Need Help, why do my pics come out so dark

[splinter99]

I took this with a light tent set directly under a 100watt light, a twin 500watt halogen on both sides and the two little lights that came with the tent behind it. And still this is how dark it comes out..Is there an adjustment for white level on the camera (Cannon power shot sd500)
The back ground is pure white

I know I can brighten it up some with photo editing software but it should be better then this


Help

 

[alphageek]

First you need a custom white balance!!

Then tell us what settings you're using on the camera... for more help!

 

[splinter99]

Ok..I dont even know where the white balance is..I just push the little flower for macro and the lightening bolt to turn off the flash..It used to work.

 

[splinter99]

Ok..I found the white balance and changed it from auto to tungstun..Has a blue cast to it now but looks a little better

 

[alphageek]

Thats a great step forward (and the closer crop helps alot too!)...

You can try the "quick custom" white ballance as well...

Plus with a mixture of different kinds of lights, you're probably going to have a tough time getting it perfect. The halogens by themselves should be enough light.

Try that next That last picture is pretty darn good though, right out of the camera.

 

[SDB777]

You could always bump the EV(exposure value +2) or increase the exposure time.


Scott (sometimes you gotta force it) B

 

[splinter99]

Thanks..I did my normal auto level and contrast on the last one..It was still dark.
I will try the auto wb next time

 

[aggromere]

photoscape

Not that my pictures are any great shakes, but I have some free editing software called "photoscape". When I edit the picture I just select adjust white balance click on some white in the picture and it adjusts it. The first picture is before rotating and white balance adjustment. The second picture is rotated, white balanced and cropped. Not the best example but the one I could find.

 

[splinter99]

Ok..Set the exposure to+ 2, did the quick custom light balance.
Right from the camera

After my normal photo editing

Looks better I think

 

[splinter99]

I use photoscape but have never found the adjust white balance feature..where is it?

 

[TomS]

The shadow shows that the main light is coming from the back of the pen. You need to reverse that.
Tom

 

[toolcrazy]

It is a tad bit over exsposed. You need to reduce the exposure by .5 or .6 (depending on you exposure scale). With your mixed lights, you may want to stick with tungsten WB. Or dump the halogens completely and get daylight florescence. Halogens have a tendency to turn yellow after being used for a while, and they will cast a yellow hue on the pens. And they will mess with your white balance. Even custom WB the camera has trouble discerning the proper colors. DAMHIKT.

 

[MatthewZS]

Not sure about the white balance, but something else to be sure of is that your sitting the pen far enough back in the light tent. You could have the light from a supernova in that tent, but if the pen is in front of where the light is falling, the camera is gonna see shadow. But in this case that one WB adjustment you made seems to have done worlds

 

[aggromere]

Bright Color, right under the resize tab. Instead of clicking on the button click on the down arrow and you get a menu list. White balance is about 1/2 way down. You just gotta have some white in the picture. you can put a piece of white paper to the side that you can crop out later, and adjust the white balance before you crop the picture. Although the last picture you posted looks better than any of the pictures I have ever taken.

 

[chrisk]

IMHO, as stated before, the lights mixing might be an issue.