Mirrored

[Loose Canon]

My Glass Blowing Buddies once again have handed me my rear end!

They have started a new line of mirrored glass art and need some shots to jury into some high-end shows.

This is a test piece they gave me so I could get something going and get it tweaked.

This mirrored stuff is easily the trickiest stuff I have shot to date, reflecting everything.

I shot this completely enclosed. The camera was controlled by tethered computer. I managed to hide the camera and part of the tripod in the black stripes of the piece. I had to build my enclosure to conform with certain requirements for jury (gradient BG, shot on non-reflective surface and non- floating, etc.) and it had to be big enough to have plenty of separation room between the BG (which I lit separately) and the product.

The pieces they want shot for keeps are due this week (they are making them) so I have a few days to make any changes/adjustments or scrap the whole project. But they have never found any other photographers who will touch their glass assignments (read: dumb enough!) so they are stuck with me (read: just that dumb!).

Comments, suggestions, advice, names of therapists that I’ll be needing to see after this is over are most welcome!

[Wavelength]

Excellent reflected pattern; well done

[Mike Buckley]

It's a gorgeous image. I'm confident your clients are going to love it.

We the viewers can't determine which parts are created by reflections in the mirrored glass and which parts are color that the glass blowers introduced to the glass. Is it possible just for interest for you to tell us about that? As an example, you mentioned the piece's black stripes. Are all of the stripes black glass or are some of the mirrored reflections of a black enclosure that you used to photograph the piece?

I'm guessing that the mirrored aspect of this new line of glass is going to make the piece look very different every time you place it in a new position or even as different people view it (because the viewers are reflected in the piece). If I'm right about that, how do you and your clients determine the look that they want once you take the piece to your studio?

[geoz]

Very nicely done for a difficult piece. I like the positioning so that the black is at the edge of the view. There is the sharp line to the left of the base that seems out of place. Also, the whitish glaze at the left looks like it is important to the design. After looking at it for a while it looks like a side view of the vase. You don't need a therapist yet, but the week is young

[Inkanyezi]

I think the rather grey appearance of the mirror surfaces other than the one with highlights is a bit too dull. This is probably due to complete seclusion from the rest of the world. I like to shoot reflective objects in a situation where reflections make sense, where their appearance clearly indicate that these are mirrors. Hiding the camera is OK, but hiding the room where the item is placed? Dulling down mirror surfaces with a white photo tent?

My suggestions might perhaps prompt your visit to the shrink.

[FrankMi]

Impressive art and impressive photo-shoot!

[Loose Canon]

Excellent reflected pattern; well done

Thank you Nandakumar.

It's a gorgeous image. I'm confident your clients are going to love it.

We the viewers can't determine which parts are created by reflections in the mirrored glass and which parts are color that the glass blowers introduced to the glass. Is it possible just for interest for you to tell us about that? As an example, you mentioned the piece's black stripes. Are all of the stripes black glass or are some of the mirrored reflections of a black enclosure that you used to photograph the piece?

I'm guessing that the mirrored aspect of this new line of glass is going to make the piece look very different every time you place it in a new position or even as different people view it (because the viewers are reflected in the piece). If I'm right about that, how do you and your clients determine the look that they want once you take the piece to your studio?

Thanks Mike.

The large black stripes are part of the glass. The other is the mirrored finish. I used a white enclosure to shoot it in with the exception of the surface. It cannot be on a white surface nor appear to float. It has to have some gradated BG of some nondescript sort. It cannot be pure white, pure black, or heaven forbid, some kind of color.

Part of the difficulty I have with these guys is that they typically have no clue as to what they want. They couldn’t even give me any requirements for acceptable jury shots. Anything I might accidently know about jury submissions I have had to glean on my own.

One reason I post here to see if I can elicit some responses. I’m trying to consider all options and want to know what the folks on here might have to say about it.

