# Herp photography tips



## Nighteyes (Mar 25, 2009)

There are some excellent photographers here on APS (yes i'm trying to stroke ego's). I was wondering if some of them would like to give us mere mortals some tips about herp photography.

Someone mentioned about putting an icecream container over your snakey subject to get them to coil up so they can be photographed, thats a great tip, their must be more like that.

Tips on gear used for after dark herping, camera settings what ever you think would help us all improve our skills.

I'll start with one that everyone should know anyway....*To get great shots you have to take LOTS!*

*Nighteyes*


----------



## RooOfBlue (Mar 26, 2009)

This is a great post, and I wish more of the talented photographers on here would chime in - 'cause I could use some help too. One tip is to always keep depth-of-field in mind. Using the aperture priority mode on your camera and setting for the smallest aperture possible (which equates to the higher F numbers, e.g. F22 or F32) given ambient lighting conditions will produce greatest depth-of-field. This in turn will cause more of the subject to be in focus. Just be careful that you are not shooting at too slow a speed which will produce blur. I think 1/60th second is recommended as about as slow as you would want to hand hold a camera, but I've gotten away with 1/30th and even slower before.


----------



## Dar1stheory (Mar 26, 2009)

I have a 300d EOS, anyone got good suggestions for snapping shots with one of these? 

I've experimented with the short and long lens, but I can't get those really close up shots of the head with either! Always seems to go blurry!


----------



## amy5189 (Mar 26, 2009)

ah yes the aperture priority mode..... 




:shock:
Damn talented people and their talent.

But this is seriously a great thread. I want to get to know more about taking piccies. Miley told me I have to read the big thick manual that came with the camera. DOH! Not looking forward to that.

Hopefully she will post some super duper help on here, with her super awesomeness of snake pictures.


----------



## red-devil (Mar 26, 2009)

I have always been fascinated by photography also, what would be a good camera to start off with? Nothing too complicated, just to take close up good quality shots. Thanks for any help.


----------



## Rainbow-Serpent (Mar 26, 2009)

I tend to get the best shots when my snake is posing ON something such as a toy or tree.


----------



## chillsandfevers (Mar 26, 2009)

Hi, I totally agree that you can get good shots with the snake posing on something, that way you can just let it crawl around a bit and keep snapping til you get the right shot.

Also, lighting is important. The difference between light on, light off, flash on, flash off can make you snake look totally different and nothing like the natural colours it really is.

Finally, whoever invented DIGITAL CAMERAS, THANKYOU ! as you just keep clicking to get the best shot and delete the rest.


----------



## andyscott (Mar 26, 2009)

chillsandfevers said:


> whoever invented DIGITAL CAMERAS, THANKYOU ! as you just keep clicking to get the best shot and delete the rest.


 

Yes thats the way I do it, 20-30 shots for that 1 good 1.


----------



## Kitah (Mar 26, 2009)

For the night time shots I've taken (if you've seen coastal carpet and two lots of spotted python pics, all of those were taken at night) I use a torch; I have a mag torch and I set it so the beam is pretty well dispersed (i.e. not focused in one spot) and position it so that the edge of the light is on the snake; this allows the camera to 'see' the snake and focus on it correctly, so you can get better shots! Obviously don't shine it directly in their face... 

I usually do this even in subtly poor lighting, as you tend to get blurry photos in poor-lighting, so if you provide just that bit of extra light your camera can focus correctly and then the cameras own flash can then illuminate the animal well enough for a clear photo. just takes practice  Also when taking photos of herps my camera is pretty much always on macro, but I'm not sure that most standard cameras would have decent maco?

I typically take hundreds of photos and will get quite a few decent ones. If I go to a place like australia zoo or reptile places I'll literally take about 2000 photos  


examples of some night time photos I took using the above method and a fuji finepix S5700 camera (outdated now, are newer models but this still works a beaut. would love to get a dSLR to hone my skills ) These photos are of wild animals 










































If anyone in townsville ever wants pics taking of their herps, lemme know, I'd love to be able to see somemore and increase my photo compilation!


----------



## Surfcop24 (Mar 26, 2009)

Can I say.... Anyone wanting tps....Dont be afraid to go down your local library and borrow a few books..... Take them to a park or something...And play with your Camera and its settings... Thats how I am learning...


----------



## jordo (Mar 26, 2009)

Xshadow - nice frog pics



Surfcop24 said:


> Can I say.... Anyone wanting tps....Dont be afraid to go down your local library and borrow a few books..... Take them to a park or something...And play with your Camera and its settings... Thats how I am learning...



Yeah spot on, all I do is take a lizard out and have a fiddle with setting. Still haven't got it how I want just yet but looking at getting a flash to use as a slave instead of my small flash at the moment which seems to reflect off the animals eyes a lot, and I'll see how that works out.

Stewie has a good page on his site about all this stuff. Very handy site to learn from and you know it's all relevent info rather than a sources that aren't just for wildlife photography:

http://www.reptilesdownunder.com/herping/photography/


----------



## amazonian (Mar 26, 2009)

Remove the lens cap before taking pics


----------



## miley_take (Mar 26, 2009)

amazonian said:


> Remove the lens cap before taking pics


 
:lol: Ditto...though you wouldn't believe the amount of people that forget that haha

-Focusing on the eyes is a good one, though I've gotten some nice shots focusing on other -bits of the snake/lizard.
-Knowing your camera too is a good one, read, re read and re read again the manual til you know it inside out so you can use it to full potential!
-Also shooting early morning/late afternoon to avoid harsh shadows and blow outs 
-Do some net research and learn about different things, a big one to know about is exposure


----------



## method (Mar 26, 2009)

Dip the tip of your lens in vasaline


----------



## amazonian (Mar 26, 2009)

I have a decent DSLR camera and have never learnt how to use it (I use my mobile phone instead lol). Does anyone know a website where I can learn about apperture, shutter speed etc. Or could someone give me a brief description of what this stuff means (the basics etc)


----------



## tooninoz (Mar 26, 2009)

amazonian said:


> I have a decent DSLR camera and have never learnt how to use it (I use my mobile phone instead lol). Does anyone know a website where I can learn about apperture, shutter speed etc. Or could someone give me a brief description of what this stuff means (the basics etc)


Gives some explanation, and the rest is up to you! 
http://digital-photography-school.com/

cheers


----------



## sweetangel (Mar 26, 2009)

method said:


> Dip the tip of your lens in vasaline


 well if its that totally blurb artistic look ur going for then by all means 

other wise a clean lens free of dust prevents specs all over ur image 

use macro setting (the little flower setting on most compact cameras) if ur using a dslr get a mrco lense. depending how close you wanna be, a 90mm is pretty nice, but u might want longer for those further away subjects 

have enough light to focus.

have either a flash or some source of lighting for night time or studio stuff. 

focus on they eyes.

try to see every thing that in the frame and frame ur subject just off center.

another way to get better at photography is look at images that you really like and try to recreate the composition and lighting. soon you will see what works best.

also u must be patient, reptiles and hell to photograph as they are always moving!!


