Hello,
This is a question about the futility of capturing a bronze statue--specifically one that was recently polished and waxed.
I've been having fun for the last few years being Ahab and chasing my great white whale, in this case a full-sized bronze copy of Michelangelo's David. Until recently, he was easy to photograph on overcast days as he had a patina that helped dull the underlying sheen of the bronze.
I recently stopped by the park where he stands guard and was surprised to see that the city had a change of heart and decided to scrub his patina off, polish him and coat him with a nice protective layer of wax. While I'm gratified to see the city moving away from the benign neglect frame of mind towards David, their recent actions have me reconsidering the chances of successfully modeling him now.
I know that shiny surfaces should be dulled with something like talcum powder, but I am pretty sure the city would take a very dim view of me doing that to a 20-foot male nude they'd just recently cleaned. Beyond that, are there any tricks in Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop that might help me?
I took this particular photograph late in the day after the shadow of a nearby building moved completely over him. Otherwise, David has an extremely dazzling, almost blinding reflective shine. If I were tall enough, I'm convinced I could use one of his feet for a mirror to shave in--that is how shiny and reflective his newly cleaned state is.
Jerry
Topic: Advice about a bronze sculpture (Read 5901 times)
