mallchin.com

Following on from last weeks project (Duckies) I decided to improve my close-up techniques, this time using a Mannequin I purchased for the bargain price of three pounds.

The technique follows on from last week using a low aperture (f/3.5 - the lowest my budget lens will go), a low ISO (100) and a small focal length (18mm). This gives a sharp, enhanced foreground and a blurry, hazed background -- ideal for shifting emphasis to specific areas.

Firstly here's the setup:

1. Spotlight (60w pearl bulb)
2. Make-shift diffuser
3. Picture frame insert (reverse)
4. Wii supports
5. Subject (Mannequin)

Also used were:

Canon EOS 400D + Kit lens
RS60-E3 Cable release
Velbon CX mini tripod

I've improved several areas of my method this time thanks to some excellent magazine guides. First-off is the use of a proper spotlight. This provides a clean, crisp light source and lets me aim it more precisely. Second is a make-shift diffuser made from a picture frame and sheet of baking paper. This diffuses the light providing a softer, ambient feel whilst reducing harsh shadows. Third is a cable release for use when shooting on a tripod. Ideal for reducing camera shake.

I arranged the items as pictured above and setup my camera on the tripod head-on to the subjects. Having (somewhat) mastered the camera settings needed to get the desired result I decided to improve my composition and lighting this time around. Having arranged the mannequin into a suitable pose I shot away with the camera release. After some shooting and checking the images on the camera's LCD screen I settled on a couple and imported into Lightroom.

After a little editing in Photoshop to remove the stand and tweaking
in Lightroom to bring out the true colours I achieved the final image:

Link to fullsize image.

I also like the Aged Photo effect:

Link to fullsize image.

Having highlighted my drawbacks from my last project (lighting, composition, background) I worked on improving them and felt I had accomplished just that. I am especially pleased with the lighting in the scene and the smoother backdrop. I've also been experimenting with Lightroom and feel the final image is much more representative of the true colours than my last project.

One downside however are the shadows towards the left top/bottom edges. This is due to using one spotlight on the left. I also decided to remove the statue as depicted in the setup above as it detracted from the overall image.

I am very pleased with the final result and learnt how-to use a diffuser, improved my composition and gained knowledge of tweaking RAW files.

Comments (2)

2. Written by mallchin, on Friday, 18 January 2008 at 10:00 LOL, yes, it did fall over a few times. It tested the sturdiness of my make-shift frame though -- I left it at a tilt to minimise shadows.    The Pentax feature sounds good. My Canon has similar modes such as AV that shift priority to the aperture allowing you to set it manually whilst automatically adjusting the other settings. I guess these are pretty standard features though and the Pentax has something a little more advanced?    The 100mm macro sounds lovely. USM too. Shame you sold it. I've been looking at a couple of EF lenses, I'll email you the details (I value your opinion ).    I have a shoot in mind this weekend and will upload something next week. Lucky take with the Ascension shot. I found an escalator out-of-service which made for an ideal shot as no-one was using it. Report

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