Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

[Jas]

I want to take some nice close up shots of some of my reptiles for updating the site and need some help with what settings i should be using on the camera. I'll be using a canon 350d and a Tamron 90mm macro lens i will have it set up on a tripod and use a remote shutter release, to light the subject i have 3 lamps with daylight pl lamps. What i need to know is do i use just the lamps or flash or both (i only have a built in flash) and the main thing is what setting is best to use on the camera, AV? if so what F number and ISO would be best.
Thanks in advance Stu
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[slippery42]

Keep the ISO settings to under 500

The larger the F stop the bigger the depth of field.

An example is that on recent close up head shots of an adder I used F32-45 giving the whole head real depth.
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[Jas]

Thanks for that advice, do you think i would get enough light on the subject with the 3x16w pl lamps or use the built in flash?
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[Stuart]

Hi mate,I would think you will certainly need some flash even if you dial it down a bit..keep an eye on the colour casts and try different white balance settings as well until you get the most natural.I always use iso 200 if I can as the higher the iso the more noise you will get..Tripods a must but not sure about a remote shutter release with something likely to move as much as a gecko..much easier to recompose and get your focus doing it yourself..also try manual focusing,takes some getting used too but eliminates all the lens hunting that is common with macros on AF. As for your aperture that will be trial and error and dependant on wether you are shooting head on or side on..basically the closer you are the higher the f stop I would use as your depth of field becomes very thin when close up...start out low and work your way up if you aren't getting the desired amount of the gecko in focus..bare in mind the larger the f number the more light you will need so that means slower shutter speeds or higher iso's or a combination of the 2...just try all sorts and have fun!
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[Troygreen]

Stu,as usual,great advice!

[Jas]

Cheers for that Stu, just had a go at shooting some off as soon as my batterys recharged i'll post em up.
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[Stuart]

your welcome..happy to help.
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[johonny]