Spoons I
One of the Cutlery Set series of images by Natalie Kinnear where spoons have been used to create an eye catching and almost floral like design. Spoons I is the ...
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One of the Cutlery Set series of images by Natalie Kinnear where spoons have been used to create an eye catching and almost floral like design. Spoons I is the image which makes up the center piece of the Cutlery Set Triptych.
Natalie Kinnear Photography -
Fine Art Photographic Artist -
Print and Canvas Wall Art for Home Decor and Interior Design -
www.nataliekinnearphotography.co.uk -
www.facebook.com-natkphoto -
© Natalie Kinnear
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Natalie Kinnear Photography -
Fine Art Photographic Artist -
Print and Canvas Wall Art for Home Decor and Interior Design -
www.nataliekinnearphotography.co.uk -
www.facebook.com-natkphoto -
© Natalie Kinnear
Read less
Aug, 2014Views
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zeppo
August 06, 2014
this is beautiful ,I have been trying to do something like this but just cant get the lighting right yet
NatalieKinnear
November 06, 2019
Zeppo, I used a pop up light tent to reduce reflections in the spoons and even out the light, hope this helps
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at home in our conservatory where there is plenty of light.Time
I did actually choose the brightest times of day for all of my Cutlery Set photo sessions. Being in the conservatory much of the light was diffused as we have an opaque roof.Lighting
I needed plenty of daylight because this image was photographed using a pop up light tent. I used the light tent in order to cut out as many reflections as possible, but it also meant that it diminished available light. I am not overly used to using a light tent but it certainly makes the photography challenging as I found it quite difficult poking the camera lens through the one opening in the light tent and getting it correctly positioned for the shot. The camera was of course also tripod mounted which further added to the difficulty of getting exactly the right positioning.Equipment
I used a Canon EOS 5D. I'm struggling to find the details regarding the lens I used as I shot this image back in 2007 and the lens doesn't appear to be mentioned in the metadata. I therefore assume that I used the Sigma 28 - 200mm which is the very first lens I got when I purchased my first ever DSLR. I used a Velbon tripod which I still use to this day but have been meaning to upgrade for quite a while. As mentioned, I also used a pop up light tent, it was hard work but seriously helps with controlling reflections. It's a great little gadget, if rather springy, to 'pop up' but involves a bit of a knack to fold back down again, there needs to be a bit of twist and flip thing going on lol, I got there in the end. Just as a side note it might be worth mentioning that all the cutlery got a very thorough wash and shine up prior to being photographed, this helps to cut out the post capture work. Also, with this shot in the series, Spoons I, as the arrangement kept collapsing, I had to use Blu Tack to hold the spoons in place. It was very fiddly and time consuming but ultimately well worth the effort.Inspiration
I find it hard to remember what specifically inspired me to start photographing this series of images, but I do know that I love to create different images. Images that aren't the run of the mill that everyone else is also doing. I was grabbed by the idea of using something ordinary, like cutlery, and creating something extraordinary. I think I sat and played around with various arrangements first and quickly realized that the spoons could make a floral like design. It's exciting to start with a blank canvas and have such a great amount of control over all the elements within the shot. I also have a love of design work and in a certain way this image enabled me to combine photography with design.Editing
Yes, but it was mostly tidying up. I was working with old and well used cutlery so despite my very thorough efforts to make the spoons look as good as possible prior to photographing them, there were plenty of scratches and marks that did nothing to enhance the image, so they all had to be cloned out. It took quite a while.In my camera bag
Ideally not a lot as I hate carrying a load of stuff around with me. The Canon 5D Mk III with the Canon EF 24mm - 105mm lens is a good all purpose combination. I tend to have skylight filters on all of my lenses in order to protect the lens, they're cheaper to replace than the lens is! In the camera will already be two empty memory cards and a recharged battery - plenty to keep me going for one photographic session. If I take my favourite lens with me, the Canon EF 100mm macro, I'll usually also have to take a tripod. But I'll only do that when I'm specifically going out for macro shots. I also always have my lens brush and wipes to hand, just in case.Feedback
Yes, if you get the chance to use completely new cutlery, do that! It'll save a lot of time. Also, be as patient as possible whilst arranging the layout of the cutlery and working within the confines of a light tent. Think creatively - what can you do that's completely different to anything you've seen before. And above all else, enjoy the process. Good luck!
