UPDATE: I have updated this post with the surprising announcements from Panasonic, and an almost confirmed rumor regarding their upcoming body announcements.
Update 2: I've added my own comments below as well. - Mic
Showing posts with label reflections. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reflections. Show all posts
Monday, February 23, 2015
Reflections on CP+ 2015 Announcements
UPDATE: I have updated this post with the surprising announcements from Panasonic, and an almost confirmed rumor regarding their upcoming body announcements.
Update 2: I've added my own comments below as well. - Mic
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
How to Avoid Reflections on Eyeglasses (Intermediate)
Flash and other reflections on eyeglasses can be distracting, especially if they obscure the subject's eyes. Here are suggestions for avoiding flash reflections on eyeglasses:
1. Use a lens with a longer focal length if possible.
2. Position the light.
a. If the flash is on the camera (e.g. popup flash), then use a three-quarters view of the subject instead of a frontal view.
b. If the flash is off-camera and the subject is at a three-quarters view, then use on-camera flash OR put the light just a bit to side of the camera, or behind and to the side of the subject.
3. Try having the subject's eyeglasses tilted downward, or have the light at a higher (or lower) angle to the subject (instead of eye level).
Unfortunately, there's no simple rule of thumb that works all the time, therefore the foregoing suggestions are admittedly kind of vague, which is why I suggest understanding the science behind the suggestions (below) in order to determine the exact suggestions that will work for your particular situation.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE SUGGESTIONS:
If the light is within a certain zone relative to the reflecting surface and the camera, the light will be visible as a reflection in the picture. That zone is called the "family of angles" and varies depending on the 1) width, 2) positions, and 3) angles of the A) light, B) the reflecting surface, and C) the camera.
To identify the family of angles, you need to do a diagram.
1. Draw the camera and the eyeglasses (which can be represented by a short line).
2. Draw a line from the camera to the left edge of the eyeglasses.
3. Draw the reflection from the line in step 2.
4. Draw a line from the flash to the right edge of the eyeglasses.
5. Draw the reflection from the line in step 4.
If the flash or other light source is between the lines in step 3 and step 5, then the reflection will be visible in the shot. If the flash is not in between those lines, the reflection will not be visible in the shot.
In the diagrams below, the blue bar represents the eyeglasses. The dotted blue lines are imaginary lines perpendicular to the edges of the eyeglasses. The green lines represent the lines in steps 2 and 4. The red lines represent the lines in steps 3 and 5.
In the top left diagram, a camera with on-camera flash is squarely facing the subject's eyeglasses. The on-camera flash is in between the red lines, thus the flash reflection will be visible (symbolized by the yellow color).
In the top middle diagram, the flash is off-camera. The flash is not in between the red lines, thus the flash reflection will not be visible (symbolized by the white color).
In the top right diagram, the flash is off-camera, in the same exact position, but a wide lens is used instead, creating a wider family of angles. Although the position of the eyeglasses and the flash haven't moved, the flash reflection is now between the red lines and will be visible.
In the bottom diagram, the subject is facing a three-quarters view. An on-camera flash will not have a visible reflection. An off-camera flash might not have a visible reflection if it is not too far off to the side. If the off-camera flash however, is placed far enough to the side, it will become visible. With a larger light source (such as a softbox, umbrella, or bounced flash) there is a higher chance for at least a portion of the light source to be within the family of angles.
In analyzing the family of angles, don't forget to consider that the family of angles is three dimensional. A flash reflection that might otherwise be visible may be avoided by having the eyeglasses tilt up or tilt down, or by putting the light source sufficiently above or below the plane of the eyeglasses.
WHAT ABOUT OTHER REFLECTIONS?
Although the foregoing assume a flash or other light source as the source of the reflection to be avoided, the same process can be used to avoid any other reflection with one difference - you can also cover an object as another way of avoiding reflections. As long as the cover is dark and not shiny, its reflection won't show up! :)
SAMPLE SHOTS:
In the shots below, I used a Tamron 18-250 on a Pentax K100D, at 250mm (around 375mm equivalent). Because of the long focal length, there was only a narrow family of angles. Although I used a large light source (flash bounced above and to the front of the subjects), the reflection wasn't visible in the eyeglasses.
