what I do... it's not really natural light, it's two bulbs that are always on. I can see the glare through my viewfinder before I even pull the trigger on a photo, so I know pretty much what I'll get before I take it. Flash seems like it would require more back and forth... take a photo, judge the glare, adjust the lights, repeat...

I'm sure it's like anything, you get better the more you do it. And obviously in my situation, I could dial it in and eventually forget about it.

I'm already googling umbrellas and whatnot... thanks for the GAS!! :)
Click to expand...

My suspicion is your problem is, more than anything, the size and direction of your light source. Are your light bulbs moveable? Are they remotely photographic lights? (By that I mean can you attach them to a light stand and use an umbrella?) You might be able to get off pretty cheap if so.

Glare is actually not hard to control. Think of the physics - light is going to bounce of your subject opposite to the way light hits is. The idea is to not let that bounce back into the lens. So those pics I posted I used an umbrella on each side of the bass, just in front and basically "skipped" the light across the front. Combined with a large light source (the umbrellas), it really reduces glare. You could do something similar by bouncing a hotshoe flash at a white wall behind the camera, although that will be a little tougher to control.
 
#371
VroomVroom said:
For me, it's all about space...I live in a tiny house and the day gig is a mid-60's building that doesn't lend itself to anything resembling, "photographic"...so there's just no spot I can call my own for something like this. Wah, wah. :)
Click to expand...


Dude, all you have to do is control the spill. This pic:

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was shot in my living room - there's a bookshelf about 2 feet behind her, and the overhead flouresents are on. But you'd never know it, cause I gridded the flash. Pow, studio....
 
#372
Pacman said:
Dude, all you have to do is control the spill. This pic:

5332685905_6c28f55ff6_z.jpg


was shot in my living room - there's a bookshelf about 2 feet behind her, and the overhead flouresents are on. But you'd never know it, cause I gridded the flash. Pow, studio....
Click to expand...

Man Jon! Rachael looks as though she'd be leading people to a monastery. Like a "historical" photo.

You got skills man.;)

:D

God Bless, Ray
 
#373
Great info guys! I've always been a Cannon sureshot kind of guy but your pictures are really making me want learn more about REALLY taking pictures.

This kind of reminds me of when Jerry and Greg started posting all of their sound clips and I didn't even know how to create one. Next thing I new I was spending money on recording devices and trying to figure out how to use them! $$$ :eek:

The good thing is I can always say it's for taking pictures of the grandkids! :D ...... and of course that would be real cool too! :)
 
#376
You guys are awesome, thank you. But I really just put that pic in here to illustrate controlling light.... it's amazing what you can do when you start to get your head around that concept.
 

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