PF Photography: Tips, Tricks, & Photo Sharing

[larkspur]

Photo shoot

Aspen was somewhat cooperative in the modified light tent this afternoon.

 

[Andre]

I shot this at a zoo the other day:

Could be more crisp but it was 432 mm SLR equivalent, available light, 100 asa f5.6 1/60 sec. Try that without stabilisation.

 

[~christina~]

I shot this at a zoo the other day:

Could be more crisp but it was 432 mm SLR equivalent, available light, 100 asa f5.6 1/60 sec. Try that without stabilisation.

funny hair do's...but seriously I've done photography with 1/10th shutterspeed so 1/60'th is nothing... I just lean on the glass and hope it doesn't break XD

 

[larkspur]

I shot this at a zoo the other day:

Could be more crisp but it was 432 mm SLR equivalent, available light, 100 asa f5.6 1/60 sec. Try that without stabilisation.

Cool looking monkeys Andre. Thanks for sharing.

 

[hypatia]

I love the monkeys! But someone does need to talk to the hairdressers. A little lipstick wouldn't hurt either.

 

[Andre]

funny hair do's...but seriously I've done photography with 1/10th shutterspeed so 1/60'th is nothing... I just lean on the glass and hope it doesn't break XD

Right, but the problem is the focal length. With the old SLR the rule of thumb was that shutter speed should be at least equal to the inverse of the focal length. So 50mm lens = 1/60 sec. 135mm lens is 1/125 shutter speed. 400mm lens is 1/500th sec. Actually it's the magnification that increases the blur. So indeed push the lens against the glass and hopefor the best.

 

[~christina~]

Right, but the problem is the focal length. With the old SLR the rule of thumb was that shutter speed should be at least equal to the inverse of the focal length. So 50mm lens = 1/60 sec. 135mm lens is 1/125 shutter speed. 400mm lens is 1/500th sec. Actually it's the magnification that increases the blur. So indeed push the lens against the glass and hopefor the best.

It's quite difficult to push the lens on the glass with a zoom lens since the lens tends to have lens creep thus the focus becomes off.

yeah and I broke that rule so many times I can't count...I was using a 55mm lens at 1/10 and even less for the moon shots I took (eclipse) [most of the time you do need to though indoors at the zoo]
and my lens' don't have image stabilization but the 300mm lens that I'm eyeing has it so It should be better.

 

[lisab]

Aspen was somewhat cooperative in the modified light tent this afternoon.

Love that...it's a magical shot!

 

[Andre]

It's quite difficult to push the lens on the glass with a zoom lens since the lens tends to have lens creep thus the focus becomes off.

Actually I screwed a large tube around the lens, that is directly and ridgidly connected to the housing, not to the moving parts. It is used to screw on filters, conversion lenses and solar caps. You can push that against the window without harm.

See here

 

[larkspur]

Love that...it's a magical shot!

Thanks lisab!

 

[turbo]

Aspen was somewhat cooperative in the modified light tent this afternoon.

You have a nice model. Keep using Aspen. Cats love small quiet spaces, especially if they are warm (flood-lights), and they are generally lazy enough to hold still for long periods. They generally look better with less ambient light, and more open pupils, but that's the way it goes. I used to try to use my ferrets as models, but although they liked small spaces, they did not give a damn about warmth, nor did they hold still for long. Those little rascals always had something that needed doing NOW!

 

[larkspur]

More Still Life

I wanted something blue so I used Windex...

A combination of both:

 

[larkspur]

You have a nice model. Keep using Aspen. Cats love small quiet spaces, especially if they are warm (flood-lights), and they are generally lazy enough to hold still for long periods. They generally look better with less ambient light, and more open pupils, but that's the way it goes. I used to try to use my ferrets as models, but although they liked small spaces, they did not give a damn about warmth, nor did they hold still for long. Those little rascals always had something that needed doing NOW!

Aspen was moving so much I had to use a flash, hence small pupils. She likes smooth hard surfaces to lay on and the tile board was perfect for her. I had to keep throwing little objects off camera to get her attention.

 

[turbo]

Well, she's pretty and if she'll submit to light-tenting you've got a rich source of images. Many of my best ferret images were taken when they were really sleepy, and were just waking up or ready to crash.

 

[Astronuc]

A combination of both:

Great pictures, larkspur!

I love the tongue. or Our calico, Pumpkin used to do that, but her tongue poked out about 2-3 mm.

 

[Math Jeans]

Heh. Larkspur, I wish I could take pictures like you do.

I love that last picture with your cat and the glass bottle. The cat looks like he/she just drank the Windex .

 

[Andre]

Well larkspur, clearly demonstrates that the most important part of the camera is the eight inch behind it. Very well done.

 

[larkspur]

Great pictures, larkspur!

