Day 7 - Minerals - 3D

Yesterday, I showed some examples of 2D (or "flat") shots. I explained that they were much easier than their 3D counterparts (for me). Here are some examples that illustrate my point:









It may not seem like it, but these pictures were VERY hard work for several reasons:

1) Depth of field - deciding whether or use strategic blurring or not. If not, then a higher F-stop was required, and because of the low light, the camera was VERY vulnerable to camera shake. I therefore had to bump up the ISO to levels as high as 1600 in some cases - which can cause noise.

2) Cropping - I had to do a lot of it, because I wasn't thrilled with the shapes I'd created. My eye can handle flat surfaces better - probably because I have depth perception deficiencies.

3) Lighting - this was the worst. Making sure the light didn't bounce off of the elements of my picture in a "funny" way was REALLY difficult. I'm not a physics expert, so this doesn't come naturally to me.

4) Post-processing - I had to adjust the hues in many of these shots - they came out somewhat flat, because it was quite dark.

So, what's my advice to you?

1) If you are going to a venue where tripods are allowed, bring one. I hate them myself, but even I would have used one if it were an option.

2) Keep an eye on your white balance setting - Tungsten is likely the correct choice.

3) Decide what you want to be blurred and where. Even so, though, play with the f-stop settings and vary the angles. You'll surprise yourself.

4) Take some test shots so that you can understand how lighting will help or hurt you. In my case, I moved around a lot to make sure I got what I wanted. This varies by camera and by person, so you'll need to test it for yourself. Allow some time to do so.

Till tomorrow!