For Kathy and Vikki
@randystreat @summerfield, and everybody interested. A super easy fold instruction and set-up of a brochure paper fold.
It is a very easy and can be done all in all in 10-15 minutes. Final picture her:
https://365project.org/mona65/365/2024-01-21
What you need:
- Brochure, the smaller the better. Nice if it has shiny /thicker paper, and not tooooo many pages if you start with these things.
- A place where you can spread your set-up out. I need at least a meter of a table, to get a light, natural bokeh.
- Light from a window and one flexible lightbulb, or even the light from your mobile.
- Something reflecting, if you want a reflection. Here I use a plastic-glass from a cheap picture frame.
- Tripod
- Camera / or phone
- Lense with the possibility to get a small f/stop/large aperture, to get a shallow dof (bokeh) / or your phone on manual aperture mode. I use my 90 macro lens.
- You may want also to have some sticky tape ready.
- And a bit of patience
How to fold:
- Open the brochure in the middle and do not open it all the way. Fold one page right to the middle and hold it there. Now take page per page from the other side and fold it to the middle. The pressure from the first page will keep all other pages in place.
If this doesn’t work out, or the pages are too slippery, take a tiny piece of sticky tape and glue the first page to the middle. Make sure you align the pages parallel to the middle fold.
- Once you folded all the pages, you can either process to take your pictures, or you fold every second folded page, again. Like on the pictures.
Set-up:
To get an easy and soft bokeh background, you can use a manifold (isn’t that a great word for this text) of things. From foil, to fairy lights, over glass vases, or just some wire, great fun to try it out. Here another post, concerning just the bokeh stuff.
https://365project.org/mona65/365/2021-07-02
Here I used a plastic foil from a parcel wrapping and some tinsels, that catch the light.
I placed the folded brochure on the reflective layer, and leave a great gap (here 40-60cm), between the subject and the bokeh stuff. Means to crease distance between subject and background.
The light goes a) to the front of the brochure (front), and b) to the bokeh material (side).
Camera set-up:
- Set the camera first on the same level as the folded brochure. You will see, that on the same level, you have nearly no reflection. Once you have your frame, get the camera a little bit higher, and the reflection appears. I always make sure, that the border of the table is not in the frame.
- Fast aperture is best (at least f/2.8)
- Long focal length creates more extreme bokeh.
- Shoot lenses wide open.
- Depending on the lens, go close to your subject.
- ISO 100, as you are on the tripod, you can have a slow shutter speed.
- Whitebalance,… always manual. Just try out the different possibilities, of what you have in mind.
- Set 2 second timer, or use remote shutter.
- Focus on front of brochure, or to soften it, go a bit off focus. Just play.
- Check where your bokeh spots are, and play with the foil, or whatever, to have them - right.
- Bonus, you can use, some of the tinsels, or fairy lights, just around the camera lens and shout through it. So you get front and background bokeh.
- Post Processing: Just as you like.
I hope this helps, to make folded brochures for you as easy as they are for me. The are nice last-minute pictures for the day.
And if there are any questions open, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me
Happy day.
Mona
And by the way: English isn’t my first language, so please excuse any mistakes.
