ORIGINAL: dhal22
more photos. i don't know why the previous photos are so blurry.
David,
nice start! I look forward to this one.
I've discovered that it is important to set the camera to
Macro (look for the
flower icon) mode when shooting up close. Also allow the camera to autofocus before shooting the picture. On my camera I basically hold down the shutter button, let it focus, and then press more to store the image on to the flash card. Making sure the white balance is set to the right type of lighting (fluorescent, incandescent) also helps to get proper color and contrast. Finally, you have to set the camera to the right sensitivity (ISO). I find that 200 works well for indoor lighting in the shop but sometimes I crank it up to 400. Higher than that and you probably don't have enough light and the picture will be grainy. Lower than 200 usually requires daylight.
When shot well, sharp close ups look great and the background goes nicely out of focus as desired - very cinematic!
David.