Audrey Cooper on tue 12 jan 99
Hi, theinformation on photo backgrounds was immensely helpful and ithank
everyone for responding. I have a question on lenses. I bought a macrolens -
70-210 mm and also a 50 mm lens. Could someone advise me on what type of lens
to use on taking slides of pottery.? When I use my macro lens, I feel the 70
is a bit too far away, so do I purchase a 50-100 macro lens? In other words,
which is the best lens to take slides of pottery ? Thanks so much for your
help. Audrey Cooper
Thonas C. Curran on wed 13 jan 99
Audrey Cooper wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Hi, theinformation on photo backgrounds was immensely helpful and ithank
> everyone for responding. I have a question on lenses. I bought a macrolens -
> 70-210 mm and also a 50 mm lens. Could someone advise me on what type of lens
> to use on taking slides of pottery.? When I use my macro lens, I feel the 70
> is a bit too far away, so do I purchase a 50-100 macro lens? In other words,
> which is the best lens to take slides of pottery ? Thanks so much for your
> help. Audrey Cooper
Audrey, The 70-210 mm lens sounds more like a regular zoom than a macro
lens, although there are zoom lenses which do have a close focusing
mode. "Photographing your Artwork" by Russell Hart recommends the
standard 55 mm macro which can (and does for me)double as a normal
camera lens. The 70-210 just won't focus close enough to the subject as
you have discovered...unless you do all really big work all the time.
Last year I also invested (not a heck of a lot as I recall) in
"Photographing your Craftwork" by Steve Meltzer, which is a Crafts
Report publication (PO Box 1992, Wilmington, Delaware 19899). Both have
helped me a lot, and I recommend getting some sort of similar book for
your own library. I once spent big bucks(big bucks for me, at least)
on a pro photographer who had a great local reputation--but he didn't
know beans about photographing pots or other crafts, esp. small ones.
The background texture was coarse, there were wrinkles apparent, and I
was too much of a fledgling potter to complain, esp. since the photos
seemed good enough for their purpose (B&W PR shots for newspaper
publicity for shows) at the time. I also discovered that my work was
changing too quickly to warrant spending money on something which became
out of date rapidly. And by the way, I do recommend a professional if
you have the money and the right professional. I'm sort of an impatient
loner who finds it easier to do it myself and to stumble along learning
by experience, but I'm probably in the minority. Do invest in a book on
photographing 3 D artwork, though, or get one from the library. That
way you will get to know the photography lingo the same way you know
pottery jargon, and you'll probably make better choices when it comes
time for photography, no matter who does the photography.
Best of luck, and perhaps you can get a 55MM macro second hand if your
budget is tight... Carolyn aka CNC
Ray Carlton on wed 13 jan 99
hi audrey,
i have always used a standard 50mm lens with good results..i have had many
photos published in craft magazines such as Craft Arts international,
ceramic art and perception etc etc. I have heard it said that a 100mm
portrait lens is the best for photos of pots. my beloved old minolta OM1
with its standard 50mm lens has always done a good job
At 09:52 12/01/99 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hi, theinformation on photo backgrounds was immensely helpful and ithank
>everyone for responding. I have a question on lenses. I bought a macrolens -
>70-210 mm and also a 50 mm lens. Could someone advise me on what type of
lens
>to use on taking slides of pottery.? When I use my macro lens, I feel the 70
>is a bit too far away, so do I purchase a 50-100 macro lens? In other words,
>which is the best lens to take slides of pottery ? Thanks so much for your
>help. Audrey Cooper
>
cheers Ray Carlton
McMahons Creek Victoria Australia
Nick Zappa on wed 13 jan 99
Audrey: We are not professional photographers but we use a 300 mm lens
opened up to the highest f stop for depth of field. We shoot at one second
exposures max, with an extension plunger (for lack of the proper term) on
the plunger button (makes sense?). That enables us to take a really focused
closeup with good clarity. We do all of this on a tripod and use an OM1
camera that you must manually set for exposure etc. Hope this is helpful.
Nick Zappa
-----Original Message-----
From: Audrey Cooper
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Date: Tuesday, January 12, 1999 7:53 AM
Subject: Photo lens
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hi, theinformation on photo backgrounds was immensely helpful and ithank
>everyone for responding. I have a question on lenses. I bought a
macrolens -
>70-210 mm and also a 50 mm lens. Could someone advise me on what type of
lens
>to use on taking slides of pottery.? When I use my macro lens, I feel the
70
>is a bit too far away, so do I purchase a 50-100 macro lens? In other
words,
>which is the best lens to take slides of pottery ? Thanks so much for your
>help. Audrey Cooper
>
Milton Markey on wed 13 jan 99
Audrey,
The size of a camera's lens to take pictures of ceramic ware, depends on many
factors. I'm assuming you're working with a 35mm camera. Here are my thoughts
on this.
