Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just learning how to use my new camera.

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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

Nice shot Jay of a great looking snake.. what kind of camera did you get?

A little constructive criticism.. You have focused on the end of the muzzle (nostril area) and with the shallow depth of field in this shot, it leaves the eyes slightly out of focus. It would help the shot alot if you opened the DOF up (decrease aperature). I am assuming with the noise and shallow DOF lighting was limited.. so increasing the light would more than likely be required as well or a really really still snake.

If outside is an option, try that.. or setup near a large window. Also.. that white board I spoke of in the other post will act as a reflector if your using a window. Set it up with the snake between the board and the window.. will add light to both sides of the subject.

Keep shooting and keep sharing!
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photos.xtremecombatsports.com

>>Nice shot Jay of a great looking snake.. what kind of camera did you get?

Thanks! Nikon D70s. I used auto settings and an 18-70mm lens about 18" away from the subject.

>>
>>A little constructive criticism.. You have focused on the end of the muzzle (nostril area) and with the shallow depth of field in this shot, it leaves the eyes slightly out of focus. It would help the shot alot if you opened the DOF up (decrease aperature).

I'll have to figure out that one - still learning. The lighting was low. I took the pic in my snake room and it was overcast in my area so not much light, other than the flash.

>>If outside is an option, try that.. or setup near a large window. Also.. that white board I spoke of in the other post will act as a reflector if your using a window. Set it up with the snake between the board and the window.. will add light to both sides of the subject.

I'll give that a try.

>>Keep shooting and keep sharing!

I plan to. Thanks!
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

"Thanks! Nikon D70s. I used auto settings and an 18-70mm lens about 18" away from the subject."

Nice camera.. I am sure you will love it! It is a great camera to learn and fine tune your photography skills with!

"I'll have to figure out that one - still learning. The lighting was low. I took the pic in my snake room and it was overcast in my area so not much light, other than the flash. "

I have posted it several times here, and I will let you know about it too.. the National Geographic Field Manual does a good job of explaining shutter speed, iso and aperature and their relationships to each other. It also explains depth of field in a very easy to understand manor.. and how to control it. You can get the book at most bookstores, through National Geographics site or through amazon.com.

www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/079225676X/ref=cm_bg_f_2/102-7599013-1371323?v=glance

I found the best way to learn is by experimenting.. reading the manual and anything else you can get your hands on.. and most importantly.. taking lots and lots of pictures.. after all, the developing cost for photos out of a D70 is very cheap!! Don't be afraid to use other settings besides the auto modes.. shutter and aperature priority can offer you great flexibility with your creativity and ability.
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photos.xtremecombatsports.com

Jay,

Nice shot. Well framed and I like use of DOF. Like Tim, I would like to see a little bit more depth of field, but not too much.

What ever f/stop you used, you might close it down another 1/3 of a stop to try and get the eye and the snout in focus while keeping the blurred look of the body.

You should also consider resizing your pictures before posting them. Most people use a screen resolution of 1024x768 (or less) and therefore they can't see your whole pic without scrolling. This significantly reduces the impact of a picture such as this.
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Chris Harrison
Central Texas

>>Jay,
>>
>>Nice shot. Well framed and I like use of DOF. Like Tim, I would like to see a little bit more depth of field, but not too much.

Thanks!

>>
>>What ever f/stop you used, you might close it down another 1/3 of a stop to try and get the eye and the snout in focus while keeping the blurred look of the body.

Not sure. It was set for auto.

>>
>>You should also consider resizing your pictures before posting them. Most people use a screen resolution of 1024x768 (or less) and therefore they can't see your whole pic without scrolling. This significantly reduces the impact of a picture such as this.

I'll do that.

Thanks!
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles