# Gearing Up



## Daniel (Jun 3, 2004)

Bare Bone requirements for Pen Photography.
I have taken it upon myself to prime this thread with this Post. But by know means is it intended to be a final word on anything. It is my hope that it will develop into a group comment on these various issue. I will add and delete information from this post as various conversation bring up altering information. I hope to see it be a living ever changing statement.

My Camera,
I purchased the FUJIFILM FINPIX S 5000 with taking pictures of pens specifically in mind. Although many of the capabilities are more than what is needed  I found that lower cost cameras did not include specific features needed. Such as through the lens viewfinder, Macro mode, Priority settings and others.
I paid about $360.00 for my camera and feel it was the best deal for my money at the time. With the speed at which digital cameras appear and disappear today this same camera may be found at a much lower cost.
The Camera
It is not necessary to have a large resolution camera for the purpose of getting pictures to post on the web. Most people set there computer monitors at 72 d.p.i 
The number of pixels (width and height) in an image defines its size, and the number of pixels in an inch defines the resolution of the image. For example, a 1 x 1 picture at 72 DPI contains 5,184 pixels. At 300 DPI, the same image contains 90,000 pixels.

My camera goes as high as 6 Mb. But the pictures I take for the internet are taken at 1 Mb. And pictures I think I may want to print at 3Mb.. I believe that with the 6 Mb capability of my camera I could take a photo of myself. Have it printed as a poster that would cover my bedroom door and not see allot of loss in quality of the image. Just a tad overkill I would say.
  Keep in mind that you will want to use your camera for family photos, Taking pictures of procedures in the shop. As well as many other things in short order.

Macro Mode. 
Most point and shoot cameras have a min distance from the subject at around three feet. And many even farther. By the time you take a picture of a pen from three feet. Crop it in your photo editor and blow it up so that it can be seen. Many funny things begin to happen to it. Unless you have a high resolution camera.
The ability to get close up pictures (that fill the view finder)of small objects, is known as Macro photography. This is not as simple as just getting closer to the subject. 

Other Modes
Besides Macro mode. I also looked for the ability to control Shutter speed, Aperture setting, exposure selection, bracketing, and focus, as well as Full Manual ability.
These will be called Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Exposure selection, Focus Mode and Manual Focus, and I donâ€™t know what for bracketing, when looking at cameras. Or something simular. These are some of the things that will need to be discussed in greater detail in other threads.

The ability to control these features will become more and more important as you become more fluent with your camera and the creative bug begins to bite. Getting that dim yellow light picture that still shows the grain in the wood of your pen while making it stand out in the photo like a neon billboard requires control of these elements.

Of the above exposure selection, and bracketing would not be critical features but they do help if your camera has them. I would not have bought a camera without them. But I also paid about $100.00 more than I probably would have had I selected a camera for only taking pictures of pens for the internet.


Flash
With my camera the onboard flash is fixed pointed straight at the subject. This not only is useless for taking pictures of pens. It does some pretty nasty stuff to family photos as well. Although convenient on board flash units are a handicap to any photography unless you can direct the flash at some angle other than straight at the subject. A defuser can be used to cover the flash but for Auto cameras this messes up the Auto exposure. Pictures come out dark.
One other feature that is needed when it comes to light is White Balance.
This allows the camera to Automatically adjust the colors for various light sources such as incandescent and Florescent.
Tripod mounting
Although the technique for holding a camera still while getting Macro shots is not all that difficult to master. I highly recommend that your camera be able to mount to a tripod. Your hands will be busy enough and you donâ€™t have to search around for where you last laid the $#%^@ thing. Not only that but it keeps the camera at a constant distance from the subject time and again. This is really nice when you go to edit the photos. 

Other Equipment
Light defusion
Unless you are willing to limit your photos to cloudy days outside on the picnic table. I would suggest investing (but not allot) in a light tent. This can be anything from your spouse holding a white cloth  between a lamp and the subject. Actually a couple of lamps so things are going to get a little testy that way since the two lights are on opposite sides of the subject. A lamp shade that you shoot down through the center of. To full blown strobes and umbrellas that will fill a studio much less your living room.
Whatever you decide to try the idea is to break up the light like a cloudy day does. See my outdoor comparison pictures for an example of this.
The idea is not low light. It is broken up light and lots of it. Going back to the studio with all of its mega watt strobes and umbrellas. If you think about it. When those lights all go off the effect is a very bright blinding light. It only lasts for an instant. But the amount of light poured onto the subject is huge. So why doesnâ€™t the photo come out all washed out. Because it was the right kind of light. And the camera was set up for the amount of it.

Backgrounds and other things.
A collection of various cloth, Leather, vinyl, pebble, driftwood, and you name it for use as backgrounds and props. Although grey and blue are the easiest colors fort he Auto camera to deal with. It doesnâ€™t take long to teach it a few tricks to deal with any colors you desire. Remember shinny stuff gives the camera fits and in this case will give them to you as well. The camera does not like light that goes straight away or straight at it. 
Remember this is not intended to be complete. But a primer for your own comments.
Thanks and Happy turning

Final list:
1Mb resolution
Macro capability
Priority settings for Shutter, Aperture, and full manual
Zoom lens preferable. Even if it is a small zoom.
Exposure selection.
White Balance
Bracketing ability (optional)
Tripod mountable


----------

