# I need brighter lights



## Rmartin (Nov 9, 2010)

I've been taking a lot of test photos trying to learn my camera functions. This one I took today using a light tent I built yesterday. The image has been resized, but NO photoshopping at all. Not bad, huh?

The problem is, this was taken with the exposure set at +2, the highest my Canon will go. I should be able to get this as a midrange and be able to wash out the image at +2, don't ya think?

I'm using 3 6500 CFLs filtered by the light tent. One on top and one on each side. I think I need to add one more at the front, but need to cover it like the sides and top are. Should I switch to a different, brighter light? Like a halogen? They put off a lot of heat though don't they? Any suggestions, good and bad, are more than welcome


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## mredburn (Nov 9, 2010)

what are the rest of the settings at on your camera. ISO, F stop, what kind of lens are you using?

Edit in. ALso what setting are you using appeture, P (for perfect of course) or ?


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## alphageek (Nov 9, 2010)

Excellent picture.. You should be able to take your settings, switch to manual and "push" things by just changing the exposure time as well... Thus you can bump way more than just +2.


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## toddlajoie (Nov 9, 2010)

If you have a tripod, there is no need for MORE light. Increased light volume is going to give you shorter shutter speeds and or higher apertures at the proper exposure. The +2 on your camera is just tricking the exposure based on your image scene, and since you have a white background and a bunch of shinny highlights, your camera is going to want to underexpose by it's nature. The +2 is just your way of tricking it back into the proper exposure.

I'll agree that you need some more light on the front of your pen, but you may be able to get that without another light. Moving your pen deeper into your tent will bring the light more to the front of your pen, but if you can't do that because you may want to stay well ahead of your background, then a piece of white (paper, pillow case, t-shirt) draped over part of the front of your tent will help bounce some light back in. Need more, try a piece of aluminum flashing or other sheet metal or spray adhesive some tin foil to cardboard and make little reflectors to bounce some light back into the pen...


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## Rmartin (Nov 9, 2010)

mredburn said:


> what are the rest of the settings at on your camera. ISO, F stop, what kind of lens are you using?
> 
> Edit in. ALso what setting are you using appeture, P (for perfect of course) or ?


 
OK, see this is a problem. I'm just learning to use a camera beyond a point and click. I don't understand the questions you are asking. Are these settings embedded into the picture? I've looked in the summery of the picture and here are the settings you asked for. Not sure how to copy and paste all.

ISO-800
F stop F/11
Focal lenght 28mm
Shutter speed 1/250 sec
Expossure compensation +2
Mettering mode- pattern
Flash mode- no flash

not sure what this is:  appeture, P


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## alphageek (Nov 9, 2010)

Rmartin said:


> mredburn said:
> 
> 
> > what are the rest of the settings at on your camera. ISO, F stop, what kind of lens are you using?
> ...



Yep.. your Fstop is the aperature...
You may need your manual on how to change these, but based on those notes, if you go into manual mode..

Set your iso to 800, your fstop to f/11, your shutter speed to 1/250 and compensation to +2 you should see the exact same picture..

Now changing any one of those settings should bump things better.   For example, you can get right of the compensation by slowing down the shutter speed by 2 steps (from 1/250 to 1/125 is one step, and to 1/60 is another)..

Then you can switch things around to get more... slow the shutter more to get more light, speed it up to get less.   

I also suggest lowering your iso... 800 is too high.. lower is better for pictures like this.


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## toddlajoie (Nov 9, 2010)

Aperture is your F Stop, and 11 is a good ballpark. Is this an SLR type digital camera or a point and shoot? 800 is a little high if an ISO (tho newer cameras are doing a great job in this range, if your camera's design is more than 2 or 3 years old, I would stay well below this, I'd probably still stay below it if it can be helped. 200 or lower ideally....) Your 250th of a second shutter speed is nice and fast, no need for a tripod, but if you want to drop your ISO down to 200, your shutter speed will drop with it to around a 1/60, which is still pretty easy to get a decent shot hand-held, so you seem to have plenty of light if you're getting an exposure of 1/60 at f-11 with an ISO of 200.

