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No matter how great your camera might be, it is how you apply your skills that makes the difference between an OK shot and a great shot. Here you can talk technical, talk creative, share your techniques, lighting, and digital editing. This is where we can all help each other to take better photos.
If you post a photo here and are looking for a critique, you should be prepared for honest criticism even if it hurts. It will only help to make us better photographers.
I trust you as you said that your SLR can do some videos because i read it for the Sony alpha 100. But i don't understand how a SLR can do a video because it uses a miror quickly fliping (shutter's speed) the picture towards the CCD captor. This is ok for a single PIC but do not work for a video
Yup interesting matter indeed!
I did not think about it but its indeed amazing that an dslr can do video.
Stupid I own a modern camera but yesterday I went about 40 years into the past and made photo's with a Zenith range finder! http://barangretroman.blogspot.com/2008 ... inder.html
That Zenith, looking bit simular as the old Leica range finders, is owned by a ship machine engineer who has traveled 40 years over the world with it on ships.
I photographed him and a friend with it.
Stupid, I forgot to forward the film. Though I think the Zenith has a lock protecting that another photo can be made over the photo I made.
I've been thinking a bit about it and read a bit about it, and have made some photo's with DSLR.
I put my thoughts on it, maybe its interesting for you, IMO one can do quite a lot with only little equipment which makes it interesting IMO.
One thing amazes me a bit, that one can do quite a lot with a 18-55 mm kit lens and 50 mm prime lens (when using APS-C format image sensor).
Some thoughts on sensor size:
I wonder if amateur would benefit from bigger sensors than APS-C.
IMO APS-C could be the best image sensor for the most of us.
Its typical that a 50 mm becomes a 80 mm equivalent lens on this, (focal length can be multiplied by 1.6) except on Nikon which uses a sligtly bigger DX sensor, a 50 mm lens is a 75 mm equivalent, (focal length can be multiplied by 1.5 here), when compaired to 35 mm film or full frame image sensor on which the crop factor is 1.0 (or as a lot of us say, there is no crop factor there).
Due to the fact that full frame has no crop factor there are advantages for ultra ultra wide there. One who wants to do such kind of photography (very nice!) needs to choose either for film gear or save up an expensive full frame DSLR (Here the Nikon d700 is slightly cheaper than the Canon 5D, they start at 1800 euro when bougt on internet). But ultra ultra wide is not needed for dolls, only if you want to use it to give them very large butts LOL.
The full frame will register more small details than the APS-C and has less noise, but for us I see not much benefit in it, I think we can make almost the same photo with APS-C, when using the right lenses, and the bonus is that APS-C photo gear is much more affordable, e.g. a 50 mm lens becomes a 80 mm portrait lens and those are normally much more expensive than a 50 mm lens, and it becomes not so big as the full frame gear so easyer to take with you if you want to travel.
Brands that use APS-C are e.g. Canon, Nikon, Sony and Pentax.
Regarding image sensor size there is no end, I was amazed about reading that the Hasselblad has an image sensor that is even bigger, its as far I know 60 X 60 mm (and maybe even bigger sensors can be used on that one). But this is very expensive gear and is IMO not needed for photographing a doll (most of us don't tow a 5 meter saiboat with a 20,000 hp towboat).
I readed also about the four thirds system, the smallest image sensors used in DSLR's. Brands that use it are e.g. Panasonic and Olympus.
Here you loose again some definition, because the image sensor is smaller than APS-C. I think it will work but one has to buy special lenses for this system. The crop factor is 2.0 here a 50 mm lens becomes a 100 mm one. Though I think a 100 mm lens could still be used nicely for photographing dolls. I think the four thirds system is good usable too, though because it costs almost the same money as APS-C gear I would choose for that instead, too because it has less noise than two thirds due to the bigger sensor and there are a lot lenses available and even you can cheapeskate old film slr lenses for it now and then, unless if you want a DSLR and want it to be very handy small light and easy to take with you photo gear.
Some thoughts about lenses:
Following this, then you end up with a consumer DSLR APSC-body with its kit zoom lens (often 18-55 mm) and its a good idea to spend about 100 bucks extra for a 50 mm prime, e.g. a 50 mm F1.8 or, maybe better but those are more than 100 bucks, a 50 mm f1.4 prime (bigger apeture usable for low light) IMO its of major importance that that prime autofocusses on your camera.
