Working on my photos...

[itsme_timd]

Hi All,

I've spent the last few days trying to work on my pics, I read the article from Gerry Rhoades and even read (most) of the users manual as he suggested.

Here's where my setting landed based on my trial/error and reading:
I am using a photo tent and have 2 100 watt lights. Aperture is at 4.0 with shutter speed of 1/400. I used the metered white balance setting and also used my flash on low to try and get a nice shine line - as the article suggested. Camera is in macro mode.

I'm trying to attach my photos instead of posting in the text area, hopefully this is how you do them as thumbnails...

My main problem is I don't seem to be getting great focus on these pics. I edit them with Photo Shop and use the feature to remove digital camera noise - this is the result.

Any idea how to get these to come out a bit better? They don't seem to have quite the "crispness" I'm looking for.

Thanks!

 

[gerryr]

Let me clarify something about using a flash. I never recommended using a flash, I stated that I use one and that it's diffused. Even at the lowest power I can get on my Nikon D40, the light from the flash is still too harsh. I use a Gary Fong Puffer to diffuse it, but you can also make a diffuser from medium weight white paper and tape it on the camera so it covers the flash.

I don't know what camera you have, but I'm curious about a couple of things.

What ISO setting are you using? Unless you've set the ISO to a pretty high number, you should not need to worry about noise. I don't on my camera until about 800.

What is the aperture range of your camera? Can you change the aperture to 5.6 or 8 or 11?

The shutter speed just seems much too fast unless you have the ISO set very high or the lens can be stopped down to f/11 or smaller. My photos are usually taken at about 1/40 at f/11, ISO 200.

Something went wrong in your white balance on third photo.

 

[itsme_timd]

Hi Gerry,

Thanks for the clarification on the flash and for writing the article up as well.

My camera is a Canon A610 and the ISO is setting itself at 400 when I manually set the aperture and shutter speed. Per the manual, the aperture range is 2.8-8.0 and shutter speed is 1/2500-15".

I've tried several combinations of both and it seems like it's either too dark or washed out. I've tried to use the histogram (only available in playback on my camera) and it seems to spike at either end or sometimes both ends???

When I get home this evening I'll post some of the unedited images to see of that might help.

Thanks again!

 

[SamThePenMan]

Just wondering, what are you using as a background? It looks to me like it maybe something white. If so maybe try using a darker color background? I have a canon EOS 20D. I checked the settings on the latest pictures I took, it was set at f/5, 1/60 and ISO 400.

I've never thought about setting the power of my flash before, but I'll try that with my next pen and see what I come up with. The problem I've had with using a flash up close to a pen is that sometimes things get washed out, but that may not be a problem now when I adjust the power of the flash. I don't have a photo tent yet though.

 

[gerryr]

My camera is a Canon A610 and the ISO is setting itself at 400 when I manually set the aperture and shutter speed.

Do you have the ISO set to auto?

 

[gketell]

If you are doing "noise removal" then you are fighting yourself for getting sharp pictures. Noise removal using softening to blur the noise. But unless you do selective softening you are blurring everything, including your pen.

Most cameras I have used actually need just a little bit of sharpening. Especially the point and shoots.

GK

 

[Bill Arnold]

I have a Nikon D40X. Most of my photos are done with an 18-55mm lens and I also have a 55-200mm VR lens for telephoto work. When taking photos of pens in the macro mode, I'm not real satisfied with the result although the photos look pretty good. If I back away from the pen 2-3 feet and use the zoom to fill the frame, I get a sharper image. I've used the auto-focus capability as well as auto-exposure and have good results although I agree with manually setting aperture to control depth-of-field. I've just started doing pens and am awaiting delivery of a lighting kit to improve my photos of pens as well as furniture I build.

Have you tried backing the camera up from your pens and zooming into them?

 

[gerryr]

When taking photos of pens in the macro mode, I'm not real satisfied with the result although the photos look pretty good.

I hate that Nikon and several other companies as well put that flower symbol on DSLRs. It is totally misleading. The close focusing distance and magnification CANNOT be controlled by the camera, only by the lens. The 18-55mm has a maximum reproduction ratio of 1:3.2 or about 1/3 life size and a minimum focusing distance of 0.9 feet or about 11 inches. Selecting the flower symbol cannot change either of those parameters because they are part of the lens design. All the flower symbol does is select small apertures to maximize depth of field and probably smaller than f/16 which is where most lenses start to lose sharpness. For true macro photographs you need a macro lens.

 

[itsme_timd]

If you are doing "noise removal" then you are fighting yourself for getting sharp pictures. Noise removal using softening to blur the noise. But unless you do selective softening you are blurring everything, including your pen.

Most cameras I have used actually need just a little bit of sharpening. Especially the point and shoots.

GK

Greg, I think this is where I'm losing that "crispness" that I mention (sharpness). I'm going to go try some more photos after reading the replies.

Thanks all.

 

[Bill Arnold]

I hate that Nikon and several other companies as well put that flower symbol on DSLRs. It is totally misleading. The close focusing distance and magnification CANNOT be controlled by the camera, only by the lens. The 18-55mm has a maximum reproduction ratio of 1:3.2 or about 1/3 life size and a minimum focusing distance of 0.9 feet or about 11 inches. Selecting the flower symbol cannot change either of those parameters because they are part of the lens design. All the flower symbol does is select small apertures to maximize depth of field and probably smaller than f/16 which is where most lenses start to lose sharpness. For true macro photographs you need a macro lens.

I agree with the comment about needing a macro lens to do macro work -- just makes sense. I've done some testing since making my original comment about closeup work. One issue for me was insufficient lighting without using flash. In close proximity, the lens hood blocks the flash. The natural light I had wasn't sufficient for clean photos. I have since bought a professional lighting kit for future work.

Although the Nikon 18-55mm lens states a focusing distance of 0.9ft, as Gerry states, I just checked my camera. I can place the lens as close as 3" to an object and focus properly. From a practical standpoint, having a camera a few feet away from the object should provide a better perspective.