Re: Your Expertise Required

savvo wrote:
> On 2008-07-17, Mike <magnetteza@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>> My new boss has asked me to research digital cameras before I start my
>> job on the 1st Aug. We need a digital SLR camera which is ideal for
>> taking photographs of furniture/interior decor in a prodominantly
>> indoor studio enviroment (will less regularly be used to photograph
>> pieces in a scene outdoors eg. focusing on furniture but with a
>> landscape in background).  

> Hire a photographer. If you happen to be anywhere near Gateshead, hire
> me.

I could not agree more. Just the skill involved in understand how to 
compose and align interiors so that the image does not look imbalanced 
or skewed is something you can not learn without using a camera 
professionally for years - even some professionals never master it, and 
it helps to have done time using large format.

You won't even know how focal length affects the apparent shape and 
solidity of furniture (and therefore its apparent size and weight), how 
using lights (even only two) can create depth and texture, how to create 
shadows which look light real sunlight and eliminate dirty-looking 
shadows which look like crap studio lighting - etc etc etc.

Just to give you an example, a professional will know when to position 
the lights a long way from the camera and in the last place you would 
expect, and how to use a polariser to show the surface of materials like 
wood, glass, ceramics and plastics beautifully. And that polariser may 
not be on the camera, and it may cost more than your budget allows :-)

Use a professional - reserve your in-house camera for recording stuff 
which a professional can't be present to handle, like work in progress, 
the 'before' shots of before and after.

David

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