AboutDavid Barry Expertise I have a lot of experience in most traditional forms of photography, so I`m quite knowledgeable about things like camera types and formats, techniques, exposure, film types, colour, filters, lighting, standard colour and black and white developing and printing.
I do not make recommendations about brands or models, and I am not a camera technician so I may not be able to tell you what is wrong with your equipment if it`s not working .
I also know a little about digital photography and imaging with scanners and digital cameras, so ask me and I will answer if I can.
Experience Experience in the area
I have been seriously involved in photography for over 25 years, including about 4 years as a professional, as well as 2 years providing administrative service to government photographers, requiring interpreting photographers' requirements and trade technicalities for those unfamiliar with such.
I have successfully trained several beginners in photography, helping them to become competent in basic techniques.
Organizations belong to:
None at present, but have been in about 4 camera clubs, having won or had placings in 2 club competitions.
Publications:
A lot of my photos have been in educational / training manuals, books and some photography magazines, as well as 2-3 dozen images been on the Web so far.
Education/Credentials:
Completed 4-year diploma in professional photography technique at Sydney's Technical College
Awards and Honors:
3 placings and / or merits in camera club competitions.
Question David, I am the owner of a silkscreen poster printing company. For the past 3 years we have shot our posters outside. The photos are strictly for our website and webstore, not for printing if that makes a difference. We are looking to set up a small photo studio indoors to shoot these posters to have a more consistent look for the website and no longer rely on sunny days. What kind of lighting recommendations would you make for a studio looking to shoot strictly paper posters, averaging 18" x 24". Rarely we print with metallic ink, so maybe 5% of the time there will be a shine, otherwise it's all flat color. We have a Nikon D60 SLR.
Answer Have you already tried shooting the posters using D60 with its inbuilt flash, setting camera on tripod, dead square on (parallel with) face of poster ? Any good ? Probably not.
One problem with front-on lighting (such as from built-in flash) is that result might tend to look too concentrated brightness towards the centre with gradual light-falloff towards edges. Especially in cases where there is any kind of shine.
You sound as if you might consider investing in somthing more serious, such as a pair, or even a 4-some, of off-camera Speedlights of equal light output specification, evenly placed at approx. angle of 30 to 60 degrees each side of camera - poster axis. This is a traditional method of most set-ups for copying flat-art. And also I would put some diffusing tissue or similar material over the flashheads to further even out the light spread.
But, one problem : I don't know if the D-60 caters for connecting off-camera flash by remote cable, such as a sync socket to plug-in a cable, or some kind of accessory that can sit on the camera's top hot-shoe - something you need to investigate.
Bottom line is that for such work you need to have as even lighting spread as possible over the entire poster.
Otherwise you will notice in the results a gradual darkening of the colour and brightness from one side or corner of the image to the other, which might require extensive professional digital retouching before the pics get published on the webpage.