After I submit a photo to them I usually get no specific feedback though I have tried my best to encourage them to provide any kind of thoughts they may have. Truthfully? I kind of feel out on a limb and like I am struggling most of the time.

Very nicely done for a difficult piece. I like the positioning so that the black is at the edge of the view. There is the sharp line to the left of the base that seems out of place. Also, the whitish glaze at the left looks like it is important to the design. After looking at it for a while it looks like a side view of the vase. You don't need a therapist yet, but the week is young.

Thank you George! If I don’t need a therapist yet I really dread seeing when I do!

I think the rather grey appearance of the mirror surfaces other than the one with highlights is a bit too dull. This is probably due to complete seclusion from the rest of the world.

The piece is reflecting the gray surface and shadow in front of it. I brought it up at that. Maybe not enough?

I like to shoot reflective objects in a situation where reflections make sense, where their appearance clearly indicate that these are mirrors. Hiding the camera is OK, but hiding the room where the item is placed? Dulling down mirror surfaces with a white photo tent?

My suggestions might perhaps prompt your visit to the shrink.

Urban. You are right in that the other way to handle this (at least that I know of) is to put a reflection in the glass. If I were, for example, shooting an actual mirror, say in a frame, I would do just that. Make sure it was slightly blurred and call it a day.

But I was afraid of getting a busy reflection that would confuse the actual artwork. It has to be the center of attention and not have a busy reflection, huge hot spots, hard shadows among other things. The Jurists for these shows weed through literally hundreds of photos for consideration. They will only view a photo for a few seconds before moving on to the next one. The photo has only those few seconds to make it’s impact before it’s passed over.

To be honest I really didn’t think it would be appropriate to show the reflection of the room, light fixtures, whatever is hanging on the walls, any chairs, a computer, my happy face (though what juror wouldn’t choose a piece that had me looking at them is beyond me!), etc. And believe me, this piece will reflect any and everything! Same thing if I put it next to a window.

Would you have a shot handy that you wouldn’t mind posting here that illustrates what you are saying Urban? Like I said I’m considering all possibilities. Meantime I’m going to go ahead and make an advance appointment with that shrink and avoid the rush later!

Impressive art and impressive photo-shoot!

Hi Frank!

Thank you for stopping by and welcome back sir! I missed you man and looking forward to seeing your sequel stuff.

Thank you everyone. I appreciate the input. Keep it coming if you feel like it.

[Mike Buckley]

I kind of feel out on a limb and like I am struggling most of the time.

I would think so!

I think you made an excellent choice to reflect the light tent and nothing else. Once you made that decision, I don't know of any way to accomplish this without using a light tent and would certainly like to learn of other ways. As for how bright those areas should be, I think the only thing to do is to quickly try various levels of brightness during post-processing and you have probably already done that.

(For others who are not aware, a light tent can be anything from a series of white reflectors to a wrapped circular enclosure using white diffusion material. However, in this case I'm confident that a wrapped enclosure of some sort was probably necessary. It does not have to be one of the readily available manufactured light tents that are relatively small cubes of white diffusion material that holds its shape because of frame made of light rods.)

The more I look at this the only thing I wonder about is that the brightest part of the background brings the viewer's attention to the neck of the glass rather than its bowl.

By the way, due to the mirrored part of the piece, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that presenting it this way in the context of a light tent makes the glass more beautiful than when it is regularly displayed in the glassblowers' store or in someone's home.

[Ken Curtis]

Hi Terry.

Before I start, let me say I couldn't come close to photographing this piece of glass as you have done. I'm impressed. My comments are based upon what you have mentioned, not that I have a clue how to achieve the results you want.

I do not get the sense that this glass is a mirror and sufficiently reflective. Most of the non-black area is diffuse looking and could be some ornament made from translucent plastic. Conversely, the white area on the left, from about 9:00 to 12:00 has a sharp edge at the bottom and and right side and some unknown textures at other places. My mind is trying to make sense of what it is.

