Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Interested in lighting setups for shots against a white background.. I am considering investing in some nice quality lights. Right now I own a Fuji mx-2700.. has been a really nice camera, I would like to keep this one and add a nikon coolpix 4500. Anyone have experience with these cameras for shooting white background pics?

I would appreciate any help or suggestions..

Thanks,

Marco

Only thing I can say is dont shoot with direct lighting. That is dont shoot the flash directly at your subject while on a white background. I am assuming youre shooting herp photography. That being the case, macro or close-up photography is very harsh when it comes to lighting. Fortunately with digital photography you have all the "aftershot" repairs you can do with programs like photoshop and photoimpact. Still, you dont want to washout or over expose your shots. If you want to go cheap and use a hot shoe mounted flash, you have several different options otherwise.
1.)You can use what is known as bounce flash, where you aim your flash at a nearby reflective object that will direct the "bounce" back towards your subject, This subdues the harsh light somewhat is a pretty effective.
2.) another "cheap" option on a flash diffuser. Some use a flash filter that diffuses the light. Some use a sort of bubble that velcro's around the flash head diffuses the flash's light.
3.) off camera flash w/ a sync cord can be held by hand or w/ a bracket. Again, without a diffuser, you will need to shoot the flash at different powers (auto, fill, 1/4, 1/2, etc.) to find which produces your best results.
4.) during daylight shooting, if you have an assistant, there is a foldable reflector made for outdoor photography that your assistant can use to direct sunlight at your subject. This is my favorite option as it produces some good shading.
4.) Finally when you talk about stand alone lighting that sync's with your camera, you talking lots o money and thats a whole other subject. you can use bounce, diffuse, filtered with these as well.

I personally don't like ring lights for what I do but some people like them. Hope this helps...JP

This photo was shot using reflective lighting through some branches.

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Snakes of Hudspeth County, Texas