1 Lizard Pic For C&C Please

[DogGoneGood]

Still messing around with the settings on my Rebel XS camera, I finally achieved being able to get more than just his eye in focus.


Lizard Posing by Danielle S. Photography, on Flickr

C&C appreciated, it's how I'm learning to get better! :thumbup:

 

[BuS_RiDeR]

I'd like it better if his/her leg were also in focus.

 

[DogGoneGood]

Yeah, me too. Still working on how to accomplish that (upping the DOF isn't working too well).

 

[Robin Usagani]

Yeah, me too. Still working on how to accomplish that (upping the DOF isn't working too well).

Move back

 

[Overread36]

That shot was taken at f5.6 - try f8 or even f13 for more depth
You'll either have to slow the shutter - raise the ISO or boost the lighting. However much better on the lighting colour in this shot. Also unless he is being a very very still lizard I'd want to up your shutter speed a bit to minimise blur on his part (does his skin move as he breaths?)

Sadly this all points to needing more light on the subject - more flash

 

[BuS_RiDeR]

Yeah, me too. Still working on how to accomplish that (upping the DOF isn't working too well).

Yup... Back up a bit and use a smaller aperture (higher f/number) as mentioned...

 

[arcooke]

Looks pretty good, though I would have preferred a bit looser of a crop.. his face is right at the edge.

Random question... Is there a name for that technique/equipment you used for this shot? I mean, with the reflective black surface, and black background. I've been trying to figure out what people use to set up these shots and what to search for when looking for the supplies.

 

[DogGoneGood]

That shot was taken at f5.6 - try f8 or even f13 for more depth
You'll either have to slow the shutter - raise the ISO or boost the lighting. However much better on the lighting colour in this shot. Also unless he is being a very very still lizard I'd want to up your shutter speed a bit to minimise blur on his part (does his skin move as he breaths?)

Sadly this all points to needing more light on the subject - more flash

Thanks, lots of great advice (read your response in my other thread too, thanks!).

Here's where I've run into a few problems. I have the Canon XS, and on manual, it won't let me get that close, otherwise it can't focus. So for this shot, I put on it "Close-Up" mode, but that's all but using auto, as it locks in it's own settings, including the f/stop. I'll try manual again tomorrow, but the higher the f/stop, the less light in, and the higher I have to force my ISO (and then I get a noise problem).

Another problem is the focusing points. On manual, it only has one focus point, a square box, and it lets me focus mainly on the eye. But in the up-close mode (that's mostly auto), it switches to the 7-point focus system that has seven points on the screen and gets much more of the object/animal in focus. I've read and re-read that manual until my head hurt, and can't seem to find out if I can change a setting to achieve that 7-point focus system in manual mode (it'd solve a lot of problems for me photographic wise, if I could!).

My set-up is a 20 gallon aquarium on its side, with white or black poster board on the inside (depending which color I want to shoot with). I have two flourescent strip lights attached to the top, and a work lamp with a white light bulb (not the soft white that makes a yellow glow, but the more expensive ones that make a "cool white" glow). Here's a pic of the set-up (the photo makes it look way more yellow, it's actually not that yellow, it's bright white in person):

Any advice on how I can change, or better, the light box (without spending a fortune, unfortunately I'm a bit broke after the new camera purchase, lol). I was thinking two more strip lights, maybe one attached to each side? I'm saving up for an external flash, unfortunately I'm currently only stuck with the on-board flash, so bouncing any flash isn't an option.

BTW, the lizard stays very still during photo's. The two turtles, not so much.

 

[IanMoone]

He's a beardy. I'd be surprised if he wasn't still. While I agree with the others about the legs being in focus, I absolutely love this picture. You have a great looking beardy and I especially love the coloring around his eye.

I would love to see a head on shot of this guy.

 

[SabrinaO]

That shot was taken at f5.6 - try f8 or even f13 for more depth
You'll either have to slow the shutter - raise the ISO or boost the lighting. However much better on the lighting colour in this shot. Also unless he is being a very very still lizard I'd want to up your shutter speed a bit to minimise blur on his part (does his skin move as he breaths?)

Sadly this all points to needing more light on the subject - more flash

Thanks, lots of great advice (read your response in my other thread too, thanks!).

