Trying to up my photo quality

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Fred Bruche said:
These numbers will depend on your camera capabilities/settings (such as ISO) and the lens you are using. Ken mentioned the light intensity was low. So ballpark he was probably using something like f8 or f11 for 1/25 to 1/40 seconds exposure.
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@Fred Bruche

Yes, I know it depends on ISO (or, as I would say old-fashionedly, ASA), but I was thinking the f-number would have to be up around f11 to get the depth of field we see in the photo. . And of course, the higher the f-number the greater the exposure time, and for exposures of what you suggest, a tripod mount would be mandatory.

I have never really taken pen photography too seriously and like to take my pics hand-held ..... which of course is incompatible with quality.

I can see that it has gotten to the point in our contests that outstanding pics are a necessity.
It seems to me that a decent DSLR is now required, not just an iPad photo or a cell-phone photo.
I do have a good, fairly new DSLR with macro lens.
I used to do a lot of nature photography, years ago. . But with pens, you need to transition to artificial lighting and macro techniques which make things a lot different. . For quick documentary posts, finesse is not important, but for the contests it now is.
 
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magpens said:
@KenB259

My mistake (I was looking at the photo re-shown by "howsitwork" and thought it was a new one from you, Ken) ...... I am easily confused !!! :(:oops::rolleyes:
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I would love to put a cat among the pidgeons I have been a photographer for 60 yrs,penturner near 40 yrs ,don,t profess any superior knowledge. My system I have set up in the corner of my dining room,consists of a conduit frame,it is open ,on either side I fitted an LED work lamp think hardware store fitted a cardboard snoot or surround to prevent any reflections from the lights to the camera. One light set a little to the back,the other a little to the front of the pen,fixed I never touch them. On top sitting on the frame (not glued frame simply pushed together 20 minutes) I use an 8watt I call kikker strip fluro daylight corrected to give a thin strip of light on the pen. My background still using the one ream for thirty years 11 by 14 inch copy paper held at the top with tape to the frame to give an endless background. I sat this on a free four drawer cabinet,built a cross arm up from that,using 1/4 inch threaded rod a means of holding the camera to tilt down to the pen,never vary this only a pain in the bum the camera card is under the camera itself. Takes me about 5 to ten minutes from take to showing on forums 24/7. I must have bored thousands with my set up but the pen is king pics are clear and I personally like to lay the pen supported from the right on a piece of burl(whatever) lets the light form the shape. KISS principle Keep It Simple Stupid (thats for me).I will back my pen pics anywhere any time rarely had feedback even with detailed pics.Choose your way but make it repeatable.As an apprentice sparky my boss said first learn the rules then use them the best way for you after,this in the 1950,s,yes you can teach an old dog tricks. Every now and again I go arty,like riding the motor bike without an exhaust let it all out.

Kind regards Peter. Have fun I do.
 
@PenPal

Thanks for describing your setup, Peter. . I intend to "study" your description. . May comment or question later. . THANKS AGAIN !! :D :D :D
 
So, all these later replies make me think we need a thread to show our photo setups. Maybe there is one already. I'll have to search. Mine is pretty crude and I use my phone as a camera. Truthfully, I like the pics from my last phone (Samsung Galaxy Note 9) better than the new Note 20. There's a learning curve on this one I have not mastered yet. Not the best option, and I'm hoping to upgrade to a DSLR at some point, but I'm still a beginner at both making pens and taking pics of them. People are buying my pens, which I'm still pretty tickled about, so they can't be too bad.

I do know a bit about photography from my 35mm SLR days. Lighting is the most important factor which, of course, is influenced by other elements in the field of view, most certainly the background. After all, a camera lens is designed to gather light and transfer it to a medium where that one fleeting moment in time is preserved.
 
sorcerertd said:
So, all these later replies make me think we need a thread to show our photo setups.
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sorcerertd said:
People are buying my pens, which I'm still pretty tickled about, so they can't be too bad.
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@sorcerertd

Good idea, Todd !!! .....

And a second suggestion ..... about how newbies break onto the pen-selling scene .... how they sell, and, of course, what they sell.
Seems that you have been successful at selling.

Always lots to learn !!
 
Ken,

Your photos are indeed getting better. I think that the addition of the diffusion cloth over the LEDs has definitely improved things. If you hang a piece of white paper (or other white reflective surface) over the front of your tent and cut a hole in it just large enough to shoot through, that should (mostly) fix the dark stripe running down the front of your pen hardware.

Are you aware that when shooting in RAW mode, the camera does not use the white balance setting? It includes that information in the file but white balance is actually done in post-processing.

Regards,
Eric
 
Sylvanite said:
Ken,

Your photos are indeed getting better. I think that the addition of the diffusion cloth over the LEDs has definitely improved things. If you hang a piece of white paper (or other white reflective surface) over the front of your tent and cut a hole in it just large enough to shoot through, that should (mostly) fix the dark stripe running down the front of your pen hardware.

Are you aware that when shooting in RAW mode, the camera does not use the white balance setting? It includes that information in the file but white balance is actually done in post-processing.

