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In lugnet.space, John R. Beck writes:
>
> 3.1 megapixels, 3x optical (3.3x evil digital zoom :-)
> 2160 x 1440 pixels
> focusing range is 2ft/0.60 mm to "infinity"
Please don't be offended, but looking at this picture:
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=363699 I would say that the
problem is not your camera, but your technique. I have been struggling to
improve my photography skills ever since I got a digital camera, and I find
that 2/3 of my shots look the way that one does: dark and fuzzy. Here are a
few tips I've learned that have helped me to get a higher percentage of
useable shots:
1. Disable digital zoom and never use it. (OK, that's been covered.)
2. Always shoot images at the highest available camera resolution and
picture quality unless in-camera memory is an issue. (ie: for some reason
you need to take a lot of shots w/out uploading in between.)
3. Avoid using a flash when photographing LEGO. Use natural light or even
illuminate the subject with table lamps in a pinch. Use three or four lamps
as close as possible to get the most light in the scene. The darker the
scene, the longer the "shutter" is open, resulting in more blur.
4. Use a tripod or be EXTREMELY steady when holding the camera. Very
gently squeeze the shutter button to avoid vibrating the camera at that
critical moment. If possible, synchronize the taking of the picture with
your breathing, during your body's stillest moment just after you have
finished exhaling a breath. This is especially important when using a macro
or zoom lens mode, where even the smallest movements will be magnified.
5. Be careful not to get too close to your subject! Even in macro mode
(designated by a flower icon on most cameras) you should not be closer than
a couple feet or else the lens will not focus. (Consult your camera owner's
manual for the exact focal distance in various lens modes.) It is much
better to shoot from further away and crop the image than to shoot from too
close and then try to reduce and/or sharpen those fuzzy pixels.
6. Reduce full-res images using software on your PC to a smaller size
before uploading to BrickShelf or a web site. This makes the image appear
sharper, and also eliminates the need for scrolling to view the whole image.
If you really need to provide full-resolution images, make a separate
"download hi-res image" link. If you don't have a decent program to do
this, you can even use MS Paint, although you'll get better results with a
"real" photo editing package.
I am not perfect by any means, and if you look at my BrickShelf account:
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?m=Chrispy you'll see plenty of
bad, hi-res photos that violate all of these principles. As I said at the
outset, I've been struggling to learn these lessons myself. But if you
compare my BrickShelf stuff with some of the newer photos on my web site,
for example: http://www.drvegetable.com/workshop.html you'll hopefully agree
that I am finally beginning to get the hang of it after four years of practice.
> How do I get legocam?
Is this the software that comes with LEGO Studios? I think the Movie Maker
sets with the USB camera have been available on discount if you look hard
enough.
But I would check the CD that came with your camera first. Chances are
pretty good that they give you some kind of image editing program that will
let you resize, crop, sharpen, color balance, etc. The bundled packages
usually aren't as good as PhotoShop, but the basic features you need should
be there.
I hope this information helps!
Follow-ups set to lugnet.publish.photography.
- Chris.
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: taking good photos
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| 3.1 megapixels, 3x optical (3.3x evil digital zoom :-) 2160 x 1440 pixels focusing range is 2ft/0.60 mm to "infinity" How do I get legocam? Thanks for your help! I want people to be able to see more than my thumbnails in good detail :-) (...) (21 years ago, 20-May-03, to lugnet.space)
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