Possible white background for macros and other objects

I noticed an ad in the August Popular photography for a dazzling white background for taking pictures of small objects. I like to do this and am quite often bothered by a distracting background. I know about light boxes but thought they were just a little too fussy for casual shooting. So I jumped at this device. I prepared a pbase gallery documenting my experience with it. It's called the D-Flector. Here is a link to the gallery:

http://www.pbase.com/fjp/dflector_2005_06_jun_23

Here is a photo of the device itself:

NIKON D2X    ---    31mm    f/8.0    1/250s    ISO 100

And here are a couple three samples using the device. I'm using very simple lighting here, hence shadows appear. In the gallery I discuss the use of multiple remote flashes, but I don't have any to try. Maybe in the middle of October I'll get a couple and try it out.

NIKON D2X    ---    105mm    f/16.0    1/250s    ISO 100

NIKON D2X    ---    105mm    f/16.0    1/250s    ISO 100

NIKON D2X    ---    105mm    f/16.0    1/250s    ISO 100

I think it has possibilities for quick knockoffs. I hope this will be of interest to a few.

 

The shadow problem is discussed extensively in the gallery. For your example, how did you set up the lighting?

 

After all this, I'm wondering whether I wasted my money.

 

I hope to find time today to try two experiments. First, a white panel reflector (those 13"x19" pieces of white cardboard that come with packages of printer paper the same size) on the side where the shadows are appearing, possibly on both sides. But I was hoping this device would be self-contained. The second thing I'll try is bounce flash. Just taking pictures of people eliminates shadows when I do this. Unfortunately, my ceilings are high and I can rarely go higher than f5.6. I need a flash about four times as powerful as the SB-800. I had one in the form of a Metz handle flash but I haven't tried to see whether it's useful with the D2x.

 

I forgot to address these two comments. It's pretty expensive: $130 without postage, and there's not much to break. Should last a lifetime if the material itself doesn't age and crack.

 

Further experiments with D-Flector

I tried bouncing the flash off the ceiling. There isn't enough light to activate the D-Flector and you get an ugly, murky background. I tried putting white cardboard to the left and aiming the flash in that direction so it would bounce off the cardboard and perhaps wash out the shadows. It had utterly no effect, like it wasn't there. I suspect this is because the flash returned by the D-Flector absolutely overwhelms it. My best result believe it or not came from pounding the flash directly on the object with no diffuser. Maybe I'm impatient, but I am quickly losing interest in this device. Anyhow, see the new gallery I set up illustrating these problems:
http://www.pbase.com/fjp/df_2005_06_jun_25

Here are a couple examples:

This required about fifteen minutes of Photoshop work erasing shadows. I just wanted to find out the possibilities. Sloppy work, but it looks like it could be done. The D-Flector is just part of the process, though.

NIKON D2X    ---    105mm    f/11.0    1/250s    ISO 100

It looks like only dark objects are very promising with the D-Flector. When I get a little funding, I'm going to try something else. Right now, I really can't recommend this device. But like I said, maybe I'm just too impatient.

NIKON D2X    ---    105mm    f/11.0    1/250s    ISO 100

 

I've been spending so much money on photo equipment lately that I'd be a dead man if I bought another flash right now. The beginning of October (ESPP time) is my next window of opportunity. In the meantime, I'm just going to use it as my plain, featureless background that I'm always looking for, and forget the fancy stuff.

 

I really admire people who can jury-rig together a bunch of inexpensive equipment and achieve fully professional looking results. Alas, I am not one of these people. I have the personality defect where half of the enjoyment I get out of photography is handling compact and highly finished products built for specific purposes. Unfortunately, this also costs a lot more money which means I can't always instantly respond to the "right" solution. But I have so many projects demanding my time that I can put up with waiting until the funding comes along. That's what I am going to have to do to come up with my "style" solution to this shadow business, which you talk about next.

I've experimented with the D-Flector now for three full days and have learned its limitations. In October I'll be getting an SB-600 to do just what you suggest here. In the meantime I'll keep busy with plenty of other projects demanding my attention and I won't be bothered with impatience waiting for the time when I won't feel guilty sprinting for the SB-600.

Today I spent the whole day experimenting with the D-Flector in available light. I spent hours putting together a gallery explaining and illustrating the results, so I hope my effort won't be wasted and people will visit it. I don't want to burden this thread with any more images, so I'll start a new one and give a brief summary of my results. This new gallery is here:

http://www.pbase.com/fjp/df_2005_06_jun_26