To simplify my problem, I'm reposting a message I attached to a recent picture (Jan 5 - A Willing Subject). A responder suggested I post my questions here, so here goes:
I know this isn't a great picture, but I chose it because I'm hoping for some tips and pointers. I am always so impressed by pictures I see that capture such amazing detail. I can never seem to find that same magic. I took over 150 pictures tonight, using back light, side light, overhead light, table lamps, zoom lens, regular lens, upward angles, downward angles, and every combination I could come up with. This was the closest I could get to a well lit picture with a decent level of detail, and it only came about by accident while I tried something different just to check out the light. This little guy sits on a lower shelf of a little cabinet, in a fairly dark area. Just for the heck of it I put my camera on a chair and lined up the lens. Then I held an led flashlight in my left hand while I clicked the picture with my right hand - I wasn't able to look in the viewfinder. I was only hoping to see how the light worked. I found that it worked better than anything else I tried, but it's clearly not a practical solution for trying to find the right technique. I'm reading a photography book, and everything makes sense - until I get behind the lens and then it seems like there's so much to remember. Or I'l remember one thing, but forget something else. I can't seem to get it all together. I purchased my camera earlier in the year, and mostly used it outdoors - which was a whole lot easier. I mostly used aperture priority, and sometimes auto, and I practiced different things. Indoors, every thing is so much harder!
rule #1... don't panic! ya might try doing something odd... getting a white cube and ball, a dark room, and a pen light. don't worry about the camera, just study how the pen light moves about and it bounces off the cube and sphere. that might be a good start :)
@marilyn@lasco A very common problem and one I think everyone will come across at some point.
Do you have any lighting equipment? and what lens do you have?
There is a few things to remember when taking indoor/low lighting shots but one of the most important is your ISO.
When you camera is set to AV it will adjust the shutter and ISO to get a correctly exposed photo. The higher the ISO the more noise in the photo which will make the photo blurry. The lower the ISO the clearer the photo. The only thing if you set your apature and ISO the camera has no choice but to adjust the shutter speed.
So give this a try.
Set your camera to AV, have the apature as low as possible, set the ISO to 100 and take the picture. Then change the ISO to 200 and take another photo.
The problem you will find with your camera is if you have a higher ISO than say 400 the image will suffer. This is one of the biggest differences between the cheaper and $$$ cameras.
The other way to get around all this is to use flash. :)
I know what you mean about trying to remember everything. Dont worry about it... The more you do it, the more it becomes second nature and before you know it, it will all click.
Find the live view function on your camera (mine is Nikon so I can't tell you exactly where it is...) probably an LV button or option. That will at least let you see the photo while you are trying the lighting techniques.
@agima I think it's helpful and I will practice that. One of my problems is patience... I want to learn it all now... though I know that's not possible. I have to really work at focusing on one thing to learn at a time so I can actually remember it. The funny thing is, I work with technology in a school and I constantly tell people they can't learn it al
At once and that it will come with practice and use... just have a hard time following my own instructions. :)
@marilyn for me it was nailing the AV function, then making camera changes while still on AV so I could see the results on the same subject. Once you have that nailed the other functions make sense, then there is manual mode. A good place to start on manual is to see what the camera is expecting in AV then copy those settings in manual.
Once you get the handle on that you throw in strobes and then multiple strobes. :)
I used to hate indoor shots as they would either be blurred or flashed out. My 3 fav purchases; good tripod so I can do long exposures and make the most of the light exactly as I see it, a remote so I can be hands free and a hot shoe flash diffuser for when I have to use the flash. Oh and one more - a nice warm lamp - mine is from ikea. Depends on what you want to achieve though - I like my indoor shots to look warm and homey so my light is quite yellowish
@lasco thank you for asking these questions. I tend to have the exact same problems. @agima@saranna your advice is much appreciated. Getting this kind of advice is as much part of my reason for joining this site as seeing other people's pictures.
I don't expect myself to pick it all up at once, but my problem is that i go through phases of having a lot of energy and enthusiasm and then falling out of the habit due to work etc taking over. I also have a tendency to stick with pictures that I am more or less confident about so really need to push myself.
@lasco Have you every checked out the strobist website (strobist.blogspot.com)? That site has a huge amount of information about gear and techniques for off-camera flash. Then there's planetneil.com, which shows the amazing results that are possible with on-camera flash.
