- Joined
- Mar 9, 2006
- Messages
- 805
- Purraise
- 1
Don't worry, I am talking about shooting them with a digital camera.
Many TCS members has asked me regarding Rupert and Stewie's pictures and I decide to write this mini guide to share with TCS.
We all love to take pictures of our beloved kitties with our digital cameras as they are just soooo cute and just want to share them with other TCS members.
As most us have experienced, our digital camera is not perfect and sometimes are not able to keep up with our little lighting fast tigers around house. You will either get a blurry shot of them or completely nothing as they have already left the frame as the camera is trying to focus. This is caused by low light conditions in the house/indoors and slow shutter speed of your camera. .
There are tips to improve your indoor/low light shots with your digital camera.
1. Turn up the ISO on your digital camera to 400-800 or even 1600 (if your camera is capable. Please be warned that the higher the ISO, the more noise it will be. But noisy picture is better than blurry picture).
2. Open up the aperture to the highest (if your camera is capable. Lower the number means the bigger the aperture is. for example, f/1.4 > f/11. f/1.4 has bigger aperture than f/11.)
3. Set your camera to burst mode (if your camera is capable.) This will allow you take a series (3-6 shots or more) of picture in rapid succession. Statistically speaking, one of the pictures will not be blurry. Also, the first shot is most likely to be blurry because you are pressing the shutter.
4. Turn off the flash. This will give the picture a natural look. Personally, I don't like to use flash at all as it destroys the picture by projecting an obtrusive head-on lights on your subject.
5. Take multiple pictures of the same subject. Since it is all digital, it does not cost a thing to take multiple pictures. I usually take 10+ picture of the same subject in multiple angles, distances, compositions..etc This will ensure you get the shots you want. This also holds true with all subjects not just kitties.
Give above methods a try even if your camera does not allow all of the adjustments. You may do it in combinations or just try method at a time. You really don't need expensive digital camera to take great pictures. Most of the recent digital camera are very capable. This will take some practice and I am sure all of your pictures will turn out great.
Oh, here are some more non-technical tips for the shooter.
6. Get up close and personal with your kitties. Try not to use zoom or zoom in too much as it gets shakier as you zoom in more.
7. Hold the camera with both hands. Hold them closer to you with the shutter button arm against your rib cage. This will further stabilize your shots.
8. Lay off the coffee.
I hope this little guide helps. Now, go take some pics and share it with us.
NOTE: If you already know all of the above, sorry for wasting your time.
example:
Taken around 4-5 in the morning, ISO 400, f/1.4, burst mode, no flash. Camera used Canon 20D.
Stewie under the bed. It is pretty dark underneath the bed. Turn the ISO to 400, aperture to f/1.4, set the camera on the floor, burst mode, no flash. Camera used Canon 20D
Stewie on table. ISO 400, set on table, no flash. Nikon Coolpix S1 (3 year old pocket size camera)
We all love to take pictures of our beloved kitties with our digital cameras as they are just soooo cute and just want to share them with other TCS members.
As most us have experienced, our digital camera is not perfect and sometimes are not able to keep up with our little lighting fast tigers around house. You will either get a blurry shot of them or completely nothing as they have already left the frame as the camera is trying to focus. This is caused by low light conditions in the house/indoors and slow shutter speed of your camera. .
There are tips to improve your indoor/low light shots with your digital camera.
1. Turn up the ISO on your digital camera to 400-800 or even 1600 (if your camera is capable. Please be warned that the higher the ISO, the more noise it will be. But noisy picture is better than blurry picture).
2. Open up the aperture to the highest (if your camera is capable. Lower the number means the bigger the aperture is. for example, f/1.4 > f/11. f/1.4 has bigger aperture than f/11.)
3. Set your camera to burst mode (if your camera is capable.) This will allow you take a series (3-6 shots or more) of picture in rapid succession. Statistically speaking, one of the pictures will not be blurry. Also, the first shot is most likely to be blurry because you are pressing the shutter.
4. Turn off the flash. This will give the picture a natural look. Personally, I don't like to use flash at all as it destroys the picture by projecting an obtrusive head-on lights on your subject.
5. Take multiple pictures of the same subject. Since it is all digital, it does not cost a thing to take multiple pictures. I usually take 10+ picture of the same subject in multiple angles, distances, compositions..etc This will ensure you get the shots you want. This also holds true with all subjects not just kitties.
Give above methods a try even if your camera does not allow all of the adjustments. You may do it in combinations or just try method at a time. You really don't need expensive digital camera to take great pictures. Most of the recent digital camera are very capable. This will take some practice and I am sure all of your pictures will turn out great.
Oh, here are some more non-technical tips for the shooter.
6. Get up close and personal with your kitties. Try not to use zoom or zoom in too much as it gets shakier as you zoom in more.
7. Hold the camera with both hands. Hold them closer to you with the shutter button arm against your rib cage. This will further stabilize your shots.
8. Lay off the coffee.
I hope this little guide helps. Now, go take some pics and share it with us.
NOTE: If you already know all of the above, sorry for wasting your time.
example:
Taken around 4-5 in the morning, ISO 400, f/1.4, burst mode, no flash. Camera used Canon 20D.
Stewie under the bed. It is pretty dark underneath the bed. Turn the ISO to 400, aperture to f/1.4, set the camera on the floor, burst mode, no flash. Camera used Canon 20D
Stewie on table. ISO 400, set on table, no flash. Nikon Coolpix S1 (3 year old pocket size camera)