mjmurphy926 Posted December 6, 2007 Report Share Posted December 6, 2007 I dabble in photography a bit (mostly sports and land/cityscapes with a little portraiture thrown in), but I tried to shoot my SSD last night to ask all you wonderful people for an opinion on the pearl I swapped from an old aftermarket bezel, and I came to the realization that it's pretty damn hard to shoot a watch. Now I'm even more impressed by all the wonderful shots I've seen in this site!! Now I have an excuse to buy a new lens and maybe even a ring flash!! This is all I was able to produce: Sorry for another noob question, but how is this pearl? I'm loving this forum and all you wonderful, helpful people. Thanks again, Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted December 6, 2007 Report Share Posted December 6, 2007 I imagine it is a switch going from wide angle to macro shooting, but not bad at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted December 6, 2007 Report Share Posted December 6, 2007 Those pics are a great start. You don't need a macro lens and you definitely don't want a ring-flash. Of all the toys you can get to make watch photography easier, a light-tent is the first you should consider. Carry on though, you're doing fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TTK Posted December 6, 2007 Report Share Posted December 6, 2007 (edited) STOP....STOP.....STOP...! You do NOT need and must NOT use a ring flash when taking photos of watches....medical photograhy...fashion photography..( BIG RING FLASH ).....etc etc...but NEVER for watches....! No need to use macro lenses either.....shoot at high resolution.....and crop....the further you are away from the watch...the less chance of reflections......I never use macro for any of my watch shots.....it's ok if you want to shoot very high mag images but not for general photos as shown above.....there's nothing drastically wrong with your shots...you prolly just need a little more experience.....and or guidance....! Sorry...Pugs...was posting my response as you were yours.....! Edited December 6, 2007 by TTK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dax Posted December 6, 2007 Report Share Posted December 6, 2007 Use a circ polariser to reduce reflections, a light box is useful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordRasta Posted December 6, 2007 Report Share Posted December 6, 2007 a light-tent is the first you should consider. This is next on my list. I've convinced the wife it will make a nice xmas present for me along with the tie and socks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted December 6, 2007 Report Share Posted December 6, 2007 Sorry...Pugs...was posting my response as you were yours.....! I think the fact we both jumped on the same piece of advice at the same time is telling. Duplicating solid advice should never be frowned upon. Listening to TTK's photography advice is essential. Use a circ polariser to reduce reflections, a light box is useful Polarising filters are an excellent piece of kit for learning watch photography, but the fact that I've mislaid mine means all my recent pictures have been without one. I think they're a great learning tool, but you don't need them. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TTK Posted December 6, 2007 Report Share Posted December 6, 2007 @ Pugs.....agreed...can you just IMAGINE using a ring flash......WoW.....!Circular polariser is a nice etra....but you lose a full stop when using it.....it's better to learn how to manage the object you are shooting and then manage PS...to improve those aspects that you can't do in camera....!@ Pugs.....agreed...can you just IMAGINE using a ring flash......WoW.....!Circular polariser is a nice extra....but you lose a full stop when using it.....it's better to learn how to manage the object you are shooting and then manage PS...to improve those aspects that you can't do in camera....! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmurphy926 Posted December 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2007 Thanks for all the advice. You guys rock!! And Pug, I just found your "How to's" in the photog section and I'm reading through them now. I'll try again tonight with my 300 f/4 lens and circle polarizer. If you guys are using DSLRs, what setups are you using (body and lens)? As always, thanks, Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted December 6, 2007 Report Share Posted December 6, 2007 If you guys are using DSLRs, what setups are you using (body and lens)? I wish! I'm using a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 (5MP with a Leica lens). It's amazing if you have enough light and a liability of you don't. Stuff you don't need for general watch photography: Flash or Macro. A light tent and a tripod will make up for poor light, but a couple of table lights and manual white balance will get you out of too much trouble. Oh, and mastering Photoshop is an excellent idea, but as always, it's best to get as much as you can in the lens and use Photoshop to turn