R10 Photos appear dull

[albionshire]

I'm using an R10, the first photo is my photo, the peach-coloured fabric, no matter what I do I just can't produce crisp-looking photos of the fabric, it just looks dull, in order for me to get accurate color, I have to reduce the exposure which makes the photo look dark. The other issue is, I have my brightness on my monitor LCD set to half of the full amount and the other two photos appear well exposed, mine on the other hand looks dull, I have to set my LCD brightness to max to see the detail. There are two other photos which I've attached from the internet and what I'm aiming to achieve they are so crisp and clear, how do I get my photos like so?

F11 / 1/6 and ISO 100 - I'm using the  RF-S 18-45mm lens. I have two 5600K lights each with a lantern style soft box. Any ideas on how I can achieve the same effect as the 2nd and 3rd images?

My photophoto from internetphoto from internet

[p4pictures · Accepted solution]

The position of tbe lights is important for this kind of picture. With a rippled suffer like this the direction of the light in relation to the fabric determines where shadows fall. Your picture has lights evenly placed from both sides, so while there are shadows they are both sides of the peaks in the fabric and this makes the fabric look flatter. Also the relative size of the light is important. If your lights are further away the shadows will be sharper. 

Looking at the second shot from the internet it would appear that the light was placed so that it lights from the top right edge of the frame. It also appears to be a large light due to the softness of the shadows. 

[rs-eos · Accepted solution]

Agreed with Brian about the positioning/direction of the light.  It's just something that you'll have to practice with.

I would recommend starting out with a single light.  This will be your main or key light.

The following images are simulations in 3D software showing the same fabric from the same camera angle.  Single light source, but the light in two different positions.

If you'd then like less dramatic shadows in the folds, add a second light, but at lower power to fill in the shadows a bit.  This will be your fill light.

If you end up using two lights and they both have equal power, that can indeed lead to very flat lighting.  The following image is of the same fabric above, though with both lights turned on at the same power.

[justadude · Accepted solution]

An increase in shutter speed will help, maybe also set your timer to a 10 second delay (assuming you are using 2 seconds?).  Also try either reducing the power of one light, or better yet, use a reflector instead of the second light.  Your shadows will look much better.

[wq9nsc]

1/6 is very slow shutter speed, your camera needs to be mounted in a quality mount and triggered either via its self timer or a remote release to avoid camera shake. 

Are you shooting in RAW with white balance set to the color temperature of your lamps in post?  You should be shooting in RAW to have the most control over the final output.

Do you have another light source which is contributing light to the image but with a different color temperature than the illumination lights you are using?  If so, that will cause inaccurate color representation and possible color shift where the other light contributes too much to the overall illumination.

Rodger

[albionshire]

Thanks for the reply. I am using a good tripod and I'm using the timer option so after I press the button I back away and after a few seconds it automatically takes the photo. I am shooting in a room with the lights turned off and the curtains closed so no other light source other than the two lights I have on either side of the fabric, left and right with the camera in the middle. The camera is mounted horizontally, facing down, and zoom is at 18mm.

[p4pictures · Accepted solution]

The position of tbe lights is important for this kind of picture. With a rippled suffer like this the direction of the light in relation to the fabric determines where shadows fall. Your picture has lights evenly placed from both sides, so while there are shadows they are both sides of the peaks in the fabric and this makes the fabric look flatter. Also the relative size of the light is important. If your lights are further away the shadows will be sharper. 

Looking at the second shot from the internet it would appear that the light was placed so that it lights from the top right edge of the frame. It also appears to be a large light due to the softness of the shadows. 

[albionshire]

Many thanks Brian, this is very helpful.

[rs-eos · Accepted solution]

Agreed with Brian about the positioning/direction of the light.  It's just something that you'll have to practice with.

I would recommend starting out with a single light.  This will be your main or key light.

The following images are simulations in 3D software showing the same fabric from the same camera angle.  Single light source, but the light in two different positions.

If you'd then like less dramatic shadows in the folds, add a second light, but at lower power to fill in the shadows a bit.  This will be your fill light.

If you end up using two lights and they both have equal power, that can indeed lead to very flat lighting.  The following image is of the same fabric above, though with both lights turned on at the same power.

[albionshire]

Ricky, always a LEGEND! Thank you so much for generating those images to illustrate, they are all so good answers, I'm not sure which one to accept as a solution!

[rs-eos]

Thank you.  You can always mark multiple replies as being the accepted solution.

[justadude]

"I am using a good tripod and I'm using the timer option so after I press the button I back away and after a few seconds it automatically takes the photo."

You did mention in the original post that you are having a hard time with the crispness.  Is the tripod on a carpeted floor, or hard surface?  I have noticed with carpet that sometimes minor movement from standing nearby still gives a slight shake even after using the delay timer.

Adding to what Brian and Ricky said about the lights being further away (which is great advice)... have you tried one light, then for the other side a reflective screen instead of the second light?  This will create a softer light on one side, increasing shadows to give more of a feeling of depth.    

I should add that the fabric in the two Internet photos you posted has a lot more texture than the fabric in your photos.  The texture adds to the feeling of depth as well.

[albionshire]

Very observant Gary! Yes, I have the tripod on a carpet, would you advise I increase the shutter speed to account for the slight movement as I move away even though I have the delay timer?