@Brendan - Thank you so much, your advice is very helpful and much appreciated. I have a Canon Rebel Ti1 with the standard 18-55 lens. I also have a 70-300 f/4-5.6 lens that I used a lot for taking outdoor pictures of birds. I've mostly used the camera outdoors and used ISO 100 on AV mode - but sometimes I had problems because I'd always forget to check how this affected my shutter speed and I often ended up with some dark and blurry shots. I hope you're right that it will soon come natural! Shooting indoors has been a much bigger challenge than I thought it would be. @shadesofgray - I haven't tried using the live view. That's a great idea and I plan to start trying out that feature today! @Marilyn, @mcdermgl - glad I'm not alone! @Sarah - good ideas. I actually do have a tripod and a remote, I just haven't experimented with them yet. I'm not sure I know what a hot shoe diffuser is, but I'll definately be looking that up! @Gene - I'd never heard of those websites but I just bookmarked both of them so I can check them out later. Thanks!
Good question. It seems so easy to shoot inside, but the problem is that most shots also look like easy... I prefer shooting without flash and cameras can manage this better and better, but sometimes you really need a flash. For this 365 project (I'm a starter too) I have the problem that I work from dark until dark, so except in the weekends I have to make indoor pics. So, a personal challenge.
When you want high contrast, you can use hard flash light, maybe indirect via wall or ceiling. Yes, an external flash is necessary. Example from this week:
When you need a more subtile lighting, preferable use more lights. No, I don't have studio lights. In the shot below I used existing spotlight in the cabinet (top light), a wireless Canon flash placed in the cabinet (left light) and my pop-up flash for lighting from the right using my camera in portrait position. On my EOS60D I can change the power of internal and external flash via the menu, but that we be different for each camera and flash.
You can see the cabinet and lights on this Flickr photo
Hope I helped you with this. And don't forget: just try, try, try, don't lose patience and don't lose fun!!
@djepie Thanks! I'm still finding it a challenge, but I intend to stick with it. Part of the problem is that, like you, I basically work dark to dark. Then after work there's so much to get done (laundry, errands, supper, feed the dog, etc...) seems I don't get much time to play and then I'm anxious to post something before bed. I've been spending my lunch time reading a photography book. It helps, but trying to put it into practice is a challenge. Thanks for your helpful ideas.
One other indoor shot, maybe more comparible with your photo on which this discussion is based:
The making-of photo: here you see the 'set' with the external flash on its foot and the playmobil house on Flickr.
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Do you have any lighting equipment? and what lens do you have?
There is a few things to remember when taking indoor/low lighting shots but one of the most important is your ISO.
When you camera is set to AV it will adjust the shutter and ISO to get a correctly exposed photo. The higher the ISO the more noise in the photo which will make the photo blurry. The lower the ISO the clearer the photo. The only thing if you set your apature and ISO the camera has no choice but to adjust the shutter speed.
So give this a try.
Set your camera to AV, have the apature as low as possible, set the ISO to 100 and take the picture. Then change the ISO to 200 and take another photo.
The problem you will find with your camera is if you have a higher ISO than say 400 the image will suffer. This is one of the biggest differences between the cheaper and $$$ cameras.
The other way to get around all this is to use flash. :)
I know what you mean about trying to remember everything. Dont worry about it... The more you do it, the more it becomes second nature and before you know it, it will all click.
Does that help?
At once and that it will come with practice and use... just have a hard time following my own instructions. :)
Once you get the handle on that you throw in strobes and then multiple strobes. :)
I don't expect myself to pick it all up at once, but my problem is that i go through phases of having a lot of energy and enthusiasm and then falling out of the habit due to work etc taking over. I also have a tendency to stick with pictures that I am more or less confident about so really need to push myself.
@shadesofgray - I haven't tried using the live view. That's a great idea and I plan to start trying out that feature today!
@Marilyn, @mcdermgl - glad I'm not alone!
@Sarah - good ideas. I actually do have a tripod and a remote, I just haven't experimented with them yet. I'm not sure I know what a hot shoe diffuser is, but I'll definately be looking that up!
@Gene - I'd never heard of those websites but I just bookmarked both of them so I can check them out later. Thanks!
When you want high contrast, you can use hard flash light, maybe indirect via wall or ceiling. Yes, an external flash is necessary. Example from this week:
When you need a more subtile lighting, preferable use more lights. No, I don't have studio lights. In the shot below I used existing spotlight in the cabinet (top light), a wireless Canon flash placed in the cabinet (left light) and my pop-up flash for lighting from the right using my camera in portrait position. On my EOS60D I can change the power of internal and external flash via the menu, but that we be different for each camera and flash.
You can see the cabinet and lights on this Flickr photo
Hope I helped you with this. And don't forget: just try, try, try, don't lose patience and don't lose fun!!
The making-of photo: here you see the 'set' with the external flash on its foot and the playmobil house on Flickr.