# taking pics with white background



## jdmyers4

I've tried taking some pictures of my pens on a white background in natural lighting, and the results have been less that satisfactory.

I'm thinking I'll get my tent out and try it with that.  I was wondering, what setings work best on the camera for taking pictures with a white background?  I use a Nikon D2H with tripod.


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## jdmyers4

I think I'll read the IAP article on pen photography and give those suggestions a try.  I'll post some results for review.  I have a lot to learn.


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## randyrls

> _Originally posted by jdmyers4_
> 
> I've tried taking some pictures of my pens on a white background in natural lighting, and the results have been less that satisfactory.
> 
> I'm thinking I'll get my tent out and try it with that.  I was wondering, what setings work best on the camera for taking pictures with a white background?  I use a Nikon D2H with tripod.



I went out and looked at the camera.  NICE!

What kind of improvements are you looking for?

The manual for your camera should be your best friend.  You want to carefully read the sections on "White Balance", "Macro mode", "Manual focus" (if any), and "Aperture Priority".

The nice thing about digital cameras is that you can take several photos under different settings and immediately put them into the computer and see how they came out.  Write down the settings as you go and you will soon have a list of the settings needed.

A light tent is a good idea for the best photos. Turn the camera flash off.

The settings for my Canon Pro-1 are: Mode=Av(aperture priority), Macro Mode=on, Flash=off, Exposure control=+2,  White Balance=Custom1,  Super Macro Mode=on for close-ups. 


Hope this helps...


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## gerryr

The Nikon D2H does not have a macro mode, that is something that only exists on point & shoot cameras.  The D2H is a DSLR and the close focusing distance is determined by the lens attached to it.  Even if the D2H had a "flower" button it would not change the close focusing distance, it would only tell the lens to stop down to a small aperture for maximum depth of field.


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## wizical

Macro Mode does exist on some DSLR", but in most cases you need to get a macro lens to get in close enough to get what you want.


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## gerryr

What DSLR has a macro mode that doesn't require the use a true macro lens?


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## jdmyers4

I'm using a good macro lens - a Nikon 60mm f/2.8.  I think my problem is getting the white balance and the LIGHTING down.  The D2H Auto white balance does a pretty good job, but I would like to try setting the white balance using a gray card.

There's just a lot to learn.  And boy, photography is a LOT of work!  Getting set up, adjusting the lighting, trying new settings, etc.  It's very interesting, but there's a lot to learn.  Which is what I'm trying to do now.  Experiment and get educated in the subject.


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## gketell

Part of the problem is the contrast.  Unless you have a nearly white pen, when you get the lighting correct for the pen the white will be glaring.  

But, if you want to have that look, get a grey card from your local photography house or on-line, meter off the grey card, set your camera on manual at those settings and replace the grey card with your pen.  You are guaranteed to have the proper lighting for the pen and the white will fall where it will.

Good luck.
GK


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## gketell

OK, I felt like playing.  Here is two pens each taken with three backgrounds: white photo copy paper, "neutral" grey, black construction paper.  I started by setting the camera for custom white balance based on the grey card and manually configured it to be proper for the grey card.  Each photo is taken with exactly the same settings: ASA200, F20, 1/8 second, with the lens zoomed to 70.  






























The lighting is exactly the same but the pens look different as you eyes battle the different backgrounds.  (and there is probably a little difference from reflected light but it shouldn't be much.)

GK


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## gerryr

I use a white plexiglass background for virtually all my pen photos.  I think it's a matter getting used to dealing with it and remembering the settings.


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## gerryr

> _Originally posted by wizical_
> 
> Macro Mode does exist on some DSLR", but in most cases you need to get a macro lens to get in close enough to get what you want.



I'm still waiting for an answer to my question about who makes a DSLR with macro mode that does not require a true macro lens.


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## VisExp

Thanks for posting those shots Gerry.  It is interesting to see how changing the background can change the image so much.


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## gketell

I guess we've become interchangeable, Gerry.  Think our wives will know? 

GK


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## VisExp

> _Originally posted by gketell_
> 
> I guess we've become interchangeable, Gerry.  Think our wives will know?
> 
> GK



Oooops [:I] [:I] My apologies *Greg*, got mixed up between the posts.


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## ahoiberg

> _Originally posted by gerryr_
> 
> I use a white plexiglass background for virtually all my pen photos.  I think it's a matter getting used to dealing with it and remembering the settings.



gerry, is that a clear sheet of plexi with a white paper of some sort beneath it or actual white plexi?