(1) The size of your work. Real small, miniature ceramics require a tight shot
with a macro lens. Freestanding sculpture, or even ordinary-size dinnerware
can be shot with a "normal" (~38-70mm) lens. Most of the ceramic masks and
candle surrounds I make can be captured with a normal lens (I use a 28mm-85mm
zoom lens).
(2) Detail. If you want to show delicate glaze runs, or other close-up texture
on your pots, use a macro lens. If showing your pots "as they are" is most
important, use a normal lens.
(3)Distortion. This is sometimes an optical problem with extreme wide-angle
lenses, and some macro lenses. The edges of the image will appear curved, and
objects may look "rounder" than they actually are. This might be a desirable
special effect, for some applications, but if selling your wares (or entering
an art show) is the goal, this may be a distraction. Be sure to test the lens
out (many camera dealers allow a "test drive" of such equipment) before
buying.
(4) Lighting and distance of camera to object. A macro lens may require more
light, owing to the complexities of the lens itself, than a normal lens
requires. It might be wise to start with a normal lens, to find how close the
camera can be to the object, before the object is out of the "focal range"
(beyond where one can adjust the focus) of the camera. If you can't get a
satisfactory image with a normal lens, try either a macro lens or a wide-angle
lens.
(4) What size? I'd recommend a macro that is in the "middle ground"--28mm to
58mm, for photographing small, tiny objects, or capturing detail of your pots.
I hope this helps you.
Milton MiltonsLin@AOL.COM
The stars shine brightly tonight! Yucca Valley, CA
MRS SANDRA L BURKE on fri 15 jan 99
Audrey,
I teach photography and ceramics--the 70-210 lens is considered a
telephoto zoom lens, not a true macro. Yes it makes images appear
larger trhough the viewfinder, but it could cause distortion (so does
a true marco to a certain extent). Any zoom lens that you select will
be less sharp than a "fixed" lens. A fixed lens will be one that only
has one focal length, for example a 50mm, 100mm, etc. Depending on
the size of your pots I would suggest either a 50mm or a 100mm. If
they are very small then you may need a macro lens---a true maco is
often a very expensive lens---just depends on the type of camera you
own.
Sandy B
Dwiggins, Sandra (NCI) on fri 15 jan 99
I just did a shoot for a friend who does tiles. I found that a Macro zoom does
well with flat details. It is always important to realize that when you use a
Macro instead of a true zoom, your shot will be more flat than 3 dimensional.
It shouldn't matter if it's detail.
I use a normal lens for all shots. Mine is a 45mm rather than a 55. This is a
bit wider angle, with little distortion. I find that the important thing to
remember when taking shots of pots is the Depth of Field. If your lens opening
allows for a depth of field that stretches from a few inches in front of the
piece to a few inches in back of the piece, you know your shot will be in focus.
If you set everything up right, you may never have to change anything in your
set up except the pieces themselves and a little fiddling with the light.
I've also found that using one of those cheap halogen lights that you can buy
for $15 as a general indirect light in the room is a really good all purpose
fill. You can use two if necessary. Use Fujichrome slide film. Best Color.
Sandy D.
-----Original Message-----
From: Milton Markey [SMTP:MiltonsLin@aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 1999 4:26 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Subject: Re: Photo lens
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Audrey,
The size of a camera's lens to take pictures of ceramic ware, depends on many
factors. I'm assuming you're working with a 35mm camera. Here are my thoughts
on this.
(1) The size of your work. Real small, miniature ceramics require a tight shot
with a macro lens. Freestanding sculpture, or even ordinary-size dinnerware
can be shot with a "normal" (~38-70mm) lens. Most of the ceramic masks and
candle surrounds I make can be captured with a normal lens (I use a 28mm-85mm
zoom lens).
(2) Detail. If you want to show delicate glaze runs, or other close-up texture
on your pots, use a macro lens. If showing your pots "as they are" is most
important, use a normal lens.
