How to Get AWESOME Lab Images

It's been said that "Good is the enemy of great." When you have something that's good enough, where's the motivation to get something great?

Well, I'm just a GP (about to start an ortho residency for 30 months), so who am I to talk about lab shots? Well, as someone who teaches clinical photography around the world, it's my job to look into every aspect of the subject. I've been using a great product for about 7 years and I'm happy to share it.

We can now make lab images look way better than this traditional image

When you want to show images of casts or lab work, how do you shoot them? There are lots of ways to capture an image, and there's a progression that most people go through.

Maybe you simply put the object on the counter with a nice formica background. Not very pretty or fancy, but the job gets done. Perhaps you go so far as to put a nice bib underneath it instead. Not my favorite, but at least the funky formica design doesn't distract those viewing the image.  If you start to get "fancy" perhaps you decided to put down a piece of black velvet and you may have even gone one step farther and shot an image of the lab work on a mirror like one of those big shot lecturers.

Well, if you're looking to get great lab images and I mean GREAT, you have to consider using the Digital Lighthouse found at Photekusa.com. Yes, it means having one more step, but when you see the difference it makes, you'll understand why you used it. They come in a variety of sizes, and even the largest is only $149.

The digital lighthouse helps give stunning lab images, especially if the object being photographed is metallic or translucent.

The concept is simple. Like a standard soft box used in portrait photography (see image below) using the digital lighthouse removes all glare from flashes.

The digital lighthouse works a lot like this standard soft box by removing glare and shadows and giving a much softer look to the object being photographed.

The only pre-requisite is that your flash must be positioned outside of the white nylon box so that it can be softened. This is where I really love the Nikon R1 (or R1C1) because the two small sb-200 units can be taken off the camera and held outside of the box. If you shoot a Canon 14EX (or Sigma equivalent) you're only going to get light from one direction rather than two and you may consider another flash system for lab work. Photek sells two nice lamps that could take the place of the flashes altogether and you could have the whole setup ready to go at all times.

If you want to skip using flashes altogether, consider buying Photek's lamps.

In another blog post I'll show you exactly how to shoot an image using the flash option. The whole purpose of this post is to show you another way of looking at things. For instance, take a look at the following image taken with a regular flash setup without the digital lighthouse. It was taken a number of years ago and to make it fancier at the time, I used a piece of black velvet background.

Notice the shadows all around the outside of the cast and more importantly, look at the glare coming off the metal pieces of the implant parts. Yes, the image is "acceptable" but we can do much, much better.

Look at the image of the wax up below. Yes, it is well lit and composed properly and it even has a nice velvet background, but it just doesn't "pop".

Now, look at the following image of a soft tissue cast. With the addition of a nice Photoshop colored background (I always try to disclose non-global changes) you have what I think is an image that is way better.

Or, take a look at this whitening whitening tray. It's really, really tough to shoot anything translucent because of glare and difficulty getting good depth. The lighthouse tackles that with ease.

Using the lighthouse and photoshop for some dust removal on the black background and a very tough to shoot translucent object turns out pretty nice.

Take a look at this hybrid prosthesis...

OK, this last image wasn't taken in a lighthouse. It was actually taken on a mirror using the R2 bracket and pocket bouncers, but that's for another blog... ;)

Remember, if you want to get amazing intraoral images, consider ordering my "Exceptional Dental Images Made Easy DVD" or my custom designed mirrors and retractors by clicking HERE.

Also, if you have any questions or want to see me tackle a particular topic, just click HERE and send me an e-mail through my website.

Best Wishes,

Glenn

The Upcoming New Mac, Windows 8 and Dentistry: Your Images Had Better Be Great!

Apple is coming out with some pretty big changes to their computers  and new Mountain Lion OS and Windows is coming out with its' radical new OS Windows 8. So, the big question has been, should we wait or buy now? And, if the rumors about the new Mac screen are true, you better start thinking a lot more about shooting images that look awesome WITHOUT being cropped.

The rumors are swirling and as we get closer there are more and more comments coming out. Just look at the recent online article which covers some of why you may want to wait. Click HERE to view it.

Just one view of what Windows 8 desktop will look like

In the end, there is a really interesting article about the new Mac screen which poses some interesting possibilities for dentists. You have to see it. Click HERE.

