What I Use For Photos

[alessia55]

What do you use for a light tent? Or whatever you take pictures on

I actually don't own or use a light tent to get my pictures. I went to Jo Ann's Fabrics, a fabrics & crafts store here in the US, and got some cheap, discount fabrics that I thought would be good for photos. My mom is a photographer, so she helped me pick out the ones that might be best, amidst all the cheaper stuff. I don't have any special lighting either. But I do have a good camera that does most of the work for me. Any amateur photographer can replicate my photos.

I drape the material/fabric over my sofa:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/alessia55/IMG_8649.jpg

This is the light that I have standing next to my sofa. If I need additional light, I use the flash that came with my camera.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/alessia55/IMG_8651.jpg

Here is my camera with the lens it came with. When I go to expos or when I travel, this is the lens I use. It is also the lens I use when I'm taking casual reptile photos. (These pics are blurry because I took them with my cell phone)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/alessia55/IMG02085-20111118-2146.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/alessia55/IMG02089-20111118-2148.jpg

This is my camera with my macro lens attached to it. It's really quite heavy! You can use a tripod to hold it up, but I don't own one. I either hold it up with my left hand, or I balance it on a table/chair that is at the same height as the object I'm trying to photograph.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/alessia55/IMG02086-20111118-2147.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/alessia55/IMG02088-20111118-2147.jpg

The final product:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/alessia55/IMG_8506.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/alessia55/IMG_7517.jpg

I hope this gives someone some insight into getting good pics minus the cost of a light tent, reflective backgrounds, fancy exterior flash devices, etc!

[youngster]

Looks really nice! My mom makes pillows and bags for a living so we have plenty of spare fabric laying around.
I smell a photoshoot tomorrow :)

[infernalis]

Towels work well too.


Thanks for sharing this great info!

[millertime89]

god I need to get me a macro lense, is that a fixed 180mm?

[alessia55]

god I need to get me a macro lense, is that a fixed 180mm?

Yes, it's a fixed 180mm. I use it for really close up shots, or I can use it as binoculars/telescope to take pics of stuff that's far away :p

[Norm66]

Nice. I gotta get a real camera one of these days. I have one but it's a dinosaur...35mm. Lol

[Will0W783]

You do a great job with photos! The ones you take of my snakes always come out amazing! The one of Shelby standing up facing the camera is now my background on my lab computer :-D

[millertime89]

price?
how's the build quality on it? Feel pretty sturdy?

[alessia55]

A few more examples of photos I have taken with the setup I described:

With the Macro lens: (photobucket really makes these pictures grainy when I upload them, tis' a shame)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/alessia55/IMG_7637.jpg

On the white material as a background:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/alessia55/IMG_8267-1.jpg

[alessia55]

price?
how's the build quality on it? Feel pretty sturdy?

The camera: ~$400
180mm Macro lens: I don't remember, tbh. It was a Christmas gift.

The camera and the lenses are really sturdy. I put the camera around my neck with the strap it came with, and I take it when I travel. It has a few dents and scratches but it takes all the rough handling I do. It's been a great camera. It's the only camera I've had for 4-5 years now and I see no need to trade it in for a different camera anytime soon. I recommend it to anyone who's an amateur or has intermediate photography skills.

[millertime89]

I've got a camera body already, just looking to add lenses to my repertoire, gonna have to see if that lense, or one similar, is still made.

[millertime89]

ouch those are expensive...

[youngster]

ouch those are expensive...

I typed in "dslr macro lens" in Google and found this. (http://www.digital-photography-school.com/alternatives-to-buying-a-dedicated-macro-lens-for-your-dslr)

[millertime89]

seen them, don't care for em, I'm stuck in a bad place, its called my last year of college. I'm so close to being able to afford more expensive things, so I look at them, but I still can't afford them yet.

[Kayla90]

Ohhh very handy.. Though I doubt I'd be able to get ahold of a camera like that ... -.- And I really don't know how to use Stephan's well O.o :(

[alessia55]

Ohhh very handy.. Though I doubt I'd be able to get ahold of a camera like that ... -.- And I really don't know how to use Stephan's well O.o :(

Just play around with it a bit. You'll eventually figure it out ;)

[Kayla90]

Even Steph has a hard time with it... and he knows how to use it... it re auto focuses after it focuses so the pictures all basically turn out blurry unless you're lucky

[alessia55]

Even Steph has a hard time with it... and he knows how to use it... it re auto focuses after it focuses so the pictures all basically turn out blurry unless you're lucky

That's strange. What kind of camera is it?

[Kayla90]

A Konica Minolta
http://www.photoaxe.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/minolta-z20.jpg

[millertime89]

I've never played with one of those before, it looks like some of those other cameras that are more than point and shoots, but not quite DSLRs. If its anything like DSLR auto-focusing mechanisms once it focuses on a point you want to be focused on you need to do one of 2 things, either continue to hold the shutter down until it takes the photo or release and hit the shutter. All DSLRs take pictures after one or the other, you just have to figure it out.

[TeaNinja]

i'm very jealous, i need to save up money and buy a new camera. i love taking pictures.

[millertime89]

i'm very jealous, i need to save up money and buy a new camera. i love taking pictures.

Its like an addiction, my roommate gives me crap every time I bust out my camera cuz he says I'm always taking pictures.

[TeaNinja]

i have abunch of old photo threads. i've taken some great ones with my crappy digital before it died.

[Skumbo]

if you think reptiles are expensive, dont start looking at lenses. trust me xD

I use a pentax Kx, and use a pentax mount to manual screw-on adapter, and use old USSR manual focus lenses. I need a macro lens still though, hard to find em.