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Lala Lolita

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Lala Lolita

Hello everyone. :3 You probably know me... but I hardly post pics because I can't take any good ones!

My camera is a Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS Digital Elph... I don't know if that's what it is, it just says that. ^^;; (neeeeeeewb)

So like, I suck at taking pics. And I have a WS girl, so she gets bleached out and you can't even see her face-up in most pictures. I'm awful at lighting, and everything is grainy or blurry even when I'm as steady as possible. I'm not thaaat bad with pics of people, but DD pics suck. Yupp.

My flickr is here http://www.flickr.com/photos/56475757@N04/

 

ahahaaaa Help please?


@blushingbjd

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Ara

I also had to shoot a very long time with a P&S when I came into the doll-hobby (over two years), so I learned a few things:

 

- use the "macro" mode when taking doll pictures.

Dig around your camera settings a bit, from reading I know your camera has this mode somewhere hidden XD

 

- light, light, light

Either good natural light or using several lamps indoors.

Several ones make a softer light without harsh spots and shadows, something that is especially important with white skin dolls. You want a soft and even light on your doll.

If you really want to use the flash (I don't recommend that) you need to soften it somehow or let it bounce of something instead of flashing straight on your doll.

 

Avoid bright sunlight, so either go into a more shadowy place OR wait till a cloud comes. You need a lot of light, but direct sunlight is a huge problem.

Instead try using a reflector to bounce light directly where it is important and often not reaching: Her face.

 

- try using a tripod to avoid getting too shaky pictures

 

- RESIZE.

Honestly, resized photos are already better to look at and you won't be as depressed about how the photos turned out. Very seldom you can look at a photo in original size and thinK "Wow, that is sharp and awesome", while good resized ones hide actually a few quality issues.

For Internet either 750x500 or 600x400 (or something close to these) is definitely enough.

 

- post processing

Some minor mistakes can be corrected with editing software.

As long as the original picture is not really shaky but just a bit blurry from the overall camera quality, you can get a lot out of a photo with resizing, sharpen, playing a bit with brightness/contrast and you can also remove a bit of noise in your photos

 

That's a photo from July 2010, taken with a veeeery old Sony DSC.

k1hF6.jpg

 

With a P&S you CAN take good photos, you just need a good base and sometimes a lot of work afterwards.


ZZ0WsD1.jpg

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Anna-neko

step one - put camera on a very stable surface. If you haven't a tripod, just stack books under it! No matter how steady you think your hands are... they aren't

If you really want to shoot by holding the camera yourself, try changing it to multi-shot mode. The camera takes 3 shots in a row (or keeps taking shots as long as the shutter is pressed) ... this way you end up with a series of pictures, 1 of which will be in perfect focus (and then you can actually compare between them, and see exactly how unsteady human hands are)

 

step two - switch into macro mode! Its that lil switch that looks like a flower. It makes shooting small objects easier

 

if you absolutely must use flash - either back away and zoom in, or dial down the flash's strength. This way it won't wash out the doll in general. If the flash has been weakened but is still "blinding" bright the whole shot, you can fake a diffuser by getting some white paper and covering the flash with it. (sounds completely ghetto, but it works! I've used old floppy-disk labels)

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Lala Lolita

Thank you guys, these helped a lot. :3 I'll post results or something? Today is adequately rainy I think...


@blushingbjd

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Anna-neko

Another thing you can do is not use flash, but instead rely on slower exposure! This works really well if your camera is on a tripod (stack of books, desk, whatever) and then when you press the shutter, the lens is open for longer than normal "faster" flash-using shot so it takes in more light and can get a slightly different look!

 

 

.... ok I'm gonna shut up now, and eagerly await your picture posts

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Lala Lolita
Another thing you can do is not use flash, but instead rely on slower exposure! This works really well if your camera is on a tripod (stack of books, desk, whatever) and then when you press the shutter, the lens is open for longer than normal "faster" flash-using shot so it takes in more light and can get a slightly different look!

