Advice wanted.

B

bleakphoenix

New member
Hi folks,

After browsing through the pic\'s here, I\'ve had a look through the photography hints & tips and given it a try with my digital camera.

Howerver, the results always end up looking like:

zoanthrope1.jpg

and
fuzzymarine1.jpg


(I\'ve touched the first pic up a little)

Does anyone have any suggestion?

I\'m using a 5.1 MP Camera (No optical zoom)
ISO set to both 100 and 200 - similar result.
Macro mode set on.
Whiote balance tried both Auto, and tungsten.
Lighting source - 2 dayligt bulbs - positioned behind the camera projecting onto mini, and either side of mini, close up. Same result...

I\'m stuck.... :)
 
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bleakphoenix

New member
Originally posted by flynn
Looks out of focus to me. Are you using a tripod?
Click to expand...

I will be when I can find where I\'ve put it. Although at the mo, the camerea propped & supported, and I\'m using the timer to reduce any shake on it.
 
airhead

airhead

Coffin Dodger / Keymaster
You have to have a tripod. almost no way around it shooting minis.

check a couple of things.

First, look in the manual at the autofocus modes? Can you change them? does it focus on the center of the frame?

Second, look at the macro mode minimum distance? are you too close? with that many MP\'s you can back up a bit, and crop the pic down and still have plenty of pixels left for posting on cmon. Don\'t use the digital zoom - that just crops away pixels.

Finally, it looks like you are lacking in light. You didn\'t say what wattage those daylight bulbs are? twin 40\'s are not going to cut it. Probably 75 or 100 bulbs.

Can you manually set the shutter? Shoot for as long a time as possilbe - 1/4 second is my favorite. But you have to have a tripod for that.

If all else fails, get yourself a light tent. (see my sig for a link to a DIY one.) Use a white window sheer for the fabric.
 
W

War Griffon

New member
As said above really you must use a tripod and if your camera can take one I would also say use a cable release.

60 watt daylight bulbs will work fine but you really need to think about the posion of them in relation to the mini. Given the position of the shadow on the second figure I would say they are possibly too far back and not equally placed, the lamps need to be quite close to the figure not level or behind the camera.

Try moving the lamps closer and changing their posions around the mini to get the best lighting, I think my initial set up of 2 desk lamps is on my article in the articles section. You can see from that how close to the mini the lamps need to be even using small halogen desk lamps.
 
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bleakphoenix

New member
Thanks for the advice guys,

I\'ve managed to find my tripod (hooray..)

and checked the focal length.. Macro mode is about 43\" minimum.. which was a bit of a surprise, let me tell you :)

And using 2 x 40W daylight bulbs..
Which, strangely enough I was also using on the 2nd of the first two pictures... although I think the location of them didnt help on that one.

Unfortunatly, I cant set the shutter speed in Macro mode, only in \'normal\' mode
So, with those in mind - latest attempts are:
zoanthrope2.png

zoanthrope3.png


Picture 1 had the lights fairly close to the mini, and I feel is a bit too washed out.
Picture 2 though is better, lights are not as close.
Not perfect by any means... but I\'m gonna get better with practice.

Once again, thanks for the advice folks.
 
airhead

airhead

Coffin Dodger / Keymaster
OK, you are gaining. It looks like your light meter scans the whole image, casuing the pic to overexpose. See if you can get it to not do that? probably not, but it is worth look at the book for.

Alternatives:
Close the shutter a stop if you have that option.

Use a darker background. My sig has a link to a printable blue/white background. or you can go to a camera store and get a 30% gray card to shoot in front of.

If you can set the card so the mini is setting on it then it sweeps up the back, it eliminates the corner line in the background and creats a natural fade as the light plays on it.

TAB shoots in a matt black box and does very well, but she is the only one I know that can shoot over a black background and get a good shot.
 
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