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How to Photograph Wood Instruments

Photographing any object presents its own unique challenges. Photographing wood instruments is no different. Wood instruments often have a varnish or coating on them that not only protects the instrument but adds a shine to its finish. While this may look very attractive, it creates another challenge for the photographer, who will need to minimize or eliminate the reflection of studio lights in the finish. When photographing wood instruments, pay close attention to the detail in the wood and fittings in your pictures.

Things You'll Need

Photo studio lights
Table or stand for instrument
Digital camera
Tripod

Instructions

- 1
  Position the wood instrument on a stand or table, depending on the size of the instrument and how you want to photograph it.
- 2
  Hang a dark cloth backdrop 1 foot to 2 feet behind the wood instrument. Look at the instrument and pick an area you want to be the focal point of the picture. It may be the fret board, neck, fittings or the detail in the wood.
- 3
  Position one photo studio light on one side of the instrument. Turn the light on and set it to full power. Position the second studio light on the opposite side of the instrument and set this light to half power.
- 4
  Attach your camera to a tripod and position the tripod 3 feet to 5 feet in front of the instrument. Look through the viewfinder of the camera to check whether you can see any of the lights reflected in the instrument. Move the lights farther away or change the angle of the camera or instrument to minimize or eliminate the reflection. Remember that as you move the lights farther away, the lights lose intensity. This will require you to alter your exposure.
- 5
  Connect the sync cord from the studio lights to your camera. Set the camera's exposure mode to manual. Turn the shutter speed to 1/250th of a second, or the fastest shutter sync speed for studio flash photography. Adjust the aperture to f5.6, take a test shot and adjust the aperture until you have a correct exposure.
- 6
  Photograph the wood instrument from a number of different angles, looking for interesting lines in the instrument and craftsmanship in the building process of the instrument.

Photography