 

 

.... ok I'm gonna shut up now, and eagerly await your picture posts

Oh dear me, I never use the flash. ahaha I get mad when I accidentally turn that feature on. ^^;;

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/56475757@N04/


@blushingbjd

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Anna-neko
Oh dear me, I never use the flash. ahaha I get mad when I accidentally turn that feature on. ^^;;

 

oh well.. Flash isn't a scary monster to always be shied away from either. On super-bright day it can be used as filler to even out the photo that might otherwise have way too stark light/shadows

Or it can "fake" night-time shots, if the flash goes off quick and illuminates the subject, so the camera is fooled into believing the rest of space is dark .. or create this awesome dramatic shadows on the walls!

 

... but yeah, if you've never used flash with your DD shots, that might explain the slight blurriness you were complaining about earlier. Non-flash shots always take a bit longer for the camera to take (especially indoors, especially in Auto-mode), so non-stable human hands cause blurs

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Lala Lolita
Oh dear me, I never use the flash. ahaha I get mad when I accidentally turn that feature on. ^^;;

 

oh well.. Flash isn't a scary monster to always be shied away from either. On super-bright day it can be used as filler to even out the photo that might otherwise have way too stark light/shadows

Or it can "fake" night-time shots, if the flash goes off quick and illuminates the subject, so the camera is fooled into believing the rest of space is dark .. or create this awesome dramatic shadows on the walls!

 

... but yeah, if you've never used flash with your DD shots, that might explain the slight blurriness you were complaining about earlier. Non-flash shots always take a bit longer for the camera to take (especially indoors, especially in Auto-mode), so non-stable human hands cause blurs

 

ahahaha All I know about flash is that every year the Christmas cards my dad would send out looked disgusting because he took a flash photo of me after Thanksgiving dinner. D:

I'm willing to test it out! Maybe tomorrow will be sunny?


@blushingbjd

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masahiiro

You should really try flashes or lights. You can use your table lamps and stuff. you will get a totally new effect. Furthermore, It can reduce the camera shake. Sometimes, you have to use lights n the day too. you should try experimenting it. >.< Have fun!~

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slmka

Don't get disappointed when you don't get it right. Sometimes you really need to shoot a lot before you get the shoot you want.

 

If you have no choice but to use your camera's flash, put some white paper in front of it. This will soften the lights on her.

 

If you are using a tripod on a stable platform, turn off your IS (Image Stabilizer) and put on timer also, Canon have option of 2sec or 10sec (recommended). This will give your camera enough time to stabilize after you press the shutter.

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Lala Lolita
You should really try flashes or lights. You can use your table lamps and stuff. you will get a totally new effect. Furthermore, It can reduce the camera shake. Sometimes, you have to use lights n the day too. you should try experimenting it. >.< Have fun!~

 

Don't get disappointed when you don't get it right. Sometimes you really need to shoot a lot before you get the shoot you want.

 

If you have no choice but to use your camera's flash, put some white paper in front of it. This will soften the lights on her.

 

If you are using a tripod on a stable platform, turn off your IS (Image Stabilizer) and put on timer also, Canon have option of 2sec or 10sec (recommended). This will give your camera enough time to stabilize after you press the shutter.

 

Thanks for the advice peoples. :3 I'm excited to try more pics when the weather stops being scary. (severe storms in the area)


@blushingbjd

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tsunamidelta

I know this is an old thread.. which was brought back by someone else. I looked through your flickr.. Your shooting probably has improved since when you made this post initially. I'm curious if your still using the same camera.

 

Either way, what I notice in your photos that I think you can improve on is really just over all awareness of what your doing, and worrying less about what most people think is a good picture and go for your vision. What you can also do is, forget all the things about slow exposure.. Etc.. etc.. If your still using the powershot.. Those are great cameras. You just have to work a little harder to get them to do what DSLR's can do, but it's not impossible. The only advantage a DSLR has is you can change lenses. Really thats about it. First thing you want to do.. is start paying attention to where the light your using is coming from. How it plays on the subject. Don't just snap away.. and pray (Though admittedly this sometimes works) Look at the subject through the camera.. do you like what you see.. Do you not. If you want crisp pictures.. your gonna need enough light that you can get a fast shutter speed with the right exposure. In DSLR terms.. You'd want a shutter speed above 1/100 if possible and a f stop of whatever fits your intended needs for depth of field.

