Object Photography

One more interesting area to explore and earn expertise in photography is Object Photography. This is easy and difficult at the same time to click several objects we see around us at home and outdoors. It depends on the object you intend to click, the situation the object is and most importantly the amount of lighting falling on the object. Objects can vary from pin (small) to plane (big) from ground to air and living to non-living.

For Indoor shooting on Objects you need well balanced lighting mostly continuous, either direct from both the sides or from top or in an angle and object being on Shooting Tables or in Light Cubes. Objects are generally placed against plain backgrounds and mostly in Softboxes. For outdoor shooting on Objects follow the rules of good photography aiming more on object and its settings surrounding the object. Focus more on object with simple and plain backgrounds.

Few pictures I took on objects are shown here:

Click on each picture to see in large format

I took this picture with my iphone in a museum in a closed environment without flash. Directional light from top over smooth texture of pot and the Pueblo setting of Native Americans shown within pot are clearly seen and the quality I got with less resolution is fine and I am happy with the result. The object being in close range to lens and sufficient light falling on object allowed us to get a simple picture in phone camera.

I took picture of this Idol – Lord Ganesha, indoor against plain background with bouncing light. I had to adjust the focal length carefully to get optimal features of Object with limited available light. Arranged f-stop at 5.6 and ISO at 200 with focal length being 80mm. Exposure time was 1/6 seconds. I guess, I got a good result.

Look at the glow I got on these objects. I took pictures of these ornaments with continuous light falling in an angle with high ISO (1600) and with no flash. I tried to capture minute details of objects like carvings and twines. You can note the difference between two objects when they are placed against different backgrounds in object photography.

This is a picture of Fluorescent Light Sticks taken at night. Glow of multiple colors radiating bright lights against dark sky attracted me to click this shot which is good example for object photography outdoors at night.

This is good example for an Object seen at outdoors during balanced daylight in an open field with simple background. This looks like normal picture of any other subject but notice the emphasis given to Wheel Cart. The smooth texture and soft color of wheels is captured.

To highlight the object and subject behind the object, I used centered gradient technique in post production. I noticed the bird moving around these pumpkins and when I found the correct situation, I framed this picture. F-stop: 1/18, ISO: 400, Exposure time: 1/200 and focal length: 120mm.

This picture shows Red Baneberries of Colorado. I chose these fruits as objects in outdoor since they pose contrast Red color against green background reflecting as standout objects in a separate entity. The glistening surface of berries shows how healthy and ripe the fruits are. Though these are not edible they are very attractive and beautiful.

This is one of my favorites. I wanted to capture the prismatic glass and its reflectance with burning lights inside the vase in a transparent and clear tone. I am happy that I got good glossy glass piece in Object Photography. I took this picture without flash in a room using ceiling lights.

This is top view of candles, shells and sand. I used them as objects and clicked the snap at ISO 200, f-stop at 1/4 seconds and exposure time being 1/60.

This is another example for Object Photography in dark at night. I took this picture without flash.