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## gerryr

It is actually white plexiglass.


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## gerryr

> _Originally posted by gketell_
> 
> I guess we've become interchangeable, Gerry.  Think our wives will know?
> 
> GK


I'm betting they might.[}]


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## wizical

my old pentax 1ST DL DSLR had a built in macro mode, and it worked pretty well, I just moved up to a Pentax K10D with a macro lens, and Loving it.


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## gerryr

So, you could put any Pentax lens that would fit on it and it would magically be capable of macro focusing?  I doubt it!


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## wizical

Gerryr, 

instead of fighting the situation, just take in the face that you dont know everything about cameras, live and learn


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## jdmyers4

Keven, 

what does your macro mode on your Pentax K10D allow you to do?  You mean, take close ups with a non-macro lens?  Now that would be a cool feature to have on a DSLR camera.  I certainly don't have it on my Nikon.


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## wizical

hey John,

The K10D I have does not have a macro mode, my old pentax 1st DL did.  They do not make that camera anymore, i believe it was replaced by K100D super and K200D, which has a built-in Macro Modes.  You probably would want to do some more research on this yourself and figure out what suites you best.  taking pictures is no easy task, but you are on the right track.  good luck John


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## gerryr

IF that Pentax camera was capable of altering the close focusing distance of any lens attached to it, it would have been a revolution in photography.  I've read 4 reviews as well as the manual and none of them mention this ability at all.  I stand by my original statement that no DSLR has a true macro function because no camera body is capable of altering the optical properties of whatever lens happens to be attached.


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## wizical

I never said that it would change the lense itself, I said that it gives you macro capability, like changing the specs of the camera to shoot macro, maybe even letting you get closer so it can focus better.  understand that maybe nikon doesnt do it, Pentax can.  Not all cameras are made equal.


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## gerryr

What you donâ€™t seem to understand is that the minimum focusing distance and the magnification rate are both independent of the camera body, they are part of the design of the lens, just like the maximum aperture is part of the lens design.  SLR and DSLR bodies cannot alter any of those.  In order to increase magnification beyond about 1:10, which almost all lenses will do, into the macro range up to 1:1, the lens has to be physically â€œmovedâ€ away from the sensor or film plane.  Macro lenses do this internally by design and extension tubes accomplish the same thing by literally moving the entire lens further from the sensor or film plane.  Point and shoot cameras can also do it because the lens is fixed in place and cannot be removed, so the camera can control the position of the lens elements.  All of this disregards the use of diopters like the Canon 250D/500D or reversing a lens.

I went to a Pentax user forum and posted this question:  â€œI read on a non-photography forum that this camera(*Ist DL) has a built-in macro mode that doesn't require a macro lens. Is this true?â€  The answer I got back was â€œNo, that's not true. The camera has a macro mode but that just automatically adjusts shutter speed and aperture more fitting for macro. You still need a macro lens (or extension tubes).â€  It does exactly the same thing my Nikon D40 would do if I switched it to â€œmacro.â€  That is not to say that it wasnâ€™t adequate for whatever you were doing, it just means that it does not provide true macro capability without a macro lens.


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## wizical

What you dont seem to understand is that I never said " You dont need a Macro Lense" You kinda took what you wanted to hear and went looking to pick a fight.  You sat on your computer waiting for me to respond back to your posting.  Kinda tells me that you dont really do anything else besides this.  I apologize to JDmyers4, i was trying to be helpful and give what i thought was helpful advice, but I guess not according to him.  good luck and can't wait to see some new work


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## Daniel

great example of getting a picture of your subject (the pen) as gerry points out set teh exposure (settings) for your subject the pen. notice how much the back ground suffers because of this. imagine if had wanted some white roses int he back ground. it would have been very difficult to get a picture that showed both the pen and the roses well. in this photo the back gtound was obviously not given much consideration at all. the focus set up and intention was to get a good photo of the pen. 



> _Originally posted by gerryr_
> 
> I use a white plexiglass background for virtually all my pen photos.  I think it's a matter getting used to dealing with it and remembering the settings.


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## Daniel

fujifilm S5000 fixed lens DSLR. On the other hand it does not hold a candle to my Canon with a 70-210 macro zoom lens. the truth here is that the quality of your eqipment will make all the difference in picture quality. I've often thought about just using my canon 35 mm to get pen photos. they would be far better and much easier for me to take.



> _Originally posted by gerryr_
> 
> What DSLR has a macro mode that doesn't require the use a true macro lens?


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