I love to tongue. or Our calico, Pumpkin used to do that, but her tongue poked out about 2-3 mm.

I love the tongue too.

I love that last picture with your cat and the glass bottle. The cat looks like he/she just drank the Windex .

That is what made her eyes so blue

 

[larkspur]

Well larkspur, clearly demonstrates that the most important part of the camera is the eight inch behind it. Very well done.

Thanks Andre!

 

[lisab]

My kitty, Sweet Miss Phoebe, sat very still and stared at Aspen for the longest time...she, too, is a big fan of your photos!

 

[Evo]

Super pictures, as always larkspur!

 

[Ms Music]

Pardon me, can I join in on the fun? Most of my pics are on my home computer and I am at work, but I wanted to share this one. (I have been enjoying this thread in the background)

DSE anyone?

 

[larkspur]

My kitty, Sweet Miss Phoebe, sat very still and stared at Aspen for the longest time...she, too, is a big fan of your photos!

Aww! Post some pictures of her!

Super pictures, as always larkspur!

Thanks Evo!

Pardon me, can I join in on the fun? Most of my pics are on my home computer and I am at work, but I wanted to share this one. (I have been enjoying this thread in the background)

DSE anyone?

Thanks for joining in! Nice abstract photo. What does DSE stand for?

 

[Ms Music]

Double Slit Experiment... sorry.

My kid did it for a science project.

 

[larkspur]

Double Slit Experiment... sorry.

My kid did it for a science project.

When I googled DSE the first hit was for Detroit Speed and Engineering. I thought...hmmm kinda looks like a tail light that had been distorted some way. Now it makes more sense.

 

[Ms Music]

That IS funny! Sorry I didn't spell it out...

The spot is about the size of your fingernail, I used my macro lense. That whole picture is no bigger than about 2x2 (inches). I had more fun photographing the science project than she did with the whole thing... ;-)

 

[turbo]

Aspen was moving so much I had to use a flash, hence small pupils. She likes smooth hard surfaces to lay on and the tile board was perfect for her. I had to keep throwing little objects off camera to get her attention.

How does Aspen get those pupils stopped down so fast if you're using a flash? Are you using red-eye reduction to pre-flash her?

Beautiful cat, BTW.

 

[larkspur]

How does Aspen get those pupils stopped down so fast if you're using a flash? Are you using red-eye reduction to pre-flash her?

Beautiful cat, BTW.

I had three compact fluorescent lights(one hanging from the ceiling fan chain and one on each side) on her too and the tile board she is laying on was white. I call it a modified light tent because I used the canopy on my bed to hang the black backdrop and then I put white muslin cloth over the lamps to soften them.

 

[turbo]

OK, then she is being flooded with light (in her terms, anyway), since cats are designed to be nocturnal hunters, and she's seeing a LOT of spotlight in the photo-shoots. My ferrets felt the same way, though they were always more "on the edge" and ready to tackle something (even if it was each other) instead of giving me a few seconds of portrait time.

 

[~christina~]

Actually I screwed a large tube around the lens, that is directly and ridgidly connected to the housing, not to the moving parts. It is used to screw on filters, conversion lenses and solar caps. You can push that against the window without harm.

See here

that's a good idea but I'm not sure that's convenient since I change lens' often.

camera=>http://www.dpreview.com/news/0703/07030602nikond40x.asp

[ATTACH=full]121175[/ATTACH]

[/QUOTE]

I like this one the best

 

[Astronuc]

I had three compact fluorescent lights(one hanging from the ceiling fan chain and one on each side) on her too and the tile board she is laying on was white. I call it a modified light tent because I used the canopy on my bed to hang the black backdrop and then I put white muslin cloth over the lamps to soften them.

And Aspen just lay there while you did all that. My cats rarely sit still - unless they've just eaten and are resting.

 

[larkspur]

And Aspen just lay there while you did all that. My cats rarely sit still - unless they've just eaten and are resting.

No, she was moving all around batting a small clip across the tile board. That is why I had to use the flash because I was just getting blurry shots without it.

 

[Evo]

That IS funny! Sorry I didn't spell it out...

The spot is about the size of your fingernail, I used my macro lense. That whole picture is no bigger than about 2x2 (inches). I had more fun photographing the science project than she did with the whole thing... ;-)

That's a great picture Ms Music, welcome to the forum!

 

[Astronuc]

Pardon me, can I join in on the fun? Most of my pics are on my home computer and I am at work, but I wanted to share this one. (I have been enjoying this thread in the background)

DSE anyone?

Cool picture! Welcome to PF, and Thanks for jumping in!

 

[Cyrus]

I wanted something blue so I used Windex...

A combination of both:

Can I RIA your last two? I think the first two are great.

PS, your frames are much better than before.