Time to lighten up with a glass of wine - Crystal photography tips

Not being an expert photographer has its own advantages. The most important one being the delight in finding a new way of shooting a subject and that too with the simplest of techniques.

I’m taking a moment to share a tip which most amateur photographers can give a try. If you are one of the blessed ones who is on the first step with a DSLR, this one is for you guys too.

A crystal glass is an all time favourite subject for photographers. The reflection, texture and the shape of well-crafted glasses lend them a unique beauty. But beginners find it a strenuous task to capture a fine pic of crystal glasses. The major problem being the lack of appropriate lighting. Since I’m still learning the ropes in photography, I tried out many options. To make things difficult I chose to shoot at night.

Finding the right light source was a tough job. The purpose was to illuminate the glass and its contents, wine in this case. To make the image more eye-catching, the subject alone should be visible and the rest of the image should consist of pure darkness. After testing various light sources, the solution came in the form of a camera phone flash.

The phone camera flash was set behind the glass and switched on. The rest of the task was quite simple. The subject was brought to focus and after locking the focus the frame was recomposed. Then the shot was taken. The result is at the top for all to see.

This shot was taken using an entry level 10.1 mega pixel DSLR. The settings were as follows.
Shutter speed - 1/5
Aperture - F4
ISO – 100

Now that shouldn’t scare the Edisons with the non-professional cameras. The tip works equally well with entry level cameras. Just forget the numbers above and click. So start shooting.

P.S – Remember to switch off the camera’s flash while shooting. It will only function in brightening up the entire frame which is definitely not what we need.