# I got my new camera...now I need help getting the settings right!



## Scooley01 (Jan 12, 2011)

I took a few pictures on various settings, and moving my light source around, but I'm not 100% satisfied with any of the pics I've gotten so far.

Here's a few I took...some on manual, some on auto/easy.  What can I adjust to get a better image?


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## PenMan1 (Jan 12, 2011)

I recommend that you PM "Moke". He owns a camera shop and studio, is a nice guy and smarter that a tree full of owls! He sure got my photos going in the right direction!!!


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## toddlajoie (Jan 12, 2011)

Might help if we could get a bit more info. What type/brand/model camera is it? DSLR or Point& Shoot? You mentioned manual and auto modes, what sort of control does it have over exposure (shutter speed & Aperture or just +/- exposure compensation)? What are the options for color balance, and what type of lights are you using?

Looking at the photos, the second 2 are certainly better than the first two, and I assume they are the ones you shot on manual. You still need to increase your exposure (+ compensation, or longer shutter or wider aperture) to lighten them up, and your color balance is off in the red/magenta direction, but it's hard to nail that down till you get the exposure closer. Not sure how many lights you're using, but your shot is a bit back lit. I'd suggest either bringing them forward a bit or adding another or 2 above and in front of the pen.

Composition wise, your pen is composed a bit "flat". Composition is a lot of personal taste, but generally strait, square to the camera is not the best viewpoint. I'd suggest angling the pen tip toward the camera a good bit to give some depth to the image.

Then pen looks FANTASTIC!!! I really want to try that pen style, but haven't gotten around to ordering any of them.


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## alphageek (Jan 12, 2011)

#1 is to get the color balance right and then to mess with exposure.   I did a 15 second tweak on one of them to show you what I mean, but its best to do this in camera if you can.

What camera did you end up with?


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## Scooley01 (Jan 12, 2011)

It's a Canon SX130 IS.  Best Buy had a package deal to get the camera, a mini tripod, a memory card, and a case for a good price, so I went with it.

I saw shutter speed, aperture, and some other manual settings in the manual mode, but I don't remember what  I messed with and didn't mess with...I was just fiddling because I didn't know what I was doing.  It also has a bunch of ISO options (Don't know what that is) from 80 to 1600 iirc.


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## toddlajoie (Jan 12, 2011)

OK, so it's an advanced Point & Shoot, your ISO ideally should be set as low as possible to enable you to shoot, but in practice, most newer cameras are fine in the 400 and lower range. Assuming you have a tripod (you mentioned it in the package) and the camera has a timer release (so you can push the button and the camera will wait 2 to 10 seconds before taking the photo so the camera will stop vibrating) I would suggest you keep the ISO at or lower than 200. Not sure what type of lights you are using, but the camera has settings for the top ones (daylight, tungsten, 2 different flourescents) if your lights fall into one of those categories, try setting it to that ans see if you have better color balance. If none of them work out, read the manual about how to set a custom color balance (there are a lot of different methods to do this, so you really need your manual...) Then work on the exposure, and if your lighting stays relatively consistent, I would suggest going in full manual mode, and keeping with the tripod mode, set the aperture in the mid-high range (specs I found did not list the lowest aperture, just the highest of 3.4-5.6 depending on the zoom position) which is probably going to be a number such as 11, 16, 22, etc. Stick with 11 or higher, and if you have trouble keeping the pen in focus front to back, move higher still. Then figure your shutter speed based on that aperture. The camera is likely going to suggest a shutter speed, but that will likely give you too dark in image. Play with the shutter speed and get a feel for how far open from the meter reading you need to do to get the photo looking right. It will probably be telling you that the exposure is 1.5 to 2 stops overexposes, but this is fne.

And I'd still say to either move one or 2 of your lights more forward or add one or 2 ahead of the pen.


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## Scooley01 (Jan 12, 2011)

I figured out some more things playing with manual mode, but I'm not sure what they all do exactly.  

For starters, I figured out how to enable Macro mode.  Not sure exactly how this alters the photo, but supposedly is the correct setting for taking up close pictures like pens.

