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  #1  
Old 2013-09-27, 6:20pm
Doug Baldwin Doug Baldwin is offline
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Default The Single Most Important Step An Artist Can Take

"The single most important step an artist can take to improve their sales and their website, attract more attention to their marketing and get into more juried shows, is to increase the quality of the the photography of their art. This begins by using high quality lighting while photographing their art. The lightboxes I sell can make that happen." - Doug Baldwin, Professional Photographer and Photography Instructor to Artists and Craftspeople

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  #2  
Old 2013-09-27, 8:40pm
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I LOVE my new boxes.....


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  #3  
Old 2013-09-28, 12:28am
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Are you planning on offering any with double or quadruple bulb sockets?
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Old 2013-09-28, 2:51pm
Doug Baldwin Doug Baldwin is offline
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There hasn't been any interest in lightboxes with more bulbs in them until your post. If you're using a pair of single bulb lightboxes and you find the shot you're working on is too dark, just lower the exposure time to lighten the shot. You should have your camera on a tripod and the camera set on manual exposure. The shutter speed is basically irrelevant because the tripod is holding the camera steady. If you're using slow shutter speeds (lower than 1/30) and the shot doesn't look sharp, you may be creating a micro movement as you trip the shutter release. The remedy is to trip the shutter release using the self-timer and the camera will settle down after you've tripped the shutter for a rock solid exposure. Or you can use a remote control shutter release if your camera has either the infrared capability or plug for a cabled remote control.
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Old 2013-09-28, 5:34pm
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I've heard these boxes take a good amount of space - any plans to make them with a smaller footprint?
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  #6  
Old 2013-09-28, 6:50pm
Doug Baldwin Doug Baldwin is offline
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The lightboxes I sell are the smallest factory made sizes available. The box needs to have a certain amount of depth to place the lightbulb away from the front diffuser. This results in a soft diffused light coming out the front of the box which is the key to shooting reflective surfaces. As the bulb gets closer to the front diffuser, the light gets more focused and harder resulting in a more pronounced hot spot in the reflective surfaces of your glass.

These lights work great for a variety of genres including beads, metal clay, glass sculpture, turned wood, ceramics, jewelry, etc. The lighted area on the front of a box is about 19", which means you can easily shoot a 16" necklace and have it evenly lit. It's alway better to have a larger softer source that covers your subject, than a box that's too small, resulting in hot spots on the reflective surfaces and uneven lighting at the edges of the set.

The lightboxes are about 18" deep. With 2 lightboxes set up and a working space between for the item being photographed, you need about a 48" width shooting area.

The mechanical structure to make them collapsible, combined with the size of the lightbulb and the distance that the lightbulb needs to be from the front of the box, dictates that the lightbox couldn't really be much smaller and effectively produce soft even lighting.
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  #7  
Old 2013-09-28, 8:48pm
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Yes, I use a tripod and set the timer. I've been perfecting my photos for several years. However, I always have an issue with light. It's practically a full time job taking photos. I asked because I'd been considering buying some similar boxes from another company, and they offer more bulbs. Some of the photos I've seen from your customers looked a little dark to me. It might be a learning curve issue, but I have concerns about it, since lighting is what causes me the biggest headache.
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Old 2013-09-28, 9:08pm
Doug Baldwin Doug Baldwin is offline
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The lightness or darkness of a photo that the photographer chooses for a photo may not be the same exposure another person might choose. That's a personal preference. There is some latitude in what a "correct" exposure might be.

It's immaterial how many bulbs there are in a light source. The photo can be easily lightened or darkened by setting the camera to manual exposure and adjusting the shutter speed up or down accordingly. If you have your camera set to fully programmed, auto exposure, aperture priority or shutter priority, those are auto exposure modes and the camera is deciding the exposure, not you.