Regards,
Eric
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Thanks Eric, I did not know that RAW mode didn't use the white balance setting. I think I'll try a few in regular jpeg mode. Thanks for your help.


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app
 
@Sylvanite

Hi Eric, .... THANK YOU for your attempts to help US with our pen photography.

I don't understand the "white balance" info, in relation to the differences between JPEG and RAW modes. .
I'll try some general Google searching for clarification on the concept of white balance.

Mal
 
magpens said:
@Sylvanite

I don't understand the "white balance" info, in relation to the differences between JPEG and RAW modes. .
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Mal,

Before saving a photo in JPEG format, the camera processes the image in multiple ways, including:
  • Applying white balance,
  • Adjusting contrast and saturation,
  • Sharpening,
  • Reducing color depth, and
  • Compressing.
Each of these steps has the potential to lose image data - some more than others. The JPEG format is ready to display, but if you want to do any image editing yourself, you are starting out with a degraded source.

RAW mode saves the image straight off the sensor without any further processing. The format is camera-specific and not suitable for display, but preserves all the original detail for editing.

If you want a photo in ready-to-use format, then shoot in JPEG mode. If you intend to post-process the image, and feel you can do a better job than the camera does, then shoot in RAW mode.

Take a look at "What is 'RAW' Mode?" and "Photography Basics - White Balance" for more information.

I hope that helps,
Eric
 
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Eric,

Many thanks for all that and the useful references. Once I have some time I shall do some investigating and try some sets up out. I have now got a light tent to reduce background distractions .
 
@Sylvanite

Thanks for that, Eric. . It is useful to know that RAW mode is camera-specific.

So, perhaps that means that you need software specific to your camera in order to process the RAW data. . Would that be right ?

I'll have to do some reading.

You see, I learned about photography back in the 60's well before things went digital and became quite familiar with it.
But I got rebellious with the advent of digital ... I figured it was just a passing phase and I needn't bother learning about it !! . . o_O
 
magpens said:
@Sylvanite
So, perhaps that means that you need software specific to your camera in order to process the RAW data. . Would that be right ?
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Not every camera has a different RAW format, but each manufacturer has at least one - usually more. Digital cameras that support RAW mode typically come with software to do some editing and convert from RAW to JPEG. Adobe frequently updates Lightroom and Photoshop to support new cameras' RAW modes. Major manufacturers typically also have CODECs available for download that allow 3rd party programs to interpret their RAW files. The last time I bought a new camera body, I had to download a CODEC so that Windows Explorer could create thumbnails, and so that my favorite photo viewer could display the RAW images.
 
Not everything in good Picts is about the equipment, I have seen and observed a lot of common sense and uncommon sense in this thread. Common sense - taking the time to observe how and which few minor changes can greatly improve the results.
 
@KenB259
I think your pens are very nice looking, I don't mean to get off topic here, but in your original post, pic 3 & 4 kits really caught my eye! I'm still trying out different ones? Those are kinda what I'm looking for. Thank you for your time!
Jolie
 
Jolie77 said:
@KenB259
I think your pens are very nice looking, I don't mean to get off topic here, but in your original post, pic 3 & 4 kits really caught my eye! I'm still trying out different ones? Those are kinda what I'm looking for. Thank you for your time!
Jolie
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Jolie, those are the Knurl G T and the nouveau sceptre. The Knurl GT is one of my favorites, especially for segmenting.


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app
 
A, now, aging thread, but just wanted to say the pens are fantastic and that that would not be noticed if the photos weren't top notch, too.

It's already been pointed out that photography is about the light, and one of the internet's grandest resources for learning how to use light is The Strobist's blog. The writer is a professional photographer and his writing is also professional grade. A good start might be to check out his archives from 15 years ago, but he also offers paid online courses.
 
Ken, I feel your pain (but I think your photos are much better than most I have taken.) I did read somewhere that the dim band across the photo is due to the LEDs flickering at household frequency - Your eye can't detect it, but your camera lense can. Apparently one remedy is to adjust your shutter speed to be a multiple of the Hz. Example: 120HZ, use a shutter speed of 360. Something like that. I don't know exactly.

I have seen other guys here take photos on an open bench, with overhead lights, and the photos come out perfect. This is my next challenge to overcome, because it really frustrates me, and I believe it is something I should be able to overcome.

Kevin
 
KMCloonan said:
Ken, I feel your pain (but I think your photos are much better than most I have taken.) I did read somewhere that the dim band across the photo is due to the LEDs flickering at household frequency - Your eye can't detect it, but your camera lense can. Apparently one remedy is to adjust your shutter speed to be a multiple of the Hz. Example: 120HZ, use a shutter speed of 360. Something like that. I don't know exactly.

I have seen other guys here take photos on an open bench, with overhead lights, and the photos come out perfect. This is my next challenge to overcome, because it really frustrates me, and I believe it is something I should be able to overcome.

Kevin
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I think I have it down pretty well for my uses.
 
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