In this shot I used an on-camera flash, but the subject was looking away from the camera, therefore the flash reflection was not visible, as in the fourth example above.
OTHER RESOURCES
Reflections (among other things) are discussed in detail in Light: Science and Magic
, a lighting classic and a must-read for product photography. See also this related post about reflections in aquariums and exhibits.
1. Use a lens with a longer focal length if possible.
2. Position the light.
a. If the flash is on the camera (e.g. popup flash), then use a three-quarters view of the subject instead of a frontal view.
b. If the flash is off-camera and the subject is at a three-quarters view, then use on-camera flash OR put the light just a bit to side of the camera, or behind and to the side of the subject.
3. Try having the subject's eyeglasses tilted downward, or have the light at a higher (or lower) angle to the subject (instead of eye level).
Unfortunately, there's no simple rule of thumb that works all the time, therefore the foregoing suggestions are admittedly kind of vague, which is why I suggest understanding the science behind the suggestions (below) in order to determine the exact suggestions that will work for your particular situation.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE SUGGESTIONS:
If the light is within a certain zone relative to the reflecting surface and the camera, the light will be visible as a reflection in the picture. That zone is called the "family of angles" and varies depending on the 1) width, 2) positions, and 3) angles of the A) light, B) the reflecting surface, and C) the camera.
To identify the family of angles, you need to do a diagram.
1. Draw the camera and the eyeglasses (which can be represented by a short line).
2. Draw a line from the camera to the left edge of the eyeglasses.
3. Draw the reflection from the line in step 2.
4. Draw a line from the flash to the right edge of the eyeglasses.
5. Draw the reflection from the line in step 4.
If the flash or other light source is between the lines in step 3 and step 5, then the reflection will be visible in the shot. If the flash is not in between those lines, the reflection will not be visible in the shot.
In the diagrams below, the blue bar represents the eyeglasses. The dotted blue lines are imaginary lines perpendicular to the edges of the eyeglasses. The green lines represent the lines in steps 2 and 4. The red lines represent the lines in steps 3 and 5.
In the top left diagram, a camera with on-camera flash is squarely facing the subject's eyeglasses. The on-camera flash is in between the red lines, thus the flash reflection will be visible (symbolized by the yellow color).
In the top middle diagram, the flash is off-camera. The flash is not in between the red lines, thus the flash reflection will not be visible (symbolized by the white color).
In the top right diagram, the flash is off-camera, in the same exact position, but a wide lens is used instead, creating a wider family of angles. Although the position of the eyeglasses and the flash haven't moved, the flash reflection is now between the red lines and will be visible.
In the bottom diagram, the subject is facing a three-quarters view. An on-camera flash will not have a visible reflection. An off-camera flash might not have a visible reflection if it is not too far off to the side. If the off-camera flash however, is placed far enough to the side, it will become visible. With a larger light source (such as a softbox, umbrella, or bounced flash) there is a higher chance for at least a portion of the light source to be within the family of angles.
In analyzing the family of angles, don't forget to consider that the family of angles is three dimensional. A flash reflection that might otherwise be visible may be avoided by having the eyeglasses tilt up or tilt down, or by putting the light source sufficiently above or below the plane of the eyeglasses.
WHAT ABOUT OTHER REFLECTIONS?
Although the foregoing assume a flash or other light source as the source of the reflection to be avoided, the same process can be used to avoid any other reflection with one difference - you can also cover an object as another way of avoiding reflections. As long as the cover is dark and not shiny, its reflection won't show up! :)
SAMPLE SHOTS:
In the shots below, I used a Tamron 18-250 on a Pentax K100D, at 250mm (around 375mm equivalent). Because of the long focal length, there was only a narrow family of angles. Although I used a large light source (flash bounced above and to the front of the subjects), the reflection wasn't visible in the eyeglasses.
In this shot I used an on-camera flash, but the subject was looking away from the camera, therefore the flash reflection was not visible, as in the fourth example above.
