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The Pedulla Club!

#1,223
WayneP said:

Wow, stunning pictures! Do you own a photography studio or something? If not maybe you could give us some tips on how to take pictures like that.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt



Pedulla Club #45
Click to expand...

I am definitely not a professional photographer nor do a I play one on TV. ;)

I do have a nice digital SLR but you can still get decent pictures with a good point and shoot. The secret is a tripod and a cable release/timer shooting. Most point and shoots don't have the capability of a cable release or remote. So, setting the timer on the shutter release works, as well. You just have to be more patient. I set my camera up on a tripod and then put the backdrop behind it. Black works well for most basses unless they have a very light finish. Then, the contrast between the light color and the black background can become too much. I am thinking of switching to something in a medium/light gray for my pics. If you have a remote shutter release, use it..It will keep you from shaking the camera. If not, just set the timer on the shutter release, focus and wait. The big thing is...NO FLASH. A flash on an instrument will produce glare. So, by using the tripod and remote shutter release, you can shoot at a much lower shutter speed and don't have to use a flash. That is about all I can help with...I am sure there are some true professionals out there who can shed much more light on this...pun intended. ;)
 
#1,224
rodneyat said:
I am definitely not a professional photographer nor do a I play one on TV. ;)

I do have a nice digital SLR but you can still get decent pictures with a good point and shoot. The secret is a tripod and a cable release/timer shooting. Most point and shoots don't have the capability of a cable release or remote. So, setting the timer on the shutter release works, as well. You just have to be more patient. I set my camera up on a tripod and then put the backdrop behind it. Black works well for most basses unless they have a very light finish. Then, the contrast between the light color and the black background can become too much. I am thinking of switching to something in a medium/light gray for my pics. If you have a remote shutter release, use it..It will keep you from shaking the camera. If not, just set the timer on the shutter release, focus and wait. The big thing is...NO FLASH. A flash on an instrument will produce glare. So, by using the tripod and remote shutter release, you can shoot at a much lower shutter speed and don't have to use a flash. That is about all I can help with...I am sure there are some true professionals out there who can shed much more light on this...pun intended. ;)
Click to expand...

Great advice!!!

Also, there's a sticky on this topic.
 
#1,225

jmorbita, where is that sticky?


Thanks for the tips Rodney!

What do you do for lighting? Just what comes in from a window, or do you set up some kind of fixture pointed at the subject?

And what do you use for a black backdrop? I mean, it’s totally invisible! I would think the lighting would highlight the texture of any kind of fabric, painted cardboard, etc.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt




Pedulla Club #45

 
#1,227
WayneP said:

jmorbita, where is that sticky?


Thanks for the tips Rodney!

What do you do for lighting? Just what comes in from a window, or do you set up some kind of fixture pointed at the subject?

And what do you use for a black backdrop? I mean, it’s totally invisible! I would think the lighting would highlight the texture of any kind of fabric, painted cardboard, etc.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt




Pedulla Club #45
Click to expand...

In this case, I did actually use a tungsten photography light with a softbox attached to it. You really don't have to do that though. Other times, I have just used daylight. The biggest trick is avoiding harsh or direct lighting. If you have light coming in from a window, it helps. Assuming it is not super bright or harsh. If it is, try to soften it a bit by turning the blinds a bit or having a super thin curtain in front of the window. Otherwise, it will cause "blown out" areas on your picture or harsh shadows.

The backdrop itself is a piece of inexpensive black velvet that I picked up at the fabric store on sale and had an additional coupon. I think with all the discounts I paid about $17 for it or something like that. I just drape it up on the bookshelves that are sitting in my office.

With as much as I buy/sell/trade instruments. The investment was well worth it. I already owned the camera, tripod etc. So, I just purchased the fabric and I did purchase some lights. A friend of mine was getting rid of a bunch of instruments a couple of years ago. So, I agreed to help him sell them if he gave me a very small commission. That money is what I used to buy the lights..I think I paid $250 or so for a set of 3 fairly simple lights with soft boxes. Since I don't have the room to leave them setup and I am too lazy to set them up all the time. I do a lot of my pictures with just room lighting.
 
#1,228

Thanks so much for the info, Rodney! One last question, if I may – how do you get it to look like the bass is just floating in air, like with this picture? Is it just leaning up against the book case?


basses_0512.jpg


Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt




Pedulla Club #45

 
#1,230
It's actually sitting on an Ultimate stand. You can definitely see it if you look closely at the headstock. This is the big advantage of the black background. The stand blends in.

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WayneP said:

Thanks so much for the info, Rodney! One last question, if I may – how do you get it to look like the bass is just floating in air, like with this picture? Is it just leaning up against the book case?


basses_0512.jpg


Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt




Pedulla Club #45
Click to expand...
 
#1,232
just got an mpv 5. it is a great bass but i can't get the truss rod to turn anymore. it's an older '87 model so it has the regular gibson tool that came with it. it does have a bit of a dip toward the first couple frets on the treble side and a bit at the end on the bass side. i don't want to tighten it too much so if anyone has any ideas let me know. killer bass though!
 
#1,234
While I do not disagree with the previous post, the twist (difference on bass and treble side) is cause for concern. You may need some help and it may get expensive. I hope the relaxing and retensioning works. You may want to leave it relaxed (loosened) for a day or two, then retension it and see how it is after another day or two. You also do not have to bring it up to full tension on one shot - in fact it is best to proceed slowly even if it is frustrating.
 
#1,235
BlacksHole said:
While I do not disagree with the previous post, the twist (difference on bass and treble side) is cause for concern. You may need some help and it may get expensive. I hope the relaxing and retensioning works. You may want to leave it relaxed (loosened) for a day or two, then retension it and see how it is after another day or two. You also do not have to bring it up to full tension on one shot - in fact it is best to proceed slowly even if it is frustrating.
Click to expand...

+1;)
 

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