Mini Blue

Much like the pictures I have shared the past two weeks, there’s a story to tell here and one that I feel is enhanced by the lighting choice. And once again, this image comes to you courtesy of my new Nanlite Pavotubes which I am thoroughly enjoying and continue to find new ways to use, along with my 105mm macro lens which, though perhaps unnecessary for this particular shot, did come in handy because of its excellent optical qualities and the fact that I did not have to think about how close or far to get from the subject. With a macro lens, nearly any distance will work which is a huge benefit when you want maximum photographic flexibility.

I bought this iPod Nano for my wife back in 2004 shortly before we both graduated from college. She enjoyed listening to music and I thought this would be a fun surprise for her, so not long after Steve Jobs introduced it on stage I cashed in my big jar of spare change and bought one for her. She used it for a few years until it suffered the same fate as so many of its peers: the tiny internal spinning hard drive simply ceased to function. Now it adorns my bookshelf at work, where I can show it to colleagues and visitors and think about how much technology has changed over the years.

Enter the Nanlite Pavotubes :)

I figured this iPod mini would be an ideal candidate for a fun experiment with off-camera colored lights, and looking at the results I think I was right. I used a blue light to accentuate the metallic blue color of the device itself, and placed the light carefully so as to create a bit of a reflection on the small black-and-white screen. then used an orange light to add some color to the left side of the subject, and deliberately positioned that light to cast a shadow off to the top-right. In fact, it was this picture when I really started to think carefully about the shadows and not just the light. I adjusted all three elements of the shot (subject, lighting, and angle) to create the dual shadows you see here, while once again using the surface of our washing machine as a pretty cool way to add some shine and reflection to the image.

This turned out to be a super fun photo to take, and has once again shown me just how much there is to explore with these lights. I can’t wait for what’s next.