Question for Justwakingup

[Ian]

You kindly offered to give me some photo help, so, here goes. Do you see how poorly the first picture shows? However, when I zoom in I get closer to what I'm looking for (3rd pic) All of them were taken in close-up/macro mode with auto flash, and an overhead flourescent and a desk lamp on either side. Does it look like a light issue? The second pic was lightened in my graphic program. Thanks in advance

Ian

[TwinOaks]

My suggestion is that it's a camera setting. If you're shooting with a digital (most likely), try manual mode for more 'exposure'. If you don't have that option, a light box may be the solution. I think the camera is being affected by reflections on the curved surfaces. A light box will difuse the light and make it more even.

[Ian]

My suggestion is that it's a camera setting. If you're shooting with a digital (most likely), try manual mode for more 'exposure'. If you don't have that option, a light box may be the solution. I think the camera is being affected by reflections on the curved surfaces. A light box will difuse the light and make it more even.

When you say lightbox, are you reffering to the kind of box used for tracing?

[JustWakinUp]

Hey Ian,

I don't recommend auto mode at all nor the flash. If your lighting is too dim just slow your shutter speed down and maybe increase aperature to say a 4 or 5. You will definitely need to make you a lightbox. It's not a tracing box, it's literally a cube made of whatever material you like lined with WHITE construction paper or whatever lining you'd like to use. Some people have made their light boxes with shower curtains and pvc pipe. I made mine with wood and white construction paper. I cut holes in the side and top. I place clamp lights shining in from front, top and sides. Oh yeah cover the holes with some white tissue paper to diffuse the light.

I'll try to brief this as best I can without knowing how much you know of stuff so don't take it personal if I tell you something you allready know.

Aperature - Size of hole the light can pass through to the film. Lower settings 1,2 & 3 will allow alot of light to pass through and will decrease depth of field. (blurry background etct) The higher the setting 8,9 & 11 will allow less light to pass through and will increase depth of field ( everything in focus from foreground to background).

Shutter speed - the speed at which the aperature hole opens and closes. The slower the speed the more light ( use with higher aperature setting. The faster the speed the less light ( use with lower aperature settings )

You will want to play with these until you get an even balanced photo not under exposed or over exposed. As you are setting your shutter speed and aperature settings look in the lower right of your viewer and you will see if you are under exposed or over exposed and make adjustments accordingly.

If none of this makes sense just let me know what parts are confusing.

[Ian]

Hey, thanks a ton for the informative answer. I guess I need to start by building a light box. Also need to play around with the camera some more - I didn't even know you could adjust the shutter speed.

Thanks again

Ian

[TwinOaks]

(generally) The shutter speed is also referred to as the ISO. With some of the better digital cameras, and probably most digital Single Lens Reflex (SLR) you can go into manual mode and adust the ISO. On film cameras, other than point and shoot drugstore cameras, you have a setting to choose the film speed (ISO). That setting (200, 400, 600, etc) determines the shutterspeed.

An easy light box to make is use PVC for the frame, and a white sheet for the diffuser. It's opaque and will allow light through. Oh yeah, unless you have a permanent location....don't glue the frame.

Edited October 9, 2008 by TwinOaks

[howardb]

Twinoaks - one minor correction on what you said. ISO is the sensitivity of digital sensor or film. It used to be called "film speed" which just adds to the confusion. It's not a mechanical part of the camera, but is critical to light measurement for the exposure. Low ISO numbers would equate to very fine grain film, sharp images, requires LOTS of light. High ISO numbers would equate to very grainy film, fuzzy-er images, and the light required to make the image goes down. On a film camera, you set it to match the film you are using. Digital gives you the option of adjusting the sensitivity at will, but at the expense of digital noise on the high-ISO settings.

Ian -

That said, the rest is great advice. A light box is fantastic for shooting objects like leatherwork, because you need to get even light all around it. My advice, build the light box first. You may still be able to use the auto settings on the camera, but shut the flash off, and use a tripod.

If you still aren't getting what you want, then crawl into the abyss of manual shooting (sinister laughter). I hate manual because I always forget something! If your camera has an exposure compensation (called EV on Canon, not sure of others), you can also try the auto setting and bump the exposure up or down with the EV. I'm terminally lazy and find this works frequently, but not always. I usually use the semi-automatic modes of "shutter priority" or "aperature priority", and prefer the aperature priority mode. I set my ISO for the light I'm in (100 for strong daylight, 400 for indoors, 1200 or higher for low light). With a light box, try 100 or 200. I set the aperature for the depth of field I want, and let the camera figure out how fast the shutter needs to be. When the light is weird, I will sometimes use the shutter priority mode to keep the on-board light meter from over or undersaturating.

Hope all this helps.

Brent

[BobHall]

Ian

PM me if you'd like plans for a simple light box. Another thing to remember; if you decide to slow the shutter speed to increase the exposure (shooting flash-less) you'll need a tripod. It's always best to shoot from a tripod anyway. Shooting manual isn't a big deal, especially with modern digital cameras. Just bracket several shots, look at the results, and make adjustments. Back in the day we'd have to wait for processing to figure out had bad the pics were. lol

Bob