Secondly, I found the color settings...I can enhance R/G/B, or manually adjust individual colors, saturation, etc.

I can change how it determines brightness to some presets, which are "Evaluative" (Set brightness based on overall scene), "Center weighted avg." (set brightness based on center of scene), and "Spot" (Set brightness based on center frame area).

I forgot to mention that the one thing I changed for sure in manual mode is the white balance.  I took it off of Auto and put it on fluorescent, since the bulb I'm using (a single lamp) is a CFL bulb.  There is a manual white balance option, but I'm not sure how to use it.

At the bottom of the screen on Manual mode, there are two changeable settings, which I haven't figured out for sure what they are yet.  One is a number setting that ranges from 15" to 1/2000.  I believe this is the exposure time, because 15" makes it take 15 seconds to capture the photo.  The other one is displayed as F[Number], and ranges from F3.4 to F8.0.

ISO options are 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600.

I may be missing things...thats what I've found so far.


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## alphageek (Jan 12, 2011)

I was going to type out some answers, but try this first:  

Some reading that is pretty good:
http://www.digital-photography-scho...s-and-rules-all-new-camera-owners-should-know

The first couple articles should help alot with some understanding of the things your finding... This should explain it well, then come back and ask some more


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## randyrls (Jan 12, 2011)

Thanks for the link Dean!  I will have to read that.

Steven;  One thing to do is to find the manufacturer web site and download a PDF version of the User Manual.  It is invaluable and search-able!  You can blow up the size to where you can actually see things.  Most manuals these days are written on postage stamp size pages.:frown::frown:


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## wb7whi (Jan 13, 2011)

Scooley01 said:
			
		

> I took a few pictures on various settings, and moving my light source around, but I'm not 100% satisfied with any of the pics I've gotten so far.
> 
> Here's a few I took...some on manual, some on auto/easy.  What can I adjust to get a better image?



The camera is only half of the digital photography process. I suggest you pick up the latest version of photoshop elements. You can fix the color balance and exposure easily with just a beginners knowledge of the software.

Wayne


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## wjbowling (Jan 13, 2011)

There is a comprehensive tutorial on the home page that will help you get set-up.  I would recommend reviewing the .PDF file vs. trying to learn photography at this point.  The author did a great job for beginners and there is plenty of time to develop your photo skills.  Good luck.


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## MatthewZS (Jan 13, 2011)

Also, get some more light on the pen.  The more good light you can get on a subject the better.  The easiest is to carry it outside midday and use the sun, but failing that get a shop light or two on the scene to flood all sides of the pen in light.  This is very simplistic of course.  There are a million how to's on macro lighting.  Honestly if you plan on doing many pen photos at all (and I think we all do) you should either purchase a table top photo tent and some small lights (you can probably find a kit on amazon for 50 bucks for less) or find a DIY article and whip one up real quick.

http://www.amazon.com/Portable-Phot...JLD0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1294911778&sr=8-3


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## 76winger (Jan 13, 2011)

And here's a good article on a DIY light tent I stumbled across:

http://www.pbase.com/wlhuber/light_box_light_tent


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## le_skieur (Jan 15, 2011)

I have read all comments on this post, no ones have talkeld about the picture format. I am not a pro but one thing have change the look of my picture. I start taking them in RAW mode. It is so simple after to do white balance correction with your software.


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## toddlajoie (Jan 16, 2011)

I'm not sure his model of point&shoot camera offers a RAW shooting format...


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## SDB777 (Jan 16, 2011)

When photo'ing white backgrounds....always push exposure by at least two(something three) full stops.

Or you could just use my method and have a perfect photo everytime?







Scott (everytime.....yup) B


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## 76winger (Jan 16, 2011)

I did some fine tuning with my own setup this weekend. If it's of any help to you, check out my findings in this thread: http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=74186

Although I don't have anything specific for your camera, maybe the process I went through will get you pointed in the right direction for getting your own equipment fine tuned.


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## wb7whi (Jan 17, 2011)

SDB777 said:


> When photo'ing white backgrounds....always push exposure by at least two(something three) full stops.
> 
> Or you could just use my method and have a perfect photo everytime?
> 
> ...


 

HRD?


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