Simple and effective.
Simple and effective.
Tonykane, there is a pictorial how-to in the photo section.
And Mitch and ripnbst, yes a decent mid level PnS, or even a lot of the newer basic ones, can take some very good pictures if you set it up right and don't use the built in flash.
And Mitch and ripnbst, yes a decent mid level PnS, or even a lot of the newer basic ones, can take some very good pictures if you set it up right and don't use the built in flash.
A DSLR with a shoe mount flash will make a huge difference as already mentioned by several others in this thread. There is no substitute for being able to manually set your ISO, shutter speed, aperture, etc.
Even with a point and shoot camera you should be able to get nice results by just knowing what conditions to shoot in and what angle to shoot from. It will honestly be very tough to get any "keeper" photos using the on board flash, pointed in the direction of your subject. Using indirect natural light is the way to go whether if it is using a tripod and slow shutter speed indoors near a window or shooting without a tripod outdoors. The first and last few hours of daylight are the golden hours of the day for outdoor photography. You'll still have plenty of soft natural light, without the harsh direct overhead light that will wash out your photos and leave obnoxious shadows.
A good photo editing program will also make a world of difference. There are several basic free programs like Picasa that you can use to do simple adjustments.
If you are seriously interested in getting some basic to advanced photography knowledge, I highly recommend checking out some of Scott Kelby's photography books. They are well written and very easy to understand. http://www.amazon.com/Scott-Kelbys-Digital-Photography-Boxed/dp/0321839951
Here are a few of my gun photos that were taken using pretty basic equipment and software editing program. These shots were taken on top of my dining table with a Nikon D40 with an SB 600 flash, and edited in Picasa.
And a few other random shots taken inside my house.
Nagant revolver on a suede chair…
Glock 19 sitting on a piano…
Even with a point and shoot camera you should be able to get nice results by just knowing what conditions to shoot in and what angle to shoot from. It will honestly be very tough to get any "keeper" photos using the on board flash, pointed in the direction of your subject. Using indirect natural light is the way to go whether if it is using a tripod and slow shutter speed indoors near a window or shooting without a tripod outdoors. The first and last few hours of daylight are the golden hours of the day for outdoor photography. You'll still have plenty of soft natural light, without the harsh direct overhead light that will wash out your photos and leave obnoxious shadows.
A good photo editing program will also make a world of difference. There are several basic free programs like Picasa that you can use to do simple adjustments.
If you are seriously interested in getting some basic to advanced photography knowledge, I highly recommend checking out some of Scott Kelby's photography books. They are well written and very easy to understand. http://www.amazon.com/Scott-Kelbys-Digital-Photography-Boxed/dp/0321839951
Here are a few of my gun photos that were taken using pretty basic equipment and software editing program. These shots were taken on top of my dining table with a Nikon D40 with an SB 600 flash, and edited in Picasa.
And a few other random shots taken inside my house.
Nagant revolver on a suede chair…
Glock 19 sitting on a piano…
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I really like the PnS detail macros
I built a poverty light box kind of like the one in the suggested link (http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=37727) and it helps to produce poverty stickman photos. I have a nice camera (Rebel T2i) and 50mm 1.4 but have been very impressed with our new Galaxy Camera. I like the galaxy because its roughly the size of the Galaxy phone and is packed with lots of features. In all honesty I don't really know much about the settings on either camera and I usually find myself dicking with te settings until I produce the photo I want. If you are computer savvy there are website that out there that will have torrents for CS5, lightroom, elements, etc.
pics from CANON
pics from GALAXY
pics from CANON
pics from GALAXY
For smaller items, create a budget light box. Decent sized cardboard box. Cut out the walls and replace them with white paper. Place paper roll from the back wall of the box to floor of the box. For extra pizzazz add glass on the floor of the light box. Hot lamps on the left, right, and top of the light box. (Work lights work good for this) When shooting with your camera. Try to step back and shoot a little farther than what you would normally do. 10-15ft away vs 1ft away from the item.
A budget fix for adding more capability with your Nikon is buying some lights. ex, I have a pair of Genesis 200 light kit, it comes with reflectors/umbrellas and it can be set off with the flash from any camera. Lighting and a basic program light Lightroom will make it look like a pro.
A budget fix for adding more capability with your Nikon is buying some lights. ex, I have a pair of Genesis 200 light kit, it comes with reflectors/umbrellas and it can be set off with the flash from any camera. Lighting and a basic program light Lightroom will make it look like a pro.
I take better pics outside than in my house, of course all I have is the crappy camera on my dinosaur phone.
I'm going to move this to the photo album section. I'm liking all the advice!
