Is it me or my camera?

[mandyjw]

Looking through the show and tell threads I wonder why I post. My pictures suck compared to everyone elses. I have and use Adobe Photoshop elements 4.0, it seems like I've done a ton of things to improve my pictures, but they aren't where I want them to be.
I have a Canon Powershot A75, its 3.2 megapixels and its a couple years old. So...

Should I spend the money to get a better camera, or is there something else I should do?

I'll attach some of my latest pictures so you get the idea.

Thanks for your help!

[Tanner Studios]

Hey Mandy, First off your photos are not so bad. Yes they some need work. But over all their quite nice. I enjoy seeing your beautiful beads in the show & Tell.

Do you need a new camera ? Can't say. If you ask me , I'll tell you an investment in a system that will give you an advantage over your competition is a good investment.

But before you drop more coin. Read my tut Fastest way to better photography Level tut. And really try understanding level. They really are your best friend.

Second, Try backing way from your bead when photographing it. You maybe pushing into the set more then your lens can handle. Remember not all lens are created equal. The trick is to find the sweet spot in your lens. This will be somewhere in the middle of your F/stops. Example, if your lens has, lets say. F/22 to F/4 . The sweet spot will be between F/11 and F/8. This is not gospel, Just a place to start. Also the sweet spot is determined. By where the lens likes to focus ( how close ). So do some test shots to find the sweet spot.

Remember PHOTOGRAPHY is an ART. You have to work for it. You are not entitled to it. And it can't be bought.

Scott

[mandyjw]

Thanks so much Scott. :D I need to figure out everything in that tutorial you wrote, I understand the basics but its gonna take some work. Still thinking about a new camera....

[FourTailsLampwork]

Mandy, Lori Greenberg has a wonderful tutorial on eliminating the background from pictures. It's going to be a long long LONG time before I can afford anything other than my Fuji-FinePix 2650 point-and-shoot (forget lenses, F-Stops, or anything like that), but I've gotten some decent pictures out of it by using that tutorial combined with Scott's Levels tutorial.

Scott, what would you recommend in the under $200 range so I have something to ... ummm ... shoot for?

[collectiblesbyrose]

Dang....those are some BEAUTIFUL beads!!! Sorry I'm no help on the photo stuff.

[Janice]

Mandy, my camera is almost the same as yours (same brand, model, vintage, etc). Your pictures look a little blurry to me in this post -- I find that if I get too close with my camera, that whatever I'm photographing gets blurry (and I don't often notice it until I see it on my computer monitor). I think Scott's given you really good advice!

J.

[pipyr]

Mandy, you make beautiful beads. Your pictures aren't bad, but they don't really show off how special your beads are, ya know? looking at your pictures, I don't think your problem is the camera. They could be a little sharper, but that's just a matter of backing away a little bit from the bead. It would really help if you could show us an un-edited version of a photo so we can see what you are starting with before you go to photoshop. That will help with figuring out if you are lightening them a lot or if you are needing to sharpen them a lot, etc.

The real "problem" I have with your photos is that they just don't stand out. Your beads do, but your photos don't. Your background has texture in it, which take away from the beads a lot. There are also some really washed out areas in the white background which are distracting. I made a quick 10x15 gradient and went to my local photo shop to have it printed. I used matte paper, but you could also choose glossy if you wanted a reflection. If you aren't going for a reflection, I would recommend moving your beads AWAY from the background...I get the yellow sticky tack at the grocery store and put my pendants on a cord. Then I take the ends of my cords and stick them to the top of the photo tent on each side. That way, my pendants hang as if they were being worn and they are not casting shadows and there is no texture showing in the background.

Speaking of photo tents, do you have one? You can find them on ebay for less than $20 and they are a very wise investment!! they will soften the glare on your beads so another potentially distracting element is gone :)

Really, what it all comes down to is that you spend a lot of time on your beads. I can certainly see that. You put a lot of efort into each one. Take some time and work on your photo set-up. Look at the pictures that really take your breath away. What is it that you like about them? For me, it was the gradient and proper execution that I liked best. So, that's what I decided to do.

Pictures are the ONLY way buyers on the internet have to decide how much your beads are worth to them. Trust me when I say, presentation is EVERYTHING!! Getting your photo set up EXACTLY how you want it is one of the wisest investments you can make. It will communicate to buyers that you are proud of your beads and that they are worth whatever you ask for them, because you are a professional and know what you're doing. ;) The great thing about photography is that once you set it up the way you want, you don't have to do it again...it's smooth sailing from there ;)

If you want to see my pictures, you can see them in my gallery on my site (in my siggy). Then yuo can decide if you want to take my advice seriously or toss it in the trash :lol: Good luck with your pictures!!! :D

[Teague]

I'm pretty fond of mine, a Powershot 610, it's around $200, probably less. It has a pretty short focal length, easy to use and fairly sturdy (Still works, I've dropped it a bunch).

Teague

Mandy, Lori Greenberg has a wonderful tutorial on eliminating the background from pictures. It's going to be a long long LONG time before I can afford anything other than my Fuji-FinePix 2650 point-and-shoot (forget lenses, F-Stops, or anything like that), but I've gotten some decent pictures out of it by using that tutorial combined with Scott's Levels tutorial.

Scott, what would you recommend in the under $200 range so I have something to ... ummm ... shoot for?

[topher wren]

your photos are not bad follow the advice of tanner, he knows what he is talking about. nice to see another fellow photographer here

[szglassy]

Hi Tanner

Could you post a link for your tutorial?


Thanks!

Sue

[Donna T.]

Try this
http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11879