Quality of Photos

[randooch]

I'm wondering what you folks use to get the incredibly sharp, up-close images that you take of your hats, their sweats, ribbons, tags, stitching, liners, logos. I am vastly impressed by your photos and, naturally, yearn to supply some of my own. I use a basic digital Kodak Z760, and it fails every time to render decent photographs, which is why I post so few.

Tripods? 35MM (vintage? ) cameras? What does it take, is my question.

Fire away, and speak in layman's terms, if possible.

 

[dschonn]

I haven't posted any close-up photos, but if I did, I would take them using the macro setting on my camera. The macro dramatically shortens the focal length of the lens, so you can take extreme close-ups that are also in focus. Most cameras have a macro setting, it's just a matter of figuring out how to use it.

It helps to have enough light, too, so bright lights and/or the camera's flash should be employed.

 

[buler]

Macro mode is what you want. I'm using a Canon SX10IS that I love. It can focus basically to something almost touching the lens. Many digital cameras have a macro mode. I just handhold most of my shots but also have a tiny tabletop tripod for the best shots.

B

 

[Michaelshane]

Panasonic FZ-7 macro mode.

 

[CRH]

...I just handhold most of my shots but also have a tiny tabletop tripod for the best shots.

Tripods are a must for best results for really close up or really long range photography. Alas, I have not a tripod......yet!

 

[nickn5]

My Sony Ericsson mobile phone...

N.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Well, macro lenses are the correct answer, but I get by with using the zoom on my Nikon D70. I can comfortably just hold a hat in one hand and the camera in the other with a foot or so of space in between and get frame filling photos of interior details. The D70 is a 5 megapixel digital SLR camera and when new was $1,000! They can be obtained for much, much less on Ebay now. However, it's prudent to note that many little pocket sized digital cameras (for around $150 or $200) are 7 megapixel and more nowadays.

The D70 has many settings as far as resolution is concerned and finding the right balance of clear images without over-killing the memory card is key.

Natural (outdoor) light works best for me but I usually take my hat shots on the porch where it is actually somewhat shaded, indirect sunlight to avoid harsh hotspots and stark shadows. I employ fill flash in many of these shots and it's just enough to get the color and detail without washing it out.

Sometimes I also crop the final shot to be closer to the central image I was going for before posting it. That makes it look like I was right inside the hat with the camera when I was not at all.

Examples:

G'luck!

 

[GoneSolo]

It helps to have enough light, too, so bright lights...

:arated: I find that sunlight works best.

 

[J.T.Marcus]

I use a Panasonic DMC-FZ4 (12X optical zoom, antishake, 4 megapixels, macro for closeups). For the head and shoulder shots, I put the camera on a tripod and use the self-timer. From about 8-10 feet, I leave the zoom at the wide end (the default when you turn it on). Flash is on; and one 100 watt modeling light, with aluminum reflector, is placed at a 45 degree angle. The blue and white muslin background was a recent find. (A steal, at just $10 !)

The next step is equally important. You need a good photo editing program. I use Photoshop Elements 2.0 (and occasionally a couple of others). This lets you crop the image down to exactly what you want, and make corrections if needed. (However, if you use good lighting, there are few corrections to make.)

Finally, when I upload to the hosting site, I set my limit for no larger than 640 x 480 pixels. Anything larger causes problems for viewers, and I suspect for bartenders, too.

Ain't this fun?

 

[Pduck]

Lighting is important in getting good detail in a photo. You want to have some direction to the light so that the shadows can define the details and the texture of your hat. OTOH, you don't want it to be harsh and overpowering. Old time artists like north window light because it provided soft, yet directional light. Shadowless lighting will show no texture.

If you have Photoshop, you can use that to sharpen the image somewhat. Use the oddly named "Unsharp" filter. I use Photoshop for tweaking the color and the contrast, sharpening the image, and cropping and resizing the image.

 

[Michaelshane]

DMC-FZ-7,handheld, sweatband of open road,No crop.

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[J.J. Gittes]

I use my dads Canon EOS 30D, on Manual. I use either a lamp, sunlight or those with a combination of flash to get good pictures.

 

[StylinLA]

I'm a bit of a hack with the camera, but I've got a pretty nice Sony point and shoot with some nice options.

It has a macro setting, and I also have a macro lens adapter kit.

But I find one of the keys to a macro shot is lighting. To get a really tight shot, the flash will rarely illuminate the section you want to shoot properly. You have to pour light on it from another source. That helps the "brain" of camera figure out what you're aiming at and focus properly.

You can improvise with any sort of goose neck lamp if you don't want to spring for a pro light.

 

[randooch]

Fascinating! Thank you all for the guidance. Time for me to read that 1/2" thick camera manual again.

 

[Bob Smalser]

These days poor internet photos aren't the result of the camera, most of which have more features than most can take advantage of, as much as they are from lack of light and focus.

Tripods, umbrellas and lights have been mentioned and definitely have their place, but they are slow, unhandy, and don't lend themselves to quick, one-handed detail shooting like I demonstrate above. The quickest solution to cropping, lightening and sharpening a photo is good imaging software, but Adobe Photoshop is expensive. The good news is there is free imaging software out there that works very well, one of which is Irfanview.

http://www.irfanview.com/

Cropping, resizing, enhancing colors, brightness or contrast are all easily done without more program than you need in size and expense.

The other major advantage of basic imaging software is when looking at poor, unreadable photos in ads, downloading and enhancing them so you can read the labels and see the detail is often quick, easy and can provide you an advantage in bidding.

 

[pauljmuk]

Light light and more light! (an stability!)

Can't really comment on getting results with a point and click, as I shoot SLR (nikon)

For me, I can get some great close up results with my various lenses, assuming subject is well lit and camera is on a tripod.

That said, I also own some extension tubes which are amazing - when my new Akubra arrives, I'll try and post some shots - those babies will allow photos showing the individual threads in the stitchin on the sweatband.

But generally speaking - flood it with good light (not flourescent tubes - ideally sunlight) and mount the camera on something.