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Basic Techniques To Get Great Shots Every Time

No matter how great your camera might be, it is how you apply your skills that makes the difference between an OK shot and a great shot. Here you can talk technical, talk creative, share your techniques, lighting, and digital editing. This is where we can all help each other to take better photos.
If you post a photo here and are looking for a critique, you should be prepared for honest criticism even if it hurts. It will only help to make us better photographers.

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Doctor Rotinaj
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Re: Basic Techniques To Get Great Shots Every Time

Post by Doctor Rotinaj »

Another thing to keep in mind is that, even if you use a large, diffused light source (a softbox, an umbrella, a white bedsheet over a window on a sunny day) to create nice, soft light, you might still have areas in your image that have darker shadows than you would like. You don't want to use a slower shutter speed or wider aperture to get more light into those shadows, because then the non-shadow areas will be overexposed. You need to get some fill light into those shadows. One way to do this is to use a second light source. A second way is to use a reflector. You can use a reflector specifically designed for photography, or you can use a large white surface -- a white bath towel or bedsheet, a large sheet of white posterboard, or a piece of white foamcore board. Just angle it so that it reflects the light from your light source towards the shadow areas that you want to have more light. Conversely, if your light source is getting reflected into the shadow areas (for example, from a light colored wall opposite your light source), and you want to reduce that (to create dramatic shadows), use a large black surface to absorb the light and keep it from reflecting back onto your subject.

You can get an inexpensive reflector online here.

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life-is-plastic
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Re: Basic Techniques To Get Great Shots Every Time

Post by life-is-plastic »

... foamboards with aluminum-foil glued onto them (no need to try to do that wrinkle-free) are very effective ... very much so in the cost department :) ...

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mwnwr
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Re: Basic Techniques To Get Great Shots Every Time

Post by mwnwr »

how does shutter speed effect iso and available light?
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mwnwr
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Re: Basic Techniques To Get Great Shots Every Time

Post by mwnwr »

thaks skybird. very informative.
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Jasper52
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Re: Basic Techniques To Get Great Shots Every Time

Post by Jasper52 »

I'm about to start experimenting with taking boudoir shots of my doll when it arrives. I've been doing some net trawling to get some basic advice on how to set up the camera. I'm interested in creating shots with plenty of shadow with key highlights. I have a soft natural daylight box that I purchased for dark winter months. I figured I could mask it off to control the amount of light falling on the doll. Am I right in starting at a low ISO 100 or just above and a low shutter speed? The tip about using the self timer is useful as this will reduce camera shake. Any other tips so that I can start to experiment without taking hundreds of shots and not getting close to what I'm after?
Thanks

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Jasper52
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Re: Basic Techniques To Get Great Shots Every Time

Post by Jasper52 »

I've just bought a second hand Fuji Finepix S9500 for low key shots. I set the ISO at 100 to avoid grainy appearance in the photo but this means I have to use a very slow speed which can lead to blurring. The self timer on a tripod is one way to go. I use a natural light box that I bought for dark winter months. It's a fairly powerful light but I have to put it very close and at the moment I can't suspend it. I've seen some mini kits on ebay (UK) for about £35 which have a couple of lights and umbrella reflectors on tripods.
The shots I've taken so far have been with the single light and setting the aperture to about F6 and the shutter speed as low as I can. I then use GIMP to edit the photo and correct issues. In my next session, I'm going to shoot during the day using just the natural light from the bedroom window.

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femdoll
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Re: Basic Techniques To Get Great Shots Every Time

Post by femdoll »

if you have softboxes and lights, there is no need for slow speed (besides, allmost all cams these days can easily handle ISO400).
Light is just light ayh, so... Flash or normal light... if there is enough of it... seen some guys doing some incredible stuff with just flashlights! Just a way of positioning it correctly, using reflective stuff (some even just 'plain' cardboard for that)... your model isn't going anywhere or is 'un patience' about it :P

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Re: Basic Techniques To Get Great Shots Every Time

Post by Aloe_of_Discontent »

I have two cameras that I have been using, one is on my cellphone and the other is an older Lumix from Panasonic.

Interestingly enough they are both roughly the same in terms of megapixel-ness, the camera being 8 and the Lumix being 7.2.

The cellphone has better speed between shots but it sucks at zoom. Even with PRO mode managing the exposure, ISO and WB zoom comes out full of noise every time. No matter how much filler light I use.

Now the Lumix, it has a proper optical section to it rather than a fixed lens. The cellphone uses a digital zoom at the sensor level, the Lumix actually moves a small optic stack. The result is in Intelligent ISO mode with auto WB and exposure, which is basically PRO mode on the phone, I get much better zoom. The flash is also much better at filling in shadows than the phone.

Problem is, the Lumix is so slow to recycle. It takes 10-15 seconds for it to write to SD card. However I can zoom in with it a lot better and focus on different aspects of my target a lot easier.


...I'm coming from a butterfly/moth/skipper/caterpillar photography background, I've been taking pictures of elusive critters for years under challenging conditions. Setting up and photographing my doll (soon to be two!) has been far more difficult and challenging than I anticipated, and a fun learning curve. I'll be posting pictures as soon as I get something "good enough" to share, as a published photographer with my name in several places, I'm fairly picky. :)


Now as for fill lighting, I have several Harbor Freight black upright workbenches I put workshop machines on. I took the lights off of them, a small foot-long florescent light fixture. By arranging them around the room out of sight I've been getting good fill lighting and far less shadow than I was with just the overhead light and flash.
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