A box of many colours

To quote from Monty Python…‘And now for something completely different!’ Inspired by a fellow Camera Club members’ images this last Monday evening, and being too wet’n’windy for outdoor shooting, tried this indoor set-up. Other than objects readily at hand, the only additional equipment used was a single polarising filter. Clear plastic objects can give off rainbow colours when viewed through a polariser, but this can be greater enhanced with two polarisers. I'd mentioned that viewing the camera’s digital screen through polarising sunglasses makes the image go almost black if rotated to portrait format. Taking this further, another club member suggested the brilliant idea of using a laptop screen, which acts in the same way, polarising light in one direction. So, here’s how to do it…

Create a new blank file in Photoshop using a plain white background and save the file. Display the file full screen, and with your laptop’s screen laid flat and the base supported, place the object to photograph (a small clear plastic box in this instance) on the screen. Set your camera up alongside on a tripod…and shoot away! Rotating the polarising filter on your lens will change the patterning effect as shown in each version. The laptop screen screen will also change from white to black as you rotate the filter.

Processing my images in Elements, as the camera had also taken in bits off the edge of the background, and the lighting was uneven, I cut out the object and on a separate layer used Fill to give an even tone, producing a much tidier background. And that’s it!

1/8 sec, F8, 22mm, ISO 800
Single Raw images processed in Adobe Camera Raw, tweaked in Elements 6, with some assistance from Topaz Adjust...and my Gorillapod!

Thanks again to everyone for your votes & comments on my previous uploads.
Trev

Title:	A box of many colours
Username:	TrevBatWCC
Uploaded:	3 Dec 2009 - 12:57 PM
Camera:	Nikon D40 Check out Nikon Nation!
Lens:	af-s dx nikkor 18-55mm Check out Nikon Nation!
Recording media:	RAW (digital)
Tags:	Close-up / macro, Digitally manipulated, Specialist / abstract, Still life
Votes:	31
	Variant - Tests