The quality of light coming out of the lightsource is more important than the quantity of light emitted. Soft, even, diffused light is key to shooting reflective surfaces such as glass and polished metal.
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Old 2013-10-05, 12:53pm
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I certainly found my glass work getting more attention and being accepted for articles once I took Doug's class. I have long been an amateur outdoor and wild life photographer but those skills where not transferring into great glass pics, I had tried photo cubes and the cloud dome but none of them have compared to using Doug's lights and techniques.
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Old 2013-10-05, 1:25pm
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There's certainly no worry about the amount of light emitted from these boxes! We spent about 20 minutes last night figuring out how to set the camera up properly to accomodate the huge amount of light produced by three. (We received the lights yesterday.) Still working on the perfect camera set up, but right away we found it's way easier to get accurate colours.
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  #11  
Old 2013-10-10, 5:26pm
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Hi Doug
I just signed up for your class at Carlisle in Feb 2014. I learned a bunch - but never enough at your mini class for instructors in Vegas. My husband is coming too. Can't wait to learn more about my camera and the light boxes I got from you!!!
Looking forward to it

Lisa St. Martin
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  #12  
Old 2013-10-11, 6:01am
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Before I take the light box plunge, any recommendations for a good, relatively inexpensive camera ($300 range). I'm partial to Sony, would consider Nikon next and Canon after that.
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  #13  
Old 2013-10-11, 12:52pm
Doug Baldwin Doug Baldwin is offline
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Hi Elizabeth,

The cost of a camera all depends on the features you're looking for and what you're trying to accomplish with the camera. If you can live with a Point-and-Shoot (PAS) camera, there are lots of choices. If you want a Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera, then you've got a challenge finding one at that price. Over 300 students have taken my Photo and Photoshop classes since June 2011. In the first year, at least half of the students brought PAS cameras. Most were very disappointed in how poorly the cameras performed in a studio product photo setting while trying to shoot their beads, metal clay, jewelry and glass art. The cameras were not primarily designed for this kind of photography. They are designed for family snapshots, birthday parties, graduations, a day at the beach, etc. So to expect these PAS cameras to have all the features and controls of a DSLR is a stretch.

I've never owned a Sony camera and do not read about or follow the camera introductions by the various manufacturers, whether Sony, Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Samsung, Olympus, Fuji, Contax, etc. There are usually several models introduced each and every day from the manufacturers, hundred of models each year. There may be some newly introduced camera models that are a hybrid of PAS and DSLR with good features from both camps. I'm not acquainted with those because I don't have the time to freed about each new model of camera, learn the specs and remember the differences between them to be insightful when it comes to making a recommendation.

My general advice for people coming to my classes is to purchase a DSLR for a couple of reasons:

First is the ability to be able to change lenses. The fixed (permanently attached) zoom lenses found on PAS cameras limits your choices. Yes, there are many excellent zooms on the PAS cameras. But I'd rather be able to attach a high quality single focal length macro lens to my DSLR because it has much better resolution than a zoom lens and because I can focus closer compared to a zoom lens.

Second, while many PAS cameras offer a manual exposure mode, there are frequently limitations such as a limited aperture range. Most of the PAS cameras I've seen students bring to classes stop at f8 and don't allow a smaller aperture for better depth-of-field (DOF). Increasing the DOF is essential when shooting something at an angle to the camera such as a necklace laid out across the shooting surface. I would say that 90+% of the students who have brought PAS cameras to the classes have found them lacking and have chosen to move up to a DSLR.

Third, the menus and operational controls of most PAS cameras are frequently and mostly menu driven with lots of deep sub-menu choices that are difficult to figure out. I've seen several PAS cameras reset the manual exposure settings after the camera has been powered off, forcing the photographer to reset the shutter speed, aperture and ISO every time the camera is powered on.

In the description to my classes now I caution students that if they bring PAS cameras to class, they will probably find that these cameras will not perform to professional standards and they will most likely be disappointed at the camera's performance. Since I started posting this notice, 90+% of the students now arrive at class with a DSLR.

One thought about Sony cameras. Many of the models use a Sony-proprietary form of memory card called a Memory Stick. In and of itself, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Where is comes into play is if you're on the road and need more memory, finding the Sony specific card may be a serious challenge if you'r not near a large retailer that stocks them. Or what if you're in a class and the teacher wants to view some image from the card and neither of you has a Memory Stick reader. You'll need to have a cable to hook up the camera to the laptop to download the image files. Not deal breakers, just something to consider.

If your budget is fixed at $300, then you've got a challenge to find a new camera that gives you the features you want at that price. Most of the new DSLRs that I'm acquainted with start at about $400.

