Help needed posing watches

[hptay]

Lately, I have been trying out some watch photography and one thing really stumps me... how in the world do you support those watches with the metal clasps such that it bends likes it being worn...

I have tried to use wires to bend support in place but when coupled with studio lights, unncessary shadows appear, especially on a white background. Perhaps someone can share similar experience here.. ideally, the cleaner the shot and the lesser the photoshop the better...

thanks :P

[ndroo]

oooh yeah! just in time. i am curious about that too. couldn't get it to 'pose' the way i want. also how to prevent reflection from the face of the watch? polarizer? just experimented with few shots last weekend. didn't manage to get any good 'pose' (see http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=92910) ... any advise appreciated. err hptay, i didn't OT right? i am also very interested in getting a good shot of watch.

[reachme2003]

Originally Posted by renegade oooh yeah! just in time. i am curious about that too. couldn't get it to 'pose' the way i want. also how to prevent reflection from the face of the watch? polarizer? just experimented with few shots last weekend. didn't manage to get any good 'pose' (see http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=92910) ... any advise appreciated. err hptay, i didn't OT right? i am also very interested in getting a good shot of watch.

One way to 'eliminate' reflection on the glass face of watches is to cut a appropriate size, usually round or oval, of matt black paper and position and stick it over the surface of the soft box. The trick to achieve 'right' position is to watch the reflection on the glass face through the viewfinder while moving it over the surface of the soft box. Professionally, the pros use a magnifier over the groundglass of a view camera.

Look at display windows of watch shops and see what they use to display their timepieces. Have fun.

[ndroo]

Originally Posted by reachme2003 One way to eliminate reflection on the glass face of watches is to cut a appropriate size, usually round or oval, of matt black paper and position and stick it over the surface of the soft box. The trick to achieve 'right' position is to watch the reflection on the glass face while moving it over the surface of the soft box.

ah soft box ... i shoot using natural light from window ... but thanks a lot anyway for the tips ... maybe one day will be useful ...

[hptay]

gimme a sec. i dig out some photos that i took last week..
comments appreciated.

btw, renegade, to eleminate glare with natural light.. need not have to be fancy stuff . some translucent material (file, paper, plastic boxes) to block any direct light source will effectively diffuse the light and reduce (takes a fair bit of patience to eliminate) reflections

[hptay]

some pics of a watch .
taken without "support"

PIC 1

PIC 2

PIC 3

PIC 4

[ndroo]

Originally Posted by hptay gimme a sec. i dig out some photos that i took last week.. comments appreciated. btw, renegade, to eleminate glare with natural light.. need not have to be fancy stuff . some translucent material (file, paper, plastic boxes) to block any direct light source will effectively diffuse the light and reduce (takes a fair bit of patience to eliminate) reflections

ooooh! ok ok. thanks a lot man. will try again soon ...

[afiend]

Use wires would do...

[ndroo]

afiend ... u mentioned wires? err ... can elaborate? u hang the watch with wires? or do u roll the wires to err ... hold the watch? thanks