[TheForge] My new website

[Jerry Frost]

There are lots of diffusers available commercially, ask the local camera 
shop.

Or.

If you're using a flash, try taping a single ply of toilet "Tissue" (Please 
note I specify toilet TISSUE because blacksmiths tend to be crude, 
backwards, backwoods types and using a page from the Sear's Robuck catalogue 
or a corn cob just won't work! <grin>) over the flash.

Another technique is to aim the flash at a flat reflective surface like a 
piece of paper, wall, ceiling, etc. This serves the dual purpose of: One, 
diffusing the light and two, putting the light off the lense's line of sight 
so the flash's light isn't reflected directly back at the camera.

Reflective diffusers are also handy as additive filters, meaning you can add 
a color to the picture to bring out or hide a feature by using colored 
paper. Walls and ceilings are typically additive filters unless they're 
brand new white. They typically add a soft yellow or amber light to the 
picture which can be exacerbated by incandescent lights. Additive or 
subtractive filters are valuable to balance color values in pictures so they 
come out the way you want them to. For instance, think back on the color 
picture taken at Christmas when you were a kid and everybody looked yellow. 
This was the imbalance of yellow light caused by incandescent lights in the 
house. Using a flash with blue and green (as I recall) additive filters 
would correct this.

For small work there are transluscent white plastic half globes you aim the 
flash at from outside, with the piece centered inside. They diffuse the 
light over the entire half globe providing very even light. Jewelry 
photographers use these but a knife up to maybe 10" or so would be okay. If 
the work is too close to the edge of the half globe the light becomes 
uneven.

Then there are fill lights and timed exposures but diffusers are still a 
good idea. Highlights can kill a good photograph and nothing has highlights 
like polished metal.

Frosty
-------------------------------
If it ain't forged
it ain't real.
Wrought iron is.
The FrostWorks

Meadow Lakes, AK.

http://www.artmetalradio.com/

From: "Grant Marcoux" <gblacksmith at alamedanet.net>


> Frosty:  A light diffuser?  How are these operated? Made? improvised?
> Thanks for your comments.  Grant
>