CanesFan95
Active Member
Some of the best setups can be ruined by lousy photos! As we've seen, sometimes the camera's auto mode works fine, and, wellll, sometimes it doesn't. :twisted:
That's why I thought it'd be a good idea to start a thread about how to get better pictures. I have a mild knowledge of photography and can offer some general advice that could improve some of the photos posted on this forum. I do this with the hopes that the mods will sticky this thread and that others may contribute their tips and tricks as well.
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Camera Shake Versus Shutter Speed
One common thing I see resulting in blurry photos is shutter speeds that are too slow when shooting handheld, so I'll start there.
Camera shake can cause pictures to come out blurry if the shutter speed is too slow, even if the camera is focussed properly. In other words, if you hold the camera in your bare hands while shooting (rather than using a tripod with the camera's self-timer), photos will be blurry if you use too slow of a shutter speed because of the natural shiver or jiggle in your hands.
Shutter speed is measured in seconds and is most commonly seen as a fraction, like 1/20 or 1/100. The higher the denominator, the faster the shutter speed, so a speed of 1/125 is faster than 1/80 for example. There's a lot more to the story, but to keep it short, the rule is, either use a tripod with the camera's self-timer so that camera shake won't be an issue (preferred), or use a shutter speed of at least 1/60 or 1/80, and the faster, the better.
Here is an example of the difference shutter speed can make. The first shot is at 1/8 (a very slow shutter speed :roll and the second shot is at 1/125 (much faster! ).
It's certainly not a perfect shot and I'm no expert, but #2 is much better. :lol:
Faster shutter speeds cause pictures to become darker, so you'll have to compensate by going into your camera settings and increasing the ISO - OR - using a lower F number (a more open aperture) such as f/2.8, f/3.2, etc. Lower F numbers or higher ISO's will make the picture brighter (among other things), so that's how you can make up for the darker pictures you get with faster shutter speeds.
More on this topic later.
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Editing Software
Use software to touch-up your photos. Don't just go and post bare unprocessed pictures without editing them first! Picture #2 can be improved even further by simply using the sharpen and saturation features found in many free photo editing programs:
Now we're a step closer to getting that manufacturer-quality product photo look.
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White Balance
If you're shooting indoors, the tendency sometimes is for pictures to come out brownish or yellowish looking, almost like you spilled coffee all over the picture. This usually happens if your lighting source is from common household light bulbs. The white balance setting in a camera lets you compensate for this, so that whites look whiter and other colors look more accurate. If you simply use the auto white balance setting however, there is a chance that the camera won't adjust the white balance properly and your colors will come out wrong.
Canon cameras for example have a white balance setting called Tungsten which works much better then Auto white balance when shooting indoors. The first picture is Auto white balance and the second shot was taken with white balance set to Tungsten:
I like the 2nd picture better because the wall looks whiter like it's supposed to (although still not perfect), and the blue backlight looks more like the blue you see with the naked eye instead of that purple-ish appearance in the first photo. By simply changing the camera's white balance setting from Auto to Tungsten (which takes 2 seconds to do), I've improved the photo.
Every camera is different of course, but adjusting the white balance setting when shooting indoors can help get rid of that amateurish-looking yellow/brown tint that throws your colors off.
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Photos That Are Too Dark Or Too Bright
Exposure is the combination of your shutter speed, aperture setting, and ISO that you use to take the picture.
Most cameras have an exposure meter on the LCD display that tells you how dark or bright your picture will come out based on your exposure settings and lighting, before you even snap the photo. You want the exposure meter to be at or close to -0- to avoid a photo that is either too bright or too dark.
The faster the shutter speed (higher denominators 1/500 etc.), the darker the photo will come out. The higher the F-number (a.k.a. the aperture setting) the darker the photo will come out. The lower the ISO setting, the darker the photo will come out.
In auto mode, the camera will choose all 3 settings automatically. There is a chance the camera might automatically choose a slow shutter speed which may cause blurry pictures if you're shooting handheld instead of using a tripod. If that happens, You can put the camera into shutter-priority mode, allowing you to set the shutter speed and the camera will automatically set the other settings for you.
Or, you can use full manual mode where you set all of the settings on your own. When doing this, the goal is to try and get the exposure meter to be at exactly zero - 0 - , or close to it. If the meter is pegged to the right or showing a + number (ex. +2/3 or +1 1/3, etc.) then the picture will come out too bright . If it's pegged to the left or shows a negative number (ex. - 2), then it'll come out too dark .
If the camera chooses a fast enough shutter speed in auto mode (at least 1/60 or so), then you prolly won't have to worry about ANY of this stuff. It's when the auto mode renders you something like 1/20 that you might have to mess around with the settings to get a sharper shot if you're shooting handheld.
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I'd like to get a list going of photo editing freeware that people know of. For those who really wanna get sexy, http://photography-on-the.net/forum/index.php . I plan to post more stuff but it's getting a little late right now. Certainly, others can contribute.
