Model bears...........!!

[shelly]

:6091:

Hi, Can anyone give me some tips on the best way to photograph my rabbits ?
I'm ok with a camera, but I'm not sure how to get the clarity that many of you have seemed to get.

Thanks Shelly.:6091:

[Jenny]

How long have you got? LOL

I use a light tent..which is easy to make..or you can get them cheaply on ebay. Mine's an EZcube one. It's quite big...about 30" square.

I have some fluorescent photo-lamps which are near as damn-it is to swearing 'day-light' and that's how I do nearly all my pictures. If it's not too bright outside I'll take the whole shooting match out there and then I use just the light tent and use a silver or white reflector to bounce the light. I use mount board as a back drop as it comes in many and varied colours and doesn't crease.

Try not to use black back-grounds...too contrasty. White subjects, along with black are notoriously difficult to snap and you need to make sure your camera is on the right setting...I always set mine to + 1 stop for white things and -1 stop for dark ( pretty much but there are exceptions...I usually 'bracket' exposures to cover all eventualities. At this point I would read your camera manual and it'll tell you about such fascinating stuff as white balance...which unless you have an automatic facility on your camera you need to check out as it makes a huge difference as it affects how your camera sees the colour of various light sources.

As for focus I discovered ..after some 25 years as a semi-professional photographer (HA) ..that digital cameras won't give crisp focus in auto-focus mode less than 3 feet away..so set your focus to manual and you'll be fine!

She says!!!

[Melanie Jayne]

Hi Shelly

What photography equipment are you using?

I am no photography expert and all I can do is tell you how I photograph my bears. Firstly I do have a light tent and lights which I have found to be one of my best investments ever. I usually shoot my photos in macro setting and adjust the colour balance and white balance too on my camera. From there I then edit in photoshop.

I must say that my photographs would probably be far better if I used a tripod, but I am to lazy.

[Melanie Jayne]

oooooooooops Jenny got in before me :6045: :6045: now Jenny is the expert here

[shelly]

Hi Jenny & Melanie

I take it back, I know nothing about photography. I thought when you started talking about a light tent I was going to have to rush down to 'Millets'.
I have since been on ebay and seen what you were talking about ! Hmmmmm........ it's a whole new kettle of fish, but I'm not easily put off, at least I can put it on my Christmas list as I don't think my rabbit bangle will be coming down the chimney this year !

Melanie, I only have a small digital camera, I haven't managed to read the instructions yet, even though I've had it nearly two years, I did take them on holiday to read but, hey......
Thanks for your help !!!!!!

[Melanie Jayne]

Hi Shelly

I don’t have a fancy camera at all it is just a Fujifilm finepix with 4.1 mega pixles camera and I can promise you it is nothing special at all. I bought it earlier this year from Asda in the sale and it cost me around £60. It does do the job for me, the macro setting is that little flower shape which is used for close up’s and the white/colour balance can be adjusted when I put the camera into manual……….I am not sure whether all cameras operate this way, but Jenny really is an expert in photography

[Steffi]

Hi Shelley

I have a light tent that I have had for nearly three years. As hubby needs to photograph his live steam models we are in the process of getting a new system to use for table top photography. Consequently I have second hand tent if you are at all interested.

Best wishes

Steffi

[shelly]

Thanks Steffi, I've sent you a message!

[Lorna Evett]

I'm off to ebay, if my old man says i am so useless at taking photos, perhaps a tent will help. :6034:

Lorna

[Jenny]

It's hard to go through the whole thing in one post but I am very happy to help where I can. I don't know a huge amount about digital cameras as I am the old school...but I do know a bit about taking pictures so I can try to help as much as possible.

One thing I will say is that the more effort you put into your pictures the better chance you have of selling your bears on-line..it's your shop window.
I think a good camera is an investment and can be the difference between selling and not selling a bear.

[All Bear]

I use an Olympus Camedia C-350 zoom. It's a very basic little digicam and cost about £140 two or three years ago. It only has 3.2 megapixels but I find it's great for the website and the prints are fine to be printed for brochures etc. It's also idiot proof - which is essential for me! I like to take my pics outdoors so it works great for that ... I must admit though, if I need some more professional looking shots for competitions or special printing, I ask my sister to take them because she's a professional photographer. Mind you, I get heaps of compliments about the outdoor pics ... they've become a bit of a signature style for me!

I used to use a lovely Canon SLR (not digital) which took beautiful shots, but it cost a fortune to keep developing rolls of film, so I bought the little digicam and haven't looked back since.

I'd love a posh digital SLR ... but would need to save my pennies for that! One day!!

[Melanie Jayne]

Jenny I must admit that I am currently saving for a new (better) camera and I have my sights set on one. The camera I use right now is good enough, but there is always room for improvement and I do need to edit everything in photoshop which can often be a drooling experience.

Paula, I have tried to photograph my bears outside too, but it just does not work for me the colour is all wrong and I just can not manage it. I have to say that I do like bears photographed outside and it sort of add to their character

[Jenny]

I am a total control freak and like to manage the whole picture ..so if I were outside taking pictures I'd pull every plant to pieces making sure each leaf was in the right spot! I also like to control the light and the shadows (or should I say 'no shadows'!)..which is hard outside unless you have lots of reflectors stuff. Nothing is as lovely as natural light though and I do like to take my bears outside...but in the light tent!!!

As far as cameras go..like I said about the scissors...you can have a Rolls Royce and not be able to drive it. I think the camera is important..I have a digital SLR..it's a NIKON D70s which was a dear do..I also bought a very fancy portrait cum macro lens earlier this year which is basically because I am a photo-gadget junkie as well as a mohair junkie...but it's paid dividends in bear sales.

Only thing is, every stitch shows up!!!!