# Franko's Rotating Photo Rig



## Franko (Apr 15, 2015)

This is a rotating rig to photograph skin care products. The photography has to be highly repeatable and some studies go on for months, some for years. It is important that they be able to position the subjects exactly as was photographed before, for scientific comparisons.

The camera and lights are on a stand and everything is indexed so it can be returned to whatever position is was used in the previous shoot. It takes consistent photos from 5 positions, front, 45º left and right and 90º left and right. The camera and lights must rotate on an axis a little forward of the center of the head.

The base has track rails I made from arcs of glued up plywood and skinned with formica. The trolly under the camera and light stand has a system of wheels, much like a roller coaster that locks on the track rails to guide the stand in an arc around the center. I could not use a simple pivot point because of the wide swing arc.

A cable mechanism operates a brake rod to lock the rig in the five positions. There is a head holder on the back of the chair that is adjustable to accommodate all different size and height of heads. A cable management system raises the power and data cable to the ceiling and anchors at the center point then across the ceiling and down the wall to the computer and power outlets. It isn't visible in the photo. 

It took nearly a year to design and finish and was delivered a few months ago. Tubing is crafted from stage speaker stands and the heavier light supports were .125 aluminum tube and is black anodized. The stand is baltic birch plywood coated with truck bed liner paint, which has a good texture and is very durable.

Camera elevation and positioning hardware is a combination of existing hardware and machined parts.

Unfortunately, the coolest work is under the platform, where spring loaded skateboard wheel fixtures make contact with the semi-circular rail.


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## Franko (Apr 15, 2015)

Here is a detail of the head rest on the back of the chair. It is adjustable on y and Z axis. Made from baltic birch ply and Delrin. The X axis is done with a modified enlarger stand post and bracket. A laser is mounted on the back to index the chair to center. The bottom part contacts the back of the neck and the top contacts the head just above the ears. The yellow things are rules to record and return the headrest to the position for each subject. The z axis is also so indexed.


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## Franko (Apr 15, 2015)

This is a detail of the camera mounting system. Brackets incorporate modified macro xy stage and a Manfrotto clamp on crank up and down tripod post. It turned out that this set up had too much movement so we replaced it with a more beefy single axis mount, equipped with a pan mount.




was replaced with this:


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## Eddyde (Apr 15, 2015)

Nice job! Looks like it was a fun project.


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## compact8 (Apr 30, 2015)

Thanks for sharing !


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## Franko (Apr 30, 2015)

Thanks for looking.


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## T Bredehoft (May 1, 2015)

Isn't it great to be given an impossible job, say "sure, I can do that," and do it, blowing away their expectations!


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## Franko (May 1, 2015)

I can't explain in nor do I know how to market what I do. I have been given projects that were no where near my portfolio. It's like they need something, can't find anyone who does it, so they come to me.

I worked for an advertising agency for a few years. They wanted to make a presentation to a client they were wooing. They wanted a very broken telephone. "Give it to Frank. He can do it."

It was one of those black tough dial phones. The plastic ones, not the Bakelite. I took the phone down to the basement where the custodian's office and shop was. Asked him if he had a sledgehammer. I'm holding a phone. He's curious, so he gives me a 8 pound sledgehammer. We find a tough spot on the concrete floor and I begin wail on the phone. I had an idea how I wanted to break it, I wanted to snap it half and produce some large shards.

You'd be surprised how difficult it is to crunch up a phone and make it look funny. Snapping the headset in equal halves was hard to do, even with a sledgehammer. As I operated on the phone a crowd gathered to cheer me on. With an artist's eye, I eyed the results, made some more adjustments and finally declared it, "art," to the applause of the gathered crowd of spectators who each had a story to take back to their cubicles. "You'll never guess what I saw on my coffee break!"


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## randyc (May 7, 2015)

Franko said:


> ...they need something, can't find anyone who does it, so they come to me...



Frank, I don't know how I missed this project when you first posted it but it is a BEAUTY, nice work !


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## pdentrem (May 7, 2015)

Lovely torture rack, does Homeland or NSA know about this?
A couple friends of mine work in NYC doing portrait work, advertizing and catalogues. He has some funny stories as well. Must be a common theme.
Pierre


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## Franko (May 7, 2015)

Thanks, Randy, pdentrem.


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## GA Gyro (May 7, 2015)

Interesting photography setup.... 

Just curious... what camera did they use?

Reason I ask... I used to assist weddings and other social (and professional) events... friend is a pro.  
Learned a bunch about lighting, posing, and shooting... however I found the best shots were 'candid' in the sense that catching folks 'being themselves' were the best shots.

I realize that was/is not the goal of what you designed and built... however it is fun to me, to catch folks being themselves.  It is amazing, as soon as they realize the camera is pointed their way... they automatically go into the pose mode... and one cannot catch them being themselves.  
OK, sorry, just rambling about fun past experiences.

Really COOL set-up you designed and built!


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## Franko (May 7, 2015)

Thanks, John. I'm not sure but I think they hook a Nikon D-800 to it.

They are always getting new cameras. I think they have plans to switch to a Canon because of software features that works with the computer monitoring system. The software allows them to ghost a previous image so they can accurately match over time. Some of the studies go on for months. Repeatability is a key requirement for their work. That's why such elaborate camera, lighting and positioning is required.

I had a Nikon D-5200 for a while but sold it and the lenses and replaced it with a Lumix LX7.


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## sgisler (May 7, 2015)

That's quite an impressive apparatus 


Stan,
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Franko (May 7, 2015)

Thanks, Stan.


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## Ulma Doctor (May 7, 2015)

Excellent Work Franko!!!!


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## Franko (May 8, 2015)

Thanks, Mike.


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## GA Gyro (May 8, 2015)

Franko said:


> Thanks, John. I'm not sure but I think they hook a Nikon D-800 to it.
> 
> They are always getting new cameras. I think they have plans to switch to a Canon because of software features that works with the computer monitoring system. The software allows them to ghost a previous image so they can accurately match over time. Some of the studies go on for months. Repeatability is a key requirement for their work. That's why such elaborate camera, lighting and positioning is required.
> 
> I had a Nikon D-5200 for a while but sold it and the lenses and replaced it with a Lumix LX7.



THX Franko.

I set up around Canon... when I quit doing pro work I upgraded to a 'pro-sumer model', currently have a Canon 7D Mk2... every year the electronics of a DSLR are a BIG jump ahead... 
I think Moore's law works with cameras also.

Truly interesting setup... appreciate the thorough description.


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## Franko (May 8, 2015)

John, I have a Power Shot Elph 330 HS that is the camera I use for most of my shots. It is my second Elph. They have remarkable glass, a dirt-simple interface, are great for traveling, a built-in automatic lens cover and take remarkably sharp photos (and video). If it had a hot shoe it would be all the camera I would ever require.

The Lumix LX7 has Leica glass and a hot shoe and is an astonishingly capable camera, but the user interface is a little too nested for my preference.

I never was satisfied with the performance of my Nikons. They just weren't sharp unless using a prime lens which I could never afford.


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