# more pictures from my new shooting table.



## John_05

i got a shooting table at a thrift store here for $17,  and have been trying to put it to good use.  after practicing with it on a couple other things around the house,  i took these shots of some ornaments i just got.

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any comments, critique, or suggestions anyone has would be most appreciated.


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## shorty6049

they look good, perhaps a little too bright, but if i were in the market for umm... dragon ornaments, i'd buy one if you were selling them, they look very desirable and colorful!


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## craig

I love the light and the art. Definitely cut the tags off. I would also figure out a way to hang or stand them up. They look a little dead laying there.

Love & Bass


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## John_05

craig said:


> I love the light and the art. Definitely cut the tags off. I would also figure out a way to hang or stand them up. They look a little dead laying there.
> 
> Love & Bass


 
thanks for the tips.  i plan on shooting them again.  the shots were more for practice than anything.

they are collectibles,  so i wont be cutting the tags off,  but i did think about cloning them out.  i might do that later and repost them.


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## RacePhoto

Can you post a photo of the table? I'd love to see what you "stole" at a thrift shop. It looks good!


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## John_05

RacePhoto said:


> Can you post a photo of the table? I'd love to see what you "stole" at a thrift shop. It looks good!


 

i posted this in another thread and intended to post it here with these pictures too,  but i forgot to add it.

had i not helped a friend put her table together a couple months ago, i wouldnt have even known what mine was when i saw it in the box.  it wasnt assembled and there were no instructions.  i think thats why the place i got it from didnt know what it was either.


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## THORHAMMER

I like them a lot, only thing I would do is diffuse the main light a little and block some of your reflections from other objects. Then you can have more direction on the overall look. Pretty cool setup !!!!


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## John_05

thanks for the tips Thorhammer.

i meant to do some more shooting with it today,  and just got too busy.  i have some ideas i want to try,  but ill have to wait until tomorrow now.


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## kugy5

I Know it might be unconventional since the lights are not polarized but I would  try a polarizing filter, i did a transilluminated shot recently and liked what the filter did. to the saturation and fill of the shot


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## John_05

kugy5 said:


> I Know it might be unconventional since the lights are not polarized but I would try a polarizing filter, i did a transilluminated shot recently and liked what the filter did. to the saturation and fill of the shot


 

i actually thought about using the CP filter i have and reshooting them once i saw how the ones i posted looked.  i changed my mind though.  i still only have the kit lens that came with my Rebel XT,  and a Sigma 70-300mm f4-5.6 DG Macro lenses,  and coupled with a cheap filter,  i dont think the shots would have come out too sharp.


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## Leigh

Thats a wicked little set up.
Does anyone know how I could possibly make my own. Im quite a creative person and have all sorts of craft materials. I also have a bit of a poorly paid job and cant afford to buy one.

Any ideas, please let me know.


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## John_05

Leigh said:


> Thats a wicked little set up.
> Does anyone know how I could possibly make my own. Im quite a creative person and have all sorts of craft materials. I also have a bit of a poorly paid job and cant afford to buy one.
> 
> Any ideas, please let me know.


 

ive seen a couple different sites where people made their own from PVC pipe,  and before i found that one,  i was going to have my brother build me one out of wood.  neither of those options would have been as cheap as the one i found, and after having a look at Ebay,  i dont think they would have been as cheap as the one i found there either.  the PVC pipe alone would have cost around $25,  and just the clamps for the base on Ebay were about $20+ shippping too.  add in the cost of the plastic top,  and its well over the $65 you can get one on Ebay for and you wouldnt have an adjustable angle for the back,  and you also wouldnt have 2 light fixture clamps to hold lights on the table for you either.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Professional-No...ryZ79006QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

if youre still interested in building one yourself,  i can see if i can find those sites again for you.


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## koda-46

wut camera r u using?


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## John_05

koda-46 said:


> wut camera r u using?


 

the one i used for the dragon pics,  is a Canon Rebel XT.

the one i used to shoot the set up,  is a Fuji E510.


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## richardys

Are you using only one light?

Also what type of bulb are you using?

Thanks in advance.


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## oldnavy170

What a lucky find!!!!


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## John_05

richardys said:


> Are you using only one light?
> 
> Also what type of bulb are you using?
> 
> Thanks in advance.


 

i used 2 lights for those shots.  one above the table,  and one underneath it.

the lights i used are 250W 5500k color balanced fluorescents.


