so, that's our coffee table right there. i was wondering if a softbox type modifier was necessary to do a tim simmons style photo. i was thinking, well, you have multiple light sources, wouldn't they more or less overlap and create artificial softness without needing a softbox / umbrella / modifier?
so i set this one up. i used a justin clamp to attach a flash to the edge of our coffee table, put the camera on a tripod, and then took 12 exposures, moving the flash for each one. then i merged all the layers in photoshop, and here's the final image.
the verdict? yep, you need a modifier. i mean, it looks cool, but it has a really hard light feel to it. there's a really quick falloff on the rug, and hard edged shadows on the table legs.... the whole thing is a bit contrasty, and there's not the smooth dynamic range i was hoping for.
i think my disappointment comes from the fact i was hoping for a more "ethereal" look to the light, and all this hardness just doesn't have it going on. most of what makes this technique interesting is that you can't tell where the light is coming from, and a softer light makes it even harder to say where the light could be.
so yeah. lesson learned. ethereal light requires softness.
strobist info:
nikon d60 iso 100, 1/15th of a second, f6.3 x 12 exposures
sb-28 at 1/16th power on a justin clamp x 12 exposures
merged in photoshop using "lighten" setting on each layer.
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