In the Studio: Cross Polarization
In the Studio: 11-22-2009, Cross Polarization
Rainbow Abstract
My weekend is quickly coming to a close, and I have managed one quick Trek in my days off. However, it just wasn't enough for me, and I was not completely satisfied with the time I have spent behind the camera. I set out this morning in an attempt to photograph a couple of junked trucks, but was disappointed with the cloud cover, and could not make a workable composition with them on a flatbed trailer. There was nothing else that I had in mind to shoot, but I wanted to do something. Fortunately, I had bought a new book on creative techniques a couple of days ago. It is a pretty good book and is worth checking out. You can find it in my gallery on the links page at the bottom where I have my recommended reading. It is Camera Creative by Chris Gatcum.
Thumbing through the book I happened on a chapter dealing with cross polarization. This is a technique that I have wanted to try for some time, but have not been able to locate a sheet of polarizing film to filter a light source with. This project had been put on the back burner until I read the chapter on this technique. The author suggested an alternative to the polarizing sheet which I was all over. The suggestion was to use a LCD computer screen set to bright and showing a white page. This light is polarized, and is plenty bright enough to provide enough light for your photography.
I spent a little bit of the afternoon searching for something that I could use as a focal point for the image. I needed something translucent which would pick up the light show that the cross polarization would create. The author had suggested a beaker, but that was not quite interesting enough for me. Again, Toni came to the rescue and searched through her cabinets. What she found was perfect for what I had in mind....a dessert glass with some nice detail in the neck.
I waited until dark and set up my makeshift light table. I used a laptop, with two books on the keyboard to get the glass in position. I fitted my 180mm f/3.5L Macro lens so I could get up close and personal with the neck of this glass. I screwed on my polarizing filter, and twisted it until the computer screen went black (per directions). I had to be missing something here because I was not getting any coloration. I snapped a single frame like this to see how it would turn out. It was devoid of all the bright color I was expecting, but it was interesting nonetheless.
I reread the instructions and couldn't see where I had missed anything, but I thought that I would try putting a CD jewel case behind the glass since I knew it would show the colors based on a previous article on the technique. This was the trick!!! I now had my colors, and things were going along great!
I ended up shooting about 12 frames before I had to see what I had captured. The best one out of the batch dealing with this technique appears at the top of this entry. My favorite of the lot just happened to be the first try with the absence of the colors. With a minor tweak of the white balance, I was able to get this great blue hue to an otherwise stark scene. Cool Blue is one that might just end up in the next Behind the Camera.
Both of these new additions can be found in my gallery. If you would like to see a Tips and Tricks on this technique, you might just get your wish. Let me know what you think about that.
MD, WOW.. Pretty neat.. I like how you have them situated in the New Additions room as well. I dont know if you did that on purpose, but pretty neat!! Cool Blue would be my fave from the two as well!!! Thats pretty awesome.. Kinda reminds me of the oil & water studio pix! Another awesome set of pics!! ILUVM!!!
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Really, this one is my favo(u)rite...Cool!
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