----------



## seumas12345 (Mar 26, 2009)

I understand that there are some wikid photographers out there who just take incredible shots... Surely though alot of it comes down to equipment and photoshopping? I bought a canon 450D and also purchased a 100mm macro lense to get right up and close, and trust me I am one of the few who have sat down and read every manual that came with it, among hundreds of other articles. I will take hundreds of photos and manage to get some awesome stuff, however, I still have trouble getting shots that are even close to as good as the ones I've seen on here. I'd like to hear from some of the pros using DSLR's, what equipment they're using, and even moreso, how many of them photoshop their pics. I have had little experience with photoshop but have noticed just how much difference bumping up the saturation and increased brightness and contrast can make. 
So to sum it up, let's hear some opinions on:
- Equipment and how much it plays a part
- Photoshopping to get those cream of the crop shots


----------



## sweetangel (Mar 26, 2009)

i use canon 1d mark III,
90mm f2.8 macro lens and other gear such as 24-70, 70-200 both 2.8
a **** flash that i dont really use that much 430ex
and i use a tourch 

but i think camera play a pretty important part though is not the be all and end all. if u can compose and expose an image well then camera only comes down to the quaility and finer details and precision.

as for photoshop, it can only be used to enhance. if the photo is **** in the first place u will never be able to make it great using photoshop!


----------



## slacker (Mar 26, 2009)

seumas12345 said:


> I understand that there are some wikid photographers out there who just take incredible shots... Surely though alot of it comes down to equipment and photoshopping?



Let me preface this by saying that I'm not a "pro"; I'm just another amateur with a camera.

Equipment certainly plays a part. You can't expect a sharp photo with a soft lens.

Photoshop also plays a part. A lot of people shoot in JPEG format, which automatically applies various settings to the images before they're save on your camera's memory card. These will include sharpening and saturation. Most serious amateurs choose not to shoot in JPEG, however, and shoot in RAW.

RAW photos (in theory) have absolutely no processing done to them by the camera, unlike JPEG. This means photographers have to "tweak" the image to get it to look right.

When it comes to photographing captive reptiles for sale or for advertising purposes in particular, any photographer with a conscience should only use Photoshop to adjust the image to the point that it is an accurate representation of the animal. Artistic modification to other parts of the image are of less concern to me, however. Unfortunately, some do take a little too much "creative license" when it comes to the aesthetic values of the herp subject matter.

At the end of the day, even if you know how to use photoshop and you have good equipment, that still doesn't mean you're going to produce a good photo. Sure, they help, but do they teach you composition? Do they teach you how to light things in a flattering way?

There's lots more to a good photograph than Photoshop and equipment.


----------



## seumas12345 (Mar 26, 2009)

sweetangel said:


> i use canon 1d mark III,
> 90mm f2.8 macro lens and other gear such as 24-70, 70-200 both 2.8
> a **** flash that i dont really use that much 430ex
> and i use a tourch
> ...


 
Fair point. I mean without sounding arrogant, I consider myself fairly creative and I am certainly not technology illiterate. It's just take for instance the pics on the first page. They were just flawless IMO... Obviously I will continue to get better with practise (I have only had my DSLR for a few months), but I'm so keen to get shots like you guys are getting on here. For instance, I spent about 1/2hr shooting butterflies, and about an hour at a creek, and these were the best shots I've come up with. Got any tips/pointers for me?


----------



## method (Mar 26, 2009)

Equipment it depends, of course you need the right kind of gear to get up close and personal with the wildlife but cheap gear can go along way and be compared to some of the higher end dslr's available. But at the end of the day its the photographer who determains how good the shot will be, both with their knowledge of the the exposures, DOF, shutterspeeds and composition along with of course the photographers own creativity and how willing they are to push it.

Photoshop is just the darkroom fo the digital age and is what is part of the phtography process, and once again it really comes down to the photographers own experience and knowledge which will make a real stunning shot. So yeah, it's deffinatley a part of the photographers process and don't let it put you off when you get a bunch of fools coming in whinging about the use of it. But then again, it has its limits and if to much editing is done eg, removal of objects, too much obvious cloning and just general changes apart from the basics of the original image then really it becomes photo manipulation and you've overdone yourself.


----------



## seumas12345 (Mar 26, 2009)

So pretty much what you guys are saying is that I don't need to go and spend $5000 to get really good shots..? Practise makes perfect, and along with research and patience my shots will get better?? Am I on the right track?


----------



## slacker (Mar 26, 2009)

seumas12345 said:


> So pretty much what you guys are saying is that I don't need to go and spend $5000 to get really good shots..? Practise makes perfect, and along with research and patience my shots will get better?? Am I on the right track?



Your gear should be sufficient, based on what you said a couple of posts ago. Keep shooting...


----------



## BrownHash (Mar 26, 2009)

I feel that knowing your camera is a good one. Sometimes you wont have a lot of time to take a particular shot (not all herps want to hang around), so it can be important that you know how to use your camera and change settings quickly. It can save you a lot of frustration.


----------



## Serpentes_15 (Mar 26, 2009)

I have a cannon 400d eos with the standard twin lens pack that didn't have the image stabilization

I seem to be having a bit of trouble adusting the depth of field with close up shots. I can literally have soft light behind me, use manual and ajust the aperture to about F16 or something and then will ajust the Shutter speed until the exposure is on 0. Ill also use a bit of flash to allow for slower shutter speed and less chance of camera shake. 

It all seems to be going perfect but no matter what i do i can never get that crystal clear and sharp image that is focused throughout the image. I have tried so many things but no matter what i do my photos never turn out like the ones on the first page.

Is it possible that with the standard lenses theres only so much i can do without macro. Is this possibly why i can never get good depth of field with a close up shot.

Anyone else who has this camera or some good advice i would love to hear it before i spend over a grand on lenses.


----------



## amazonian (Mar 26, 2009)

I have a Nikon D50 with 18-55mm lens.
Which lens would you recomend?

I was thinking an 18-200mm or would I be better with using what I have got + a 55-200mm?

Also what macro lens?
And what else should I look at?