So why am I posting all this? I think it could be a good reference for those who want to improve their pictures, as I've seen many blurry, discolored, or dark photos posted.
That's why I thought it'd be a good idea to start a thread about how to get better pictures. I have a mild knowledge of photography and can offer some general advice that could improve some of the photos posted on this forum. I do this with the hopes that the mods will sticky this thread and that others may contribute their tips and tricks as well.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Camera Shake Versus Shutter Speed
One common thing I see resulting in blurry photos is shutter speeds that are too slow when shooting handheld, so I'll start there.
Camera shake can cause pictures to come out blurry if the shutter speed is too slow, even if the camera is focussed properly. In other words, if you hold the camera in your bare hands while shooting (rather than using a tripod with the camera's self-timer), photos will be blurry if you use too slow of a shutter speed because of the natural shiver or jiggle in your hands.
Shutter speed is measured in seconds and is most commonly seen as a fraction, like 1/20 or 1/100. The higher the denominator, the faster the shutter speed, so a speed of 1/125 is faster than 1/80 for example. There's a lot more to the story, but to keep it short, the rule is, either use a tripod with the camera's self-timer so that camera shake won't be an issue (preferred), or use a shutter speed of at least 1/60 or 1/80, and the faster, the better.
Here is an example of the difference shutter speed can make. The first shot is at 1/8 (a very slow shutter speed :roll and the second shot is at 1/125 (much faster! ).
It's certainly not a perfect shot and I'm no expert, but #2 is much better. :lol:
Faster shutter speeds cause pictures to become darker, so you'll have to compensate by going into your camera settings and increasing the ISO - OR - using a lower F number (a more open aperture) such as f/2.8, f/3.2, etc. Lower F numbers or higher ISO's will make the picture brighter (among other things), so that's how you can make up for the darker pictures you get with faster shutter speeds.
More on this topic later.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Editing Software
Use software to touch-up your photos. Don't just go and post bare unprocessed pictures without editing them first! Picture #2 can be improved even further by simply using the sharpen and saturation features found in many free photo editing programs:
Now we're a step closer to getting that manufacturer-quality product photo look.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
White Balance
If you're shooting indoors, the tendency sometimes is for pictures to come out brownish or yellowish looking, almost like you spilled coffee all over the picture. This usually happens if your lighting source is from common household light bulbs. The white balance setting in a camera lets you compensate for this, so that whites look whiter and other colors look more accurate. If you simply use the auto white balance setting however, there is a chance that the camera won't adjust the white balance properly and your colors will come out wrong.
Canon cameras for example have a white balance setting called Tungsten which works much better then Auto white balance when shooting indoors. The first picture is Auto white balance and the second shot was taken with white balance set to Tungsten:
I like the 2nd picture better because the wall looks whiter like it's supposed to (although still not perfect), and the blue backlight looks more like the blue you see with the naked eye instead of that purple-ish appearance in the first photo. By simply changing the camera's white balance setting from Auto to Tungsten (which takes 2 seconds to do), I've improved the photo.
Every camera is different of course, but adjusting the white balance setting when shooting indoors can help get rid of that amateurish-looking yellow/brown tint that throws your colors off.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Photos That Are Too Dark Or Too Bright
Exposure is the combination of your shutter speed, aperture setting, and ISO that you use to take the picture.
Most cameras have an exposure meter on the LCD display that tells you how dark or bright your picture will come out based on your exposure settings and lighting, before you even snap the photo. You want the exposure meter to be at or close to -0- to avoid a photo that is either too bright or too dark.
The faster the shutter speed (higher denominators 1/500 etc.), the darker the photo will come out. The higher the F-number (a.k.a. the aperture setting) the darker the photo will come out. The lower the ISO setting, the darker the photo will come out.
In auto mode, the camera will choose all 3 settings automatically. There is a chance the camera might automatically choose a slow shutter speed which may cause blurry pictures if you're shooting handheld instead of using a tripod. If that happens, You can put the camera into shutter-priority mode, allowing you to set the shutter speed and the camera will automatically set the other settings for you.
Or, you can use full manual mode where you set all of the settings on your own. When doing this, the goal is to try and get the exposure meter to be at exactly zero - 0 - , or close to it. If the meter is pegged to the right or showing a + number (ex. +2/3 or +1 1/3, etc.) then the picture will come out too bright . If it's pegged to the left or shows a negative number (ex. - 2), then it'll come out too dark .
If the camera chooses a fast enough shutter speed in auto mode (at least 1/60 or so), then you prolly won't have to worry about ANY of this stuff. It's when the auto mode renders you something like 1/20 that you might have to mess around with the settings to get a sharper shot if you're shooting handheld.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'd like to get a list going of photo editing freeware that people know of. For those who really wanna get sexy, http://photography-on-the.net/forum/index.php . I plan to post more stuff but it's getting a little late right now. Certainly, others can contribute.
So why am I posting all this? I think it could be a good reference for those who want to improve their pictures, as I've seen many blurry, discolored, or dark photos posted.
Last edited by a moderator: