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July Photography Challenge


Ashanali
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Oh man I already want to pull my hair out!

Can I ask if there is something glaringly obvious im doing wrong?!

Firstly my fruit bowl looks like its in a dark room and someone is shining a very bright torch onto it!!!

Heres what im doing -

Completely dark room

Tripod with camera in focus on manual setting.

ISO - 400 SS - 5 secs

I turn the light off and shine my torch on the fruit. Camera set on timer.

Press shutter whilst shining torch on fruit.

I feel like the light from the torch takes up the whole bowl of fruit so there is no need to 'paint'

The result is terrible! Its super bright.

What am I missing?? Can someone help the newbie??!!

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Oh man I already want to pull my hair out!

Can I ask if there is something glaringly obvious im doing wrong?!

Firstly my fruit bowl looks like its in a dark room and someone is shining a very bright torch onto it!!!

Heres what im doing -

Completely dark room

Tripod with camera in focus on manual setting.

ISO - 400 SS - 5 secs

I turn the light off and shine my torch on the fruit. Camera set on timer.

Press shutter whilst shining torch on fruit.

I feel like the light from the torch takes up the whole bowl of fruit so there is no need to 'paint'

The result is terrible! Its super bright.

What am I missing?? Can someone help the newbie??!!

Hi I had the same sort of thing and I did a bit of experimenting, I found if you graduly kind of flow the light over the subject and kind of avoid the brightest part of the light you get a more subtle result. Also and Im not sure if this is the right thing to do, I used the focus on auto i lit the subject to focus then I turned the torch off but still held the focus so once the shutter went off I turned the torch back on and slowly put 5 seconds worth of light over the pup. Hope this makes sense. May be try putting your iso down to 200?? Hope this helps others may have better advice??

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Try getting 2 active parrots to stay still while you turn out the light and paint them with a small torch. They freaked out bit and moved around so I only took 2 shots as I don't like to upset their precious little selves. I have 2 parrots, not 3.

painting.jpg

I'll try it out on the dog next time, she will at least stay still.

Edited by Ripley
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Huga - I think I need to get my old pentax back from Blab and send it your way so you can play around and have some fun. :rofl: I like your morning shot of Lola.

Oh yes!! The rear lens cap is in at PC - I just haven't had time to go pick it up. I shall deliver it all to you in the next week or so.

I always assumed that Huga had a DSLR!! :laugh: Her photos are so good!

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Oooh that sounds like it would look great, Shell!! I had originally done the lighting from the front, but then wondered what it would look like if I back lit it... It was great fun!

I did the same lol! I ended up lighting it from the back and one with a little from the front and a lot from the back and I actually don't mind the result.

I was using my maglite for them (which is red) hence the red streaks on the background:

3678012069_ceb4d3d955.jpg?v=0

I quite like this one:

3678040861_07879833c7.jpg?v=0

And one lit from the front and the back:

3678827522_71e3ae3a0d.jpg?v=0

Edited by ~*Shell*~
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Arggghhhh!!!

I don't know what the heck I am doing, but I suck at it. :rofl:

I've followed all the instructions, and (15 shots and many adjustments later) the best result looks like someone is shining a spotlight on the darn subject. :laugh:

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Ok cool :rofl: Thanks for the tips guys, I'll have another play tonight.

I always assumed that Huga had a DSLR!! :laugh: Her photos are so good!

Are not ;) At the moment I have an ancient Panasonic Lumix that Pana gave us until they get our new one in (TZ7). Although would love an SLR, it's (a) a bit beyond our budget at the moment and (b) I still need a camera I can take everywhere and shove into my handbag. So the new one is a top end compact. I'm really looking forward to getting it :rofl:

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Arggghhhh!!!

I don't know what the heck I am doing, but I suck at it. :rofl:

I've followed all the instructions, and (15 shots and many adjustments later) the best result looks like someone is shining a spotlight on the darn subject. :laugh:

How big is the torch you're using in comparison to the subject? I tried using my normal maglite torch when i was doing it but it gave off too much light for me to "paint" with it. I had to use my mini maglite instead

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Guest Pandii

Great shots everyone, I cant do any natural light as its so grey and dark and stormy, so I am trying torch light and its sooooooooooooo hard

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Shell, I really like the second one. So cool :rofl:

Thanks Huga!

Oh Shell im so jelous!

Don't be - I've only been really interested in photography for about six months so everything is still sheer dumb luck. :laugh:

Just try different things and see what worked. For some reason, my camera's iso was on 1600 when i first started taking shots so the first ones are all grainy and it wasn't until i put them on my computer that I realised!

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Awesome pics Shell, especially love the third one.

Ripley, the parrots are not bad considering they would be extremely hard to shoot in these circumstances. I didnt factor in the subject moving either!!

Good idea about covering the torch, also I think I need to get a softer light, big jim is just too bright.

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Awesome pics Shell, especially love the third one.

Ripley, the parrots are not bad considering they would be extremely hard to shoot in these circumstances. I didnt factor in the subject moving either!!

Good idea about covering the torch, also I think I need to get a softer light, big jim is just too bright.

I don't know how anyone does moving subjects! I was going to try doing one of my cat but the second i turned the torch on, he was too busy playing with the torch beam to let me get a shot!

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For the people who are getting really blown out images you have a few options.

Move back further when painting. The closer you are to your subject, the stronger the light is that is falling on them - move away and the light is weaker

put your ISO down to the smallest number possible. Some cameras this will be ISO 50, for others this could be ISO 400. Whatever the smallest number is, you want it!

Close your aperture right down as far as it will go. For some this will be F22 for others it could be F32. The biggest number is what you want.

Buy a smaller torch from a $2 shop that is quite weak. You don't need huge amounts of light as you should be 'painting' more than 'flooding'. If you have a larger torch, you could put some cardboard over the front and make the opening smaller so less light gets through OR grab an elastic band and some cooking paper and put it over the entire light to diffuse it a little.

Ideally you want to paint for around 10 seconds to get the softer shadows and painterly effect. 5 seconds will be close... less than five seconds and you won't get the right effect.

As I said at the start... this will be a month of frustration, but once you get it you will love it!

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I might try it with an idea in mind I have.

I also used mirror lock up but my parrots moved and the torch was too bright. Only took 2 shots as they really freaked out in the dark and then started to fly about so I had to quickly hit the light for them.

Edited by Ripley
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