Photo Advice

[eigenmode]

I've just bought a new digital camera and, even with the macro setting, I cannot take good quality, clear close up photos of my latest Rolex. Any advice on what I should be doing?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Mike

[sailmed]

Assuming that the settings on the camera are correct for your closeup attempts, probably the most important aspect is control of the lighting. There are many resources for proper setups, and you can mimic some of them for little expense and a bit of creativity.
Just experiment after doing some reading and have fun!

[Numismatist]

Lighting is at least 90% of the equation. Get a cardboard box, line it with printer paper, aim lights at the roof of it to diffuse the light, and try that.

[bewithabob]

The world of macro photography is amazing ans fun!

Automatic macro settings usually use smaller f-stops to deliver greater depth of field (the depth of the area that you see in your viewfinder that is in focus). With each reduction of the f-stop, say from an f1.8 to an f2, you reduce the amount of light that can get through the lense by half. But to get sharp results in macro photography you will need a f-stop that is f8.0 to f-16 or smaller depending on your lens. If you have a digital SLR and are using extension tubes on your lense to get macro, you will need even smaller f-stops to increase a crisp depth of field, and more lighting is even more important. Without more lighting, longer shutter speeds are required, and will need something to keep the camera steady, such as a tripod. At slower shutter speeds (<1/60th sec) pressing the shutter is enough to cause motion and blur the exposure. Today's newer lenses can reduce and eliminate motion blur from slower shutter speeds in some cases. This depends on your camera and lenses

For balanced and controlled lighting, the optimum is a lightbox., with lights at appropriate temperature and distance with screens to reduce harsh effects. Building a lightbox is fairly simple and inexpensive. Here are some easy-to-follow instructions on how to build one. http://www.digital-photography-schoo...ive-light-tent. or http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/07...to-studio.html

if you don't want to build it yourself, and can pony up the cash to buy a light box... these are readily available in a variety of sizes http://www.adorama.com/VRDSB16.html#ReviewHeader. B&H Photo sells Lastolite lightboxes...here is a tutorial on how to set up and use. http://www.lastolitevideos.com/tag/cubelite

Check out www.kenrockwell.com for hints on digital photography. I think this is one of the best sites, but there are others.

You should also take a look at the instruction manual that came with your camera to get used to the settings. Through trial and error, you will come up with a setup that suits your needs.

Have fun!