Thread: Tips for Photographing Projects

My wife would probably love to shoot me while I'm working too....

Remembering is the hard bit. I get immersed too. Have to regard the project as being
a documentary first & a boat second ? Keep the camera where it can be got at without
hassle, but not get dusty.

Most digi cameras have a macro setting for close-ups - usually indicated with an icon
of a flower.

Deciding what is important enough to photo, & positioning light, camera & job to show
it off is probably th hardest bit for me.

cheers
AJ

I find it helps if you Blog the build, doesn't have to be a great literary work but it does need to be kept up, you soon get the habit and it doesn't really take much time, try taking a snap whenever you have a tea break. The easiest format is probably captioned snaps, I find that when I try writing it up it all gets convoluted and a bit turgid. The other advantage of blogging the build is that other people get interested and sometimes say the nicest things which helps to keep you going. It also means that when you come to write the article for WC, WB or whatever your favorite mag is, you are halfway there.

The biggest lesson I have learned is to take lots - if you are digital then it isn't costing anything for full coverage. It is also a useful record of where you got to when as long as you have date and time set the camera. An expensive camera is not necessary but I think a tripod is, with either delayed release or remote control. Play around with the white balance settings to suite your building environment. Macro shouldn't be necessary - most cameras will focus down to a meter or so and that seems to be close enough. The ability to take long exposures is useful, you can get the aperture smaller with greather depth of field (less out of focus). Good resolution is a must if you are publishing, that doesn't mean mutymega pixels, my current camera is the Nikon D40 which was available at silly money in the UK last year, it is still reasonable but seems to be getting more expensive as the £ crashes. 6m pixels but gives a sharper image than my Fiji 9.25m pixels (all to do with sensor size, bigger sensor = less squashing of pixels = cleaner image). Also don't get too serious about it, things will go wrong, like forgetting to readjust the white balance when you shoot stuff out of doors again!, but photo editing software can 'improve' things for the Web and domestic consumption (Mag editors however don't like you 'fiddling') - I use 'picasa' for a quick fix, free from Google.Remember it is supposed to be fun, like building the d*****d boat.

This is only my way of skinning this particular cat - there are others but no one way is the right way. Experiment to find your way. And let us see the results.

Chris

Howdy,

I agree with Chris about the gazillion pics and using Picasa. Allows quick and effective editing and an easy way to get them up on the net.

I don't really worry about the technical side much. If light or depth of field is a problem I will generally move to a flash.

Close up flash can really destroy the nuances of what you are trying to show .. so often I cover up half of the flash bulb with a finger to reduce the "burning out" effect you sometimes get at close range.

MIK

In addition to what's been said, I've found it helpful to keep a diary. This provides a log of the time consumed, and may identify glitches and solutions along the way.

Regarding the blog, it doesn't need to be a literary work for "publication." A simple text in NotePad, without bells and whistles, works better for me. Many years ago, in engineering practice, I wrote a letter via computer, for one of my professors with whom I'd kept in touch, describing a project I was working on. Simply writing the letter identified some problems needing solutions. I solved the problems before I completed the letter, so the letter itself was a great planning tool.

Remembering is indeed the hard part. I try to keep the camera handy, along with extra batteries and a white card for custom white balance. Usually I remember to attach the camera to a tripod, and store them out of harm's way. Like Chris says, experiment to find your best habits to acquire.

Cheers,
Joe

Keeping the camera handy is a great tip.

Nothing improves photography more than taking lots of pics and cleaning them up later with some simple editing software.

Tends to bring consistent defects to the surface.

Michael