So, I was wondering what you could do to show reflections. I know you said that you did not want a reflection that would confuse the viewer or be too busy, but isn't there something that would meet that objective? Could you paint stripes on the inside of your tent, or maybe show the glass next to another piece of non-mirrored glass? Why not allow color? I think it would look cool it it were beside a candy cane or a pure red vase.

One last comment is to clone out that white speck at the very top. My eye goes right to it.

OK, I've said enough. Good luck.

[Loose Canon]

Hi Ken!

Yeah, I totally see what you mean. Maybe if I could get the non-black reflective areas to show as a little more silver looking that might help. If the bottom surface were black it would reflect black. If it were red; same. The surface is gray so it reflects as such. I was hoping to get a gradient in the reflective surface from white on the sides to this gray. The piece is reflecting everything it “sees” faithfully. It is a matter of what I let the piece “see”!

So the hard line you are seeing is the side of the enclosure (white foam panel) meeting the gray surface. It looks curved due to the shape of the vessel. I could probably ease that line in post. Probably what I need is a paintable cyclorama surround.

I am limited to what I do because of the end use of the photo. I can use no props or other objects in the shot. The piece has to stand on its own. I wouldn’t be too sure how extraneous stripes would play with an already striped vessel. I wonder if it would just add more confusion.

I can allow color inasmuch as the subject contains color. This is actually a color shot.

To be honest Ken I’ll be the first to admit I’m in over my head. I vaguely recall many months ago that I wanted to try to shoot glass so I established a relationship with these glass makers! I knew I would never learn glass if I didn’t have a constant and diverse source. The Olde “Be Careful What You Wish For Syndrome”!

Thank you for the feedback Ken. Excellent thoughts and you have given me an idea or two. I have received word that the glass makers want to do a two-piece grouping of these reflective pieces. It should be interesting to see how that’s going to play! I’m guessing that they will cause two infinite reflections in turn causing a Mirrored Vortex that will swallow the studio and possibly The World! I hope I can stop the chain reaction before it sends us all into the Void!

But I’ll say this with all certainty Ken! I can darn sure take care of that little spot on the neck buddy!

As an aside? This is why I like to post this kind of stuff here. I get the kind of feedback I can get nowhere else.

[Mike Buckley]

I have a feeling that the glassblowers haven't thought through the idea of placing two mirrored subjects in the same photo. I hope you don't end up spending a lot of time on something that they don't like simply because they didn't think that part of it through.

[Loose Canon]

I have already warned them that it might be a bad idea Mike. They think it might be a cool thing.

I could composite individual shots into one frame but otherwise it could easily turn out to be a reflective convoluted mess.

[Mike Buckley]

I could composite individual shots into one frame but otherwise it could easily turn out to be a reflective convoluted mess.

Are there any restrictions about that imposed by the jurists?

[Loose Canon]

Not that I am aware of Mike.

They expect, and highly recommend the shots be taken on a professional level and retouched accordingly.

As far as a full composite I have found nothing concerning this. I doubt that in the few seconds that they review the photos it even occurs to anyone that it is a composite if it is done convincingly.

[Shadowman]

By enclosed I assume you mean in a light tent. Nice image.

[Loose Canon]

Thank you John.

I did shoot it in a light tent, but not a commercial model. I put my own version together.

Background seamless/tabletop. Enclosed that on all sides. Lit from both inside and out. Approximately 6 feet long by 4 feet wide so I could have plenty of room to light the background separately and keep plenty of room between the subject and BG.

[Mike Buckley]

I did shoot it in a light tent...Approximately 6 feet long by 4 feet wide

I am envious not just of your talent and skill but also of the size of your setup. To put the size of that light tent into perspective, my entire shooting area whatever I do with it is 6 feet by 9 feet. I have an additional 2 feet by 9 feet of space beside the shooting area that I can walk in but it's not useful for anything else. That explains why I call it a makeshift studio. To call it a studio would be a delusion of unwarranted grandeur.