Any photographers in here?
- Thread starter ChopstickHero
- Start date
invert said:
RAW format is the best file format out of the camera, but is not necessary to get good quality pictures.
Lets start with your other camera settings. In this controlled light + tripod shooting environment I would shoot aperture priority ("A" on the mode dial). Select a middle aperture around f11 to increase the depth of field (DoF) which will help ensure the entire chair is in focus.
Next secure your tripod well and get ready to shoot. Once you've locked-down your tripod you can still make small adjustments to the left-right position by simply sliding the legs since you are on a smooth surface.
Next use the timer feature combined with a short 2 second delay. You can set the timer's delay under MENU --> Pencil Icon --> #19 - 'self timer'. Select 2 seconds. This will remove any camera shake present when you trigger the shutter. It will take some practice to be able to loosen your grip on the camera (when on a tripod) such that you movement does not effect the camera. Now if you get a $350 Arca Swiss ball head or you use a video fluid head you probably can skip this step. Otherwise it will help ensure sharp images.
Finally, set the white balance (WB) to taste. In the image above it appears your are not using the proper white balance which gives an orange cast to the entire image. If you want something more realistic then use the custom WB function. To set, hold the WB button while rotating the command dial until you see PRE on the bottom line of the top LCD screen. While still holding the WB button take a picture of your scene. The top LCD will flash GOOD if the WB was able to be set. In this scene I would recommend that you add a piece of white paper to the chair to ensure an accurate WB. Fold the paper in half and prop it like a tent on the chairs seat. Position the paper to make sure the paper gets full and even lighting.
Finally, make sure your ISO is set to 200, and if you are using JPEG, make sure the resolution is set to highest and the compression setting is set to low compression (larger file size).
Good luck
NVP5White said:
Good info there. I would reiterate the last part about making sure that your white (be it a sheet of paper or a true WB card) be positioned so that it is evenly lit, not in the light but tilted so that it's in a shadow. I see alot of folks make this mistake. For more creativity, you can buy WB cards that are different shades of white, which essentially is like adding filters to your bag. For instance, a WB card with a blueish tint will give the pic a "cooler" tint effectively taking the place of using a cooling filter. Same with warming filters and whatnot. But with PhotoShop, who uses color filters anymore?
NVP5White, to clear up any confusion let's clarify what you are saying a little (as much for my benefit as anybody else's). I always thought the Auto WB feature was fairly accurate, especially if there is only one type of light source. But there needs to be white in the scene for this to work.
Invert, I will explain WB principles as it was taught to me. If you take white light and pass it through a prism - what comes out the other side? The color spectrum. Same basic principle with a camera. If you tell it what true white (in a particular color temperature) is, it can determine the way the other colors are supposed to look. This is why white balancing is important.
Okay yeah but I mean those colors are the real colors, that chair is bright red/orange (maybe a LITTLE bit less orange than the pictures) and the floor is the same color. I'll try to recaliber my WB next time I try that shot !
rjmhotrod said:
Yes, there needs to be a reference of white in the scene. Since there is none in the picture, you'll need to calibrate the camera ahead of time and then fix it using the customer setting. Another option would be to select a WB preset that closly meets the true WB requirements, but it may not be as accurate as the customer setting and will require evaluation of the results of the test shot using the camera LCD, which is less then optimal.
invert said:
Yeah it's less critical than we sometimes make it out to be. Some shots look really good even with the calibration off. Sometimes that's what makes the shot work. It's really about your vision and if the shot works for you. These are just suggestions if you want true color balancing, which may or may not be what you are going for. At any rate, I like the way you set up the shot; even the rigged lighting shows good imagination. Necessity IS the father of invention.
some pics from my new 100-400L 
I LOVE this lens
these are fairly large 100% crops from 400mm
couple ducks
http://tekkie.smugmug.com/photos/127569488-O.jpg
http://tekkie.smugmug.com/photos/127569848-O.jpg
this squirell was about 30ft up in a tree just watching me walk around
http://tekkie.smugmug.com/photos/127603893-O.jpg
I LOVE this lensthese are fairly large 100% crops from 400mm
couple ducks
http://tekkie.smugmug.com/photos/127569488-O.jpg
http://tekkie.smugmug.com/photos/127569848-O.jpg
this squirell was about 30ft up in a tree just watching me walk around
http://tekkie.smugmug.com/photos/127603893-O.jpg
I have a Canon EOS Digital Rebel... I absolutely love it. I am definitely a hobby photographer... nothing major and I just do photography for fun. I for the most part take photos of horses and wildlife, but I will *definitely* be taking some good shots of my new Mazda once the spring comes around.
Here are some shots... if you're interested to see more you can browse http://www.shattered-muse.net/photos/ at your leisure. ^_^
Ehehe, my horse and my dog. XD
Here are some shots... if you're interested to see more you can browse http://www.shattered-muse.net/photos/ at your leisure. ^_^
Ehehe, my horse and my dog. XD
'87 Turbo II
Member
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- 1987 Mazda Rx-7 Turbo II
You know, you think a lens with that much focal range would be a b**** with distortion but I guess that's what makes it an L. All you need now is a Canon 2X teleconverter and BOOM, You're a nature photographer.tekkie said:some pics from my new 100-400L
these are fairly large 100% crops from 400mm
couple ducks
http://tekkie.smugmug.com/photos/127569488-O.jpg
http://tekkie.smugmug.com/photos/127569848-O.jpg
this squirell was about 30ft up in a tree just watching me walk around
http://tekkie.smugmug.com/photos/127603893-O.jpg
[quote='87 Turbo II]You know, you think a lens with that much focal range would be a b**** with distortion but I guess that's what makes it an L. All you need now is a Canon 2X teleconverter and BOOM, You're a nature photographer.[/quote]
I have the tamron SP pro already
even with that the distortion is not to bad actually, the only prob is losing AF
I have the tamron SP pro already
even with that the distortion is not to bad actually, the only prob is losing AFlaraw said:I have a Canon EOS Digital Rebel... I absolutely love it. I am definitely a hobby photographer... nothing major and I just do photography for fun. I for the most part take photos of horses and wildlife, but I will *definitely* be taking some good shots of my new Mazda once the spring comes around.
Lara, it appears you have a very good eye for photography. These are some great shots. You're making the most with your Rebel it seems.
