Shot with light coming from the same window, but with the curtain drawn to diffuse it. Softer lines on the shadows, and the color is still pretty good.
Interior shot using an overhead incandescent light. Notice the change in color.
Shot in a dark room with only an on-board flash. Harsh shadows, and if it weren't for the reflection off the metal, the subject would probably seem pretty flat.
Shot in the same room as above, but using a candle as the light source. The shadows are softer, and there is good depth, but there is a loss of detail on the face of the mic. There is also a sepia cast to the entire image, but in some situations that may be what someone wants.
Backlit indoors using outside natural light. A dramatic effect, but not appropriate if there are details on the front of the object that need to be seen.
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Focal Length
The following pictures are used to illustrate the effect of the combination of distance and zoom on both the background and the subject. If you are close to the subject and zoomed out (photo 1), you will get much more of the background in frame than if you are standing further away and zoomed in (photo 5). This is something to keep in mind when setting up your tripod and deciding which lens to use. Just look at how the sign on the garage door (obviously much bigger than a microphone) is visible in shots three, four, and five, but is hidden by the mic in the first two.
Also, if you are using the automatic exposure or color balance, this will affect the photo since there is actually a different image in each variation. This isn't the best series to use as an example, since the colors are muted, but in the first image there is blue, green, brick red, white, and you would want these to appear natural. In the final image there is pretty much only gray, with that little bit of yellow.
Finally, these were shot using natural outdoor light (obviously), on an overcast day. The clouds give just a slight bit of a blue cast, but also reduce the intensity of the light, preventing a painful glare off the mic.