OTHER RESOURCES
Reflections (among other things) are discussed in detail in Light: Science and Magic
, a lighting classic and a must-read for product photography. See also this related post about reflections in aquariums and exhibits.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Taking photos at aquariums and exhibits
Taking photos at aquariums is easy once you know a few basic concepts. Note: I used aquarium photos here but the concepts are the same as those for museums or other exhibits with glass displays.
Disclaimer: be sure to check if taking photos is allowed, and whether flash is allowed. For museums, be aware of copyright laws.
Goals of a decent aquarium photo:
1. Aquarium looks natural (similar to how you see it with your eyes).
2. Subject (your spouse or kid) is adequately lit.
3. No distracting reflections.
1. aquariums tend to be dimly lit, making it hard to take pictures of your spouse or kids without using a flash.
2. aquarium glass often shows the reflection of the camera flash instead of the fish.
3. the ambience of the aquarium is usually lost in the photo. Taking a shot in auto mode will usually result in an overexposed, washed out subject with a deer-in-headlights look, and a bright reflection of the flash on the aquarium, with the water appearing black or navy blue and the colorful fish nowhere visible.
There are just three basic concepts you need to take proper aquarium photos:
Concept 1: Balancing ambient vs. flash.
The key to showing the colors of the fish is to meter for the aquarium's existing light (instead of metering for the subject, such as your spouse or kids), and then let the flash adjust accordingly. To learn how, check out this tutorial.
The key to showing the colors of the fish is to meter for the aquarium's existing light (instead of metering for the subject, such as your spouse or kids), and then let the flash adjust accordingly. To learn how, check out this tutorial.
Concept 2: Understanding reflections.
To avoid unwanted flash reflections on an aquarium or other reflective surface, you need to analyze the range of angles where the flash will be visible as a reflection. The basic tool for such analysis is a diagram (until you get to the point where you intuitively know which reflections will be visible).
1. Draw the camera and the surface of the aquarium that is within the camera's field of view.
2. Draw the position of the flash (if the flash is on-camera, the flash is of course in the same position as the camera).
3. Draw a line from the flash to the left edge of the aquarium.
4. Draw the reflection from the line in step 3.
5. Draw a line from the flash to the right edge of the aquarium.
6. Draw the reflection from the line in step 5.
If the camera is between the lines in step 4 and step 6, then the reflection will be visible in the shot. If the camera is not in between those lines, the reflection will not be visible in the shot.
In the diagrams below, the blue bar represents the aquarium surface visible within the camera's field of view. The dotted blue lines are imaginary lines perpendicular to the edges of the visible aquarium surface. The red lines represent the lines in steps 3 and 5. The green lines represent the lines in steps 4 and 6.
In the top diagram, a camera with on-camera flash is squarely facing the aquarium. The camera is in between the green lines, thus the flash will be visible.
In the middle diagram, a camera with on-camera flash is facing the aquarium at an angle. The camera is not in between the green lines, thus the flash will not be visible.
To avoid unwanted flash reflections on an aquarium or other reflective surface, you need to analyze the range of angles where the flash will be visible as a reflection. The basic tool for such analysis is a diagram (until you get to the point where you intuitively know which reflections will be visible).
1. Draw the camera and the surface of the aquarium that is within the camera's field of view.
2. Draw the position of the flash (if the flash is on-camera, the flash is of course in the same position as the camera).
3. Draw a line from the flash to the left edge of the aquarium.
4. Draw the reflection from the line in step 3.
5. Draw a line from the flash to the right edge of the aquarium.
6. Draw the reflection from the line in step 5.
If the camera is between the lines in step 4 and step 6, then the reflection will be visible in the shot. If the camera is not in between those lines, the reflection will not be visible in the shot.
In the diagrams below, the blue bar represents the aquarium surface visible within the camera's field of view. The dotted blue lines are imaginary lines perpendicular to the edges of the visible aquarium surface. The red lines represent the lines in steps 3 and 5. The green lines represent the lines in steps 4 and 6.
