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3D grey card
Capture the quality of light for white balancing in 3 dimensions. | |
This is a small device that expands to be about the size of a human head. It is neutral grey and has 3d curved surface.
In a similar way to a standard flat grey card, this curved surface will allow the capture of the quality of light in a scene from all directions.
By taking a reference photo, in post-processing,
the user can choose from multiple points to take the white balance from.
This would be helpful in scenes with multiple, competing light sources.
The device is a black latex balloon that is printed with an opaque neutral grey ink.
They would be cheap to produce (which is good because being latex, they would have a limited lifespan).
They would be of good use in telephoto/digiscoping scenarios as one could be attached to the scene as a reference for changing light conditions.
I've been using Qualatex grey balloons as a test. They're very close to neutral compared to a Spyder Cube.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005GGP19I
and I've been using clips like these to close the balloon.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000YJBLRI
It works about as well as a sheet of white paper :)
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Annotation:
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[+] despite the idea not being about a BEM visa. |
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A quick trawl of the internet shows that lots of people want a grey (typically 18% - dunno why that value specifically) and/or chrome sphere for 3D reference shots, but no-one seems to know where to get them.
I've seen them used plenty in "behind the scenes" documentaries of movies. Mostly they are on a stick, and half grey, half chromed (so one sphere serves both references).
I'm not sure an expanding/inflating unit would be regular enough over its surface for a good reference. |
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Go the thrift store/ flea market. Purchase used
elementary school globe. Go to WalMart and buy a
can of dove grey Krylon (they also make chrome spray
paint). |
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It has the advantage of coming with its own stand. |
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All fifty shades in one ball?
Sounds like a best-seller. (+) |
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My question is how perfect a sphere is required,
because inflatable objects are rarely perfectly
round? |
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If it doesn't need to be perfectly spherical, latex
can be produced in pretty much any color, so the
printing is not necessary, and it would be the work
of minutes on the correct machines to produce
thousands of grey balloons. Find a balloon
manufacturer, specify a shade, put in an order for
100-200 thousand, and sell them on-line if there is
a
demand. If they need to be a uniform size
(useful if you want a reference for post
processing) you might also want to mass produce a
measuring gauge. |
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So, if the idea is good (not enough background in
photography to know) it's easy to implement. |
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You'd want a heavy gray color and the balloon to be
sized to inflate much larger than the target size so it
doesn't thin out to much. |
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//...so it doesn't think out to much.// |
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I know those thinking balloons are a tad expensive.
The less intelligent kind would be cheaper and
probably better suited. |
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