----------



## kaylaismyth (Mar 26, 2009)

I have a Canon 1000D.. When I get my snake and its comfortable, guaranteed there will be some photos floating around


----------



## sweetangel (Mar 26, 2009)

Serpentes_15 said:


> I have a cannon 400d eos with the standard twin lens pack that didn't have the image stabilization
> 
> I seem to be having a bit of trouble adusting the depth of field with close up shots. I can literally have soft light behind me, use manual and ajust the aperture to about F16 or something and then will ajust the Shutter speed until the exposure is on 0. Ill also use a bit of flash to allow for slower shutter speed and less chance of camera shake.
> 
> ...



Even though i have spent alot of money on my equipment im still not satisfied by the quality! 
My boss reconds its a canon thing! :?
The only really good camera that I think is the top of the top is the Nikon D3! I have seen the sharpest most amazing images come out of a D3. a 70 - 200 f2.8 lens or 28 - 70mm f2.8 lens, but that will set you back over $10,000


----------



## Fuscus (Mar 26, 2009)

Rules for wild herp photographing at night ( according to Fuscus)

:shock: Learn your camera.. I got peed off at the quality of my night shots so I took a piece of rope outside and photoed it with different settings until I was happy with the focal depth.
:shock: Go out often. I try to go every Tuesday night ( as it is my only night free ) and one day a weekend
:shock: Go out in different weathers. Best so far was a hot, humid night with thunderstorms looming. 
:shock: Have regular spots or routes. You then learn the best spots and times. I have a regular route that takes me through a number of different habitats.
:shock: You need to know your victims so you can get the best poses. 
:shock: You don't need an expensive camera but it helps, you will get a much higher percentage of good shots with a proper rig. Best is a DSLR with a macro lens You can always upgrade the lens/body/flash later. Trouble with this approach is that you always need to upgrade the lens/body/flash :?
:shock: Light is all important. Forget the inbuilt flash get a powerful separate flash. I use a Nikon SB-900 which can fry eggs at 2 meters. As mentioned in the point above you always want to upgrade so the next on the list is http://www.digitalcamerawarehouse.com.au/prod226.htm
:shock: A light ring helps a lot. A light ring is something that turns your camera into a very expensive torch, but really helps. They are expensive and the workmanship on the one I have got is less than optimal but I still wouldn't be without it.
:shock: Photo is of my night-herping rig - D100, SB-900, Nikkor 105 Micro, SunBlitz light ring


----------



## seumas12345 (Mar 27, 2009)

In terms of the flash system, is this going to be a better option for me than the light ring?? http://www.digitalcamerawarehouse.com.au/prod347.htm

Also, with the flash systems, do you need to use diffusers when taking macro photography??
Thanks for all the tips guys...
Also another question, I understand that lenses that can achieve lower f-stops such as f2.8 are alot better, but the thing is that my macro is f2.8 but that depth of field just doesnt cut it for macro work... I need at least f5.6 to get decent depth of field. Is the only way to fix this problem is to up my flash system?

Furthermore, when I take macro with the auto macro setting (the little flower) it takes pics with very fast shutter speed. However, when I change to A (where everything is adjustable but shutter speed is auto) and I put the same settings as the auto macro shot i.e iso 400, f5.6 it takes the shot with a much slower shutter speed.... why is this?? I thought that because everything is exactly the same it should take the shot with the same shutter speed...?


----------



## Fuscus (Mar 27, 2009)

seumas12345 said:


> In terms of the flash system, is this going to be a better option for me than the light ring?? http://www.digitalcamerawarehouse.com.au/prod347.htm


In terms of the flash system, yes. But the light ring is not a flash, it is a torch so you can focus. Notice I have the light ring and a Flash


seumas12345 said:


> Also, with the flash systems, do you need to use diffusers when taking macro photography??
> Thanks for all the tips guys...
> Also another question, I understand that lenses that can achieve lower f-stops such as f2.8 are alot better, but the thing is that my macro is f2.8 but that depth of field just doesnt cut it for macro work... I need at least f5.6 to get decent depth of field. Is the only way to fix this problem is to up my flash system?


For snakes at night up close I use an F Stop of 32, The highest the lens goes. Animals at a distance I drop the F stop


seumas12345 said:


> Furthermore, when I take macro with the auto macro setting (the little flower) it takes pics with very fast shutter speed. However, when I change to A (where everything is adjustable but shutter speed is auto) and I put the same settings as the auto macro shot i.e iso 400, f5.6 it takes the shot with a much slower shutter speed.... why is this?? I thought that because everything is exactly the same it should take the shot with the same shutter speed...?


Can't Help - My Nikon does not present that problem


----------



## seumas12345 (Mar 27, 2009)

I think I have figured out what my issue is.... Instead of shooting with Av I should be shooting with complete M (manuel).... I've just tested it out and I can achieve a decent shot at f32, shutter speed 1/125 and it comes out good... I really am not sure what is going on with the Av function on my camera... when I shoot with the Av function and set the apeture to f32 it tries to set the shutter speed to over 30seconds... has anyone else experienced this with canon dslr's??


----------



## saratoga (Mar 27, 2009)

sweetangel said:


> I have seen the sharpest most amazing images come out of a D3.



thats probably only because a pro was driving it!!

If you go to a restaurant and have a great meal you don't say...wow ...great meal......gee they must have good posts and pans in the kitchen!

A good photographer will take good photos with almost any camera. Having said that the type of camera you have can also make a big difference....once you know how to drive it.

Almost every good image you see today has been tweaked in photoshop....but all you are really doing is the finishing touches...some sharpening, a bit of colour or light levels.

To end up with a great photo you still need to start with a really good one straight out of the camera!

The biggest problem I see with photos on this site is people not putting consideration into the photo composition and missing the focus.

Have a look at the photos at the start of this thread...all great photos...and the eye is razor sharp in all of them!

Always, always make sure you focus on the eye.....and then perhaps move it off centre to compose a bit (learn the rule of thirds)

If the eye is not in focus you may as well throw the photo straight into the bin!

If you have an DSLR you are best off sticking to aperture priority with reptiles...which means you set the depth of field and the camera controls the shutter speed. But beware of camera shake and always apply this rule.....your shutter speed should be inversely proportion to the length of your lens for a sharp photo!. That means if you are using a 200mm lens...then you should be using a shutter speed of 1/200 or faster for a blur free hand held shot.
If you are using a 60mm lens, then it should be a minimum of 1/60 second.

If photographing outside try to do it early morning or late afternoon when the light is softer, or on an overcast day. This will greatly reduce the strength of the shadows and will be more appealing.