Currently, a screen with a resolution of 1900x1200 is pretty good (2.28 Megapixels) but the possibilities of the new 17" macbook with a 3840x2400 (9.2 Megapixels) screen is simply mind boggling!!!! If this is true, we're about to see a paradigm shift in both the way we shoot and view images very, very soon.

If you're shooting an older camera, it is possible that you may not even have enough pixels to fill the screen. Of even more concern, if you rely on cropping your images to make them look nice, you also may not have enough pixels to fill the screen regardless of the camera you use.

Plus, your images had better be looking good. If you want better resolution (which you should), every little thing will be seen by you AND your patient. So, if your images aren't clear or poorly composed, they will look worse.

That is why, more than ever, it's important that you shoot amazing images with zero need for cropping. As technology increases, it will become more and more important.

To learn more about the acclaimed DVD that is helping dentists shoot the best images of their career, click HERE and change your practice forever.

Stay Tuned!!!

OK, Enough With The Dental Porn...

Hi Everyone.

First off, I am sorry if this blog seems a little short, but I sliced my finger open yesterday in an accident and have 10 stitches in my left ring finger, so typing is a little tough.

OK, OK, I get it. You can all shoot nice images with black backgrounds or with some fancy composition. I get it. They're nice. I do them myself, but their just the tip of the iceberg. Let's face it: Getting a great shot of 8 teeth from the front isn't really that tough, and other than beauty, it does little for us. I know that I may ruffle a few feathers, but I see literally 100 "glamour shots" for every one (if I ever see any) great lateral shots with good composition and proper Angle's classification. I'm sort of getting tired of seeing amazing "simple" anterior images online or in journals with what I would classify as far from acceptable lateral  or occlusal images.

More and more people are posting and showing these absolutely gorgeous images (guilty myself as well) and we are all absolutely thrilled to seem them. Just log into your Facebook page and you'll see more and more "glamour shots". Whether it's a stunning picture of a retracted anterior picture or or a beautiful anterior shot with a black background, the bar is being set higher and higher for stunning images that allow us to look more and more like professional photographers. And it's alienating a lot of novice dental photographers who don't know where to begin, and worse yet, helping them to believe that these anterior shots somehow are more important than good ole well composed "necessary" images. I learned more about the perio/prosth relationship from watching Dr. Morton Amsterdam's well composed "simple" images when shooting slide film was tough. No black background, no special lighting. Just well composed images showing us Angle's classifications and a lots of good soft tissue.

I once heard a very well respected dental lecturer refer to these "glamour shot" images as "dental porn"; they are beautiful to look at, but they do very little in terms of helping with restorative diagnosis or interdisciplinary treatment planning. I agree, to a point, but it does bear discussion. The "sizzle" is outshining the "steak".

They certainly impress our peers, but our patients couldn't care less and we can treatment plan with much less. Below are two images, one with "special lighting" and one with a "regular" setup. Both are more than fine to lecture with, publish and treatment plan. And yes, we can do "smile design with either of them. If you are a "regular" dentist who is having a hard time matching the "masters" of esthetic images, the bottom image of the following pair is just fine. If your image looks like the bottom one, without visible retractors, with great lighting and composition, applaud your efforts and celebrate your accomplishment.

Sure, it's a great shot, but what does it do other than impress my friends?

For novice photographers, this image works just as well as the one above.

As some who is out there "in the trenches" teaching clinical photography, I can tell you that the overwhelming majority of dentists are struggling with simply capturing exceptional composition, let alone amazing lighting and "special" shots. I can tell you from teaching clinical photography for 10 years and thousands of dentists, that such "glamour shots" don't sell more care or help us with treatment planning.

While I believe that such beautiful images are nice and that we should always "aim for the stars" I encourage anyone shooting such "esthetic" images to also show their occlusal and lateral images when they look so beautiful. The dentists who look to us for advice need to see the images that help with treatment planning and case presentation. I've dissected the systems of case acceptance and as any of my students would tell you, the shots that sell care are not the anterior beautiful images, but the lateral and occlusal shots. A beautiful anterior shot does nothing for me when there's a mediocre lateral shot that doesn't show the proper Angle's classification.

If you can get a great dry well composed lateral arch with a proper Angle's classification, I say "Great work!" regardless of lighting.