 

All of which you can accomplish with your power shot. Dig into the settings. Thats where the magic is. I'm not completely familiar with a power shot.. So I can't give you specifics. Also another thing.. Don't be afraid of the flash.. Use Flash Compensation to kick down over pop that generally happens.. Also tape a piece of white paper over the flash while your using it. It'll diffuse the light.

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Lala Lolita

Thanks for that @tsunamidelta! And I'm looking at tripods online... is a GorillaPod okay for my camera? Like, is it good enough??


@blushingbjd

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RaveOfNightmares
Thanks for that @tsunamidelta! And I'm looking at tripods online... is a GorillaPod okay for my camera? Like, is it good enough??

 

GorrillaPods are awesome. I myself have a GorrillaPod Focus, because of the 11lb+ carrying capacity, and the versatility of the legs is beyond what most pods can do. The only downside is that they're not terribly tall. My two big cameras weigh about 3lbs each, before a lens is attached.

 

A standard one would work fine with your camera, with the added bonus that it shouldn't require as much force to move the legs as the Focus model does.


21 DD girls: Mio, Marina, Yui, Yoko, Nia, Lily, Arisu, Akina, Momo, Arisa, Yukina, Ayaka, Niimi, Eri, Millefeuille, Ekisu, Chitose, Miyabi, KOS-MOS v.4, Hatsune Miku and God Eater Alisa. 2B in a hopeful future.

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tsunamidelta
Thanks for that @tsunamidelta! And I'm looking at tripods online... is a GorillaPod okay for my camera? Like, is it good enough??

 

 

Honestly.. I use Dell Cheapo Best buy Dynamo tripods.. And I have a really short one for other types of work. I don't use anything special for a tripod. If you like the GorillaPod.. Go with it.

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Lala Lolita
Thanks for that @tsunamidelta! And I'm looking at tripods online... is a GorillaPod okay for my camera? Like, is it good enough??

 

 

Honestly.. I use Dell Cheapo Best buy Dynamo tripods.. And I have a really short one for other types of work. I don't use anything special for a tripod. If you like the GorillaPod.. Go with it.

 

I think I just might. :3

 

Thanks for that @tsunamidelta! And I'm looking at tripods online... is a GorillaPod okay for my camera? Like, is it good enough??

 

GorrillaPods are awesome. I myself have a GorrillaPod Focus, because of the 11lb+ carrying capacity, and the versatility of the legs is beyond what most pods can do. The only downside is that they're not terribly tall. My two big cameras weigh about 3lbs each, before a lens is attached.

 

A standard one would work fine with your camera, with the added bonus that it shouldn't require as much force to move the legs as the Focus model does.

 

It's pretty cheap too, so I think it's worth a try. :3


@blushingbjd

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RaveOfNightmares
Thanks for that @tsunamidelta! And I'm looking at tripods online... is a GorillaPod okay for my camera? Like, is it good enough??

 

 

Honestly.. I use Dell Cheapo Best buy Dynamo tripods.. And I have a really short one for other types of work. I don't use anything special for a tripod. If you like the GorillaPod.. Go with it.

 

I think I just might. :3

 

Thanks for that @tsunamidelta! And I'm looking at tripods online... is a GorillaPod okay for my camera? Like, is it good enough??

 

GorrillaPods are awesome. I myself have a GorrillaPod Focus, because of the 11lb+ carrying capacity, and the versatility of the legs is beyond what most pods can do. The only downside is that they're not terribly tall. My two big cameras weigh about 3lbs each, before a lens is attached.

 

A standard one would work fine with your camera, with the added bonus that it shouldn't require as much force to move the legs as the Focus model does.

 

It's pretty cheap too, so I think it's worth a try. :3

 

If you don't already have a tripod head, the GorrillaPod + Ball-head sets are quite nice. Very strong and precise, no nonsense ball-head for the price.


21 DD girls: Mio, Marina, Yui, Yoko, Nia, Lily, Arisu, Akina, Momo, Arisa, Yukina, Ayaka, Niimi, Eri, Millefeuille, Ekisu, Chitose, Miyabi, KOS-MOS v.4, Hatsune Miku and God Eater Alisa. 2B in a hopeful future.

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Lala Lolita

 

If you don't already have a tripod head, the GorrillaPod + Ball-head sets are quite nice. Very strong and precise, no nonsense ball-head for the price.

Okay! I'm gonna go for it!


@blushingbjd

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