My Camera
After my last blog post I went on the etsy forums and asked for a critique of my Ring-A-Ding Pendants. I got a mostly wonderfully positive response, so I'm not quite so bummed like I was. I also got a blog comment I'd like to respond to.
Yazmin said...
Why don't you share with us your camera model and the settings you are using? Maybe someone can make a suggestion on how to improve with what you have.
Also, are you using daylight bulbs in your lightbox? They can really make all the difference. :)
Thanks Yazmin :) First off, I have one daylight lightbulb lamp that I use with my lightbox, but its still just too dark. So my current setup is this:
I sit on the floor next to my great big sliding glass door and usually don't bother to use the lightbox and set it aside. My camera is a Canon Powershot A85 which I use with a great little Mini Tripod.
My photos are taken without flash, on the largest size, with the superfine (best) resolution. When I take jewelry photos, I set my camera on Manual. I use the macro option, and set the evaluative white balance. My ISO speed is at 400. After reading my manual I have set the exposure time at 1/160 and the Aperture at F2.8. Do I really know what this means? Nope! Everything else is left at normal settings. So If anybody has any tips for me, I would love to hear what I'm doing wrong.
4 comments:
Your pics look great i think! I wish i knew more about cameras because i am in the market for a new one (not for business but as a portable one).
Good luck!
Apeture f2.8 says that you are allowing a lot of light into your camera, which is good for higher quality images. An aperture on the other side of the spectrum would be like squinting your eyes to reduce the amount of light you let in. More light = better pictures. So you're good there.
Drop your ISO to the lowest setting...probably 50 as with most point-and-shoots. The higher the ISO, the grainier your resulting photo.
Now 50 depends on light (were as 400 doesn't need as much), so make sure there is plenty, otherwise your pictures might come out a bit dark. So, if you're shooting on a rainy day, just adding another light source to your lightbox can do wonders. If you have one on the side, you can add the second source to the top to avoid harsh shadows.
That should take some of the graininess out of your shots. However, you'll definitely want to be very still and continue using your tripod.
I'd love to see if there was improvement in your pics with the change of that one setting. I expect there will be. :)
Hello fellow PDXer. You have very nice pictures - and a similar camera model to mine. Think I'm going to play with the settings too! And I've GOT to get one of those mini tripods - can you tell me where you got yours?
I agree with what Yazmin said. I used to have a powershot, but with not quite as many features as yours has. Something I use with my SLR is to use the timer or a remote even when using a tripod. Especially with a little tripod like you have, there's some shake when you push the button.
Worst case scenario take your pictures outside (with your light box to diffuse light if necessary) at a lower ISO. With my powershot it took beautiful crisp pictures outside during the day, but I never got a decent indoor shot with no flash.
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