What I use is the Canon T2i DSLR. It's several years old and not the latest model. But it's 18 Mp, does everything I need including using a Canon 60mm macro lens on it and yields excellent photos. I'm not one who needs the latest and greatest camera model. I'm more concerned with knowing how to use one camera really well and getting good photos with it. Eighteen megapixels is plenty of resolution for what I need to do. It's an investment that continues to serve my beautifully to this day.

I just did a quick survey of Ebay and found several pages of used Canon T2i cameras with 18-55mm zoom that sold recently for under $350. The 18-55mm found on most DSLRs is good for general photography and can be used for smaller items including beads and jewelry. The lens will focus to a minimum of about 7 inches and yield a decent image at the range. But if you're shooting lots of smaller items, I recommend you budget for a dedicated macro lens. Every one of the students who has bought one and brought it to class have been very pleased with the results. I bought my Canon 60mm Macro lens used on Ebay and saved about $100 off the price of a new lens.

A lot of info to process, I know. But your question covers a lot of territory and I don't like giving flip or short answers just because of convenience. I hope that helps. If you have more questions, please ask away.
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Old 2013-10-12, 2:15am
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Whow, thanks, Doug!
THAT is a lot of helpful information for someone like me. I have a 10 year old PAS digicam with awful menu structure that keeps me from making adjustments to exposure and so on and I'm looking for a new - maybe used - one. Your information helps me a lot.
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  #15  
Old 2013-10-12, 5:33am
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Wow, thanks Doug. So, if I increase the budget to $400, can you recommend a very basic DSLR?
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  #16  
Old 2013-10-12, 5:39pm
Doug Baldwin Doug Baldwin is offline
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The question about what camera to buy has been asked in two different posts, so I'll do my best to answer both and post in both places. Since a wide group of people will be reading this post, I'll keep my recommendations general to help as many as possible. I'm not sure if you want to go with a new or used camera so let's talk a little about both.

In my photo classes I recommend people go with either of the 2 major brands being sold today, Nikon and Canon for several reasons.

1. Nikon and Canon sell the most DSLR cameras in the market at present. I owned and used Nikon cameras in my pro photo business for 30 years. I still own my original Nikon F film camera from 1970. I presently use Canon EOS cameras. Both brands make excellent cameras that produce marvelous photos. The main reason I switched from Nikon to Canon about 4 years ago was that my wife and I were getting into shooting video and we wanted a DSLR camera that could shoot stills and video with the same camera. I felt at the time that Canon had the lead in terms of quality in the DSLR video area. In the last 4 years Nikon has made great strides in DSLR video as well. If I didn't presently own Canon, it would be a toss up for me to decide which brand to start with at the moment. In my classes over the last 2 years I would say that 50% of the DSLRs are Canon, 40% are Nikon and the last 10% are from other manufacturers.

2. That's not to say that the other camera manufacturers are slouches when it comes to making fine cameras. I've seen a couple of Sony DSLRs in classes and they seemed fine. But I look at several other factors when choosing a manufacturer. At some point, I may choose to sell my current camera and move up a model or two. So the resale market is important. You'll find far more buyers and sellers of used Nikon and Canon cameras than the other brands by far. I'm pretty sure Sony sells their sensors to other manufacturers for inclusion in their cameras, so a Canon or Nikon may well have a Sony sensor.

3. Lens choices. Both Nikon and Canon make the largest range of lenses for their cameras. There are 2nd party manufacturers such as Sigma that are making fantastic lenses for N & C that are equal or even better in some cases when compared to the same focal lengths the manufactures are putting out. I wouldn't hesitate to buy and use Sigma lenses. When you come to my photo classes, I make my Canon 60mm macro lens available for anyone to try out during class. Several students have also made their lenses available for others to try out as well. If you had a Sony, Fuji or Pentax camera, you're much less likely to find someone in class who has a lens you can try. Since more people own N & C, if you need help or have a question, you're much more likely to find someone who has the answer or can quickly guide you on resolving your issue with a N or C camera. I speak fluent Canon, almost fluent Nikon, but have to muddle through with other brands to figure out stuff.