Practice, get to know your camera, practice...... like Fuscus says...even if its on a piece of rope or a plastic snake....so when the real thing comes along you will get it right.


----------



## method (Mar 27, 2009)

It's doing that because the camera is still technically on auto and it wants to get a correctly exposed image. Personally I wouldnt reccomend shooting anything at f/32 try to mx your self around f/22 or something since at that range you will pretty much have an unlimited DOF. At f/32 the diaphram in the lens is literally tiny and there is barely any light entering the lens and hitting the sensor, so in that mode its telling you to get a correctly exposed image the shutter has to be open for 30+ seconds which is ridiculous unless your shooting dusk/sunrise landscapes or nigh photography.


----------



## saratoga (Mar 27, 2009)

The larger the aperture number (eg f22) the less light you are letting into your CCD...hence the more exposure time you need!

Each time you close down the aperture(eg go from f16 to f22)...you are halving the amount of light getting to your camera.

So if at f16 you were able to have a shutter speed of 1/100 then if you change to f22 your shutter speed for the same exposure will only be 1/50 second...which may cause your photos to look blurry.

All the aperture stuff is a bit confusing at first because of the way the numbers run.

At f2.8 we say the aperture is wide open and it is letting in the maximum amount of light and you will get minimum depth of field....but a much faster shutter speed

At f22 we say this is a very small aperture because it is letting very little light into the camera...but you will get a big depth of field...but need to use a slower shutter speed.

So the bigger the number, the smaller the aperture, and the less light getting on to your CCD.

So to get the best depth of field in your herp shots(not that you always want that) you need reallly good light so you can use the smallest aperture (say f16 or f22) and that usually means having to use a flash.


----------



## seumas12345 (Mar 27, 2009)

method said:


> It's doing that because the camera is still technically on auto and it wants to get a correctly exposed image. Personally I wouldnt reccomend shooting anything at f/32 try to mx your self around f/22 or something since at that range you will pretty much have an unlimited DOF. At f/32 the diaphram in the lens is literally tiny and there is barely any light entering the lens and hitting the sensor, so in that mode its telling you to get a correctly exposed image the shutter has to be open for 30+ seconds which is ridiculous unless your shooting dusk/sunrise landscapes or nigh photography.


 
Method you are spot on! I am almost jumping off the walls at my place. I'm taking pics of frogs, spiders, lizards with almost no light that I've never been able to do before because I've always used Av mode and tried to get a decent depth of field but always suffered as a result because camera tried to set the shutter speed to like 30seconds.... I've now burnt off Av completely and am only going to use M (full manuel)!!!! Woot woot! Man it makes a difference! And being able to shoot at 100 ISO is making the colours incredible too! Thanks for this thread guys!


----------



## Fuscus (Mar 27, 2009)

method said:


> Personally I wouldnt reccomend shooting anything at f/32..


If you say so. Attachment was taken at f32


----------



## Red-Ink (Mar 27, 2009)

G'day guys,

I have a Bachelor of Science in scientic imaging, though i don't do a lot of wildlife photography as most of mine are boring studio stuff and to be honest i don't take much pics these days as i work in a different industry to what I've studied. Feel free to fire any questions at me via PM or here and I'll try and share my expertise where i can.

Here's a pic of a lacey i took.






not exactly wild though it's at Ballarat wildlife park using a point and shoot digicam that i carry everywhere and not my DSLR


----------



## seumas12345 (Mar 27, 2009)

xshadowx what kind of mag torch do you use?? Does it have to be very powerful or is it a case of less is more?


----------



## Red-Ink (Mar 27, 2009)

Just found some on my pics from my graduate exibition still on the net a few years back here's some of the links, i specialised in macro 5 times life size and above. Hope you guys like them.

http://gallery.rmitsciphoto.com/grad2005/source/francis_2.htm
http://gallery.rmitsciphoto.com/grad2005/source/francis_9.htm
http://gallery.rmitsciphoto.com/grad2005/source/francis5.htm
http://gallery.rmitsciphoto.com/grad2005/source/francis7.htm


----------



## amazonian (Mar 27, 2009)

amazonian said:


> I have a Nikon D50 with 18-55mm lens.
> Which lens would you recomend?
> 
> I was thinking an 18-200mm or would I be better with using what I have got + a 55-200mm?
> ...


 
Someone advise me on lens to buy please.
I have the cash and wanting to get into photography myself


----------



## Shell (Mar 27, 2009)

rainbow__serpent said:


> I tend to get the best shots when my snake is posing ON something such as a toy or tree.


 
That sounds like a great idea. However, how do you convince them to stay still. My jungle will never sit still for a photo when out of his house and has developed too much interest in the camera itself and keeps getting too close to the lense! Any ideas for getting him to stay still would be much appreciate, he is so hard to get a good picture of.


----------



## method (Mar 27, 2009)

Fuscus said:


> If you say so. Attachment was taken at f32


 
Not saying that you shouldnt but you would get the same depth of field at roughly 22, but hey whatever takes your fancy. Great shot btw


----------



## method (Mar 27, 2009)

amazonian said:


> Someone advise me on lens to buy please.
> I have the cash and wanting to get into photography myself


 
Check out a few review sites as they are your best options, I don't own a Nikon myself so i can't reccomend anything.

Try checking out http://dpreview.com/ and http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/


----------



## slacker (Mar 27, 2009)

amazonian said:


> Someone advise me on lens to buy please.
> I have the cash and wanting to get into photography myself



Tamron 90mm F2.8 macro is 'good enough' for the most part. Nikkor 105mm F2.8 VR ED is better, but double the price. Some actually claim the Tamron is better. I own the Tamron, and I've used the Nikkor -- had I the money, I would have bought the Nikkor.

Can't really advise you on tele zooms, as I rarely use them. The good ones (e.g. 70 - 200mm VR ED) cost a fortune, and I can't afford them. The bad ones are just that -- really, really bad usually (and accordingly cheap).


----------



## amazonian (Mar 27, 2009)

Thanks.


----------



## seumas12345 (Mar 27, 2009)

Ok guys here's my next dilemma...
Equipment:
Canon 450D with a 100mm f2.8 macro lens

I'm using full manuel settings, 1/125 shutter speed, f11, 100 ISO, with flash.... Right, at nighttime I'm getting awesome shots with great depth of field... however, in broad sunlight, the images are appearing dark and not that great... why is this?


----------



## method (Mar 27, 2009)

bump up the iso or drop the apature to let more light in

Your iso can on the 450D can probably shoot great on 640 with little noise, try somewhere in between


----------



## seumas12345 (Mar 27, 2009)

Ok cool. But I was just curious as to why this was happening in high light conditions when with that same settings at night I'm getting quality shots?