In the middle diagram, a camera with on-camera flash is facing the aquarium at an angle. The camera is not in between the green lines, thus the flash will not be visible.
In the bottom diagram, a camera is squarely facing the aquarium, but an off-camera flash is off to the side. The camera is not in between the green lines, thus the flash will not be visible.
An alternative way of doing a reflection analysis is to diagram the camera in the same way as you would for the flash. If the flash (or any other object) is outside of the green lines from the camera, the flash reflection won't be visible.
As an exercise, how does the focal length of the lens affect the visibility of a flash reflection (assuming that the camera distance is adjusted so that the same amount of the aquarium is visible)? Hint: A tele lens will more easily avoid reflections.
Concept 3: Controlling flash intensity.
With TTL, flash is adjusted by flash exposure compensation. See the TTL Flash FAQ and this tutorial.
With TTL, flash is adjusted by flash exposure compensation. See the TTL Flash FAQ and this tutorial.
Specific strategies:
1. For cameras with on-camera flashes: Change the angle of the aquarium to avoid a flash reflection within the cameras field of view.
Sample photo (from a point and shoot camera):
1. For cameras with on-camera flashes: Change the angle of the aquarium to avoid a flash reflection within the cameras field of view.
Sample photo (from a point and shoot camera):
In this shot, I avoided a direct flash reflection by shooting the aquarium at an angle (like the middle diagram above). (As for the reverse letter C-like reflection on the upper right of the image, I think it's a reflection of the retroreflective band on our stroller. That shouldn't show up in normal situations.)
2. For off-camera flash: Take a photo directly facing the aquarium, but position the off-camera flash to the side and angle it greater than about 45 degrees (the exact minimum angle varies with your field of view and focal length).
Sample photo:
Sample photo:
In this shot, the flash was at camera right, aimed at about slightly more than a 45 degree angle. In retrospect, I should have tried aiming the flash at an even sharper angle so that the reflection on the bottom left would not be visible but at least by aiming it at an angle, it is much less distracting than a direct flash glare.
3. Ambient-only: some aquariums don't permit flash photography. In addition, sometimes it is feasible to avoid using the flash if the aquarium is large enough and emits enough light to be used as a light source for your subject. Keys to making the shot work:
a. shoot in RAW if you want to correct the white balance.
b. use noise reduction software. For the examples below I used Neat Image.
The photo at the top of this blog entry was taken ambient only. Here's a similar shot where white balance was adjusted. If I had taken the shot in jpeg, it would have been impossible to get an acceptable output with this extreme white balance adjustment (the color temperature of the bluish light from the aquarium was over 50,000K).
a. shoot in RAW if you want to correct the white balance.
b. use noise reduction software. For the examples below I used Neat Image.
The photo at the top of this blog entry was taken ambient only. Here's a similar shot where white balance was adjusted. If I had taken the shot in jpeg, it would have been impossible to get an acceptable output with this extreme white balance adjustment (the color temperature of the bluish light from the aquarium was over 50,000K).
Sample:
Of course, the foregoing strategies can't address every conceivable situation. However, I hope that by discussing lighting concepts (including samples of applying those concepts), I can help you can generate your own solutions. For example, here's a different kind of situation: at Legoland SeaLife in California, they have aquariums with glass domes in them from which you can get an immersive view of the fish while people looking at the aquarium can see you. Taking an ambient-only shot, we got the following picture:
There was room for improvement in that shot. The aquarium looks natural enough, but the subject was not easy to see through two layers of reflective glass and the water in between. One solution is to use an off-camera flash, which I placed under the glass dome, aimed upward at the subject, then triggered via CLS:
Other resources:
Here is a related post about how to avoid reflections on eyeglasses.
Here is a related post about how to avoid reflections on eyeglasses.
If you liked the discussion about analyzing reflections, check out: Light: Science and Magic.
If you are interested in reading about balancing existing light with flash, read: On-Camera Flash or the TTL Flash Tutorial.
To learn more about wireless flash, read: Nikon CLS Practical Guide, Strobist.com, and this blog.
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