Some of you may wonder how the images of equipment I use on the web site are captured. I can’t say all are captured the same way. Sometimes I have used daylight outside on our patio (tripod shots), sometimes using a flatbed scanner (small items that are two dimensional), sometimes our kitchen counter (it is white and relatively seamless) and sometimes even our living room. I just shot some images in my bedroom (flash modifiers)! But most of the ones I take are generally taken during the early afternoon by natural light from one large picture window in our dining room.
Take this image of a Nikon EM. The camera is mounted on a table top tripod and the taking camera (FujiFilm FinePix Z10 with 3x zoom) is also mounted on a table top tripod about the width of a table away.
Just for this example I was working against the window light, using a small box sized piece of foam as the background. Then I propped a reasonably large piece of light coloured paper against a small folding desk calendar and the tripod’s right leg, a smaller card under the lens and finally a large white meat tray held up—for a first time— by a loop of the camera’s neckstrap.
Just a note on lens flare. The built-in folded zoom of the Z10 seems pretty impervious to flare, at least when zoomed in all the way. But if there is a fingerprint on the lens you will see the flare immediately!
Looking from the opposite direction you can see how the cards almost surround the camera. You can also see how thick the foam is (about 20 mm) and the depth of the edge that allows the foam box to free stand.
Here is what you would get if the foam background was removed (all other cards the same). Beside the flare becoming obvious the distracting background drape is visible.
Working with the light from the window—instead of against the light—the camera was rested on the edge of the meat tray with another reflector card under the front edge. Unfortunately the camera tilts forward so the lens cap is under the lens.
Now the camera’s tripod is free it is supporting the right reflector. Now the background foam is free, it is standing to the left of the camera. That lens cap marred the shot, so another setup was tried.
With the camera in the same place as the last shot, the camera is back on the tripod.
The foam box is back to being the background. Foam tray propped against the foam box right and card standing propped against the foam box left. The last reflector tucks under the camera. Note how evenly the large window’s light flows over the entire table to the far wall.
You could criticize the angle the Nikon EM is being shot from. Classically you want to see some of the top deck. Most of the camera shots you see, at least 35 mm equipment, are shot from the advance/shutter side as the other angle generally just shows the rewind crank, lens release, PC fittings, the less interesting bits.
And don’t think this is a requirement for submissions. This is just what I do to have fun playing at it. Others have shot cameras on patio railings in the shade, in studios, in all sorts of ways.
Very ingenious setup !