----------



## method (Mar 27, 2009)

Because your using the flash and its quickly exposing everything into the image as soon as the shutter is released, during the day the sensor is picking up all the available light bouncing of everything around you and because its not being illuminated with a hot flash it needs either a slower shutter speed, larger apature or a higher iso


----------



## seumas12345 (Mar 27, 2009)

Wikid, that's what I was thinking but wanted to confirm it. Cheers again method


----------



## DonnB (Mar 27, 2009)

Do you guys shoot in "RAW" format? Also when converting from raw do you go to tiff or jpg?
I have been using tiff and seems alot better than jpg.


----------



## DonnB (Mar 28, 2009)

Can anyone suggest a good flash for my canon 1000d?


----------



## redbellybite (Mar 28, 2009)

well I dont own the flashest camera nor do I take the flashest pictures but I did get lucky with this ...


----------



## rebeccalg (Mar 28, 2009)

Always shoot in RAW if its available to you. If you think of the Raw file as a digital negative you will start to see the benefits. If Raw isn't available then Tiff is the next best format to use. The more information you can get in your digital file the better. Raw files capture all the information you think you get when you take a pic. Tiffs and jpegs compress all of the information into a neat little package, which means that you will lose valuable data and this cannot be retrieved. Which is great for happy snaps but not so great if you want a high quality image with maximum enlargement capabilities. 

Photoshop is another issue altogether and has nothing to do with which file format you are using.


----------



## slacker (Mar 28, 2009)

Moreliac said:


> Do you guys shoot in "RAW" format? Also when converting from raw do you go to tiff or jpg?
> I have been using tiff and seems alot better than jpg.



RAW for sure. As rebeccalg pointed out, RAW gives you that little bit extra, and as long as you know how to tweak it, you'll be better off using it.

A local lab (pro lab) once demonstrated to me that there's no visible difference in prints resulting from the use of high-quality JPEGs compared to lossless formats. As such, when I order prints, I give them high-quality JPEGs.

These days I try and optimise the image for a given print size and save it as a high-quality JPEG for printing purposes. I always keep the RAW in case I need to modify it for prints of a different size though.



rebeccalg said:


> Tiffs and jpegs compress all of the information into a neat little package, which means that you will lose valuable data and this cannot be retrieved.



The TIFF format can use any number of compression algorithms (or indeed none at all!), only some of which are lossy; others are lossless, unlike JPEG compression.


----------



## Red-Ink (Mar 30, 2009)

seumas12345 said:


> Ok guys here's my next dilemma...
> Equipment:
> Canon 450D with a 100mm f2.8 macro lens
> 
> I'm using full manuel settings, 1/125 shutter speed, f11, 100 ISO, with flash.... Right, at nighttime I'm getting awesome shots with great depth of field... however, in broad sunlight, the images are appearing dark and not that great... why is this?


 
To get nice exposure for macro photography even during the day leave the flash on. Use the TTL (through the lens metering) on your camera to give you the exposure for the sunlight (whateva it is) i.e. 1/125 at f11. I don't know what flash you use but if you have an external flash unit set the power of this to be 2 exposures higher than the TTL meterring, in this example 1/125 at f16 or f 22 then take the photo at those settings if you want depth or change the shutter speed instead. You will find that the sunlight exposure which is f11 will give you the shadow detail and the flash will be your main light source. It stops getting dark shadows without details on your subject and because the flash is only set at 2 exposures higher and the camera exposing the highlights at that setting it wil give you a perfect zone system setting for your shadows 2 exposures down from zone 5 with the highlights being the reflective surface of your subject.


----------



## seumas12345 (Mar 30, 2009)

Red-Ink said:


> To get nice exposure for macro photography even during the day leave the flash on. Use the TTL (through the lens metering) on your camera to give you the exposure for the sunlight (whateva it is) i.e. 1/125 at f11. I don't know what flash you use but if you have an external flash unit set the power of this to be 2 exposures higher than the TTL meterring, in this example 1/125 at f16 or f 22 then take the photo at those settings if you want depth or change the shutter speed instead. You will find that the sunlight exposure which is f11 will give you the shadow detail and the flash will be your main light source. It stops getting dark shadows without details on your subject and because the flash is only set at 2 exposures higher and the camera exposing the highlights at that setting it wil give you a perfect zone system setting for your shadows 2 exposures down from zone 5 with the highlights being the reflective surface of your subject.


 
I'm just using the standard flash on the camera, but it seems that when I use the TTL on the camera I end up loosing quite a bit of depth of field or I have to drop the shutter speed below 1/125 to get a properly exposed photo.
Just in terms of the flash issue that you've discussed, are you saying that if my TTL metering is on -1 then set my external flash (if i had one) to +1?? Oh, I can also change the built-in flash exposure on my camera. Should I also change it to +1 (in the TTL of -1 situation)??


----------



## Red-Ink (Apr 1, 2009)

seumas12345 said:


> I'm just using the standard flash on the camera, but it seems that when I use the TTL on the camera I end up loosing quite a bit of depth of field or I have to drop the shutter speed below 1/125 to get a properly exposed photo.
> Just in terms of the flash issue that you've discussed, are you saying that if my TTL metering is on -1 then set my external flash (if i had one) to +1?? Oh, I can also change the built-in flash exposure on my camera. Should I also change it to +1 (in the TTL of -1 situation)??


 
On full manual if you use the TTL it should still say what apeture and shutter speed is on the internal screen, make sure you don't drop the shutter speed below 1/125 as most on camera flash will not sync below that shutter speed i.e if the shutter speed is at 1/90 then the shutter will be too slow to catch the flash. If the shutter speed is below 1/125 then you will need to open the aperture as this is your base exposure. Alternatively you could put the on camera flash on a slow setting which means it should flash or light up for a bit longer again still be mindfull of the flash sync at 1/125. Now use the TTL to meter what you want to be shadows as you could set your TTL to spot metering, point the camera and focus it on what you want to be a shadow, there should be a dot that appears in the middle of the frame when you do this with your camera or an equivelant, check your manual on how to do this. When you get the base exposure you want, pop the flash up and move the apeture to the setting you want to get the depth, but remember there's a limit to the power of the on camera flash again check the manual. If you close the apeture down 2 stops the TTL on your camera should correct the flash power any more than two and you will get black shadows with no detail. This will only work if you have enough ambient light as the shadows i.e an external source like a lamp or the sun. All your doing is using the ambient light to fill the shadow and your flash as the main source. Remenber the camera has to be on full manual to do this as any apeture priority or shutter priority setting will overide all the metering through the TTL. Give it a go let me know how it goes, it might take a couple of goes as TTL can be a bit unrealiable sometimes as you can't be too sure what it's really metering so use the spot metering setting if your camera has one. Once you get to know how the on camera flash behaves life should be a lot better.


