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shantell Oct 27, 2005

And I'm not talking your children...well maybe bear are your children..  :lol:

Helena...I noticed that you have incredible detail when photographing your little bears and I'm way impressed.  Kim...you do too...your little ones just speak out to you in the  pictures.  So...what's the secret? 

I definitely have figured out that my inexpensive digital is not going to work for this...although the camera shop guy said otherwise...I'm sure he was just trying to sell me a new camera at full price...HA.  What should I be looking for so that I can capture that sweetness of the weebies?  Is that word?

Shantell

Dilu Oct 27, 2005

Great question Shantell-we'll be sure to add this to the library after the experts weigh in.  Thank you for asking it, as I need a lot of help with photography too-and I have a very good digital.....so I don't even have that as an excuse  :D

Bumpkin Bears Oct 27, 2005

Hi Shantell, I always use the Macro setting for my tiddly bears in order to be able to get up close.... 

Catherine

Helena Oct 27, 2005

As Catherine pointed out, a macro setting is essential. It allows you to get that close-up detail. The flash is off and I take my photos in a well lit place (we have a small conservatory where we get the most light). Today was a little dull, so I also used my daylight lamp, but that's just an optional extra. Until recently my camera was a 5-year-old 2.3MP digital Fuji model, and it took great photos on macro - so you don't need the highest resolution cameras, just a good macro setting (in my experience).

I know some artist's use light boxes but I've never tried one of those. I think they diffuse the light that is shining on them, is that right?

(PS Thanks for your kind comments, Shantell  :redface:)

clare14 Oct 27, 2005

Aww Helena, thickie here, what do you mean by macro, my camera's covered in little pictures, there's a portrait one, a snowman, a sunshine one, a camera (for video, about the only one I know....) what would my macro look like, don't ask me to find my instructions, they'll be lost 2 house moves ago!!!   Guess I could surf the net in an emergency...

ANYWAY, I've been to my art shop this morning and bought a LOAD of mounting board and been playing about with photo's this afternoon......

Look..
Photo before.....

and after....

Much improved if you ask me....

Still not perfect, very dull 'again' here today, but much better I think.....

shantell Oct 27, 2005

Wow Clare they it looks great...now can I be stupid and ask what is mounting board...is that like what we call construction paper or poster board.  This language stuff can make things so confusing for me.   :angel:

Shantell

Helena Oct 28, 2005

Shantell, I think it's the same thing or very similar. The bendy cardboard you get from art supply or craft shops, and it comes in all kinds of colours?

Clare, your photos are fantastic! and yes, I think the background in the second one does improve the photo very much...it seems to bounce more light back and also keeps your eye on the bear (who is looking truly handsome, by the way!). As for macro mode, I guess is depends on the camera as to what symbol is used. On mine the symbol looks like a flower (fuji camera). Do you still have your camera instructions? Or maybe you can look it up on the web? Here's a link that describes macro in general, which may help: http://www.snapjunky.com/digicam-advanc … mode.shtml

clare14 Oct 28, 2005

Sorry Shantell, it's funny how we have different words for the same things!   By mounting board I mean the card you use for going around the picture, inside the picture frame? Clear as mud!??  :doh:  :love:

Helena, I do have a flower on my camera - oooh something else to play with this weekend  :dance:, I've got 2 miniatures to photo!!  Thank you!!   

WildThyme Oct 28, 2005

My macro setting is a flower symbol as well.. Kodak camera here.  My photo tend to turn out the wrong color.... too orange.  I know that I can play with my white balance, but have not figured out yet which way I am supposed to go! Most of my photos turn out pretty horrible if you ask me.  Every so often I get a really cute and well focused one.  Maybe my New Years resolution should be to REALLY figure out the whole photography thing... It really is so important.  I LOVE Helena's pictures of her wee ones.... so crisp and clear!

Beary truly yours,
Kim Basta

Helena Oct 28, 2005

Oooh, I just thought of another tip that might be useful.....I found I was taking lots of fuzzy photos in macro mode until I realized the trick was to focus on the face (by depressing the button halfway), then move the camera slightly to frame the bear and depress the button fully to take the photo. Will your cameras do that? Autofocus with the button only halfway depressed, and allow movement of the camera while holding the button this far down?

Kim, I also have some problems with colour balance - my previous camera would always turn out too red, ack. This new camera is better and allows manual & automatic colour balance, but I still get photos that are 'off'.

kbonsall Oct 28, 2005

my camera has mutiple white balances for, sunlight, florescent, tungsten, night time, normal, cloudy and i think there is another one...

WildThyme Oct 28, 2005

Yeah... my camera doesn't call them tungsten, etc.... it just has numbers that you can adjust one oway or another.... I bet that it says in the manual.... but I just have so little patience for technological gizmos!  It's terrible of me, I know.  I really should try to give my bears the attention they need photography wise... it's a bit lazy and sloppy of me.     I just get so anxious to get on with making another bear, that I tend to not spend enough time doing the things that are less fun for me ( like photography and auction descriptions!!!!)   :P

Beary truly yours,
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals

kbonsall Oct 28, 2005

I am the same way, Kim!

shantell Oct 28, 2005

That's it...I need a new camera which I already knew...but when I bought this one I didn't think I'd need anything fancy...just wanted a nice little camera for everyday stuff...it has great reviews and was about $100.  I had a fancy digital that I shared with the ex...but he took custody of that and I kept my beloved 35mm which I never learned to use properly.  I'm like you Kim...techo stuff drives me nuts sometimes :

Amanda Oct 30, 2005

I have just found something out about macro on my camera. I have a canon powershot a75. I always had the macro on (the flower) and thats all it said in the manual. I never shoot on the auto function as I like to set white balance etc. By mistake I pressed the macro button twice and I found I can set the macro distance! Straight away you can see the difference. Its loads better, I just use a sliding scale for how far the camera is away. I went back to my manual and there is nothing there about setting distances. I am a monkey for not reading manuals but I can't miss what they have not included.

Jellybelly Bears Oct 30, 2005

I use macro for littlies too.  Or zoom in close.  I love using a light tent too.  Other than that, I think using the settings and learning about your camera is the way to go.  I always click mine to incandescent and it works really well. Sometimes, I've found that a faint flash works well with the light tent, esp when the bear is light in colour.  Other things are photo programs like photo shop.  They can really enhance a photo by changing levels, or brightness etc   Does anyone use a tripod?  I use a stack of books  :P
Hugs Sarah