Let's show off what we can do with the R2 bracket and bounce flashes WITH proper Angle's classification AND great composition

This completely unedited image should be what we get every time, because in terms of case presentation and patient engagement, it can play a much larger role than any anterior image.

I am confident that my images can stand side by side with anyone's on Earth. That's not the point. What I am saying is that I encourage dentists who are at the "top of their game" to start showing more good lateral and occlusal "interdisciplinary" images to help struggling dentists understand what it is that we really need to get for proper communication between our peers and patients.

Keep showing your gorgeous "esthetic" images, but in the non-Facebook world, we need so much more than that to do our best dentistry and to see our case acceptance increase. If you need help, I would humbly suggest that you consider ordering my ""Exquisite Clinical Photography Made Easy" DVD by clicking HERE.

General Westmoreland said it best "Let us navigate by the stars, not the light of every passing ship." There is a trend of showing great "smile design" shots. Let's raise the bar by also starting to show off great composition and interdisciplinary (not just esthetic) images and show everyone what great clinical photographers we TRULY are.

Best wishes,
Glenn

A New Flash Gives Great Dental Portraits Super Fast & Easier Than Ever

In the early 1970's, when I "borrowed" my dad's Minolta FT QL (released in 1966) and decided at age 6 that I loved photography, I had no idea that my hobby would evolve into this. Sure, like every photo geek I had my own B & W darkroom where I would enlarge images, always finding a huge clump of dust somewhere on the enlargement. It was my version of "Where's Waldo" but I kept on going with it and never imagined that one day people would hire me to come and teach them how to get great dental images. I blame it on my dad (both a photo hobbyist and dentist) but even with all of the photo toys that he had, I don't think that we could have imagined the actual functionality of many of the innovations available to the average person today.

I remember the days of setting up a couple of light boxes or umbrellas along with the use of a light meter and an array of equipment to capture really nice portraits. Worse yet, you needed a decent ceiling height to get good images and a lot of room to set the equipment up for different "moods". We still can do that today, but for the average dentist who simply doesn't have the budget or room to create a true studio, I introduce the Stella Diva 18 inch CFL ring light.

The 18" CFL bulb is bright but very cool and comfortable to be near.

What is it, you ask? It's a simplified way to take portraits. The concept is this: Set the light (less than $200) on a tripod or stable base, attach your camera on a flexible stalk (included) and you have perfect lighting. No softlights, no heat, no extra room (or budget) needed. Seriously. Just set it up, seat your subject in front and shoot.

Well, I took it over to a friend's office today to show it to him and we started shooting images. I chose to do things a little differently than they suggest and shot using an old Nikkor 70-300 lens from above , rather than attach the camera to the stalk. You don't need to do this, but I've always enjoyed thinking "outside the box", plus, I love the blurred background I can get using both a low f-stop and the zoom. I guess it's just my style.

Below are a few images and as anyone there can attest, once I set it up, it took literally less than 5 minutes to shoot all of the images you see below.  Are they as good as a $2000 setup with 3 lights? You be the judge, but remember, how good is good enough? With this system, I don't need extra room, it can be set up in the operatory in literally 1 minute and I'd feel fine putting these images up on my wall any day.

Remember, other than slight histogram adjustment and maybe a tiny bit of sharpening, there were no other changes to these images. There was no makeup or hairstyling and I just wanted to see what things would look like in an "average" setting. Scroll to the end of the 5th image and you'll see one more capability of this equipment...

Do you know how hard it is to make your 12 year old daughter smile for dental portraits?!?!?

So, using the light on an angle to the smile, I wanted to see what things could look like without diffusers or bounce. Just the ring light and an oblique angle. I had never tried this before, but the possibilities are endless.

This is just the ring light and my camera and nothing else. 

Just having fun with an "artsy" anterior shot, but it can do so, so much more.

Only one piece of equipment, for less than $200 to get great portraits and up close shots? I'll be using this a whole lot more...

The New Lytro Camera...Right for Clinical Photography?

When I got back from my Vegas lecture yesterday afternoon, a package was waiting for me.  About a year ago I put myself on the waiting list for the most anticipated camera to come along in a while. The new Lytro light field camera promised to be a new paradigm in photography. From the way it works to the concepts behind it, there was nothing like it.