----------



## DonnB (Apr 1, 2009)

I have a canon 1000d. Can you set TTL on it also? Been throught the manual and found nothing about it.

Also anyone got good setting to try for the above camera at night and also at day.
I currently use at night : 1/125,f11,iso 100
Day : 1/125,f8,iso 400


----------



## ssshazza (Apr 1, 2009)

if you google the model and make of your camera you can usually find the instruction manual in PDF format.(if you've lost it)

Some little tips: 
*The eye is drawn from the top left corner of the photo, to the bottom, across the bottom, to the top right corner. Try to harmonise any lines (tree branches, vines etc) by keeping that natural flow.
* Double check your horizon (or any background lines) are straight! nothing worse than a wonky horizon!
* Learn photoshop, turn ur crappy photos into works of art lol 

Hope this helps


----------



## DonnB (Apr 1, 2009)

Critic this pic for me.

Had to compress the crap out of it


----------



## seumas12345 (Apr 1, 2009)

I'd say there are two main things that put me off:
a) the flash is putting too much focus on the leaves... it would be a better shot with less light on the leaves, so the herp stands out more.
b) again, the leaves are covering part of the neck with takes away some of the effect...
One last thing, I would have put the herp more in-frame. Other than that focus is good and it is a clear, sharp image. Keep it up!


----------



## DonnB (Apr 2, 2009)

seumas12345 said:


> I'd say there are two main things that put me off:
> a) the flash is putting too much focus on the leaves... it would be a better shot with less light on the leaves, so the herp stands out more.
> b) again, the leaves are covering part of the neck with takes away some of the effect...
> One last thing, I would have put the herp more in-frame. Other than that focus is good and it is a clear, sharp image. Keep it up!



Thanks for your opinion.

The only thing is i deliberately put the herp on the side like that, so i could get some added background into the shot. I like to get some habitat into the shots also. So you think i put to much background in?


----------



## seumas12345 (Apr 2, 2009)

I'd say just a tad. I see what you were going with the background, but with the herp just a little to the left would have made sure they main focus of your photo was quite clear and well detailed


----------



## Red-Ink (Apr 2, 2009)

As a general rule if you want the subject to still show the background then the ratio is 3:1, i.e. the backgound should cover about a 2/3rd of the frame and the subject 1/3rd to have proper relationship in the frame without either over powering the other. Putting the subject on the side of the frame forces he eye to only go to that side and dis-regard the rest of the frame. If you are going to do this for portraits be mindful of continuation on the subject as in the subject should not lead the viewers point of view outside the frame.

It's a crappy photo from the outside of a dirty tank with a phone camera but i think it illustrates my point.


----------



## DonnB (Apr 2, 2009)

Thanks for the tips.


----------



## Kirby (Apr 2, 2009)

for dragons.... 

heat them up nice and hot, and throw them into a feeding bin. a hot feeding frenzy brings out their colours.


----------



## Nighteyes (Apr 2, 2009)

WOW, I can't believe how well people have taken to this thread! Keep up the great tips and questions!!


----------



## seumas12345 (Apr 2, 2009)

I reckon its a great thread! It needs to be made a sticky so amutuers can post their new pics and get criticisms and tips from the pros!


----------



## Nighteyes (Apr 2, 2009)

Great idea, let hope the admin agree (c:


----------



## moosenoose (Apr 2, 2009)

I used to take most of my pics in RAW, but then didn't take the time to work out how to mess around with it. Quite frankly, I reckon most of my shots turn out pretty good (without blowing my own trumpet). I don't know a whole heap about why the camera does what it does, only what buttons to press to get the damned thing giving me enough light in the places I need it....and then to make sure the focus is as sharp as it can be on the objects I'm wanting in focus.

I just happily and aimlessly snap away with my brain telling me if it'll work or not :lol: See, simple! :lol:


----------



## Nighteyes (Apr 2, 2009)

When I was doing marketing flyers and things for my last job, which involved lots of photoshopping, I was using RAW format for photos I was taking. But just for my happy snaps I just use JPEG. I suppose it depends what your desired outcome for the photos are.


----------



## DonnB (Apr 3, 2009)

Heres 2 more pics from the same shoot. (same settings)


----------



## seumas12345 (Apr 3, 2009)

Now that's better! The framing in those pics is perfect! I'm not sure about the quality of the pics i think it's just because you've compressed them. 
What I would try now is changing your ISO to 100. The lower the ISO the better the quality and better the colours, but it can cause you to have to lower the shutter speed (1/125 will be fine for hand held, anything lower and you should really use a tripod).

Also try using photoshop (or any basic program like microsoft office picture manager) to bump up the colour saturation a little. Then you should have almost perfect shots!


----------



## DonnB (Apr 3, 2009)

I used higher iso as they pics started out being to dark. I only have built in flash.


----------



## seumas12345 (Apr 3, 2009)

Ahh ok that's fair enough. Maybe try ISO200 with 1/125 shutter speed and F10 or something along those lines? It's all about playing about  Great pics though


----------



## DonnB (Apr 3, 2009)

heres with some post prod on the pic...


----------



## seumas12345 (Apr 3, 2009)

That looks wikid man!


----------



## DonnB (Apr 3, 2009)

Thanks. Its because of this thread!!!


----------



## smacdonald (Apr 4, 2009)

Red-Ink said:


> make sure you don't drop the shutter speed below 1/125 as most on camera flash will not sync below that shutter speed i.e if the shutter speed is at 1/90 then the shutter will be too slow to catch the flash.



What do you mean by this? I've never heard of a shutter speed being too slow for a flash. I know the opposite problem occurs - most dSLRs won't let you use a shutter speed above 1/250 sec when using the built-in flash.


Stewart
PS: Jordo - thanks for the plug!


----------



## seumas12345 (Apr 4, 2009)

reptilesDownUnder said:


> What do you mean by this? I've never heard of a shutter speed being too slow for a flash. I know the opposite problem occurs - most dSLRs won't let you use a shutter speed above 1/250 sec when using the built-in flash.
> 
> 
> Stewart
> PS: Jordo - thanks for the plug!


 
I duno about the built in flash, but I know that if you aren't using a tripod then you dont really want to drop below 1/250sec or you'll experience blurryness... 

