Making a Clear Picture, Without Sky-shine.

I have found in the past when I have tried to take pictures of my work, when it has a shinny top that it almost always had like a fog or film over it. That the design was not distinct on the top of the item, when I took the picture. I would have it on a set-up like this.

This is how it invariably turned out.

I now use a set-up such as this. (Now isn’t that pretty?) (Don’t mind the junk)

This is how it turns out now.

So,——What made the difference? What is up over it is the difference. You want the day light for good color but you don’t want the sky over it, it will reflect on the item and give you what I call “sky shine”. Having it just inside of a doorway, the roof of the shed,—trailer, or what ever it is you use is dark and don’t reflect back at you. Think of the item as a mirror, so you don’t want to be able to see light.

Now with my setup some people might think that the surrounding clutter detracts from the item, (can you imagine such a thing happening?) Even the cart top itself is not the prettiest, but it serves it purpose of holding the item. I get around that problem by cutting it out, so all that is seen is the object I made.

Is it prettier now without the clutter around it? Or do you still see the clutter in your mind?

I hope this helps when you are trying to take some of your pictures of your shinny woodwork.

Thank You for looking,
Robin Tucker

-- It’s not so much what we know that causes the trouble, it’s what we know that’s not so.