Photograghing Bonsai

[PeterH]

After looking at some of the photos posted on this site I thought Id share my experience with my studio photography. I am aware that a lot of people do not have digital SLR cameras but this thread is written around my Olympus E300 Digital SLR.
When taking quick pics for the forum I use a plain background natural light no flash and make sure the camera sensors are on the subject rather than the background.

As you may be aware taking quality pictures of Bonsai inside is difficult without buying expensive lighting. This lighting is necessary to avoid using the flash which produces the shadow on the background.

I tried many ways to achieve a quality photo one of which was to use reflected natural light. This was partially successful as it was difficult to control and gave inconsistent results. One of these natural light pics is my avatar.

I found an article on The Australian Photography Form of a cheap way to do studio photography which helped my immensely. Instead of using expensive studio lights they suggested using two twin 500w lights on pedestals, the type you get from Bunnings for around $30 each set.

These lights give out a yellow light, to adjust this they suggested using the White Balance ( WB )setting. As you can see in my studio setup the first pic is the camera WB on Auto
And the second is the WB adjusted to 3600K. To find my best WB setting I took a set of photos at the different settings.

Also when taking photos I use my camera on Manual. I find this necessary to achieve the depth of field for the subject. Because the light is low the shutter speed has to be slow so I can increase my F stop setting to give that depth. This leads to the necessity for a tripod to alleviate the camera moving and also using another function on the camera which gives a 12 second delay before the shutter opens.

The camera setting for the first shot lens14-45mm shutter 1/6 f9 WB Auto inhand

The camera setting for the second shot lens14-45mm shutter 1/6 f9 WB 3600K inhand

The camera setting for the third shot lens 40- 150mm shutter 1/13 f6.3 WB 3600K Tripod 12sec delay on shutter.

I hope this helps someone.

Peter

[Leigh Taafe]

G'day Peter,

Thanks for the tips mate. Just yesterday I went to Bunnings and bought 2 of those exact set of lights, then went to the material shop and got some black fabric.

I am glad I am on the right track, and am now glad I saw the way you have set yours up.

My camera isnt a SLR like yours, so I will have to play around with what I have and see if I can come up with anything decent.

Cheers,
Leigh.

[PeterW]

Thanks for doing this thread Peter. Your studio/setup is very much like mine. I have two twin 500w lights the same as yours and use my screens as a back drop or fabric, depending on what i am photographing. One thing i noticed in your setup, the distance between the tree and the backdrop is much closer then i do. I found that i get better results by moving the tree about 90cm or so in front of the back drop. I also use a tripod with either remote or delayed action. I will now go back and play with the settings that you have laid out above and see if i can get a better understanding of what does what. Thanks heaps Peter.
Regards
Peter

[PeterH]

Thanks for the feedback Leigh and Peter,

I realized after posting that their is a section for photography maybe one of the moderators can move it to the appropriate location

Peter

[PeterW]

Peter, what is the light laying on the ground for? Do you stand it up for above lighting or to shine up from below?
Peter

[PeterH]

Peter,

I lay the light on the ground to highlight the "up" branching.

Peter

[PeterW]

Peter,

I lay the light on the ground to highlight the "up" branching.

Peter

Thanks Peter. Can you post an example picture of when you have used the up light and the same picture without the uplight Peter. Only if and when you have time mate, thank you.
Peter

[PeterH]

Peter

Here is a couple of before and after. Probably not a good example because of the smooth white bark.

I will do another with a rough bark.

Peter

[PeterW]

Ok...thanks Peter. I must try that! I dont have a light suitable for that but will get one. It is quite a clear difference with it, for the better i think. It removes the shadows under the rim of the pot as well as highlights some movement in the trunk that otherwise may have been lost.
Regards
Peter

[PeterH]

Here is another one

Peter

[PeterW]

Much more vibrant isnt it. What wattage is the uplight.
Regards
Peter

[PeterH]

500W

[PeterW]

Thanks Peter, hopefully i am on the road to better pictures!
Peter

[Steven]

Excellent article Peter! Thanks very much for sharing it with us.
I might add that a little (and I stress little) editing goes a long way too. Only to smooth out the background though which helps the tree to stand out. But this is a whole new topic really...

Steven

[schmik]

]Cool topic. I use a very similar technique to yours, cheap bunnings lights bounced off a wall or ceiling. Mostly I try and avoid any shadows onto the tree. I also find that getting the tree as far away from the background is best. Obviously large aperture(f 1.7 - 2.8) help this but some larger trees need smaller aperture (I'll go as far as 11). Most lenses get sharper stopped down a little so i'll usually use 5.6 - 8.

Just like you i use a tripod and then set the camera to 2 second timer. This locks up the mirror and then takes the shot.
I always stick to the lowest ISO as i'm using a tripod. I have experimented with custom white balance but usually just use 'tungten' and then fix with software if needed.

Also, another couple of tips. If you can only get your picture with distracting background, just take it and crop it later.
Overexpose a little and then bring it back with software. This gives good results.... well certainly better than under exposing and then trying to fix that.

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