Dark Photo question

llis · #1 06-10-2003, 09:27 AM

Level: newbie
Camera: Sony MVCFD88 Digital Mavica
Subject: ME
Problem: Shooting a close up?

I set the camera to do macro because I'm sitting at my desk and I put the camera up in the bookcase just in front of my typing screen and took a photo of myself. All I got was dark. I looked closely at the image and clicked on the scroll button to make the image brighter and could see myself a bit. I'd love to be able to take this kind of photo so I could use it on my web site so people would know what I really look like. There is a window to the left of me that is shinning bright morning light... it might be too much light. I turned the flash off for a second shot... no help.

llis · #2 06-10-2003, 09:40 AM

Better with flash on, but still not sharp. I'm an old dog that would love to learn some new tricks.

jsr88 · #3 06-10-2003, 09:53 AM

Llis...try taking the camera off the macro setting and see if that helps. The little FD88 should be able to do what you're asking with no problem. And, I would also set the camera to take the photo at it's highest (Fine or Super fine) resolution.

(P.S. The FD88 was my first "real" digital camera and I LOVED it! )
BTW...you are VERY photogenic! (I think I HATE you!

J/K)

Bobby D · #4 06-10-2003, 10:19 AM

Llis, it would appear to me that your first shot, ie with No Flash, is a little under exposed, hence the dark. The one with Flash is rather burnt out owing to the flash being a little bright for the distance you are from the camera. In the first instance, either increase the exposure or is there some way in which you can reflect some of the light on to yourself as the background would appear to be adequately exposed. ie. a strategically placed piece of white card.

When using the flash at this close distance, if you cannot adjust the flash output then a piece of tissue ie. toilet roll, placed over the flash or held in front of it, should do the trick. It may require more than one thickness of tissue. Trial and error is about the only way of getting this right.

When you save a photo to put it on the net, ie WC! you will have saved as a jpg. This is what's known as a Lossie file format ie. it makes the file size considerably smaller but with loss of detail. The more you compress the file, ie the smaller you make it, the greater the loss. I see that you reduced your picture down to 15 KB giving a considerable loss of detail and sharpness. As you will know WC allows a file size of 150 KB and the closer you come to this size the more detail you will keep. Having said this, most cameras store the pictures as jpg which means you have lost a little detail to start with and will then lose more when saving for the net as previously mentioned. So I think you will find that even when we manage a file size of between 100 and 150 KB most of us use a little sharpenning before posting.

I am including my version of your dark picture, having played with it a little in Corel PhotoPaint. The results are still below par - mainly, I think, because you had saved to such a very low file size. Unfortunately, once you have done so and lost detail there is no way to regain it.

Hope this is of some help.

jsr88 · #5 06-10-2003, 10:24 AM

Llis...check your PMs...I sent my version to you there.

Edited: Ooops...Rob, I didn't see your reply...so wasn't sure whether or not to include the retouched version in the thread.

I took the second photo into PSPv8, used the One Step Photo Fix to even out the balance in the original, then did some manual color adjustment (I might have gone a little heavy on that part...sorry

) then fiddled with the sharpness, de-focused the background and finally worked with the levels to give the photo a little more depth. I didn't spend much time with it and I guess it shows.

SunnyJon · #6 06-10-2003, 10:43 AM

Llis-I did a little fix with my Image Viewer-just minor saturation, contrast, brightness & a little magenta & yellow. This is your flash on one.

The first one could have been helped by reflected light as Rob mentioned-a good mirror often works for me.

joemajury · #7 06-10-2003, 01:25 PM

Im just learning Photoshop, so on this one, I just played around with the adjustments of light and Saturation and played with the curves to get the blue halo effect.
I quite like it.
Lovely photo Llis, you have a lovely smile

Joe

llis · #8 06-10-2003, 03:19 PM

Thanks y'all. I love the photo fixes.

I'm going to get my manual out and read a bit so be prepared for lots of newbie questions. I'm determined I will learn how to take a good photo.

Rich · #9 06-10-2003, 04:35 PM

This is really amazing Julie! Great Job!!!!!!!

drapier · #10 06-10-2003, 05:04 PM

As this is a self portrait I think rather than a photoshop fix you should try a few more shots. First off I would imagine your camera has a portrait mode (usually a little head) try using it while facing a window (in daylight

) . Now see if you can set it up so you can have a very simple backround, a bed sheet tacked to a wall perhaps. I like the pose so I'd leave that as is. Hopefully you have a tripod otherwise make yourself a beanbag with a sock and some dried lentils or some such to rest the camera on if you turn your LCD screen on and place a mirror behind the camera you should be able to see your pose. Use the self timer and experiment lots.
I have linked my camera to my TV when doing self portraits and find that works very well

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