*General rule of thumb*, the length of the lens you are using is the minimum shutter speed you can use for hand held shots. *Example:* you have a 50mm - 200mm lens, and you zoom right in, the lens is at 200mm, therefore you don't want to drop the shutter speed below 1/200sec... then you zoom right out, the lens is 50mm, you don't want to drop the shutter speed below 1/50sec.


----------



## smacdonald (Apr 4, 2009)

seumas12345 said:


> I duno about the built in flash, but I know that if you aren't using a tripod then you dont really want to drop below 1/250sec or you'll experience blurryness...



As you've gone on to say, the lowest shutter speed you can reasonably expect to use is very much dependant on the focal length at which you're shooting. Additionally, using a lens with Vibration Reduction/Image Stabilisation helps a lot. My 105mm macro lens with VR lets me shoot at 1/60 sec if need be. Normally for macro work I shoot at about 1/125 sec.


Stewart


----------



## seumas12345 (Apr 4, 2009)

yeah.. lol  I don't have image stabiliser on my macro so im stuck with 1/125 and dropping DOF  ahh well hehehe


----------



## smacdonald (Apr 4, 2009)

seumas12345 said:


> yeah.. lol  I don't have image stabiliser on my macro so im stuck with 1/125 and dropping DOF  ahh well hehehe



Get some more flash power.


Stewart


----------



## seumas12345 (Apr 4, 2009)

Tell me about it! I'm looking at the twin lite macro flash kit for canon but at just over $1000 it's not something I can just walk out and buy  hehe eventually i will though haha


----------



## under_dog (Apr 4, 2009)

i learn alot from looking at other photographer's works. ive learnt alot from Micheal D. Kern.
l recomend looking him up. he has a real talent.


----------



## DonnB (Apr 6, 2009)

Anyone use extension tubes for macro? I am considering getting one as macro lens are far to expensive for me,and i am not looking for super close ups.


----------



## Red-Ink (Apr 6, 2009)

reptilesDownUnder said:


> What do you mean by this? I've never heard of a shutter speed being too slow for a flash. I know the opposite problem occurs - most dSLRs won't let you use a shutter speed above 1/250 sec when using the built-in flash.
> 
> 
> Stewart
> PS: Jordo - thanks for the plug!


 

Most cameras actually sync at 1/90 but the newer ones are faster. It simply has to do with the mechanical parts of the shutter anything slower than 1/125 as a generalisation would mean that by the time the shutter opens the flash has already occured light is much faster than any mechanical part man has ever made hence the flash sync on cameras. This means that the internal settings of each camera is set to this i.e the flash will only fire when the shutter is fully open. As a suggestion for using on camera flash there should be a setting on your flash that says slow sync. It is best to have this on as it extends the burst of the flash the camera will now to only fire the flash after the shutter has opened. It's kinda a helping hand setting.


----------



## Red-Ink (Apr 6, 2009)

Moreliac said:


> Anyone use extension tubes for macro? I am considering getting one as macro lens are far to expensive for me,and i am not looking for super close ups.


 

The problem with extension tubes is the reduced depth of feild and the magnification factor on the camera CCD. This already happens when you put film lenses on DSLR. If you are not fussed about achieving "true" 1:1 ratio then it should not be a problem. What I have a problem with extension tube is the fact that depth of field goes out the window as the aperture is calculated for the length of the lens to the film/CCD plane, if you extend that even though you can still get sharp focus depth of field via aperture is basically out the window. Also if you do use extension tubes you will have a hard time focusing via the focus ring on the lens, again due to the fact that the focal length is calculated to the film/CCD plane to use the focus ring. The best way to focus using extension tubes is to set the lens focus on infinity and physically move forwards or backwards will looking through the view finder which is fine if you have a still subject but any movement by the subject or you will throw out the focus.


----------



## smacdonald (Apr 6, 2009)

Red-Ink said:


> Most cameras actually sync at 1/90 but the newer ones are faster. It simply has to do with the mechanical parts of the shutter anything slower than 1/125 as a generalisation would mean that by the time the shutter opens the flash has already occured light is much faster than any mechanical part man has ever made hence the flash sync on cameras. This means that the internal settings of each camera is set to this i.e the flash will only fire when the shutter is fully open. As a suggestion for using on camera flash there should be a setting on your flash that says slow sync. It is best to have this on as it extends the burst of the flash the camera will now to only fire the flash after the shutter has opened. It's kinda a helping hand setting.



Maybe we're talking about two different things. You seem to be saying that the longer the shutter is open, the less likely it is to capture a flash. Or am I misunderstanding you? I know for a fact that I can use a flash on a camera with a shutter speed of 5 seconds (or 30 seconds), because I do that quite often.


Stewart


----------



## Red-Ink (Apr 7, 2009)

reptilesDownUnder said:


> Maybe we're talking about two different things. You seem to be saying that the longer the shutter is open, the less likely it is to capture a flash. Or am I misunderstanding you? I know for a fact that I can use a flash on a camera with a shutter speed of 5 seconds (or 30 seconds), because I do that quite often.
> 
> 
> Stewart


 You're correct mate, it all depends on the speed of the camera firing the flash, some camera models will fire the flash before the shutter is fully open others don't. It's just a generalisation on the workings of the camera. It's just playing it safe really. What we are trying to do is ensure that the flash only fires when the camera is fully open as when you use fully manual on your camera, on some camera it turns off all it's internal sync settings. So unless you know the camera inside out it's just playing safe. Once the shutter is open you can fire the flash at anytime really. 

If you have an external flash you can even fire that twice before the shutter closes if you have it open long enough this effectively doubles your exposure setting allowing you to achieve greater depth of field.


----------



## DonnB (Apr 10, 2009)

Why is this thread not a sticky yet?


----------



## Nighteyes (Apr 23, 2009)

Bump - More tips out there??


----------



## coz666 (Apr 23, 2009)

most important tip

dont let your kids get at your camera.
mine is broken , and when i looked on the memory card it was alot of photos of my daughters fingers and eyeball. i have no idea how she got it but too late now.


----------



## woosang (Apr 23, 2009)

RAW is best for when your are planning to do some post producing. Otherwise JPEG can be as good.

The eye and toungue phone are nice but a very high ISO, drop the ISO Down and try again. I do love the tongue photo..
I use macro extention tubes with my Canon 40D with a 18-200mm lens and get great shots of insects etc.. my husband does more professional photography and he uses a Canon50D with a variety of lens. He also just steals my macro tubes for close shots.

