What setting should I use for photographing an indoor plant.

[weepete]

It's a brilliant chance to muck about with the manual settings, even better if you have a tripod or beanbag or something to put the camera on and use the self timer for a long exposure or two.

So I'd reccomend manual mode, CWA or partial metering mode, single focus point, one shot and as low an iso as you can get. Just keep the shutter speed over 1/100 sec for hand holding and you shoud be fine.

 

[annamaria]

It's a brilliant chance to muck about with the manual settings, even better if you have a tripod or beanbag or something to put the camera on and use the self timer for a long exposure or two. So I'd reccomend manual mode, CWA or partial metering mode, single focus point, one shot and as low an iso as you can get. Just keep the shutter speed over 1/100 sec for hand holding and you shoud be fine.

Yes I have a tripod that was given to me and will try all your suggestions including the timer idea. I am excited about learning all I can with my camera and fiddling with the manual mode Thank you for your tips.

 

[EIngerson]

It's a brilliant chance to muck about with the manual settings, even better if you have a tripod or beanbag or something to put the camera on and use the self timer for a long exposure or two. So I'd reccomend manual mode, CWA or partial metering mode, single focus point, one shot and as low an iso as you can get. Just keep the shutter speed over 1/100 sec for hand holding and you shoud be fine.

Yes I have a tripod that was given to me and will try all your suggestions including the timer idea. I am excited about learning all I can with my camera and fiddling with the manual mode Thank you for your tips.

If you start out in Aperture "A" mode, pay attention to how changing aperture effects the shutter speed. Then switch to Manual "M" and replicate the settings. Now you can tweak the settings and really dial in on how you want the photo to look.

 

[JoeW27 1]

I have a Nikon d5100, lens 18-55 and 55-300. I am assuming I should use the 18-55. What would be the best setting to use for shooting a Christmas Cactus? I don't have any lighting equipment etc just the camera and lens at the moment. Any suggestions? I am still learning.

First, there is a classic photography challenge about vision and composition that works for beginners as well as veterans: choose an item (in this case, your cactus) and find 30 different ways to shoot it. Not 30 different looks via post processing. But 30 different perspectives and compositions. Shoot from different angles. Shoot in different light. Shoot with different depth of field so only the needles or buds are in focus and the rest is a colored blur. Shoot at 18mm and distort the lines of the cactus. Shoot at f11 or f22 and have everything sharp and distinct. Shoot high key. Shoot low key. Yes, you can get advice from the rest of us. But conduct your own little experiment and see what is pleasing to your eye.

Second, ultimately the best answer to your question is going to depend upon what type of picture you want to create. Me...I like to shoot with a narrow DoF. I'd probably just focus on a couple of needles and make the rest a blur, shooting with a 50mm set on f1.4. Or I might try to create a series of contrasting shapes...surround the cactus with hard lines (maybe a series of triangles like some metal or plastic angles that the cactus is in the middle of and than shoot from above).

Third, assuming that what you want is an attractive picture of the cactus, my advice would be:
--moderate the light. Find a good north-facing window. A cloudy or overcast day (as long as it's not dark from impending storm clouds) would be good. Or on a relatively bright day a window with a light curtain that will turn the light into a soft light. Then get a white card or piece of foam core and put it on the other side of the cactus (to provide some soft fill light on the side away from the window). I'd shoot with a relatively small DoF (probably an f2 if any of your lens are that fast). I'd declutter the environment and probably surround the cactus with white or light colored items (maybe put it on a white sheet or placemat). Maybe put some color in the background that hints at the holidays without pulling the viewer's eyes away from the cactus. Which lens I'd use would be driven mostly by which one has the narrowest DoF (probably the 18-55). I'd set to ISO 100 or 200 and adjust upward only if I needed to b/c of shutter speed. I'd shoot auto aperture.

 

[EIngerson]

I have a Nikon d5100, lens 18-55 and 55-300. I am assuming I should use the 18-55. What would be the best setting to use for shooting a Christmas Cactus? I don't have any lighting equipment etc just the camera and lens at the moment. Any suggestions? I am still learning.

First, there is a classic photography challenge about vision and composition that works for beginners as well as veterans: choose an item (in this case, your cactus) and find 30 different ways to shoot it. Not 30 different looks via post processing. But 30 different perspectives and compositions. Shoot from different angles. Shoot in different light. Shoot with different depth of field so only the needles or buds are in focus and the rest is a colored blur. Shoot at 18mm and distort the lines of the cactus. Shoot at f11 or f22 and have everything sharp and distinct. Shoot high key. Shoot low key. Yes, you can get advice from the rest of us. But conduct your own little experiment and see what is pleasing to your eye.

