Photographing Your Engines

[sshire]

Photographing your engines - Part 1 of 3

Having taught product photography and digital imaging for 33 years, I thought I'd write down a few thoughts on photographing your engines.

Fortunately (for you) I caught myself getting into technical mode in the first draft, smacked my hand, said "Stop that!", and started over. If anyone IS interested in the derivation of f/stop diameter or the Inverse Square Law, PM me. Boredom is virtually guaranteed. The last paper I wrote for the Journal of Photographic Scientists and Engineers did have them dancing in the aisles.

I've pared this down to three areas:
1. Lighting
2. Lens choice (or zoom choice)
3. Focus and Depth of Field

Part 1 - Lighting
Most of what we make is highly reflective (some more than others).When we photograph reflective objects, we're actually photographing the light source and everything around it. The idea here, is to make the light source larger than the engine. While we do have a much easier job than the people who photograph automobiles which are all reflective surfaces, the problem is the same , but on a much smaller scale. They are using light sources that are much larger than the car. On the order of 40 feet x 20 feet.




Let's use almost any small engine as an example. How do we get a light source that is on the order of 2 feet x 2 feet?

Caution: sort of technical stuff here.
Virtually all light sources (except electroluminescent panels) are called point sources. The filament in a light bulb, the flash in your camera, etc. The sun is really big, but at 93,000,000 miles, it too is a point source. In the light bulb, the sun, etc, the light source is much smaller than the engine. Use one of those and all you've got are little spots of light reflecting from the engine and very black shadows.

But, (technical stuff is done), if we hang, for example, a 2 foot x 2 foot piece of tracing paper or frosted acetate or tissue paper between the point light source and the engine, that paper has now become the light source. A source that, positioned 6 or 8 inches from the engine, is huge. It's all a matter of scale.

Bill Reichart's Siamese Bee I.C Engine
shot with my iPhone 5S

Point source (overhead LED kitchen fixture)



Thin nylon fabric between the light and the engine.



The result






Remember the sun? Point source. How about putting something between it and the engine. Cloud layer? Overcast day. That is now the light source; not the sun, and it's big.

Shade?
Sure. The direct sun is now out of the equation. The source is now the sky. Another broad (non-point) light source.

So the simple answer to lighting highly reflective object is:  any light source that is larger than the subject.

The next part will be lens or zoom selection.

Hope this was useful.

[steamer]

Absolutely!.....Can't take a photo to save my life....but I think I can learn!

Dave

[smfr]

A cardboard box with the sides cut out and paper stuck over the holes works very well: http://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Lightbox-from-a-Cardboard-Box

Example:


Simon

[steamer]

Slick!   Thanks Simon!

Dave

[tvoght]

Good information Stan, I'll look forward to further lessons.

--Tim

[Dave Otto]

Thanks Stan,

This is great stuff! Can we also go over white balance and the mystery gray card?

Thanks for taking the time to write this up.

Dave

[b.lindsey]

Good stuff Stan. Thanks for sharing it, and in a non technical way too

Bill

[sshire]

Looks very good, Simon. The only issue (if you really want total control) is the the opaque cardboard "frame" will result in dark bands. Having used large (10'x10') diffusion panels on some ads for "a major manufacturer of cameras", I ended up suspending them from the ceiling of the studio with ropes and pulleys to eliminate the lines.

This is what I'm using now for the finished engine pix.

http://www.amazon.com/CowboyStudio-24in-Photo-Soft-Light/dp/B001TKEUNI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381279362&sr=8-1&keywords=cowboystudio+light+tent

Dave
Sure, we can talk about color temp and grey cards. Although, it's been a long time since I've seen even an inexpensive point 'n shoot, that didn't pretty much nail the correct color automatically.
There are some situations where some magic is needed. On the list.

[Alan Haisley]

Tel,
Interestingly, although your example light source is just one overhead diffusion, you got rid of the shadows. Was that done with the shape of your diffuser?
Alan

[sshire]

Although not obvious in the photo, I had it extended about 12" in front. Broad light sources are really sending light from many directions. I'll do some diagrams + a few other cheap tricks. The box that I linked, with a few lights correctly positioned, does an even better job and it collapses into a 12" diameter x 1" thick bag.

[Don1966]

Stan much appreciate the training I have this booth http://www.amazon.com/Idirectmart-Photo-Table-Studio-Photography/dp/B004LP8G0G/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1381284902&sr=8-2&keywords=Portable+Photo+Studio. I like it but still learning to take photos. I just can't seem to get the lighting just right.

Don

[jwcnc1911]

Stan, I've spent way more money than I should have on a camera and lenses.  Now, I see that all along the crappy pictures... Well, it wasn't the camera.

I'll read every word this thread in the long run but in the short term can you tell me more about that little engine?  Maybe a link or something not to distract from this fantastic topic.

[sshire]

Don
From the picture on your link, it doesn't appear to have a front panel. Next installment I'll show how to light the box and how to add one to yours

JW
Bill Reichart Siamese Bee engine. Bill has passed on but his wife, Phyllis, still has all the plans here. They are excellent drawings with great explanations.

http://www.billreichart.com/engines.shtml#bee

[swilliams]

Great thread Stan. Following along with interest.

Steve

[b.lindsey]

Thanks for the links Stan and Don. It looks like these tents have come down in price over the last couple of years, so maybe its time to order one, though I will wait on the further discussion of lighting before doing so.

Bill