Macro tubes (Good cheap ones) cost $225 from 
Foto Riesel 
364a Kent St Sydney NSW 2000
ph: (02) 9299 6745

they cost around $200-$250 But if they don't have any sets left try these people (the extension tube set is 2/3s of the way down the page for $225)
www.d-d-photographics.com.au/canonlenses.htm

For the record I don't work in the industry I just found this store when looking for tubes last year.


----------



## seumas12345 (Apr 23, 2009)

100mm macro taken hand held in about 2 seconds lol 

Any positive criticism would be good! ahh its heavily compressed btw


----------



## woosang (Apr 23, 2009)

hand held?? Wow. Nice pic.


----------



## seumas12345 (Apr 23, 2009)

No tripod (I often use a tripod for macro)


----------



## Red-Ink (Apr 24, 2009)

seumas12345 said:


> 100mm macro taken hand held in about 2 seconds lol
> 
> Any positive criticism would be good! ahh its heavily compressed btw


 
I take it you used a flash for it? If the flash has fired there is no need to keep the shutter open for longer as the exposure is done through the flah and not ambient light. Keeping the shutter open longer may blow out the exposure with the adition of ambient light or cause bluriness in macro due to camera shake. It's a great shot and you captured the subject quiet well, It is nice and sharp and the depth of field is spot on to capture the deatail on your subject. My only negative thing if i can say it is the flower/plant looks about a quarter to half an exposure blown out in the highlights, that may be due to the long shutter speed letting more light in or just the high reflectance of the plant. Otherwise fantastic shot mate, keep up the good work.


----------



## seumas12345 (Apr 24, 2009)

Ahh yeah I see what you mean now. It was literally the first day I was shooting with full manuel after reading this thread. I was still in "manuel test mode" as such  

Is there anyway I can correct this overexposure on photoshop?


----------



## Red-Ink (Apr 24, 2009)

seumas12345 said:


> Ahh yeah I see what you mean now. It was literally the first day I was shooting with full manuel after reading this thread. I was still in "manuel test mode" as such
> 
> Is there anyway I can correct this overexposure on photoshop?


 
Yep just open it up in photo shop and adjust the levels (not auto levels as photoshop is pretty crap at making auto adjustments), its a setting in there somewhere can't remember of the top of my head what it's under without having photoshop open in fromt of me. Anyway if you move the highlights down make sure you keep the mid tone and shadow detail in the same spot.


----------



## woosang (Apr 26, 2009)

*hand held*



seumas12345 said:


> No tripod (I often use a tripod for macro)




Here are my recent hand held macro pics. Damned cutie wouldn't stop moving.. Big scarey black camera in its little sweet face










There are a few others. The depth of field is so small with a macro tube and a big lens that any shift of the snake means I got the back of the head in focus and not the eyes or tounge.
more on flickr. (Woosang)


----------



## woosang (Apr 26, 2009)

to get some shots of animals behind glass in a dark room (ie zoo)

my husband took these in 2006. (BTW I have no idea what sort of snake this is so please LMK)




Exposure 1/125
Apperture F5.6
Focal length 110mm
Iso 400
Flash yes.

This one




Exposure 1/125th
Apperature F5.6
focal length 210mm
Iso 400 
flash yes.

The long focal length is to stop the flash for blasting the snake and to reduce reflection.

There are other in this series on David's flickr. (@ flickr he is Gunzel412)


----------



## Nighteyes (Jun 7, 2009)

Thought I'd show a couple of pics I took while up here in the Pilbara working. Looking after exploration drill rigs is giving me heaps of time to drive around with my new EOS450D looking out for things to shoot. These were 2 of the shots I liked from earlier this week.

First is a 1.5m Mulga/King Brown we came across sunning itself
(1/800, f6.3, ISO 640)

the other is a Western Netted Dragon (heaps of them up here)
(1/250, f5.6, ISO 200)

I've had to compress them obviously. let me know what you think...


----------



## moloch05 (Jun 7, 2009)

Great stuff, Nighteyes. It would be really nice so see you batch up your pics and post these. You are working in one of the richest areas for herps and we don't see pics very often from that area.

Regards,
David


----------



## Slytherin (Jun 7, 2009)

*My misc tips and ramblings ....* 

The higher the dpi (megapixel rating of the camera), the sharper the pic will look when enlarged

Macro setting is your best friend!  This allows you to get in close and still be in focus.

Holding the camera still and pressing the button without jerking or shifting it, makes all the difference between a sharply focussed pic and a slightly blurry one. 

I like to compose my photos by coming in close to my subject and eliminating the excess background detail. An open aperture and blurring of the background can also 'isolate' your subject from background clutter.

Opposite to many people, I prefer a more open aperture, creating a shallow depth of field so I can get the 'artistic' background blur to contrast with my focused subject. (I tend towards more 'arty' shots)

Try placing your subject off center to make a stronger composition.

Look for unusual ways of looking at the usual...different compositons, different viewing angle than normal, such as getting lower than normal. Pick out shapes or patterns that catch your eye and make that your subject rather than the whole animal.

Before taking your photo, take a quick look at the background to see if your subject has a pole 'growing' out of their head or any other unwanted distractions.

If using auto focus and waiting for your subject to get in just the right position, pre-focus (usually by pressing the button halfway down on most autofocus cameras will cause it to focus), and wait holding the button halfway down without moving. That way, you can take the pic quicker without having to focus first. You can do this with manual focus cameras, providing your subject isnt moving towards or away from you and with practice.

Using flash even in daylight, will help eliminate excessive contrast between the shadows and the lit areas. It will also help control blur if the subject moves very slightly. I also use it to isolate my subject from the background if the background is in deep shadow.



Finally...You don't need an expensive camera with all the 'bells and whistles' to take good shots. Its practice and an eye for the unusual.


----------



## Nighteyes (Jun 7, 2009)

moloch05 said:


> Great stuff, Nighteyes. It would be really nice so see you batch up your pics and post these. You are working in one of the richest areas for herps and we don't see pics very often from that area.
> 
> Regards,
> David


 

Yeah, wildlife in general is pretty abundant up here heaps of birds esp, unfortunatly I'm supposed to be back in town by dark, BHP rules (no i don't mean the python either) so I'm not out during the best herping time :cry:


----------



## borntobnude (Jun 8, 2009)

something that i find useful is reading/ re-reading the manual that came with the camera most people tend to gleem ( yes me too) but every time the kids get a camera , get mine , i tend to update, so the next one has something a bit different and the special instructions are hidden deep in the manual


----------



## froggyboy86 (Jun 8, 2009)

I just discovered how to use the manual focus on my camera, I guess I should have read the manual when I bought it.


----------

