I see the light...2

[Plumcrak]

2nd attempt...C&C most welcome.

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5)

[Bobobird]

That is one heck of a tough job you have set yourself. Curved shiny surface, light bouncing all over the place due to the rear part of the bulb, the filaments. and other glass bits. I would not even know where to start.

What exactly are you trying to achieve pic-wise?

Please also share your experiences.

[Plumcrak]

Take a picture of a lightbulb...how hard can that be?
Now here are the rules;
1-Filaments hot-power on
2-Dark room, the lightbulb is the only light. (flash is acceptable)
3-Any distance, any angle

A friend of mine, who is also a photography instructor, will share class projects for me to join in on from time to time. This was the most recent such project. Most of the students in the class chose to shoot a single lamp, with a shade, in a room setting. Some had people in it, some did not. One student shot a plain white light bulb from about 4' away.

How tough could this be??? Well, if you decide to do close-ups of a clear bulb, you have just added another set of issues.

At first I just wanted to get the filaments. Then somebody here suggested using a little flash to light the glass so I could get the entire bulb. This is where my troubles really started. I only have the on-camera flash, and even turned down as far as it will go it is still too much. I think it is time for a little homemade flash diffuser...maybe that will help. I am going to try that later tonight

[Bobobird]

If you do not do it then you will not know...

Diffuser - start with kitchen towel adding layers as you go until you get the effect you want.

[Mike Buckley]

Take a picture of a lightbulb...how hard can that be?

That can be very difficult, depending on the style of photo you are trying to make. The style you chose is very difficult.

I like the last one by far the best. The background is pleasantly lit and centered around the subject. There is less glare in the glass, though as you mentioned, still too much. The filaments are very attractive.

I would like to see the exterior of the light bulb's base. As I just mentioned in another thread, presenting a vertical subject within a horizontal format doesn't work for me unless there is a compelling reason to do so. None of these versions present that compelling reason for me.

Rule #2: How many flashes are allowed? Why not continuous light? I hope the purpose of this rule is to force the students to think a particular way in a particular situation and that that purpose has been conveyed to them. I abhor rules that are rules only for the sake of being rules. So, what is the purpose of this project to allow flash and only flash?

What kind of light bulb is this?

[Plumcrak]

Mike, his projects usually build on one another and the reasons for the "rules" becomes clear on the last project(if you haven't figured it out before). This is project #4 out of 10, so there is a ways to go.
There are a wide variety of cameras in this class, from $6000 Dslr's to $100 P&S. He did not limit to "one" flash, so I will bet that some students with more gear will use it all, but one flash is all I have at this time. It does seem that the student with the most gear knows the least about it but they are learning more about it each week