Summer is definitely over around here in Northeast Ohio. It's been cold and rainy—so when Michael came back from the farmer's market with his haul of beauties, I took the photos outside under cloudy drizzly skies that made it look like late evening. The sky becomes one big light box that gives you soft cold light— it's gloomily beautiful and it feels like fall. Since that day, it's become impossible to shoot outside because it's been so rainy. Now begins the season when it's almost always essential to have studio lights and that's what I needed for this shot below. And there's that stormy blue daylight in the back that I think goes well with all that yellow.
Viviane Bauquet Farre / food & style
Donna! I couldn't agree with you more. I love the light at this time of the year - you have to look at it in a whole new way.
I always say, I have to learn to become the light!
Thank you for the great tips... I do not have studio lights however, but still manages to have great shots through out the fall and winter. The light is soft and muted and I'm learning to work with it. I love it!
Donna
Viviane you're right about making any kind of light work. Given a sturdy enough tripod, you can make those long exposures. I forgot to mention for the outdoor corn shot that I was taking 90 sec. exposures to get enough light for a greater depth of field.
On Sep 30, 2009, at 10:34 AM, typepad@sixapart.com wrote:
Viviane Bauquet Farre / food & style
Thank you so much for your response Donna and for the tip. Your picture of the corn is absolutely exquisite! I love the textures, color and the subtle light that comes right through... I have to learn from the master... 🙂
Yes, I'm investing in a sturdy tripod this year for sure!
So enjoying reading about the way you see and understand the light.
Natalie Sztern
I once had a professional photographer do family pictures at a park as a trial run for my son's bar-this photographer's reputation was bar none. We wore the same colors blue tops and jeans and when the prints came back the only 'family one' which was posed looked as if my husband's legs had become my daughter's without any distinction...(did not hire him) But what he did manage to get with the light were 'true colors'. I have blonde hair and in many pictures it comes out almost platinum white when in fact it is a beige blond. His pics were dead-on in color not only of my hair but variance in the shades of blue tops we were wearing.
Natalie Sztern
forgot to say it was natural outdoor light cause we were in the park..
Sandy
I agree about the change of light with the seasons... being from NE Ohio I think it sets something off in me when that steely grey hits. Oddly, I don't find it horrible until its absolute winter. I love what you did with both.
applehome
Great shots, again. Would you mind including some more details - f stop/speed, focus field - (but then, you said you don't use autofocus - just your old 35mm nikkor lenses (AI, E?) - is there a way to stop down to preview the dof on those? OTOH, I guess with digital "film" - take the shot and see - bracketing - endless contact sheets and magnifying glasses - is not the issue it was with real film!)) I mean - as long as you're being such a good teacher... although, like Michael, you don't need to give away everything here on the blog.
Your depth of field is obviously greater on the corn/cabbage shot than on the corn cutter one, and I do love those colors, - but the bowl grain is out of focus, which can either be distracting on its own or contribute to the focus on the corn and cutter.
I love your stuff and keep thinking that this must be ideal - working husband/wife, creatively on the same projects, with enough work in your own arenas to be expert on what you know, but then to work together to end up with such beautiful stuff. I'm jealous - not of your work or personalities - but of your working conditions!
Donna
I will remember to add technical info for my shots in the future. The outside ear of corn was a 90 sec. exposure @ f16 because it was so dark. I wanted everything in the foreground in focus because of the detail in textures and water drops on the cabbage. The green beans are out of focus in the rear and that's OK for me here because the eye should go to the corn. The light was so flat that a fill card didn't have any effect at all. The shucking corn shot was taken with 3 studio modeling lights, a soft-box in front on left, smaller fill light on the right and because I wanted to get a reflection on the corn and juice, I back-lit the surface with a grid spot. I had a long depth of field with f16-22, but because I was right on top of the subject all is not in focus. The closer you are physically to the subject, the shorter your depth of field. The exposure time was about 1/3 sec.
Viviane Bauquet Farre / food & style
Donna! I couldn't agree with you more. I love the light at this time of the year - you have to look at it in a whole new way.
I always say, I have to learn to become the light!
Thank you for the great tips... I do not have studio lights however, but still manages to have great shots through out the fall and winter. The light is soft and muted and I'm learning to work with it. I love it!
Viviane Bauquet Farre / food & style
Thank you so much for your response Donna and for the tip. Your picture of the corn is absolutely exquisite! I love the textures, color and the subtle light that comes right through... I have to learn from the master... 🙂
Yes, I'm investing in a sturdy tripod this year for sure!
So enjoying reading about the way you see and understand the light.