4. If you own N or C and you're at a party or the kids soccer game, there's a chance a friend might have the super zoom or wide angle lens you've been lusting after and they may just loan it to you for a few minutes to get the great shot of the day. Probably wouldn't happen if you own a non-Nikon or non-Canon camera considering those other brands are much less common out there on the street.

5.Used Cameras. If you're acquainted with Ebay, there are tons of used cameras for sale. If you're new to eBay, several things to look out for. Buy items valued over $50 from sellers with a feedback number over 100 and a 99% or higher feedback. Look for good quality photos of the actual items being auctioned and a good description of the item(s) with full disclosure of any and all flaws. Ask if the lens(es) have any dust, dirt, fungus or scratches on any of the lens elements inside or outside the lens. If the description seems vague or too short, ask detailed questions about the camera such as "Is there anything wrong with the camera?" and "Do all the functions work properly on the camera?" Ebay has a Buyer Protection Policy so you're covered if the item arrives "Not As Described." I bought my Canon 60mm Macro lens used on Ebay. If I was looking to save some money, I would buy a used Canon T2i (I own several) without the zoom lens and get the 60mm macro instead. Probably two separate deals but a great combo. Good basic camera and excellent close-up lens with fantastic resolving power for great detail. I would not go to an earlier model than the T2i because the earlier ones didn't have such good built-in video and well thought menus and controls.

6. Video. You may be thinking, "I don't want or need a DSLR with video." Well, there may come a time when you've become good enough at your art or craft and you either want to or someone has asked you to do a video of a technique you're really good at. If you bought a DSLR with built-in video, you're but a few steps away from being able to video the process. That's not to say you won't have to deal with story, lighting, sound and editing, but those are doable as well.

7. Stay away from early DSLR cameras. In the last 5 years N & C have made great strides in all areas of their DSLRs, from higher quality sensors, to better preview screens, to well thought our controls and menus. Earlier this year a student brought a 10 year old, 6 Mp DSLR to class. The preview screen was the size of a postage stamp and was so dark, we couldn't tell if the pictures were in focus or properly exposed. We had to import a photo into my laptop to see the exposure and focus. You should be buying a camera, used or new, with at least a 12 Mp sensor.

8. New Specific Cameras:

Canon: Using the search terms "Canon DSLR" in Amazon, the first 2 search results that come back are the Canon T3i (18Mp) with 18-55mm zoom for $475. This is the updated model of the Canon I own, the T2i (18Mp). The next item on the list is the T3 (12Mp) with 18-55mm zoom for $325. Either one would be a great camera.

Nikon: The first 3 cameras with zoom lenses on the Amazon list using the search terms "Nikon DSLR" are the D3200, D3100 and D5100, ranging in price from $546 down to $370 respectively. All 3 would work fine.

Sony: If you've got $400 to spend and want a new Sony camera, a quick search of Amazon using the search terms "Sony DSLR" brings up 5 models. The Sony a3000 DSLR (20 Mp) comes in at $398. The main part of the listing doesn't say it includes a lens, but the Q&A section says it does include a 18-55 zoom lens. I don't know much beyond that or have actual working knowledge of Sony.

Hope that helps.
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Old 2013-10-13, 4:13pm
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Elizabeth Beads Elizabeth Beads is offline
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Quote:
8. New Specific Cameras:

Canon: Using the search terms "Canon DSLR" in Amazon, the first 2 search results that come back are the Canon T3i (18Mp) with 18-55mm zoom for $475. This is the updated model of the Canon I own, the T2i (18Mp). The next item on the list is the T3 (12Mp) with 18-55mm zoom for $325. Either one would be a great camera.

Nikon: The first 3 cameras with zoom lenses on the Amazon list using the search terms "Nikon DSLR" are the D3200, D3100 and D5100, ranging in price from $546 down to $370 respectively. All 3 would work fine.

Sony: If you've got $400 to spend and want a new Sony camera, a quick search of Amazon using the search terms "Sony DSLR" brings up 5 models. The Sony a3000 DSLR (20 Mp) comes in at $398. The main part of the listing doesn't say it includes a lens, but the Q&A section says it does include a 18-55 zoom lens. I don't know much beyond that or have actual working knowledge of Sony.