the picture into what you saw, not what the camera captured. It's a balancing act, but look at TTK's photos for what can be done if you have both time and talent. You can see some of my stuff here: http://www.rwg.cc/members/index.php?automo...um&album=38 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stilty Posted December 6, 2007 Report Share Posted December 6, 2007 I'm not one to give advice when it comes to photos, as I'm far from pro in that area. I'm sure this is an obvious as you already dabble in photography, but a tri-pod is a must-have tool for anyone photographing their watches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmurphy926 Posted December 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2007 I wish! I'm using a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 (5MP with a Leica lens). It's amazing if you have enough light and a liability of you don't. Stuff you don't need for general watch photography: Flash or Macro. A light tent and a tripod will make up for poor light, but a couple of table lights and manual white balance will get you out of too much trouble. Oh, and mastering Photoshop is an excellent idea, but as always, it's best to get as much as you can in the lens and use Photoshop to turn the picture into what you saw, not what the camera captured. It's a balancing act, but look at TTK's photos for what can be done if you have both time and talent. You can see some of my stuff here: http://www.rwg.cc/members/index.php?automo...um&album=38 WOW!! These are great!! The FZ20 is an excellent camera. That's what I started with. From there I went to a Canon 20D and now a Canon 40D. I have a summer gig shooting my local MLS team (Colorado Rapids) for an online soccer mag. Shots from the first half of the 2007 season: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v202/mjm...p;paginator=top Here are some of my favorite 2006 shots: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v202/mjm...est%20of%202006 Anyway, sorry for straying off the watch topic and thanks again for your help. I'll post more watch shots soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TTK Posted December 6, 2007 Report Share Posted December 6, 2007 (edited) Essentials. 1. Camera....resolution....no more than 5mp....if it's all web stuff you are shooting....! 2. Tripod....heavier the better...! 3. Remote shutter release...! 4. Light box...or some method of diffusing the light....light diffusion is what it is all about.....that's why it is bad to use flash...! 5. .Reasonable knowledge of PS...! 6. Plenty of practice,....! Always try for extended depth of field....not necessary...but preferred...experiment with light....you don't need lots of light.....use the tripod properly and you can shoot at very slow speeds....! Go here for some of my stuff....! www.photobucket.com Username = keyserszose Password = letmein TTK Edited December 6, 2007 by TTK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted December 6, 2007 Report Share Posted December 6, 2007 3. Remote shutter release...! I use the countdown timer. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmurphy926 Posted December 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2007 (edited) Essentials. 1. Camera....resolution....no more than 5mp....if it's all web stuff you are shooting....! 2. Tripod....heavier the better...! 3. Remote shutter release...! 4. Light box...or some method of diffusing the light....light diffusion is what it is all about.....that's why it is bad to use flash...! 5. .Reasonable knowledge of PS...! 6. Plenty of practice,....! Always try for extended depth of field....not necessary...but preferred...experiment with light....you don't need lots of light.....use the tripod properly and you can shoot at very slow speeds....! Go here for some of my stuff....! www.photobucket.com Username = keyserszose Password = letmein TTK Thanks TTK, I have all the above except 4 and sometimes 6. I'll work on acquiring both. BTW, Very nice work. If you don't mind, I may go back to your Photobucket gallery for inspiration from time to time. Edited December 6, 2007 by mjmurphy926 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dax Posted December 6, 2007 Report Share Posted December 6, 2007 If you must use flash and don't have or don't want to spend 300GPB on ring flash. Either use a diffuser box or a piece of thin cotton cloth over the lense of the flashgun. Don't those galleries make you want to buy more? lol. Almost forgot, use pre-flash metering for better results Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmg Posted December 6, 2007 Report Share Posted December 6, 2007 Nice photos and a great start MJM -a lot of really expert advice here already. I know I'm lost without my tripod and the light tent is another must have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TTK Posted December 7, 2007 Report Share Posted December 7, 2007 Shot tonight....no flash....no macro....! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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