If you use e.g. a D40 without the internal focus motor then its better to spend some more money on the prime to get one that autofocusses on it, you've to pay quite a lot more on the prime then because you will need the AF 50 mm F1.4 G, three times more expensive than the about 100 US$ AF 1.8 D, so paying some more for a body saves you out this expensive lens, just a thought, although the AF 50 mm F1.4 G is more light sensitive than the AF 50 F1.8 D.
Its IMO of major importance that you can focus sharp on the doll's eyes.
Thats very difficult with a manual focus lens cause the viewfinder of the DSLR lacks the nice "rings" for manual focussing the old SLR's had. One can mount a cats eye in the DSLR to get them back but one risks to damage the DSLR with that. (so imo that and manual focus lenses are for our use not advisable).
Why a prime and why not a short zoomlens?
IMO due to that these have less lenses inside and thus are more light sensitive than the zoom lens. If you want a small 24-70 mm zoom lens that comes close to the light sensitivity of the prime then you have to pay soon 2000 US$. I think most of us do not want to pay that.
So doing some effort and taking a step back or moving a step forward, saves you out a lot of money.
I'am really very amazed by what one can do with only that kit lens (often 18-55 mm) and a 50 mm prime.
I even wonder if most of us need more for photographing dolls.
I think one maybe better off spending then money in light equipment and a softbox than in more expensive lenses/gear.
The kit lens has already quite some wide angle for photographing her sitting in the room, while the 50 mm is light sensitive and can be used for the most of the photo work, also for short field of depth photo's with a nice blurry background.
What does it cost?
I'am talking about a set in this way which is in a price range of about 500-1200 US$, it depends a bit on the camera body one uses.
Regarding this, as far I know the more expensive body's, just above the entry level models have separate thumb wheels for apeture and shutterspeed. IMO thats a very handy feature but one can make the same photo without it too.
Lightning?
1) The sun
First, the sun does it for free and can be a very nice light source, also when it comes trough a window. Experiment.
Drawback of it, is that just a cloud can cause you to wait, and if the weather changes to rain then you can stop your whole photoshot.
Nevertheless indoor sun lighted or outdoor sun lighted *if you are in the situation you can do that without others seeing your doll* shoots are nice.
2) Artificial
I've readed some very interesting articles about artificial light in a model studio. One can start with one lamp, it may be the best for us too, because one lamp is simular to the sun.
When one uses more lamps one needs to be very carefull.
The second lamp can create second shadows on the doll and thus do more bad than wrong.
One can use the second lamp to put light on her hair, then one will benefit from it, but one has to be carefull that no light of it comes on the face then, the face should be lit by the first lamp else second shadows will come on it and do bad to the photo.
Though I have not yet experience here.
Generally:
Bottom line one needs a good tripod and, when using long shuttertimes in low light conditions, use the timer or a remote control to take the photo, else all effort is for nothing.
Finally:
So far my thoughts on it I hope you all benefit from it or even better add ideas or correct me when I'am wrong.
I wish you all a lot nice photo's and nice photo sessions with your dolls.
I've bought a Canon EOS 450 D DSLR camera with a 18-200 zoom lens some weeks ago.
This choice is based by using a SLR camera type "PRACTICA LTL" all over the years with a wide angle lens (Fokus 28 mm), a normal angle lens (Fokus 50 mm) and a telephoto lens (Fokus 135 mm). This were the minimum requirements for the zoom, an equivalent zoom according the DSLR's crop factor would be the minimum focus range of 18 - 105 mm. NIKON and CANON offer lenses with this zoom range. And: I didn't want to change the objective during the photo sessions.
Photographing your doll you very often use a tripod. If any camera adjusted the camera never touch again before the photo is taken. You have to use a remote control either by wire or by radio or infrared control. The first accessoire I purchased a radio control set for my DSLR offered by HAMA (http://www.hama.de, there is an english version too).
Dolls are ideal for lightpainting with (very) long shuttertimes. Colorfull LED-lights etc. is interesting lightsource for this.
Nice idea, but maybe its best to start simple with one lamp.
