Lights, camera, bud pic.

[Qman]

I just ordered some magnify filters +1 +2 +4 +10 that screw on the end of my lens. should give me the same effect as that eyclops

Also, you can try a magnifying glass at the end of your camera to enhance your macro shots...

 

[Qman]

turned out ok but I don't understand what changing the shutter speed will do

Changing your shutter speed determines the length of time that your image sensor ’sees’ the scene you’re attempting to capture. The longer (or shorter) you leave your shutter open also determines how much light hits your sensor and determines the exposure.

"Remember that thinking about Shutter Speed in isolation from the other two elements of the Exposure Triangle (aperture and ISO) is not really a good idea. As you change shutter speed you’ll need to change one or both of the other elements to compensate for it.

For example if you speed up your shutter speed one stop (for example from 1/125th to 1/250th) you’re effectively letting half as much light into your camera. To compensate for this you’ll probably need to increase your aperture one stop (for example from f16 to f11). The other alternative would be to choose a faster ISO rating (you might want to move from ISO 100 to ISO 400 for example)."

 

[umbra]

I just ordered some magnify filters +1 +2 +4 +10 that screw on the end of my lens. should give me the same effect as that eyclops

Also, you can try a magnifying glass at the end of your camera to enhance your macro shots...

The screw on macro lens dont do as good of a job because the edges are blurry. You would be better off using extension tubes in combination with your macro lens. When you are that close to a plant, lighting becomes a problem. Regular flash doesn't really work, you need a ring flash. I know subcool's mag photos, are post processing cropping with photoshop. I personally prefer to take a better photo.

 

[Qman]

Yeah I read about those magnifiers but for 15 it's worth a try for me. Ring flash is next on my list but they are pricey. There are a few cheaper onesthat got better ratings than the Sigmas but IDK. I prefer taking a better shot rather than depending on PP....

 

[umbra]

I shoot with a nikon and I bought a nikon ringflash. I bought an sb21 on ebay for a fraction of what the sigma goes for.

 

[Qman]

Yeah, I'd love to get a sb21 but they are discontinued. I have a sb600 and I have been looking at those "O"/Ray flash things but I don't know how those things work

 

[tcbud]

I take most of my pictures outdoors (bud on plant pics) so I thot I would give you some of my ideas about light.

I like the evening best for taking pictures. When the sun is in a more sideways location to the plants. Say an hour before sunset. You get a more vivid closeup of a bud. If you have trees around your grow area, getting a part shade/part sun pic makes for an interesting pic. Example below pic #4.

I also like to take pictures with a flash outside just after the sun has gone down. It is not totally dark but the flash gives a good contrast, lighting the plant nicely.

Another opportunity to take a pic that is well lit, but the sun is not shinning directly on it, is to go out into the garden as soon as clouds cover your grow area. I like this especially. Shadows are muted and the washed out directly shinning sun is much more subdued, shadows are less too. Examples are pic #2 (sun behind cloud) and #3 (being in full sun).

Pic #1 I took during mid winter (January), clouded day. The sun in winter gives a glow it seems that can not be found (by me) any other time of year. The sideways light and the clouds gave this fish a almost sureal feel. This is one of my all time fave pics. Silly but true. My first fish of the year, caught January 06, is a memorable pic only because of the light shining naturally on it. Try a mid winter pic outside with the sun shinning in late afternoon, an hour or so before sundown. You will see what I mean if you can capture it.

My husband likes to take a flashlight and train it on a plant too, when the clouds cover the sky, making for just a bit more light on the bud. I took over a thousand pics of just the Flower stage last summer/fall.....I just spent ten minutes looking for an example of his Afgoo with flashlight...cant find it at all. He was real proud of his afgoo, that plant had the biggest tops in the garden!

One more thing.....not about natural light, but about flash that I have found to work real well. Take your pic from five feet away from the plant, use the flash, but zoom in on the pic you want. That way the flash will not wash out the pic. When harvesting, I hold a bud at arms length, zoom in, and use the flash, I get a black background that way (but I am holding that bud somewhere there is nothing directly behind it).

Take huge amounts of pics.....that way you will get some that are excellent. Most pics are ordinary, some can be as I say "picture Postcard perfect"............those can come years apart.

Be aware of your lighting/shade outdoors when taking pictures, use it to your advantage.