Can you set your ISO or is it set to "Auto" (the auto setting is going to pick one based on the brightness of the scene, and if you have it in any priority mode, like landscape or sports. They will often favor a high ISO to keep a high shutter speed and aperture (landscape) or a low aperture to keep a high shutter speed (sports). If you have full manual exposure controls, hit that up with the settings above (ISO 200, f11, 1/60th of a second) and play around from there. If you have a tripod, drop your shutter down to 1/30 or 1/15 and see if that helps, if not, drop your aperture down to f8 or f5.6 and see how that looks. The "f" change may give you depth of field issues (front and or back of the image out of focus) but you'll still get the idea if your lighting is working, and then you can decide if you want to get a tripod, brighter lights, or mickey-mouse a camera stand together (you can do a lot with a sandbag, or some scrap wood and a 1/4-20 bolt...):wink:


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## Rmartin (Nov 9, 2010)

alphageek said:


> Rmartin said:
> 
> 
> > mredburn said:
> ...


 
Thanks for your help. I'll work on those changes tomorrow.

BTW... The lens I'm using is a EFS 18-55mm

I also have a 75-300. Should I get off my wallet to look for a macro lens?


Oh, and I was in 'P' on the dial.


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## alphageek (Nov 9, 2010)

Rmartin said:


> Thanks for your help. I'll work on those changes tomorrow.
> 
> BTW... The lense I'm using is a EFS 18-55mm
> 
> ...



Personally, I would recommend you continue to learn with what you have.  A macro lens is significant $$ and I'm no expert, but I think more practice at this will help more than a new lens.  It would have the same learning curve for settings that this will...

That being said, I'm drooling over a macro lens, but I'm not getting one any time soon!


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## Rmartin (Nov 9, 2010)

toddlajoie said:


> Aperture is your F Stop, and 11 is a good ballpark. Is this an SLR type digital camera or a point and shoot? 800 is a little high if an ISO (tho newer cameras are doing a great job in this range, if your camera's design is more than 2 or 3 years old, I would stay well below this, I'd probably still stay below it if it can be helped. 200 or lower ideally....) Your 250th of a second shutter speed is nice and fast, no need for a tripod, but if you want to drop your ISO down to 200, your shutter speed will drop with it to around a 1/60, which is still pretty easy to get a decent shot hand-held, so you seem to have plenty of light if you're getting an exposure of 1/60 at f-11 with an ISO of 200.
> 
> Can you set your ISO or is it set to "Auto" (the auto setting is going to pick one based on the brightness of the scene, and if you have it in any priority mode, like landscape or sports. They will often favor a high ISO to keep a high shutter speed and aperture (landscape) or a low aperture to keep a high shutter speed (sports). If you have full manual exposure controls, hit that up with the settings above (ISO 200, f11, 1/60th of a second) and play around from there. If you have a tripod, drop your shutter down to 1/30 or 1/15 and see if that helps, if not, drop your aperture down to f8 or f5.6 and see how that looks. The "f" change may give you depth of field issues (front and or back of the image out of focus) but you'll still get the idea if your lighting is working, and then you can decide if you want to get a tripod, brighter lights, or mickey-mouse a camera stand together (you can do a lot with a sandbag, or some scrap wood and a 1/4-20 bolt...):wink:


 
Thanks for your help!

I did try moving the pen back and the light all the way to the front, but it didn't really have any effect. I will try getting the light to bend as you suggest.

The camera I'm using is a Canon EOS 300D. Called the Kiss in Japan I believe. I bought it used here on the IAP.


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## ctubbs (Nov 9, 2010)

Richard,
Place a white cardboard below the camera and off to camera left to reflect light toward the bottom of the pen.  That will reduce the shadow below the pen.  You have plenty of light right now, it just needs to be slightly redirected.  the above advice is good.
Charles


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## themartaman (Nov 19, 2010)

I use a 1/4 inch thick piece of plexiglass. Use 3m adhesive putty from officedepot to hold pen, Raise plexi up 6 or 8 inches at back. No shadows.


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