Goofy looking Picture

[Tanner]

The cap on this picture looks too big. I used a macro lens. What did I do wrong?

 

[gketell]

It is closer to the camera than the pen is. Ever see those movies where someone shrinks to tiny proportions? Or grows huge? It is all perspective. The closer something is to you the bigger it looks.

To have it look right just scoot it back to just under the main body.

GK

 

[Tanner]

Second Picture. Thanks, it does look better!

<br />

 

[Malainse]

Yep, the old how to make a fish look bigger in a photo trick. Hold it away from your body, thus closer to the camera..

Not that I would do something like that...[)]

 

[estral]

Where did you get that pen stand? I am in Portland, OR and cannot fine one anywhere or online. Please help.

To answer your question, I suspect your problem is perspective. That is the angle of the camera sensor, I used to say film plane, to the object you are photographing.

Envision a tall building, if you shoot a photograph from the base of the building the top appears smaller than the bottom. The same is true if you shoot from top down.

Try getting the lens parallel (I don't know how to spell) to the pen cap and see what happens. Also, preview your picture while moving the camera around, you can see the different effects that occur.

You could actually fix this in Photoshop, but as an accomplished pro taught me, get the best picture you can into the camera and then fine tune the end product.

If you have a digital SLR, look into a grid focusing screen, this will allow you to check alignments while shooting. I believe some Nikon digital SLRs have this feature built in to the camera and you must switch it on from a menu.

This is a common problem in product photography, that is why many pros are still using view cameras and tilt and shift lenses that can change the lens angle to the film and product without moving the camera.

FWIW

 

[Tanner]

Thanks for the tips guys. I am just learning how to use this camera. It's a Sony DSC-H5. Eric, I picked up the stand here http://www.usadisplay.net/pen.htm, it is this one (ONLY $14.95 each - Model PN-STND). As you can see by the picture, I cut away an inch or so from the top and took my Dremel and made a rounded area for the pens to lay in. I wanted my pens to sit at a 45 degree angle.

 

[toolcrazy]

Originally posted by Tanner
<br />Thanks for the tips guys. I am just learning how to use this camera. It's a Sony DSC-H5. Eric, I picked up the stand here http://www.usadisplay.net/pen.htm, it is this one (ONLY $14.95 each - Model PN-STND). As you can see by the picture, I cut away an inch or so from the top and took my Dremel and made a rounded area for the pens to lay in. I wanted my pens to sit at a 45 degree angle.

Ouch, 15 bucks each is way out of perspective. There is a member that sells single pen stands to IAP members for 2.50 to 5.00 each. As soon as I can find my email, I'll let you know who.

 

[Alexander]

Tool crazy, yeah please post who sells those for 2.50. I need to pick up a couple myself. Thanks..

 

[gketell]

Go to your local Tap plastics. They sell scrap pieces of acylic for $0.99. Use your bandsaw or tablesaw to cut it, sand the edges to a polish (we know how to do that since we polish our pens), then heat (torch, heat gun, hot wire, etc) and bend. TaDa.

 

[DCBluesman]

I have single acrylic pen stands for $2.50 each plus shipping. Email me if you are interested. FYI, I sell them to customers for $5 each.