 

[tcbud]

Oh, NV, I forgot to say.....

If I have to lay on my back, to get a shot of the moon and my bud next summer, I will do so......remind me if I havent posted a moon shot before harvest! lol....I said moon shot.

 

[mojavemama]

Well, Shoot! I was so hepped about this thread, and I wanted desperately to participate, but I'm like a kindergardner in a post graduate class here. You all are waaaaaay ahead of me. I have a replacement camera that's got a higher I.Q than I could ever hope to have, and we aren't yet speaking the same language.

Too many things to try to learn at one time. I get the Fstop right, and forget the ISO. I get those right and forget the self timer (I shake too much to do macro shots even on a tripod without a self-timer). Or I can't get the light on the plants correctly.

I used to have a camera I could actually work with--an old Canon A series. I ran over it by accident with my powerchair and blasted it into the TV. Dead. Then I was given my birthdaughter's old camera, a Canon Powershot S70, when she moved up to $20,000 worth of SLR and attachments, filters, lenses. I inherited the old camera, which is a step up from my old one. I believe it listed at $600 new. Yet, I can't do a THING with this camera! ARGHHHHH!

Okay, here are a couple shots I attempted to try yesterday. I did not get them clear enough. The lighting sucks. This is what happens when I don't use a self timer. I just wanted close ups of the pistils, all separate and standing proud. Instead, I got washed out mush.

Birthdaughter is busy trying to help me via email with these basics so I can catch up with you all and participate in this thread. However, I may never graduate from Kindergarden. Still, I'm enjoying looking at all the pictures and marveling over how brilliant all of you are that understand this technical stuff!

I understand design elements from my background in calligraphy and graphic design. But shoot, that's all analog--all hand work, no tech stuff.
But on the upside, I can brag that I finally know how to text on my phone.... :giggle:

 

[nvthis]

I ran over it by accident with my powerchair and blasted it into the TV.

:giggle: Sounds like my kinda luck!!

Your color doesn't look bad at all. It looks like you might be mildly out of focus, but not terribly so. When I bought mine I wanted a decent macro and higher mb (10) so I could do close ups if I wanted. It looks to me like you might just be getting too close for your macro setting. Try pulling back another cm and see if that works better. You can always enlarge and crop later, which will look great if the focus is sharp. You can also push up the shutter speed a little. This may help with any inadvertent movement. The best thing I can say is let's go back and do this shoot again. It's a simple enough close up shoot and we will be concentrating on this only. And after that, go back and do it again. This way, instead of trying to do sunsets, portraits, scenic views and close ups all together and getting everything mixed up and confused, you are focusing only on how to accomplish this one thing for the moment.

You have participated, and done so beautifully. Really, I envisioned this thread to be dirt simple so everyone could follow, no matter their skill level. This really involves just three things: Participation, questions, and more participation. I couldn't imagine a better thread where Qman has taken up the reigns and offered to help. He is one of the most saintly patient dudes I know. If there is any info what-so-ever that has you caught up, just ask. Even if it means that something specific gets explained again, just in a different way.. Just keep plugging at it MM. It will come.

Oh yeah, and... Thanks again!

 

[umbra]

MM a little trick for getting rid of the camera shake, the shutter speed needs to be 2x the focal length of the lens. So if you are using a 30mm lens, the shutter speed needs to be 1/60 or faster.

 

[tcbud]

This way, instead of trying to do sunsets, portraits, scenic views and close ups all together and getting everything mixed up and confused, you are focusing only on how to accomplish this one thing for the moment.

Sounds like a plan, bud portraits 101.

Mojave, I think NV possibly hit it on the head, back up a bit. I cant get clear pics when I use the "portrait" setting.....because I get too close at times. Those pinkish pistles look so cool. I hope you keep taking pics of that one.

 

[Qman]

I take most of my pictures outdoors (bud on plant pics) so I thot I would give you some of my ideas about light.

I like the evening best for taking pictures. When the sun is in a more sideways location to the plants. Say an hour before sunset. You get a more vivid closeup of a bud. If you have trees around your grow area, getting a part shade/part sun pic makes for an interesting pic. Example below pic #4.

I also like to take pictures with a flash outside just after the sun has gone down. It is not totally dark but the flash gives a good contrast, lighting the plant nicely.