Hope that helps.
This helps a lot. Except for the Sony, I'm not seeing the same prices using the same searches on Amazon, unless you mean the prices for used models.

Thanks!
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Old 2013-10-13, 4:27pm
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I just went back to Amazon and used the search terms "Sony DSLR." In the search results the sixth item down is a listing for the a3000. It shows a new price of $398. Here's the screen grab I just pulled from Amazon:
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Old 2013-10-13, 4:54pm
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Yes. I said except for the Sony. The Sony was the one I did find. Sorry if that was confusing.
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Old 2013-10-13, 6:03pm
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Doug, you're wonderful to be so helpful, and your lightboxes rock!
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Old 2013-10-13, 7:47pm
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My bad Elizabeth Beads, you're right. I inverted your point. Here's the screen grabs of the "Canon DSLR" and "Nikon DSLR" search results I just found:


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Old 2013-10-14, 1:33am
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Doug, you are just wonderful.

I thought back and forth around everything and did decde NOT to buy a new camera but instead use the one my husband has (and is willing to share). It's a several years old Canon 400D and I will buy a used Canon EF-S 60mm Macro that I hope to get at a price below 250 €. After reading your posts and researching a little more I could finally make that decision.

Thanks and greetings

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Old 2013-10-14, 3:14am
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Doug theres tons of really useful info here - wish i could get to take a class with you next year - but you are too far away - thanks for all comprehensive comments on this post
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Old 2013-10-14, 4:55pm
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MangoBeads, Glad to be of assistance. I like helping people create better photos of their art. I'd love to have you or anyone else here on LE in my classes. My only east coast US 2-day class scheduled so far for 2014 will be at the Carlisle School of Glass in Millville New Jersey, February 22 & 23, 2014. It's listed on their website:
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It's just a short hop across the pond for you. Why not come over for the class?
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Old 2013-10-17, 5:58am
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I went and played with all the cameras today and learned a lot. All the DSLRs felt heavy and clumsy in my hands. I'm considering a Sony NEX. I just need something better than my DSC for bead pictures. I'm not thinking of taking up photography as a hobby and won't be filming any soccer games or building a collection of lenses.

I did learn that Sony now uses the standard memory card and not the proprietary memory stick. Which is sort of too bad because I was away last weekend and left the memory stick in my computer at home and wound up spending $30 on a new 8GB stick.
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I was also really impressed by the Sony RX100. The salesman showed me some incredible photos taken with it. So now I need two new cameras.
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"And all will turn to silver glass, a light on the water, grey ships pass into the west." Annie Lennox
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  #26  
Old 2013-10-30, 6:43pm
malilyd malilyd is offline
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Doug, I'm definitely interested in your light boxes but haven't idea if I can just do one. I only do small pendNts, necklaces and bracelets and I am definitely an ammeter photographer! Any suggestions welcome. Thx for all the great info you've already provided., For a single mom on a budget this has been great!
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Old 2013-10-30, 7:07pm
Doug Baldwin Doug Baldwin is offline
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Malilyd, Yes it's possible to only work with one light. The main difference you'll see is that the light will come predominantly from one side. This will be fairly evident when the object is reflective. If you use just one light, you can put up white card stock (8.5 x 11") around the other side of the object out of the camera's view to act as fill cards to even out the lighting. I personally use and recommend to all the students in my classes that they use two lights.

Since you're shooting necklaces, the lightsourc(es) should be bigger than the necklace is long to give you even lighting along the full length of the necklace. The lightboxes I sell have a 19" square front lighted surface so you can easily shoot 18" long necklaces and achieve good lighting on them.

Here's an example of a metal clay necklace I photographed today for a client that used 2 lights. We didn't want to feature the complete necklace so I faded the top to black to downplay the upper chain.


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Old 2013-10-31, 1:37pm
malilyd malilyd is offline
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Thank you for the great, and quick information. I'll save up for two!
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  #29  
Old 2013-11-06, 8:08am
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lillianw lillianw is offline
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wow---that is a stunning piece of jewelry, and photography, tiggybubba. i want it!
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Old 2013-11-06, 9:01am
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mangobeads mangobeads is offline
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oh if only the hop were not so big Doug ! thanks for the invite thought
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