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## John_05

oldnavy170 said:


> What a lucky find!!!!


 

yes,  a VERY lucky one!

like i said before,  if i hadnt just gotten done helping someone else set their table up,  i probably wouldnt have even known what it was.

i hope one day i can find someone that wants to sell some nice white Canon lenses because they think they are factory rejects because they arent black......  :lmao:


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## WingedPower

John_05 said:


> i got a shooting table at a thrift store here for $17,  and have been trying to put it to good use.  after practicing with it on a couple other things around the house,  i took these shots of some ornaments i just got.
> any comments, critique, or suggestions anyone has would be most appreciated.









The objects are reflective in nature and have quite a few hot spots. Others have also noted that they would benefit from something other than a prone position... perhaps hung up or propped up.

Recomendation: 
- light tent or a more diffuse light source, like a 2x2' or 4x4' overhead lightsource to give better illumination.
- a bent wire or a banana hanger to hang the items up so that they can be shown in a more "natural" or "in-use" state
- some tack or clear rubber blocks to prop up the items for those which are not suitable for hanging.

Otherwise, that's a cool table.


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## John_05

WingedPower said:


> The objects are reflective in nature and have quite a few hot spots. Others have also noted that they would benefit from something other than a prone position... perhaps hung up or propped up.
> 
> Recomendation:
> - light tent or a more diffuse light source, like a 2x2' or 4x4' overhead lightsource to give better illumination.
> - a bent wire or a banana hanger to hang the items up so that they can be shown in a more "natural" or "in-use" state
> - some tack or clear rubber blocks to prop up the items for those which are not suitable for hanging.
> 
> Otherwise, that's a cool table.


 
thanks for the tips.  :thumbup:

as i said,  they were the first shots i did with the table,  so they were just to test it out.  i didnt post process any of them, and i havent gone back to them since i posted them,  but i think i could tone down the hot spots fairly easily.

i thought about using one of the light tents i have to shoot them,  but they really were just for practicing with the table,  so i havent re shot them.

i have a set of 5-in-one reflectors,  and the base is a diffuser panel,  so if i do decide to reshoot them,  i will probably use that.  ive shot a few other things like a mirror and a watch,  and it worked well.

as for other light sources,  i dont have anything other than what you see in the picture of the set up,  so im stuck using what i have.  one day when i can save up more money,  i plan on buying a strobe or 2.  until then,  i can only practice shooting with what i can afford.

thanks again for the tips.  i appreciate it.


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## RacePhoto

Now that I look at it, is the table basically a piece of plastic, over the frame, with some clamps? I could make my own with a sheet of flexible plastic? Or is there something I'm missing.

Anyone remember the link to the guy who had diffusion hoods, with a template, so you could buy foam core board and cut your own?

My goal is to make something VERY portable to take shots on location. Even my $4.98 folding tent from a laundry basket, is a bit much. I started thinking flex plastic and lights with diffusion heads. That way I could pull them out, bend the sheet of plastic, light from two sides and the back/bottom, and I'd be done. No tent needed.

If the part about Daylight balance got lost, you can find 5500 K bulbs at Home Depot and places like that. I haven't had much luck with hardware stores. Some have them, some look at me like "what"?

The reason I keep looking is I want a smaller wattage for the bottom, and more for the sides/top. Also balancing the amount of light when different thicknesses of diffusion material are used.

Sheets are too thick, not enough light gets through. I'm still working on something other than paper, more durable, but that lets more light through.
 Silk? Nylon?

The project continues.

Oh by the way, I found another clamp light with a better reflector at Goodwill when I was on the road last week. Had to pay top dollar, $2.98 for it. 

So while I ramble. Anyone remember where the site was for building the diffusion head at home? I can't seem to remember what search I used.


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## John_05

RacePhoto said:


