Close up on iPod

[Foxshade]

It's wifey's Christmas present. The color is quite striking, hence the temptation to try shooting it "up close and personal".

But the result is lack of "Ooomph". Something is missing somewhere, and sadly (read: pathetically) I have no idea what.

1. in what area is critique to be sought?
What are the "missing ingredients"? I am really at lost.

2. what one hopes to achieve with the piece of work?
This is part of my experiment with off-camera flash (SB600), trying to get proper lighting in flash manual mode.

3. under what circumstance is the picture taken? (physical conditions/emotions)
I used D90, kit lens 18-105 mm and Hoya circular polarizer to reduce reflection from iPod metallic surface, but seems to over-saturate the result, SB600 wireless at the upper left, highlighting iPod base, which otherwise will be dark.

The iPod is lying on my swimming trunk. It seems the texture isn't smooth enough.

4. what the critique seeker personally thinks of the picture
The color contrast (red on black) is a sure hit, but this picture still lack of something. I would like to know what are those. One cannot learn if he/she does not know all the mistakes.

 

[viewwing]

1. Laying it flat against ay material will never make it stand out... Try making it stand. be innovative can even tape it with some foam... (make sure you can tear those off with stains first)
2. Whats the focus? The words to your partner or the ipod?
3. About material... the creases also makes it very distracting... if its just about the ipod... try to go in closer... a tighter crop will lead the eyes.
4. it looks really 2D... because its half embedded in your trunks...

try again remember... less if often more in photography. You need to tell your viewer what you want to show him/her in 1 look... so whats the Main focus.

 

[IsenGrim]

1. you're trying too hard to use thin DOF to your advantage. sometimes less is more.
2. i think its too tight.
3. where is your focus? it seems that it is focused on your trunks! the really sharp part above the ipod apple
4. agrees that the crease in the foreground is not needed.
5. maybe you'd consider getting some satin.

i'd suggest make a small box just big enough for the ipod, fold the cloth in 1/2 or 1/4 to give it more weight, den put over the box. put the ipod onto the cloth, into the recession of the box. take a full frontal shot, play with lighting, like using a snoot or something.

or keeping your current setup, prop the ipod up by putting something under the cloth. so the focus will be on the ipod (the cloth wont be in focus together with the ipod)

 

[Cartman2000]

Lighting not very interesting and as others had mentioned the DOF is a bit too thin. Picture looks like it could be sharper.

 

[mynameisgreg]

composition is wrong? the focus is on the apple logo but its not in focus. im guessing ur trying to capture the viewers attention towards the engravings but the picture draws the viewer towards something else isntead

 

[Foxshade]

It's a wonder what lesson I can get from a forum! :thumbsup:

The focus is on the customized engravings, and I have used f/22 to make everything sharp. It puzzled me at first that some part of it is out of focus. But now I think those out of focus stuffs in the picture are due to the fact they went below the minimum focus range of the lens.

Composition... Yeah I really have to work on that.

Lightings... is one of my weak points too. I just managed to get subjects properly exposed using manual settings on flash. Any good reading source?

I'll definitely attempt this product shot again. Maybe this time I'll try to make it stand on reflective surface like the ones on Apple website with reflections at the bottom of the product.

Thanks a lot guys!

 

[pokiemon]

1. main subject is not in focused
2. background is very distracting

 

[cabbySHE]

Shooting metallic object is not to reduce or remove reflection but the trick is to make good use of the reflection ( like that of a car body ) and sound knowledge and application of " graduation of light ". Not just using a filter to remove reflection.

Once master the art of " graduation of light " and apply it to any photographic situation and your subject will be lifted.

Here I'll suggest...hold this i-pod thing in your hand or lay it down on any flat surface and examine/study it under natural window light, slowly turn the subject round, tilt it, slant it....use your eye first before reaching for the camera.

This exercise is to tackle your main subject first...to find the most pleasing viewpoint and light source ( angle ). Shoot some under natural light source first.
Using portable elec flash/strobe to do still life/product is not as ez as one thinks.
But, on the otherhand, it could easily be done in studio by using only one big softbox angle at 30 degree or so with some reflectors.

 

[elavan]

It's a wonder what lesson I can get from a forum! :thumbsup:

The focus is on the customized engravings, and I have used f/22 to make everything sharp. It puzzled me at first that some part of it is out of focus. But now I think those out of focus stuffs in the picture are due to the fact they went below the minimum focus range of the lens.

Composition... Yeah I really have to work on that.

Lightings... is one of my weak points too. I just managed to get subjects properly exposed using manual settings on flash. Any good reading source?

I'll definitely attempt this product shot again. Maybe this time I'll try to make it stand on reflective surface like the ones on Apple website with reflections at the bottom of the product.

Thanks a lot guys!

f22 may be out of your len's optimal aperture range. closing down beyond a certain limit may start to degrade things instead..

 

[ortega]

how about a nice clean black or white glossy table top (acrylic or glass)
light it in such a way that the ipod is reflected on the table surface

make sure to have some highlights and some shadows to emphasise the shape.
you might also try selective lighting to highlight the engraving

maybe some nice red or off white silk background
maybe rose petals

 

[IsenGrim]

I KNOW! you can use a bed of paper discs made from a hole puncher!

 

[night86mare]

look at these:

http://images.google.co.uk/images?q...en-GB___SG344&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi

do any of these have an ipod placed on its side..

why? maybe you would want to think about that.