(3)Distortion. This is sometimes an optical problem with extreme wide-angle
lenses, and some macro lenses. The edges of the image will appear curved, and
objects may look "rounder" than they actually are. This might be a desirable
special effect, for some applications, but if selling your wares (or entering
an art show) is the goal, this may be a distraction. Be sure to test the lens
out (many camera dealers allow a "test drive" of such equipment) before
buying.
(4) Lighting and distance of camera to object. A macro lens may require more
light, owing to the complexities of the lens itself, than a normal lens
requires. It might be wise to start with a normal lens, to find how close the
camera can be to the object, before the object is out of the "focal range"
(beyond where one can adjust the focus) of the camera. If you can't get a
satisfactory image with a normal lens, try either a macro lens or a wide-angle
lens.
(4) What size? I'd recommend a macro that is in the "middle ground"--28mm to
58mm, for photographing small, tiny objects, or capturing detail of your pots.
I hope this helps you.
Milton MiltonsLin@AOL.COM
The stars shine brightly tonight! Yucca Valley, CA
Gavin Stairs on sat 16 jan 99
Here I go again. Can't keep my mouth (fingers?) shut.
There are a few things to clarify in this thread.
What is a macro lens? It is a close focussing lens which is calculated to
give best results at close range, rather than out close to infinity.
Ordinary lenses go a little soft at close focus, even if you use focussing
rings or a bellows to allow you to get real close. Some close up lens
attachments (lenses that you screw into the filter ring of your lens, or
interpose behind it) can compensate for this a bit, but not as well as a
true macro lens. So you buy a macro lens to focus close and sharp on small
objects, like a mug or a small pot, or a detail of any pot. If the area is
smaller than a human head, for example, then you can begin thinking of a
macro lens as the appropriate tool.
What about the focal length of a macro lens? The shorter the focal length,
the closer you need to be to the subject to focus sharply. This is what is
called the working distance of the lens. A macro zoom lets you adjust this
to some extent, but what it really does is to help compensate for an
intrinsically long working distance, so you can fill the screen with the
image while remaining at a more or less fixed distance from the subject.
Non-zoom macros usually have a shorter minimum working distance.
What about distortion? There are at least two types of distortion. Some
kinds of lenses are designed to have a field distortion which accommodates
the intrinsic distortion that I'll get to in a moment. Such lenses are
usually ultra-wide angles, and are generally not useful for this kind of
work. Other lens design distortions are generally minimized by modern lens
design, and just aren't an important factor.
The intrinsic distortion I referred to before comes from a fundamental of
lens optics. The magnification of a subject is proportional to the ratio
of the image distance (from the back of the lens to the film plane) to the
object distance (from the front of the lens to the part of the object in
question). So an object that is closer to the lens will be magnified more
than an object that is farther away. This is elementary perspective at
work. If the object that is being imaged is, say, a face in frontal view,
then the nose will appear larger than the ears. This effect is reduced by
using a longer focal length lens, which effectively increases the lens to
film distance, and therefore reduces the difference in magnification
between the nose and ears. Thus we say that a long lens flattens
perspective. In portraiture, the usual lens is about twice the normal lens
focal length, or about 90 - 105mm for 35mm. For a 2-1/4 square camera, it
would be about 200mm, and so on. This is why we might choose a 90mm lens
to photograph a head-sized pot. The perspective given is about what we
expect when we inspect the pot at arms length or a bit farther away. It is
quite natural. If we were to use a 50mm lens, the perspective would be
more exaggerated, and if there were a prominent foreground feature, it
might seem too big. On a flat subject, this focal length might better show
the depth of the subject. For a larger object, the normal lens might be
the proper lens, and for some very large objects, a moderate wide angle
lens, like a 28 - 35mm, might give a better impression of what it feels
like to stand beside the thing.
Those are the basics. What lens you want depends on the size and
configuration of the pot, and the effect that you want to obtain. For very
small pots, some kind of macro lens is necessary in order to fill the frame
with the pot. A longer lens gives a flatter perspective than a shorter
lens. Zooms allow some adjustment of this, but usually at some cost in
minimum working distance. Focussing rings and such permit closer
focussing, but at some cost in sharpness. A moderate macro-zoom is an
attempt at a compromise: it tries to do all things, and may succeed well
enough. When buying a lens, consider the object you intend to photograph,
and try it out on your camera at the counter. Bring a pot along, or use an
object of similar size as a test subject. If you want to, shoot some test
shots, and have them developed before you buy.
Gavin
===============================================
Gavin Stairs
Stairs Small Systems (S3)
921 College Street, # 1-A
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6H 1A1
(416)530-0419
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