Ekkehard wrote:
I've bought a Canon EOS 450 D DSLR camera with a 18-200 zoom lens some weeks ago.
IMO the 450D is a great buy, and that remote control you are linking to is nice. Due to the new 500D the price has been dropped, its an idea to take advance of that, though the 18-200 mm "super zoom", I would add a 50 mm prime to it.
The zoom may be handy in daily use when traveling and on other occasions you do not to change the lens.
Though zooms with such long range, often called "superzooms" come with some disadvantages too, they have often some more distortion are often less sensitive to the light than the small zooms, e.g. 18-55 mm.
If you want ease of use then the zoom is nice, if you want to get more quality out of your 450 D it maybe an idea e.g. to spend 100 euro on a 50 mm f1.8. They are made from plastic, cheap construction, but they work great. Use it for the doll esp indoor without flash, and other portrait/indoor usage.
to use of a lens system with a fixed focus is a very good choice. They have the best optical properties, of course.
Taking photos with a doll I would do it just like a real girl. To make portraits it's suggested an equivalent fokus of approx 100 mm, based on the 24×36 negative or diapositive film, in this case there you get the best results. Longer focusses make the faces flat, shorter ones, may be, more plastically. Be aware, please, there is a greater risk of unnatural distorsions.
Indoor photos I usually take without flashlight, with the help of two or three spotlights (500 W halogene lights) and I generally use a tripod. The purchase and usage of a remote control is necessary.
The DSLR was a special offer of a great electronics supermarket, and an another electronics supplier lowered the price of the remote control set.
When deciding if a new lens/camera purchase is really something to consider, I would think about the answers to a few questions:
...
Is my current gear limiting my creative options for the type of photography I normally do?
Is the technical limitation on my current gear intefering with results?
What does my current setup do that could be done better with another piece of equipment?
Do I really need that new lens or do I just want it?
.....
There are a lot of gear/lens options you might think would be nice to have but find out you don''t really need. You can run up a bill pretty quickly and find the gear just sits in the storage bag 99% of the time.
I have been into landscape and nature photography for quite a while. I have seen newcomers to the world of DSLR's buy all kinds of thngs they simply don't need and never use.
I would just gain experience with the gear you have now. With time and experience you realize what works, what doesn't, and what you really need to produce the results you are after. Once you realize you really need a new lens or more expensive camera body, then is the time to buy it. Until then, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Trust me, you will save yourself a lot of money.
I think its good to see you chiming in on this one.
What I tried was to put up a thread about doll photography and how an amateur/beginner could approach it using DSLR with a reasonable budget, so this thread is not about D3(X)'s or 1DMKIII's and other very expensive gear.
I'am trying finding out a lot of this by myself by reading about it and talking with photographers.
I'am using a Nikon D90 with an 18-55 mm and a 50 mm f1.8 now, a nice one but not the holy grail of coarse LOL. So the other brands like Canon, Sony, Pentax, and if you want four thirds Olympus, Panasonic are options too.
Though I think the way I describe it is not bad but there are more ways of coarse.
All suggestions ideas on this matter are welcome.
I think its good to see you chiming in on this one.
What I tried was to put up a thread about doll photography and how an amateur/beginner could approach it using DSLR with a reasonable budget, so this thread is not about D3(X)'s or 1DMKIII's and other very expensive gear.
I'am trying finding out a lot of this by myself by reading about it and talking with photographers.
I'am using a Nikon D90 with an 18-55 mm and a 50 mm f1.8 now, a nice one but not the holy grail of coarse LOL. So the other brands like Canon, Sony, Pentax, and if you want four thirds Olympus, Panasonic are options too.
Though I think the way I describe it is not bad but there are more ways of coarse.
All suggestions ideas on this matter are welcome.
Mytime & Helen & Carmen
Hi,
Your setup sounds like a good one.
I am certainly no expert on the subject of glamour and nudes. There are photographers here with a lot more experience in that department. Maybe they will jump in and add suggestions. Regarding doll stuff, I am new at it too so I am learning.