The new Lytro may look small but it's a revolutionary approach to photography.

So, what makes it so great? Well, I can't really get into with this small of a space, but click HERE to learn more about the science behind it directly from the company.  In short, the goal of the camera is to allow the user to take a picture of virtually anything and be able to focus on any part of the picture, at any time, AFTER it has been taken. Basically, no matter what's in the picture, you don't focus, you don't use f-stops, you don't worry about flash settings. You merely pick it up, point it and shoot. Click HERE to see some sample images. Just click your mouse on any part and see it come into focus. There has never been anything like it. They are calling it "Living Photos".

I figured I'd take a look and see how it works and more importantly, see if it was good for dental use. After all, it's small, light, simple and I figured that if I could find a new way for dental photos to be taken, why not check it out?

Well, in my first trial, I wasn't impressed. The technology is awesome, but I just don't think it's there ...yet.  The image quality looked grainy and the lighting just wasn't good enough with the ambient room lighting. Remember, it doesn't use a flash.

This is just a first update. I promise to play with it this weekend and update you a but more some time soon...

My Clinical Photography DVD Was Reviewed in Dental Economics This Month

The only thing greater than making what you think is a great product is somebody using it and feeling the same way.

In this month's Dental Economics, Dr. Joe Blaes reviewed my "Exceptional Clinical Photography Made Easy" DVD. The DVD shows all of the techniques that I usually teach in my hands-on classes, using an "over the shoulder" approach. I cover patient positioning as well as mirror and retractor placement for ideal images, every time.

The DVD has been purchased by dentists in 14 countries and I'm humbled by all of your comments after you've used it, so thanks.

Below is the review. If any of you have ever watched it, I'd love your feedback. DVD #2 (a prequel ala George Lucas) will cover how to choose a camera, set it up and get perfect lighting for every image by understanding f-stops, flash settings and depth of field.

Why Great Depth of Field is Important in Dental Photography

Yeah, yeah, I know. Most dentists just want to pick up a camera, point it and get great images. So, if that's the case, then why all the fuss over depth of field?

Years ago, when we shot dental images on slide film, we were told to "focus on the laterals" so that we could get the centrals and cuspids in focus. With the advancement of technology, more specifically flash technology, we suddenly had a way to get a ton of lighting on an area, forcing us to turn the f-stop way up to give us great images.

But what's an f-stop and why does it matter?

f-stops, or apertures, are the adjustable components of the camera that allow light into the camera. The higher the number, the less light it lets into the camera. However, the higher the number, the greater the depth of field. A higher depth of field means that more is in focus from front to back. So, an f-stop of 32 will have much more in focus than an f-stop of 5.

For clinical photography, a higher depth of field means that for certain images we can worry less about having to focus perfectly and we will still get more in focus. For instance, for an anterior retracted image such as the one below, an f-stop of 25 will allow us to get every tooth, from central to 2nd molar in focus. Better yet, when shooting a high f-stop, it means that if you're off a bit in terms of your focus, you can get away with it because you have 2-3 inches of "depth" to play with.

With a higher f-stop, all teeth are easily in focus.

When one doesn't manage the f-stop properly, depth of field can be diminished.  Let's say you shot an image with an f-stop of 9, you will see a considerably diminished depth of field.

Notice how the posterior teeth are out of focus with this low f-stop image

So, the key is to be able to control your f-stop and always shoot with as high of an f-stop as possible for any given situation.  Sometimes, like for full face images, distance from subject requires all the flash power you can muster, as opposed to images such as a single central when there isn't a f-stop high enough to manage the amount of light thrown out by a full power flash, necessitating a lower flash power.

The need to alter flash power and f-stop settings are just two more reasons why I have felt that "point and shoot" cameras (which do not generally have either of the aforementioned features) are simply not appropriate for dental use.

There is one exception to the rule of great depth of field and it's portrait photography. When we take an image of a full face for non-clinical use, we do not want the background in focus, so it's important to manage lighting in such a way that the f-stop used is lower than for intraoral shots.

In portrait images, photographers use low f-stops to emphasize the face and make the background out of focus.

In the future, I'll cover more aspects of this topic including how to set your camera up to do this quickly and easily.

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to email me at Glenn@KriegerContinuum.com .

Best Wishes,

Glenn