Another opportunity to take a pic that is well lit, but the sun is not shinning directly on it, is to go out into the garden as soon as clouds cover your grow area. I like this especially. Shadows are muted and the washed out directly shinning sun is much more subdued, shadows are less too. Examples are pic #2 (sun behind cloud) and #3 (being in full sun).

Pic #1 I took during mid winter (January), clouded day. The sun in winter gives a glow it seems that can not be found (by me) any other time of year. The sideways light and the clouds gave this fish a almost sureal feel. This is one of my all time fave pics. Silly but true. My first fish of the year, caught January 06, is a memorable pic only because of the light shining naturally on it. Try a mid winter pic outside with the sun shinning in late afternoon, an hour or so before sundown. You will see what I mean if you can capture it.

My husband likes to take a flashlight and train it on a plant too, when the clouds cover the sky, making for just a bit more light on the bud. I took over a thousand pics of just the Flower stage last summer/fall.....I just spent ten minutes looking for an example of his Afgoo with flashlight...cant find it at all. He was real proud of his afgoo, that plant had the biggest tops in the garden!

One more thing.....not about natural light, but about flash that I have found to work real well. Take your pic from five feet away from the plant, use the flash, but zoom in on the pic you want. That way the flash will not wash out the pic. When harvesting, I hold a bud at arms length, zoom in, and use the flash, I get a black background that way (but I am holding that bud somewhere there is nothing directly behind it).

Take huge amounts of pics.....that way you will get some that are excellent. Most pics are ordinary, some can be as I say "picture Postcard perfect"............those can come years apart.

Be aware of your lighting/shade outdoors when taking pictures, use it to your advantage.

Yes TC this is correct. The best times to shoot outdoors is in the early A.M. 7~9 good to catch misty mornings, dew, etc and the lighting is "magical". And, late P.M. 5~7 catch beautiful colors in the sky, twilight shots and, again the lighting is "magical". Overcast days are great also because there is no shadows or harsh lighting, great for outdoor portraits and water shots

And, flash is usually only effective at 6~10 feet away (those people you see that have their flash on at a baseball game [in the stands taking pics] are only lighting the tops of the peoples heads below them) usually.

Like everyone has said take as many pictures as you can. On a typical 'shoot' I will take between 300~500 shots and if I'm lucky I will get a handful of 'keepers'...

NOTE: I wish I could grow outdoors like you TC

 

[Qman]

Well, Shoot! I was so hepped about this thread, and I wanted desperately to participate, but I'm like a kindergardner in a post graduate class here. You all are waaaaaay ahead of me. I have a replacement camera that's got a higher I.Q than I could ever hope to have, and we aren't yet speaking the same language.

Too many things to try to learn at one time. I get the Fstop right, and forget the ISO. I get those right and forget the self timer (I shake too much to do macro shots even on a tripod without a self-timer). Or I can't get the light on the plants correctly.

I used to have a camera I could actually work with--an old Canon A series. I ran over it by accident with my powerchair and blasted it into the TV. Dead. Then I was given my birthdaughter's old camera, a Canon Powershot S70, when she moved up to $20,000 worth of SLR and attachments, filters, lenses. I inherited the old camera, which is a step up from my old one. I believe it listed at $600 new. Yet, I can't do a THING with this camera! ARGHHHHH!

Okay, here are a couple shots I attempted to try yesterday. I did not get them clear enough. The lighting sucks. This is what happens when I don't use a self timer. I just wanted close ups of the pistils, all separate and standing proud. Instead, I got washed out mush.

Birthdaughter is busy trying to help me via email with these basics so I can catch up with you all and participate in this thread. However, I may never graduate from Kindergarden. Still, I'm enjoying looking at all the pictures and marveling over how brilliant all of you are that understand this technical stuff!

I understand design elements from my background in calligraphy and graphic design. But shoot, that's all analog--all hand work, no tech stuff.
But on the upside, I can brag that I finally know how to text on my phone.... :giggle:

Hey MM! you are doing great. Try like NV suggested and try to get you focus 'tack sharp' that's key. What are you shooting with?

 

[Qman]

Here is a good example of what diffusing your flash does for you

The first pic is my camera flash firing str8 forward

Second pic I'm firing the flash at the ceiling. Huge difference eh?

These are my pets Astro and Cymon after a hard day of nothing...

