Photographing fungi - advice please

[Giles Hill]

I'd like to improve my photography of all things fungal - most of my pictures are under or over-exposed, because of my inability to deal with the contrasting light conditions you get around trees.

 

Basically I leave the camera on it's standard setting and take my chances - the results are usually disappointing.

 

I'd appreciate some advice on the best programme setting to use; should I avoid using a flash; is it worth using a tripod? Any other hints would be appreciated!

[treequip]

The first question is going to be, what camera are you using?

 

From there it’s not so much a question of photographing fungi as general photographic principals.

 

Fast shutter speeds freeze action, slow shutter speeds give blur and emphasise movement.

 

Small aperture settings give depth of field (but often need long shutter speeds). Large aperture settings blur the background but allow fast shutter speeds.

 

A few cheap aids will help you. A reflector will cancel out shadows and give you more flexibility with exposure times. They cost about 15 quid but almost anything will reflect some light. A diffuser will make the flash less harsh, again for a few quid.

 

The best thing about digital is that deleting is free. You can “bracket” the exposure and experiment. Set up on a tripod and try different aperture and shutter settings on the same subject. (Remember to keep notes on what the settings were)

 

 

Here are a few examples

Large aperture fast shutter hand held in average ambient light

 

Large aperture, hand held low’ish light with camera mounted diffused infill flash. Notice how the large aperture setting has left the FB’s in the fore and rear out of focus even though they are only inches from the focal plane.

 

Wider shot with camera mounted flash, notice the shadow under the FB caused by the flash

[Albedo]

Thats fantastic advice and info treequip thanks very much.

 

I hope its not a derail to ask monkeyd how he overcame the colour resolution/ blueing on the new Cannon G11. And if he's still happy with it.

 

I was thinking of going for one of these as it has more zoom than the lumix,

 

and also how he's finding it on close up fungi photos - hence hopeing to stay on thread as this is useful stuff.

 

You may find that saying - 'dead wood' instead of 'cheese' improves results:001_smile:

Edited April 19, 2010 by Albedo
typo

[David Humphries]

Thats fantastic advice and info treequip thanks very much.

 

I hope its not a derail to ask monkeyd how he overcame the colour resolution/ blueing on the new Cannon G11. And if he's still happy with it.

 

I was thinking of going for one of these as it has more zoom than the lumix,

 

and also how he's finding it on close up fungi photos - hence hopeing to stay on thread as this is useful stuff.

:

 

Totaly concur on the advise.

 

Plain and simple, is how I like it.

 

I'm still getting around the G11 tbh, but really comfortable with it, and for 500 quid I'm gonna stay happy with it.

 

Tony (Hama) is giving me some very good advise on the go also.

 

I used to find that putting the Cam on multi shot (old Sony one) would get at least one pretty good shot.

But as all things, no short routes to a good capture.

Right speed, right apperture & right light all key.

 

Paul, the Blue thing was on a little olympus not the G1, btw.

 

Interested also, in what cam you currently use Giles?

 

Here's a few bits & pieces from the last couple of weeks, I'm not totaly happy with them, but think I'm getting there.

After about 5/6 thousand fung shots so far, I should crack it in maybe the next 2 or 3 thousand

 

.

[stevelucocq]

I'm still getting around the G11 tbh, but really comfortable with it, and for 500 quid I'm gonna stay happy with it.

 

The pictures seems very good to me. Sharp!...Good stuff on getting the G11. I could not put my G10 down for the first few weeks. There is a load of functions that I have not got around to play with fully but really happy with the results I have been getting.

 

Not much to add but I like to sometimes grab the focal point from the centre of the shot and with the button semi pressed down move the camera to move the focal point to other areas of the shot. Sorry if this sounds a bit confusing but worth playing around with.

 

Cheers Steve

[geoff]

Blue tack a bit of white toilet paper (1 of 2 skins),or tracing paper over the flash for a cheep difuser,works a treat.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

really good photography takes time, and lots and lots of practice.

 

Some basic rules applied from the start will help you immensley, do a google on the rule of thirds and the golden mean (da vinci) avoid the middle of the day when contrast is at its highest, cloudy days make for good diffuse light and few shadows, ideal for fungi with a little flash fill to light up the undersides, but just a tad. keep it natural.

 

exposure is always better slightly under, rather than over, publicists prefer it too.

 

feel free to PM any questions, im always happy to help a budding fungi photographer!

 

[sean]

Photography rules....especially the rule of thirds are there to be broken!!!!

[sean]

learn about depth of field........

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

learn about depth of field........

 

lighting, :001_rolleyes:exposure and composition first though eah sean!