Tomatoes

I first did a test shoot with local tomatoes today to learn, so i hope next weeks shoot of Heirloom Tomatoes and its dishes will go better. the test was all shot indoors, with flash, and improper background, pls excuse the reflections of my interior in some, i didnt get my white bed sheet background yet. pls feel free to critique as by next week i need be perfect, but i will shoot outdoors if weather allows.

BTW would you choose white reflective or black reflective background for this, or maybe alltogether go with something different?

Thank you

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

Keep in mind that I am a rank beginner, but my personal tastes lean toward the black background. It provides a nice contrast with the red and brings out the water droplets. As for the the dishes, I would say that it would depend on the overall color of the dish. A lighter colored entree would wash out with a very light background. IMHO.

dont worry im a beginner too, but after much listening i think i will be looking for a white and a black light tent now.

You can always make your own. Check out this thread for tips on how to create your own lighting tent/cube.

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=480210


As for the photos, I prefer the first one. The second one is a little too blown out on the background and doesn't show enough detail on the tomatoes to really draw me in.

yeah ive read that through and through but i live in hk and in hk we live in shoebox size apartments so i need something thats collapsible in seconds........

The first shot doesn't look too bad at all but the one thing that keeps drawing my eye is the blown out highlight at the top of the center tomato. I think I would try to ease up on the lighting just a little...maybe try a softbox or a diffuser or something to soften that harsh spot up just a tad. Beyond that the first shot looks pretty good in my opinion.

The second shot looks really bright on my monitor...perhaps over-exposed. You might be able to adjust it if you shot in RAW but it would really depend on the original image. Also here I think I would have opted for just a little more DOF as well...I think some sharpness and detail would have helped this image.

It does look like your on the right track to me so I would say just keep working at it and you should get it .

Peace,
Jim

thank you walzac, ive been toying withg the idea of buying a light tent with lights, but the cost of HK$ 2500 only for that......makes me think twice.... now i been thinking of sticking with my white plexi background, and using a white bed sheet, to make a kind of tent effect and using the flash inside of it, pointed up to bounce it around. or with black acrylic platform and a black bed sheet.

in the worst case i can run down and buy 2 or three powerfull desk lamps.

anyway i have to make up my mind quickly as my imported tomatoes arrive tomorrow afternoon! ack ack pressure is rising.

macobee wrote in post #5608309
thank you walzac, ive been toying withg the idea of buying a light tent with lights, but the cost of HK$ 2500 only for that......makes me think twice.... now i been thinking of sticking with my white plexi background, and using a white bed sheet, to make a kind of tent effect and using the flash inside of it, pointed up to bounce it around. or with black acrylic platform and a black bed sheet.

in the worst case i can run down and buy 2 or three powerfull desk lamps.

anyway i have to make up my mind quickly as my imported tomatoes arrive tomorrow afternoon! ack ack pressure is rising.

Here's a little tip for ya...
Instead of a light tent, get yourself a piece of white construction paper and try shooting the shot in the shaded area of a building. Not to high jack your thread here, but here's a shot I did using exactly this method...

Today my wife boufght me some black velvet to try with and i must say i like it!!

HTTP response: NOT FOUND | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Redirected to error image by FLICKR

HTTP response: NOT FOUND | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Redirected to error image by FLICKR

HTTP response: NOT FOUND | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Redirected to error image by FLICKR

Perfect BG!!!!!! I look forward to your tomatoes!

Keep the rule of thirds in mind when shooting( the glass is center stage)

Thanks Flo, yes i know today was just a 5 min test to see if it'd make a difference and wow it does!

ill post my final tomato pics here, but only a few, the rest can be seen in my flickr.....but let me pray nothing goes wrong with my shipment and that they be fresh please!

i never knew velvet can absorb that much light, every thing is pitch black!!!!

Black or white will both work. You just have to treat them differently. Keep going on both colors, it will only help your understanding of the exposures you have to choose. as in ...why you have to overexpose one and under expose the other(according to the meter).

Here we go, the dishes follow tomorrow evenin g if i can have the time!

off course only a fool like me leaves his ISO settings unchgecked and shoots fooking everything at ISO 800.......and that after so much testing, you thought i'd be smarter!

Wohoo! The tom's are here! They look like they made the trip well!

I like #1....
2. The crop seems off...?
3. Not bad, although it is quite hot on the left corner.
4. Love this.except for the funny spill into the corner.I w iould possibly crop this part to make the composition work?( nit picky)
5. Great colors
6. Off to the side maybe instead of center?
7... not so much.but the colors are super.

When shooting some of these.a little squirt bottle would work wonders for the appetizing feel of the tomatoes

Thanks for your comments, well appreciated, both positive and negative.

the squirt bottle comes in tomorrow/..........as well as the dishes cooked with them, all 17 of them......be patient this set will grow. i didnt cut any tomatoes yet.....so i will reshoot most as i forgot to set my ISO at 100..........damn