Advice on improving my bonsai photography is requested

[Leigh Taafe]

Hi all,

Spent money on a good camera. Thought I would take some pics. I still have a bit to figure out with lighting and stuff. Here are the pics......I would value any photographic feedback on what I have done.

Cheers,
Leigh.

Banksia.jpg

Banksia2.jpg

ChineseElm.jpg

EnglishElm.jpg

JuniperPN.jpg

JuniperSP.jpg

Ligustrum.jpg

Shimpaku.jpg

[NathanM]

Hi Leigh,
I'm not expert but what I do understand and what I see in your pics is that I think you need to move the trees a fair way further back from the wall. That and maybe take the pictuers rom further back, maybe using a bigger lense if needed. Pics seem to be maybe a bit over exposed too.
Like I said though, I'm no expert, but that's how I see it
Nathan

[Leigh Taafe]

Thanks Nathan - so I should have a gap between where the tree is and the wall behind them? I have a 18-135mm lense - should I go further away and use the lense to zoom in on the tree?

Thanks for your help.

Leigh.

[Jamie]

Thanks Nathan - so I should have a gap between where the tree is and the wall behind them? I have a 18-135mm lense - should I go further away and use the lense to zoom in on the tree?

Thanks for your help.

Leigh.

spot on leigh, go about 2 foot back from the wall to the tree then about 6 foot back from the tree or further and zoom in a bit. i play with the gap and distance and zoom all the time trying to figure it out.
i am pretty sure thats the theory of it anyways.

jamie

[Leigh Taafe]

Thanks Jamie.

Any thoughts on the lighting? I feel that my lighting is throwing TOO much light on the tree. I have the lights well back behind the camera at roughly 45 degree angles to the subject and shining up and down (not directly at the tree). I also took these from about 6 feet away and zoomed in with the lense a small bit to frame the tree. Once taken - I then cropped a little bit off.

Cheers,
Leigh.

[Jamie]

i seen a thread i think on here which showed how to set up lighting, i think the best way is to use "indirect lighting" where the light is pointed at those umbrella looking things and that reflects the light onto the tree not causing glare. 2 of them were used at about a 35 degree angle on either side of the camera. i also think that it is different to shooting inside or outside, i have found inside shots are of fair better quality then outside.

try setting the tree about 2 foot off the wall first then take a shot 6 foot away from the tree zooming in, dont worry bout the cropping try get it right on the tree.
then keep the same distance of the back of the tree and have the camera further back again. maybe 5 or 6 shots at a foot back each time zooming in each time and seeing how it goes

i am no camera expert either but i do have a friend who studied photography, i will try get in touch with her and see if she can help me out and i will pass it on (she is back in my hometown adelaide)


jamie

[Leigh Taafe]

Thanks mate - any tips will be great!

[Jamie]

viewtopic.php?f=52&t=311


i knew i seen a good guide to taking good shots of trees, this will help ya out heaps mate! you have probably tried some of it already. i will still get in touch with my mate from down south. she did after all do a degree or whichever it is in photography so i reckon she can take some sweet shots!
i am actually pretty sure she is still working in it to, cant be sure we havent spoke for a long time bar the occasional chit chat on face book which i will have to get back on now to get back in touch with her (dont ask why i aint on it)


jamie

[dayne]

the two main things with a camera is f-stop(apperture eg-f4) and shutter spead are you shooting manual or auto what type of camera is it i might be able to help was pro for a feww years.

[Pup]

G,day Leigh what I see here is shadow as if you have the flash on. I find that Natural light best if possible.
When I take mine I am closer than two feet, to the back drop. I will do like you have said get further away and Zoom in.
I found most of it is trial and error. The beauty of digi you dont like it erase it no cost. When I was using film two rolls for one good shot. That was when you needed all the other light reflectors and such. Still have my SLR sitting gathering dust.

Cheers Pup

[Leigh Taafe]

Thanks Pup - guess I gotta just try a few different things.

Hi Dayne,

I am running a Canon 500D with a 18-135mmIS lens

I shot a few in auto on portrait - then I shot a few in auto flash off.

Not real sure about the apperture and shutter speed thingy yet. If you tell me what would be ideal - I can figure out how to set it.

Thanks for your help!

[kcpoole]

Thanks Nathan - so I should have a gap between where the tree is and the wall behind them? I have a 18-135mm lense - should I go further away and use the lense to zoom in on the tree?

Thanks for your help.

Leigh.

Get as far away form the subject as you can and zoom it frame the tree, use a tripod and longer exposure as well

Ken

[Mojo Moyogi]

Leigh, give this a try.

Manual setting:
aperture at f22
exposure you will need about 2 seconds of exposure as a starting point, use a tripod and delay the shutter by a couple of seconds to avoid camera shake as the shutter is depressed
turn image stabilisation off
white balance set to whatever light source you are using eg, flouro, halogen (tungsten) or daylight etc.
Avoid using 2 different light sources eg. daylight and artificial light, you will be cahasing white balance until the cows come home otherwise!
disable the flash
set the picture quality to maximum or RAW if your camera supports this
light the tree from both sides at about 45 degrees left and right, with one side slightly less lit than the other, or alternatively light direct from one side and reflect light into the other side
increase distance between tree and the background and camera and tree, zoom in to take the shot
avoid light spilling onto background

You will need to adjust the exposure time up and down to get the exposure correct.

I hope this helps. If not then I recomend abundant profanity (or read Old Mister Crow's guide to photographing bonsai)

Cheers
MM

[dayne]

heres my suggestion dont use any auto settings on your camera for a month only use manual
as you look thought the finder you will see a plus and minus scale you want the meter to be wright in the middle this will give you an even exsposure (good colour and density and light) shutter speed is used to control the amount of speed that the item has (race car use shutter speed first to control a nice shot) .apperture or f-stop is used to give a depth of feild a f22 will give a great landscape shot the tree a metre from you and the tree 500m so it has a depth of focus of 500m but at f2.8 only only what you focus on will be in focus so a depth of feild of about half a metre.

my ides is to take lots of photos of the same object maybe you back yard start at your lowst apperture and take one at every apperture intervill untill the huighest apperture adjusting the shutter speed to the middle of the scale at each apperture adjustment

this will help to show what the apperture does YOU WILL STRUGGLE for the month but you will be the better photographer for it
the problem is people dont know how to take photos any more because of point and shoot digital like pup said just point and shoot thats like telling some one just get a tree put it in a pot and you have a bonsai mmmm

[Psymo]

Have you had a look at this:
http://octavia.zoology.washington.edu/b ... Guide.html