# How to photograph highly reflective sphere?



## Dark Anghell (Mar 18, 2009)

Bit of a background: There's a new construction going on not too far from my house, and yesterday I noticed 5 spheres ranging from 1' in diameter all the way to about 3' arranged in front of that building. I am pretty sure those will have water coming out of them once everything is done, but for now they are just sitting there. Surface is like a mirror, chrome plated.

I really want to do a fashion shoot where the model sits on one of them, the background will be blurred out, but you can still see reflection in the sphere. Kind of leaning towards doing it in the evening so I can have slower shutter, get some light streaks going around her from cars driving by and use second curtain on the flash so she's in focus even on longer exposure.

Now the problem I see is the reflection of myself taking the picture and I can probably try to position her body so the legs cover up reflection of the flash. Probably will have flash set up 45 degrees to her. So what would you guys do to minimize my own reflection in the sphere? I guess if it's daytime I could always clone myself out of it.

Thank you in advance.


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## Katier (Mar 18, 2009)

I think Tilt-Shift can be used to help with the problem, Also tripoding the camera and remote triggering will help.


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## Big Mike (Mar 18, 2009)

> and use second curtain on the flash so she's in focus even on longer exposure.


First or second curtain sync will work.  The only problem with first curtain sync is that if she is moving and there is enough light to cause blur...the blur will be in front of her, rather than behind.  If she is mostly still and/or there isn't much ambient light...it won't matter.  Actually 1st curtain may be better because there will be less time between the pre-flash and the actual flash, if you are using TTL metering.

As for keeping yourself out of the reflection...back up and shoot with a long lens.  You may still be in the image, but it will be small and easier to clone out if needed.


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## Flash Harry (Mar 18, 2009)

no, tilt shift lens are for perspective correction, nothing to do with reflection, any spherical object is going to have your reflection in it, especially something chromed, clone it out later or use a long lens and hide behind some other unmoveable object/building/gate etc. H


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## Dark Anghell (Mar 18, 2009)

Big Mike said:


> First or second curtain sync will work.  The only problem with first curtain sync is that if she is moving and there is enough light to cause blur...the blur will be in front of her, rather than behind.  If she is mostly still and/or there isn't much ambient light...it won't matter.  Actually 1st curtain may be better because there will be less time between the pre-flash and the actual flash, if you are using TTL metering.
> 
> As for keeping yourself out of the reflection...back up and shoot with a long lens.  You may still be in the image, but it will be small and easier to clone out if needed.



My flash is now remote via PC cable, so I lost my TTL metering abilities. The shot will be done with a 50mm prime. The building is located on the corner of fairly busy intersection, there are street lamps around, as well as car lights that will more than likely light up the model.


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## flea77 (Mar 18, 2009)

Flash Harry said:


> no, tilt shift lens are for perspective correction, nothing to do with reflection, any spherical object is going to have your reflection in it, especially something chromed, clone it out later or use a long lens and hide behind some other unmoveable object/building/gate etc. H




Actually, according to http://www.uscoles.com/pclens.htm shooting mirrors (and I would assume anything with a mirror like surface) is a very valid use of a PC lens.

Allan


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## Sw1tchFX (Mar 18, 2009)

Katier said:


> I think Tilt-Shift can be used to help with the problem, Also tripoding the camera and remote triggering will help.



Look up what a T/S lens does, it won't help here. 



Just use a huge softbox or two and if you're worried about your reflection, just clone yourself out.


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## AlexColeman (Mar 18, 2009)

I remember seeing shots lie these somewhere, I will have to find the link.


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## prodigy2k7 (Mar 19, 2009)

Flash Harry said:


> no, tilt shift lens are for perspective correction, nothing to do with reflection, any spherical object is going to have your reflection in it, especially something chromed, clone it out later or use a long lens and hide behind some other unmoveable object/building/gate etc. H


or for perspective un-correction!! (is that a word? hehe)


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## Battou (Mar 19, 2009)

Long, slow lens and farther away from the subject, it's the best course of action for what you are looking to achieve.


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## Katier (Mar 19, 2009)

Sw1tchFX said:


> Look up what a T/S lens does, it won't help here.
> 
> 
> 
> Just use a huge softbox or two and if you're worried about your reflection, just clone yourself out.



Thanks to Flea77 for backing me up on here.. I'd hit EXACTLY the same problem in a shoot I'd done recently. The fellow students who critiqued the image said I should have shot 5x4 with tilt shift. As Fleas link says because it effectively offsets the image the camera can be made to not appear in the shot. So yes T/S CAN help with the problem.

It seemed to make sense that it WOULD work because the way a T/S lens has the effect of making it appear the shot was taken from a point away from where it actually what. If your photographing a mirror and the point the T/S moves to no-longer has your reflection showing.. it'll disapear.


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