New Fotki feature

[Frederic Testard]

This pump nozzle is again something incredible, Chuck...
It must spell 'satisfactory' in Russian. 

[Don Railton]

Chuck - I recall that fingerprint at a crime scene...

I see the handle but I don't believe it.

Super.

Don

[Junior]

It´s all been said Something else - what kind of equipment, set up etc. are you using for  your excellent pictures?

Anders

[Chuck Doan]

Thanks again!

Anders I use an old Fuji Finepix S7000. I use the manual settings and always shoot models with a tripod and cable release. I almost always use the single flower (macro) setting and sometimes the double flower for getting really close.

I prefer the sun for lighting. My indoor lights are just regular incandescent desk lamps and they don't work too well.
I wash my pics thru Photoshop Elements. Basic steps:

Crop/straighten
Sharpen
Adjust brightness
Maybe lighten/darken highlights
Maybe desaturate a bit.

Uncle Russ has more knowledge on these things. I hope to upgrade this year as my poor Fuji san is beginning to fall apart. I don't think they meant anyone to actually use that cable release. Thank goodness for super glue!

[Junior]

Thanks Chuck, that´s pretty much what I do except for photo shop (have a less sophisticated programme). It´s mostly my indoor pictures I´m not so happy with so I just have to wait for spring. Anyway some good info. there and thanks again.

Anders

[finescalerr]

For you guys with cameras that have no cable release, just use the 2 or 10 second delay feature. They include that so you can take a group picture with yourself in it but, for us model photographers, it makes the cable release unnecessary.

If you live somewhere where winter is too cold to shoot outside, it is possible to use indoor lighting and still get decent results. The most important thing is to use only one kind of light; for example don't let daylight come into the room if you are shooting with an incandescent or a fluorescent lamp. Similarly, use either incandescent OR fluorescent; DO NOT MIX BULB TYPES.

Most cameras let you choose the lighting type before you shoot to get the basic coloration closer to "real" so remember to do that.

Everything else happens in your photo editing program. Adobe photo programs, for example, have commands for "auto color balance" or "auto levels" that often get you pretty close if the color isn't perfect out of the camera.

Let me know if you need more specific information.

Russ

[Chuck Doan]

The timer is a good idea, but my camera forces you to reset it each time which means tabbing thru several screen menus everytime you take a picture. They should have made it stay on the timer setting until you change it or turn off the camera. I had one once with a remote control shutter, but it was iffy to get it to work outside.

I forgot, yes adjust the white balance setting for the lighting. And I also turn off the flourescent ring in my Luxo lamp.

See, I toldja unc would know.

[Ray Dunakin]

Great work on that giant finger, especially the fingerprints! It makes that full-size pump nozzle look tiny!   


Seriously, that nozzle is awesome!

[Ken Hamilton]

Good times, and boy, how they have changed!
Dave V.

Now remember, kids: Dave had to do all this while dodging dinosaurs and working with a
lathe powered by a foot treadle.  Even so, Dave was so far ahead of the pack back then
nobody came close to the quality of his parts, and still don't.  I hoarded them then & still use them.
But I digress......

Chuck, that nozzle is outrageous. 
I've got a real one in my garage that's not as realistic as yours.
You continue to make us all look like hackers.

[Junior]

For you guys with cameras that have no cable release, just use the 2 or 10 second delay feature. They include that so you can take a group picture with yourself in it but, for us model photographers, it makes the cable release unnecessary.

If you live somewhere where winter is too cold to shoot outside, it is possible to use indoor lighting and still get decent results. The most important thing is to use only one kind of light; for example don't let daylight come into the room if you are shooting with an incandescent or a fluorescent lamp. Similarly, use either incandescent OR fluorescent; DO NOT MIX BULB TYPES.

Most cameras let you choose the lighting type before you shoot to get the basic coloration closer to "real" so remember to do that.

Everything else happens in your photo editing program. Adobe photo programs, for example, have commands for "auto color balance" or "auto levels" that often get you pretty close if the color isn't perfect out of the camera.

Let me know if you need more specific information.

Russ

Thanks Russ som good information there. Of course I thought the opposite with the combination of daylight and incandescent bulbs. I´m using my remote control for all model photography I belive the exposure time for the darkest night shot of the garage was twenty seconds!

Anders