> Now that I look at it, is the table basically a piece of plastic, over the frame, with some clamps? I could make my own with a sheet of flexible plastic? Or is there something I'm missing.
> 
> Anyone remember the link to the guy who had diffusion hoods, with a template, so you could buy foam core board and cut your own?
> 
> My goal is to make something VERY portable to take shots on location. Even my $4.98 folding tent from a laundry basket, is a bit much. I started thinking flex plastic and lights with diffusion heads. That way I could pull them out, bend the sheet of plastic, light from two sides and the back/bottom, and I'd be done. No tent needed.
> 
> If the part about Daylight balance got lost, you can find 5500 K bulbs at Home Depot and places like that. I haven't had much luck with hardware stores. Some have them, some look at me like "what"?
> 
> The reason I keep looking is I want a smaller wattage for the bottom, and more for the sides/top. Also balancing the amount of light when different thicknesses of diffusion material are used.
> 
> Sheets are too thick, not enough light gets through. I'm still working on something other than paper, more durable, but that lets more light through.
> Silk? Nylon?
> 
> The project continues.
> 
> Oh by the way, I found another clamp light with a better reflector at Goodwill when I was on the road last week. Had to pay top dollar, $2.98 for it.
> 
> So while I ramble. Anyone remember where the site was for building the diffusion head at home? I can't seem to remember what search I used.


 
its an adjustable frame with a 1/16" thick piece of plexiglass for the top.  the angle of the back can be adjusted to any angle you want or need.  it also came with 2 clamp on posts to hold lights too.

if youre looking for something more portable than a light tent,  one of those tables isnt going to work.  even if they have one that collapses and reassembles easily, its still a bit heavier than a fabric tent, and the plexiglass is a pain to roll and unroll every time you need to use it.  if you just use plastic,  i dont know if it will be able to hold very much weight.

the table i have only weighs about 6-7 pounds total,  but thats considerably more than a light tent.  with the plexiglass being such a pain to work with when you need to unroll it and it not rolling down to a smaller size than 22" long by about 8" in diameter,  its not something that exactly screams portability IMO.

if the sheets youre using are too thick,  i think it would be easier and cheaper, and a lot more portable,  to just buy some thinner fabric.


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## RacePhoto

Isn't insomnia wonderful?   I woke up at about 3 or 4 last night and went searching the web for more answers. Still didn't find the hood project with templates, but what I did find was helpful.

Some people said "drafting film" was thin and didn't tear as easily as paper. Another article said, go to a crafts store and find some translucent plastic. Both good ideas.

Then I found windshield blankets. Which are those silvered reflective material on one side, that looked like they would make a nice reflector. I think they used to be marketed as "space blankets" and I bet I have one laying around someplace. That stretched over a frame would make a soft reflector.

Another article described a "shower cap" diffuser for an on camera flash, which immediately made me think, sure, an old plastic shopping bag, over a hood, held on with a rubber band, and I have my light diffuser. :thumbup: 

I looked at umbrellas, but it starts to get complicated, with poles, stands, strobes or lights. They would work fine however if I wanted to spend just under $100 for a two unit kit, complete.

The idea isn't necessarily practical, but DIY projects which work and are entertaining to build.

One guy used a shower curtain stretched over a frame, with the flash aimed at the back, reflecting through the broad front. Nice, but no thanks, too big.

Same goes for large light boxes, whether straight or tapered. Nice but too big. 

Finally I found a diffusion dome. Interesting. The sides are almost clear and a white dome is inverted in the center. With this you could strobe from on your camera and get a broad, soft light. Not what I'm looking for, but none-the-less, interesting. One of use could make one with a Tupperware bowl and some plastic. 

I guess I'll keep hunting for that plastic cutting board, which rolls up, and can be bent in an "S" shape like your table. BTW I like the table, and would love to have something like that in the studio.

I think I'm going to try diffusers over the heads, on desk lamp fixtures, with a lighted base unit of some sort. The base should wash out the bottom, the bent plastic will be a smooth backdrop. The two or three lights will provide soft diffused light. The whole thing, extension cord and a power bar, something to support the warped plastic, should fit into a carrying case.

No stands, no strobes, no umbrellas, just diffused fluorescent (daylight) bulbs in desk lamps that have flexible arms on them and diffusion hoods.

Now about those hoods? :lmao:

Large plastic bottles? Translucent salad bowls? Plastic globes from something else. A playground ball, cut in half? The search continues.


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## John_05

i had an idea for a collapsible shooting table,  and it would come with its own carry case.

find one of those folding chairs with an adjustable back.  if you take the arms and seat off,  you could put the plexiglass or plastic on the back and then down across where the seat was.  i used to have one with an adjustable back,  but it didnt lay flat.  im sure there would be a way to fix that.

then all you would need is the light clamps and attach them to the supports under the chair for a bottom light,  and if it would fit,  you could put a couple old light posts into the top parts of the chair to hold 2 top lights,  no clamps needed.  they could just stay there permanently.

when i get back later,  ill take a picture of a chair i have and make a diagram to describe it better.


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