I was just ruminating on the fact that there are so many systems and lens options out there that it is easy to get caught up in trying to find the best possible option for your situation. Photography is more about what you do with the tools than the tools themselves. The truth is, you can take a pleasing image with a cell phone. Composition and lighting will take you a lot farther than than gear. There are also no hard and fast rules, although some will say there is. I know a professional landscape photographer that takes cityscapes with just a 600mm Canon prime. You would think this would be an odd lens for such a venue but it produces some very unique perspectives.
You will learn by doing and figure out what works and what doesn't, just as everyone else does when they start. The only advice I would offer: Work with the gear you have. Just be creative and use your imagination -- do not try to mimic someone else. Be yourself, work with what you have, and have fun.
Now and then, you may start to say to yourself, "I wish I had a faster lens for that shot", or "I really needed a wider angle lens for this". If you find you are saying things like this a lot, it's time to consider purchasing the new lens to acheve your goals. Until then, however, you won't really know what works for you until you start working with the gear you have now.
I believe you are right in what you wrote here above.
Buying the 50 mm lens was a decision based that a neighbour who photographs already a long time and told me that it would be a great portrait lens, and Stacy who said that it could be a nice starter lens.
Though there are more lenses which will be nice.
What I want to do is stick to the gear I have now (at least for photographing the doll, I may be using a 200 or 300 mm tele zoom on it when photographing outdoor some motorcycle racing, but thats not the doll) for a time.
Like you I don't believe in a lot lenses.
With a few you may be better off (its more difficult to use the wrong one then).
I try to learn also from a bunch magazines I got from the neighbour, very nice, I got some good information for amateur about lighting models from it, and was thinking about translating it.
Regarding the cell phone yup I believe it can do a good job, because I believe the major part of the photo is composition.
I saw great cell phone photo's made by Stacy.
Though if you put the DSLR in that place you will get more quality into the image (less noise, more small details, less distortion maybe all this kind of things), and focussing it and get a sharp image will be a lot easyer. Working with a DSLR is more convenient, though one with a 100 euro pocket camera like a Canon A480 can do a very good job without too much difficulties too IMO.
i hope this is not a cross post...but a DSLR is always the way to go...and i think that D40....booo....you can get an affordable D5000 from Nikon....under 1k is the way to be...i use manual focus lenses all the time on my camera...i just got a Nikkor 50mm 1.4d in the mail today..i have a Nikkor 1.8 50mm, 24mm 2.8 and 24 mm 2.8....these are examples from a doll that i have and a real girl that i have shot
Yup that D40 sucks.
I managed to get this out of it together with the 50 mm f1.8.
Higer res picture: http://www.dollalbum.com/dollgallery/al ... men7~0.jpg
I was kidding in the first line of that post, I think the D40 does not suck at all, but is great starters gear.
Up to you to judge.
Though I have to admit that manualfocussing the 50 mm f1.8 is difficult, as I said.
Your photo's are nice.
And the D5000 is a nice camera too.
Though its imo good to keep in mind that D40/D40x,D60 and D5000 are nice and small but don't have the focus motor thus you need lenses with a focus motor for them, you can manual focussing on a DSLR, but I disadvice it (its difficult).
SORRY TO SAY THAT ABOUT THE D40...but with manual focus, you need to know your camera very well...and live view....really really really helps with manual focus...i am about 99% on my focus...the liveview has the field of view already in the picture..with f2.8-1.4....you can really tell and sorry i dont have any low res pix...wait these are downsized to 1600x1200...the originals are 12.3 mp.... it is called selective focusing, but i did take photography classes
Dadius please put in a thread low resolution pictures a program like GIMP can make them for free, or put the small photobucket previews in this thread, linking to high resolution pictures is ok. Read the PM I wrote you. Mytime.
Edit by mytime links to high resolution pictures:
Your pictures are nice, though please put in a thread low res ones we don't have all fast internet and wide screen.
Feel free to open an albun in the dollalbum and put the photo's of the torso there.
You'll get automatically downsized images for in this thread then and you can link to the album.
I hear you talking about bokeh.
Well I have a no doll image with bokeh for you:
Link to a higher resolution one. http://www.dollforum.com/modules/copper ... atis~0.jpg
It was made with 50 mm f.1.8 when using f1.8.
The focal dept is very small then, so you've to focus accurate.
I got this done with the D40 however.
Though I can't do that fast or in low light situations.