Second, ultimately the best answer to your question is going to depend upon what type of picture you want to create. Me...I like to shoot with a narrow DoF. I'd probably just focus on a couple of needles and make the rest a blur, shooting with a 50mm set on f1.4. Or I might try to create a series of contrasting shapes...surround the cactus with hard lines (maybe a series of triangles like some metal or plastic angles that the cactus is in the middle of and than shoot from above).

Third, assuming that what you want is an attractive picture of the cactus, my advice would be:
--moderate the light. Find a good north-facing window. A cloudy or overcast day (as long as it's not dark from impending storm clouds) would be good. Or on a relatively bright day a window with a light curtain that will turn the light into a soft light. Then get a white card or piece of foam core and put it on the other side of the cactus (to provide some soft fill light on the side away from the window). I'd shoot with a relatively small DoF (probably an f2 if any of your lens are that fast). I'd declutter the environment and probably surround the cactus with white or light colored items (maybe put it on a white sheet or placemat). Maybe put some color in the background that hints at the holidays without pulling the viewer's eyes away from the cactus. Which lens I'd use would be driven mostly by which one has the narrowest DoF (probably the 18-55). I'd set to ISO 100 or 200 and adjust upward only if I needed to b/c of shutter speed. I'd shoot auto aperture.

18-55 and 55-300 aren't going to get below F3.5 are they?

 

[annamaria]

First, there is a classic photography challenge about vision and composition that works for beginners as well as veterans: choose an item (in this case, your cactus) and find 30 different ways to shoot it. Not 30 different looks via post processing. But 30 different perspectives and compositions. Shoot from different angles. Shoot in different light. Shoot with different depth of field so only the needles or buds are in focus and the rest is a colored blur. Shoot at 18mm and distort the lines of the cactus. Shoot at f11 or f22 and have everything sharp and distinct. Shoot high key. Shoot low key. Yes, you can get advice from the rest of us. But conduct your own little experiment and see what is pleasing to your eye. Second, ultimately the best answer to your question is going to depend upon what type of picture you want to create. Me...I like to shoot with a narrow DoF. I'd probably just focus on a couple of needles and make the rest a blur, shooting with a 50mm set on f1.4. Or I might try to create a series of contrasting shapes...surround the cactus with hard lines (maybe a series of triangles like some metal or plastic angles that the cactus is in the middle of and than shoot from above). Third, assuming that what you want is an attractive picture of the cactus, my advice would be: --moderate the light. Find a good north-facing window. A cloudy or overcast day (as long as it's not dark from impending storm clouds) would be good. Or on a relatively bright day a window with a light curtain that will turn the light into a soft light. Then get a white card or piece of foam core and put it on the other side of the cactus (to provide some soft fill light on the side away from the window). I'd shoot with a relatively small DoF (probably an f2 if any of your lens are that fast). I'd declutter the environment and probably surround the cactus with white or light colored items (maybe put it on a white sheet or placemat). Maybe put some color in the background that hints at the holidays without pulling the viewer's eyes away from the cactus. Which lens I'd use would be driven mostly by which one has the narrowest DoF (probably the 18-55). I'd set to ISO 100 or 200 and adjust upward only if I needed to b/c of shutter speed. I'd shoot auto aperture.

Thank you for all the ideas and suggestions. Will try to shoot in as many different ways and positions that I can think of and will also try different settings as well. I am not sure if the 18-55 can go as small as f2 will have to check it out. As for the background I have a comforter that has various colors on it and thought of using that as a background for now, we will see how that works;-)

 

[annamaria]

18-55 and 55-300 aren't going to get below F3.5 are they?

I am not sure I need to check it out.

 

[annamaria]

Thank you so much everyone for all the great ideas and suggestions. Will have to take down notes shoot and repeat

 

[TCampbell]

I have a Nikon d5100, lens 18-55 and 55-300. I am assuming I should use the 18-55. What would be the best setting to use for shooting a Christmas Cactus? I don't have any lighting equipment etc just the camera and lens at the moment. Any suggestions? I am still learning.

Keep in mind that when the CAMERA is not moving AND when the SUBJECT is not moving THEN there is no such thing as "not enough light".

Use a tripod. If you don't own a tripod, rest the camera on a bean-bag (or anything stationary) and use the self-timer on your camera so that you can press the shutter button to start the timer, take your hands away (while any residual camera motion has time to settle down) and it can take an exposure as long as necessary without any risk of motion blur.

 

[annamaria]

Keep in mind that when the CAMERA is not moving AND when the SUBJECT is not moving THEN there is no such thing as "not enough light".

Use a tripod. If you don't own a tripod, rest the camera on a bean-bag (or anything stationary) and use the self-timer on your camera so that you can press the shutter button to start the timer, take your hands away (while any residual camera motion has time to settle down) and it can take an exposure as long as necessary without any risk of motion blur.

Thank you for the tips will keep it all in mind. I will try the self-timer and take my hands away. Hopefully I will have success. ;-)