Lightbox Help

[ti-force]

Hey guys,

I recently built a lightbox and I'm trying to learn how to take some shots. I had some trouble with the WB at first, but you guys helped me with that problem, plus I downloaded Lightroom 2 so I can make changes as needed. The only problem is, there are so many adjustments that I'm not really sure what to change . Maybe I'm asking too much out of myself, but to me this image looks too bright, especially the subject in the image. When I lower the exposure (Lightbox) the subject looks right, but the rings in the image really show. What are these rings called, and am I doing something wrong while capturing the image to create them?

Thanks.



First image, no exposure adjustment:





Same image, exposure lowered:

[jetrim]

First image doesn't look too bright on either of my monitors, but if you want only the item darker, you can do it in two ways using the tools in the basic adjustment section of light room's develop module. You can adjust the Black Point slider, or the Contrast slider. Contrast adjustment will make the background whiter, black point won't. Neither of these adjustments will introduce the banding seen in your second image.

[ti-force]

First image doesn't look too bright on either of my monitors, but if you want only the item darker, you can do it in two ways using the tools in the basic adjustment section of light room's develop module. You can adjust the Black Point slider, or the Contrast slider. Contrast adjustment will make the background whiter, black point won't. Neither of these adjustments will introduce the banding seen in your second image.

I think it might be my monitor that's causing the problem. I just looked at it with my phone and the first picture looks good like you said. I have a laptop, and it has some age on it, so I'm thinking that's what it is. What causes the banding? Is a setting not quite right on my camera? Just curious.

And thanks for the Lightbox advice, I'll definitely use it.

[Frog]

I don't know much about editing and stuff but I do know that if you are going to be doing product photography, it is pretty important to have a calibrated monitor. No other way to know what you are sending out.

[ti-force]

I don't know much about editing and stuff but I do know that if you are going to be doing product photography, it is pretty important to have a calibrated monitor. No other way to know what you are sending out.

I'm just doing this as a hobby, but I'm a perfectionist so it always bugs me if something isn't perfect . Sometimes I wish I wasn't that way, but I can't help it LOL.

Could you give me a rough figure of what a calibrated monitor would cost me?

Thanks!

[Frog]

There are some monitor calibration tools
Also some online ones to check if it needs it. Here is one http://epaperpress.com/monitorcal/

Talk about coincidence! Just went to adorama to look up their callibrating tools and they have a tutorial up on calibrating monitors. http://www.adorama.com/alc/article/8239

Spyder is one software probram to get and Pantone is another. Probably more.

[OldClicker]

Hardware calibrators, like Spyder, are about $100.

Note, though, that these will not really fix the 'brightness' differences. If you have an image that depends on brightness, you are going to have trouble on line.

TF

[jetrim]

Eizo is the only company I know of, that has self calibrating 16bit monitors, and if you have to ask "how much?" you can't afford them...

Banding usually occurs for me when the tonal/color graduations are too fine and I go from 16bit to 8bit color depth or a larger color space to a smaller one (like pro photo to adobe98 or sRGB).