need some help taking images of figures
Thu 2010/10/14 02:16 JST
okay well i am new to taking images of my figures i just bought a Olympus pen e-pl1 digital camera with 9 options and options within those options with a 14-42mm lens and i have no idea what is the best option to use and what is the best settings for taking pictures of my figures so please can i get some help ^-^
I'd say start with auto settings, then slowly start trying out manual settings to see what effect they make on the picture.
Here are a few rules of thumb.
ISO Setting : Higher the number, the greater the sensitivity to light (so you'll be getting brighter pictures in less time. However the higher the ISO the more noise)
Aperture Size : smaller the number (for example f 2.0), the bigger the aperture. The bigger the aperture size, the smaller the depth of field. Vice versa for smaller apertures. Note that the bigger the aperture the more light that can get in at once.
Shutter Speed: Self explanatory, faster the shutter speed the less light that gets in.
Hope this helps you bit.
Truthfully I'm a novice with photography too, I'm still learning.
most important is to use light source from different angles to reduce shadows
right now i only have my one light from my bulb, what would be best to use for lighting ? i know get 3 lights and the type of light does that matter ?
I like to use those energy saving bulbs that produce a soft white light. I like to set them up one on left front, one on right front, and one shinning just between the back of your subject and back ground to kill off shadows.
Oohhhh.. what a nice camera. I'm really intrigued by these new 'micro 4/3' cameras, or whatever they call that format (DSLR sized sensor, but no mirrors). I'm sure someday all cameras will be like this, but personally I really like that fat CLICK when the mirror snaps up on an SLR (guess I'm just old-school). Anyway...
I played around with one of these briefly in the store, but it wasn't clear to me how much control you really had over the settings (aperture, shutter, etc). It seems like they're trying to hide all this behind the 'simplified' interface.
The first thing you have to do is get a tripod. You just can't take good figure pictures holding the camera in your hands, I don't care how steady they are. I would also recommend getting a remote trigger (they're cheap, so why not).
For settings, I would start by trying out the macro presets. I recall that camera had a few different macro 'scenes'(?) There was something like a 'nature macro' setting that would probably work well.
That will get you 95% of the way there. 'Blurry' and 'out-of-focus' are the 2 biggest crimes against figure photograpy, and I sadly see it all the time.
Turn the flash off, most important. But to start out, practice taking pics outside, overcast is best. Taking the pictures inside increases your chances of blurring due to lack of all-round lighting. Once you got the feel for your camera and angles, then start practicing inside. Don't be discouraged if your pictures don't come out well the first time, figure photography can be frustrating at first, enjoyable once you get things going.
And yes, start practicing your focal points, ISO, etc as you go on. There are a few books out there that will help you out, but I recommend Short Course in (Digital) photography by Barbra London. Really in-depth and straight to the point.
If you really want to learn photography you need to understand exposure (shutter speed, ISO, and aperture). It may sound very confusing at first but it's not that hard really. There are great books out there on it but even just going to YouTube and doing a search for Photography Exposure or something similar will show you a few good videos with tips to understand it.
The best advise I can give is after seeing that, maybe taking a few notes, is get your manual out and put the camera in manual mode and play with it. I almost never shoot in anything but manual mode as I don't want to give up the control of my photos to the camera - which is most likely going to get it wrong anyway. haha
Final tip - a simple white foam board can "bounce" the main light into the figure from the other side. This helps to prevent harsh dark shadows. Check out this picture and you will see my white foamboard on the left being used to bounce light back onto the figure:
http://twitpic.com/2lx3a2/full
My setup got a little out of hand for that shot which is why I took the picture. :D I prefer to have my camera at a very low ISO so I get better quality images and then use enough light to get the image.
(Also read up on setting your white balance in the camera so you don't end up with yellow or green looking images. Light source have different colors and can really make your photos look strange if the camera isn't set correctly)
ok, thank you all so much for the help ^-^ i will try to do me best and upload what i have done asap after i get the hang of taking pictures ^-^ thank you all so much ^-^