My settings:

WB auto, "A" mode @ f/5.6, ISO 200, 35mm and Tripod of course

 

[JustAnotherAntMarching]

Great thread guys... Im def still a kindergardener with how to work my camera... But I get pretty good results usually... I def need to invest in a tripod... and maybe read the book that came in the box...? LOL

 

[mojavemama]

NV, thank you for the pep talk and for giving me a burst of confidence. I really needed that! I've been feeling so incompetent, and that I would never ever get this stuff. But maybe, if I stick with it, I will.

And yes, your instructions are very clear! My failure is simply my own paranoia over technical details. It's no reflection on the instructions you and Qman are so generously sharing with us. I am also deeply grateful for your patience. I know it's difficult to have a student who is trying hard but just doesn't seem to get it. With your encouragement, though, and some dogged persistance on my part, hopefully I'll get past this wall.

NV, This camera I'm using is a Canon Powershop S70 and it is 7.1 megapixels.
I know it takes decent close ups, as I've seen the pictures my birthdaughter took with them. You are so right about the out-of-focus---I honestly cannot tell when it's in focus. I can't see it. CAN'T. Every shot is just a guess. Qman advised also to get the focus tack sharp, but I just have no idea how to do that. Old eyes don't see that screen very well.

TC, I've been backing up, but obviously not enough. I'm so used to filling the screen with my old camera. So I will work harder at backing up enough!

Umbra. HELP! You wrote that to reduce the shakes, "2x the focal length of the lens. So if you are using a 30mm lens, the shutter speed needs to be 1/60 or faster." Okay, how do I figure out what lens is on my camera?
I'm reading through the book, but I'm confused. It says this camera has a "
Wide-angle 28-100mm (35mm equivalent) 3.6x Optical Zoom Lens"
So is the focal length 20 or 100mm?

For the pictures I posted, I was using an f8 on 200 ISO and the drive in AV.

Thank you, everyone, for all your helpful suggestions.

 

[umbra]

NV, thank you for the pep talk and for giving me a burst of confidence. I really needed that! I've been feeling so incompetent, and that I would never ever get this stuff. But maybe, if I stick with it, I will.

And yes, your instructions are very clear! My failure is simply my own paranoia over technical details. It's no reflection on the instructions you and Qman are so generously sharing with us. I am also deeply grateful for your patience. I know it's difficult to have a student who is trying hard but just doesn't seem to get it. With your encouragement, though, and some dogged persistance on my part, hopefully I'll get past this wall.

NV, This camera I'm using is a Canon Powershop S70 and it is 7.1 megapixels.
I know it takes decent close ups, as I've seen the pictures my birthdaughter took with them. You are so right about the out-of-focus---I honestly cannot tell when it's in focus. I can't see it. CAN'T. Every shot is just a guess. Qman advised also to get the focus tack sharp, but I just have no idea how to do that. Old eyes don't see that screen very well.

TC, I've been backing up, but obviously not enough. I'm so used to filling the screen with my old camera. So I will work harder at backing up enough!

Umbra. HELP! You wrote that to reduce the shakes, "2x the focal length of the lens. So if you are using a 30mm lens, the shutter speed needs to be 1/60 or faster." Okay, how do I figure out what lens is on my camera?
I'm reading through the book, but I'm confused. It says this camera has a "
Wide-angle 28-100mm (35mm equivalent) 3.6x Optical Zoom Lens"
So is the focal length 20 or 100mm?

For the pictures I posted, I was using an f8 on 200 ISO and the drive in AV.

Thank you, everyone, for all your helpful suggestions.

The lens is a zoom. So it is somewhere between 28 and 100 mm. When you are using macro function you are using the 100mm lens(max mag). So if the shutter speed is 1/200 you are good. You may not have that option with powershot. The simplest way is to get a this type of shot without a tripod is to put the camera on something, focus the picture, but do not take the photo. Use the timer function, in the menu. And take the photo with the camera sitting on something solid, adjusted for focus as best you can, then take photo with the timer.

 

[mojavemama]

Umbra, thank you!!! And I DO have a tripod. I will keep on truckin' here. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

 

[mojavemama]

Oooookay, I must have taken 150 pictures today, and most of them are bad. Even the good ones aren't really good. Still not getting that clarity I want. But here's today's efforts. I'm not improving.