Here's where I've run into a few problems. I have the Canon XS, and on manual, it won't let me get that close, otherwise it can't focus. So for this shot, I put on it "Close-Up" mode, but that's all but using auto, as it locks in it's own settings, including the f/stop. I'll try manual again tomorrow, but the higher the f/stop, the less light in, and the higher I have to force my ISO (and then I get a noise problem).

Another problem is the focusing points. On manual, it only has one focus point, a square box, and it lets me focus mainly on the eye. But in the up-close mode (that's mostly auto), it switches to the 7-point focus system that has seven points on the screen and gets much more of the object/animal in focus. I've read and re-read that manual until my head hurt, and can't seem to find out if I can change a setting to achieve that 7-point focus system in manual mode (it'd solve a lot of problems for me photographic wise, if I could!).

My set-up is a 20 gallon aquarium on its side, with white or black poster board on the inside (depending which color I want to shoot with). I have two flourescent strip lights attached to the top, and a work lamp with a white light bulb (not the soft white that makes a yellow glow, but the more expensive ones that make a "cool white" glow). Here's a pic of the set-up (the photo makes it look way more yellow, it's actually not that yellow, it's bright white in person):

Any advice on how I can change, or better, the light box (without spending a fortune, unfortunately I'm a bit broke after the new camera purchase, lol). I was thinking two more strip lights, maybe one attached to each side? I'm saving up for an external flash, unfortunately I'm currently only stuck with the on-board flash, so bouncing any flash isn't an option.

BTW, the lizard stays very still during photo's. The two turtles, not so much.

hmmm... I don't know much about lighting for macro photography yet but the lightbox you made doesn't seem right. I think its just too much. And you are using fluorescents, and your camera is counteracting that since you set the wb to fluorescent, but its warming it up too much. Everything has a yellow tint. Once you get a flash, i think this DIY lightbox is awesome and sooo simple!
Strobist: How To: DIY $10 Macro Photo Studio

In the meantime, maybe you can try it with the black lamp you have and if you have another set it outside the box where the flash would be.

 

[DogGoneGood]

Thanks Sabrina, that link is fantastic, and I may take a stab at trying to build one like they show. My set-up isn't fantastic at all, I definitely know that, and probably not anywhere near correct. I just wanted an enclosed area, with lighting, that was big enough for getting some portrait pics of my reptiles.

I'm loving the C&C everyone has given me, I appreciate it so much. Nearly everything I've learned about camera's, I've learned from my year on this board.

I listened to everyone's advice, and I finally figured out how to get the 7-point focus system to work on manual mode. I also backed up a bit, raised the f/stop a lot, and lowered the shutter speed. My result was this photo, shot at f/22, ISO 800, 1/25 shutter speed. Had to do some PP on it, to fix the colors, darken the background (even with posterboard, you'll never get solid black background with all those lights), and a little noise reduction among other things because the ISO introduced some noise.


Lizard Posing by Danielle S. Photography, on Flickr

I think I'm improving a little. I think, LOL!

 

[IanMoone]

I absolutely love the new photo. It really captures the personality of a beardy. My only critique, and this is nitpicking because I know beardys well. He is a little false colored. He has become too red from the first pic to this pic. Its most visible in his eye and underbelly. But I really am nitpicking. Its a great shot!

 

[DogGoneGood]

I absolutely love the new photo. It really captures the personality of a beardy. My only critique, and this is nitpicking because I know beardys well. He is a little false colored. He has become too red from the first pic to this pic. Its most visible in his eye and underbelly. But I really am nitpicking. Its a great shot!

Thanks, and you're not nit-picking at all! I like when things like that are pointed out, so I can better correct them in the future. It's likely from the PP, I must've over-corrected the tint. The camera, because of the white balance setting, is causing his color to come out very pale. So I when I edit, I try to bring his skin tint back up to the way it looks in real life, though it's likely a little bit too warm in the newest pic.

 

[BuS_RiDeR]

The second photo is much better. Great job.

If I can make one comment... I think it might be better if you hadn't clipped his reflection... Just a thought.

 

[DogGoneGood]

The second photo is much better. Great job.

If I can make one comment... I think it might be better if you hadn't clipped his reflection... Just a thought.

Thanks!

I totally agree, and I'm trying again today and some of the pics include his entire relfection, instead of some of it being clipped off.