A new photography gig

[Joel Eade]

I wouldn't go light tent route. I have one of those and it works well for jewelry and little things, but unless you have a lot of lights, you aren't going to get the lighting you want to make it work in the tent. I assume your client has stands for the guitars. I would use those when possible.

What do you have for lights? What are you using for a background? Diffusers? If you provide some specifics of what your shooting with we might be able to give you some ideas using what you have to make them pop. The suggestions are already pretty good, but I think they can be fine tuned knowing what your working with.

I am currently shooting with an on camera 580EXII and bouncing it off of the ceiling with the guitars laying flat on a table. I do have 3 other speed lights and radio triggers. I also have 2 continuous lights that each 4 bulbs in them on 4 different switches.

My biggest issue is avoiding reflections from the bare fluorescent light tubes hanging from the ceiling in the shop and I cannot take the guitars anywhere. He does not want reflections because the instruments are purposely made to look as if all the original gloss has worn off over a long time. He wants to see the cracks in the finish and the worn appearance of the metal parts that make the guitars look aged.

I do want to produce quality work but also I am trying to keep this as simple as possible....the location is 20 miles away, the volume of work is low and the money doesn't justify setting up an elaborate system each time.

[Joel Eade]

There are few more instruments posted now on the web site.....

http://www.destroyallguitars.com/guitars/266-whitfill

[Joel Eade]

Thanks....that would be interesting to see

[Joel Eade]

Will also point out with regards to lighting settings that in rooms where I don't like the ambient that I use settings that render it quite dark. Bounced lighting won't very often have the power to achieve this with one unit. I tend to think of bounced flash as a good source of fill light for the most part.
This dark room approach won't help with direct reflections though which appear as bright as the source with the size varying according to distance. Turning the lights off, setting up diffusion material, or even blocking it with opaque fabric are the only options if you can't position the position the camera to avoid the reflections.

Agreed....so far I have avoided the problem by removing one set of bulbs directly over my working space but this takes time and is an aggravation to him as well so a light diffuser and multiple light sources is going to be my next attempt....probably take 1-2 weeks before has more completed guitars to photo.

Thanks for everyone's input on this

[Joel Eade]

Was restricted to the basement this evening so not as comprehensive as I might have hoped. Lightsource, 14x63" with grid, was quite close, around 3', to the shelving unit with the height chosen to show the fall off at the bottom. Feathered to provide relatively even lighting across the shelving. Positioned to the right just out of frame and ahead of the shooting position. Finish is quite glossy as the moulding reflection indicates.

Attachment 2208

I do like the grid effect....I have a soft box so it would be inexpensive to add....thanks!