Taking Pictures of Cues
- Thread starter ndakotan
- Start date
Reflective surfaces need light diffusion.
As everyone has stated, lighting is the key to good photography. Rather than pointing you to an obscure photography website link, I will suggest a couple of practical tips:
1. Ensure that the light source (e.g. light bulb) is not directly above the cue. Try to light the cue from the side (preferably both left and right). Try to avoid using a flash as this will just reflect directly back to you.
2. If possible use soft natural light. You can do this by positioning the cue close to a large window during the day (the glass helps to diffuse - or soften - the incoming light). This will also ensure that the cue is lit from the side rather than from above which will minimize the reflections.
3. Hang something very white (e.g. a bedsheet, printer paper etc.) behind the cue. The white background will reduce the clutter in the background and focus the viewer's attention onto the cue. Viattorre's website has good examples of how effective this can be...
Hope this helps...
Arctic.
1. Ensure that the light source (e.g. light bulb) is not directly above the cue. Try to light the cue from the side (preferably both left and right). Try to avoid using a flash as this will just reflect directly back to you.
2. If possible use soft natural light. You can do this by positioning the cue close to a large window during the day (the glass helps to diffuse - or soften - the incoming light). This will also ensure that the cue is lit from the side rather than from above which will minimize the reflections.
3. Hang something very white (e.g. a bedsheet, printer paper etc.) behind the cue. The white background will reduce the clutter in the background and focus the viewer's attention onto the cue. Viattorre's website has good examples of how effective this can be...
Hope this helps...
Arctic.
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ndakotan said:
Try a circular polarizer. It will help by eliminating reflections from glass and other non-metallic surfaces. I have had good luck with cues and the highly polished finishes.
Shoot from an angle, too. Polarizers work best when the light source is perpendicular to your lens.
Brian
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Side-lighting results in uneven lighting and an inaccurate photo. Daylight through a window is difficult to adjust.
Make a hoop from a wire coat hanger. Stretch white cloth across it. Hang this light diffuser between the photo subject and your light source. Layers of cheesecloth (sold at Home Depot for straining paint) can be used to allow different percentages of light to pass through the diffuser.
White backgrounds produce a "floating in space" effect that seems unreal, creating an often subconscious impression that the photo is faked. I use a piece of Kelly green felt to provide a background very similar to a cue's natural context. Photos look richer and more credible.
Make a hoop from a wire coat hanger. Stretch white cloth across it. Hang this light diffuser between the photo subject and your light source. Layers of cheesecloth (sold at Home Depot for straining paint) can be used to allow different percentages of light to pass through the diffuser.
White backgrounds produce a "floating in space" effect that seems unreal, creating an often subconscious impression that the photo is faked. I use a piece of Kelly green felt to provide a background very similar to a cue's natural context. Photos look richer and more credible.
That's great, practical advice DH which I'm sure ndakotan can put to good use. Perhaps if you post examples of pics you've taken, our friend could use them as inspiration.
Since you have a digital that will allow you to take pictures and view them right away and then delete what you don't like,i'd take some pictures with a tissue over my flash and maybe double it etc. If that doesn't work you might have to find a way to deflect your light source with white cardboard,wrinkled tinfoil etc. Good Luck
We offer a service to photograph your cues, glare free and any color background you desire.ndakotan said:
Click the website link below and look at the cues to see examples of our quality.
The photos on Viattorre's website are probably not photographed against a white background, it is added later. Just as we add different color backgrounds.arcticmonkey said:
Vittorre's pictures also have quite a bit of glare.
billiardcue said:
This is great to know, billiardcue, but with the equipment he has and with a little advice from the forum, I think ndakotan could get some good pics without paying for a professional service and having to ship cues. Do you have any suggestions for how he can produce some good, low cost results at home?
By the way, I tried the link within your website to cuepics.com but it launched a blank page - is the link broken?
billiardcue said:
Good point. I do agree that they have an undesirable amount of glare. I was just trying to illustrate the difference a clean background can make because I see a lot of cue pics posted on AZ that use horrible carpet patterns as background!
ndakotan said:
I use light stands with cloth diffusers above and behind me to the sides and move my head to where I see the least reflection then use that position for the shot - if you use flash, do so at a slight angle to the cue. Any small amount of reflection can be removed with photoshop type of software with the clone tool. Diffusers don't work very well on cues.
The background is very important. I've found that fine artificial suedes from a fabric store work pretty well.
Chris
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" Quote Zeeder: Chris,
I know this is my next step. I'm thinking of getting a light blue and a nice neutral grey. Do you prefer to "float" the cue or lay it directly on the background?
__________________
Zeeder
____________________________________________________________________________
Zeeder,
The light gray works very well. The fine suede fabrics are very non-reflective, so you can place the cues right on them and the fabric floats to the background. With the non-reflective surface, you can see the edges of the cue better. it's best to use dark colors for light cues and gray or any pastel shade for darker cues.
This photo, for example, just has the cues laying on the fabric, even though the cues appear to be floating over it:
The other thing I like about this suede is it stores relatively flat. If you iron it and fold it properly, you won't have to iron it too much for it to lay flat. The more creased and wrinkly the cloth is, the more the camera picks it up because the light is reflected off the creases.
Chris
Ps. I prefer to have some reflection off the cues because this is a natural look and it shows the cues are reflective, as long as you don't lose too much detail. It's easy to get rid of minor reflections off ebony with software if desired.
I know this is my next step. I'm thinking of getting a light blue and a nice neutral grey. Do you prefer to "float" the cue or lay it directly on the background?
__________________
Zeeder
____________________________________________________________________________
Zeeder,
The light gray works very well. The fine suede fabrics are very non-reflective, so you can place the cues right on them and the fabric floats to the background. With the non-reflective surface, you can see the edges of the cue better. it's best to use dark colors for light cues and gray or any pastel shade for darker cues.
This photo, for example, just has the cues laying on the fabric, even though the cues appear to be floating over it:
The other thing I like about this suede is it stores relatively flat. If you iron it and fold it properly, you won't have to iron it too much for it to lay flat. The more creased and wrinkly the cloth is, the more the camera picks it up because the light is reflected off the creases.
Chris
Ps. I prefer to have some reflection off the cues because this is a natural look and it shows the cues are reflective, as long as you don't lose too much detail. It's easy to get rid of minor reflections off ebony with software if desired.
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