# It`s Frustrating Sometimes



## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

I took this with the camera on a desktop tripod using the self timer....










& this with the camera on a heavy tripod, again using the self timer...










These two are from a quick and shaky set of hand helds...



















I take hand helds when I`m too lazy to do it properly and use the tripod, usually the results aren`t too good









This time I`d attempted again and again to do it properly but the photo`s weren`t very sharp









Then, as I said, I take a quick set of hand helds(outside in the cold wearing a T-shirt in the wind) and get better results, photography can be so frustrating sometimes


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## PhilM (Nov 5, 2004)

Yep I'd agree the second set of pics are much sharper







TBH I always just take Q&D pics, that way I never have to worry about them looking of poor quality


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## unlcky alf (Nov 19, 2006)

Do you think it's just down to better light and faster shutter speeds Mach? or is Murphy exercising his legal powers? I always seem to get better results outdoors, I just can't seem to get my indoor lighting right









I bought this lot recently:










I also picked up a Tamron macro lens on ebay ( DOF







), so at least I know for sure that my [email protected] photos are down to me. Perhaps I should have bought some lessons instead


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## USMike (Mar 16, 2003)

Lighting is very important and can disguise the real beauty and identity of a watch.

The first pic seems warmer, as though taken with warmer light; incandescent vs daylight. It also seems to show more detail on the dial, which appears to have a fine linen texture.

Try shooting everything at F8. It generally is the aperture where a lens performs best. Adjust the shutter speed accordingly.

Adjust the camera to match the color temperature of the light you are using. If you are using daylight, set the camera for daylight or flash. Also try the cloudy setting if the outside light coming in is not bright sunlight. In the set-up pictured, you are setting yourself up for varying color results because the color temperature varies with each cloud the light passes through. If you are very good at adjusting the color of the object with your software, you are better equipped to handle this problem.

USE THE TRIPOD! I don't know any lens maker that makes an image stabilized macro lens. I always trip the shutter with the self-timer and the Nikon remote to avoid any possibility of shake.

Also experiment with over/under exposure settings to see if that makes a difference in the details in the picture. My wife sells clothes on the bay and I've found I have to overexpose black or other very dark articles by one full f stop. If I don't you can't see any buttons, etc. Light articles usually are OK but a few require underexposure of 1/3 stop.

Use the bracketing function if your camera has it. Fills up the card faster but it's quick and easy to delete the ones you don't want.

It is time consuming and at times discouraging. I find that keeping notes helps me figure out what causes the differences between pictures.

Keep at it and you soon will be a master watch photographer. There are many here on the forum that are excellent. If you see some of their beginners work, you would be surprised. I'm still working at it.

Good luck!


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## Service Engineer (Dec 28, 2007)

Some very useful tips there. Thanks.


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

USMike said:


> Lighting is very important and can disguise the real beauty and identity of a watch.
> 
> The first pic seems warmer, as though taken with warmer light; incandescent vs daylight. It also seems to show more detail on the dial, which appears to have a fine linen texture.
> 
> ...


Just noticed this Mike, I have to say most of it I do already apart from the keeping notes, even after over 30 years of taking photos I`m just too damn lazy to bother









Basically I prefer a more chaotic, see if it works method of taking photos (due to the afore mentioned laziness), sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn`t at which point I start jumping up and down moaning about how crap the camera, light, tripod, watch crystal is or how fecking shaky my hands are









Oh well, as they say, a bad workman blames his tools


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## equis (Mar 8, 2008)

unlcky alf said:


> Do you think it's just down to better light and faster shutter speeds Mach? or is Murphy exercising his legal powers? I always seem to get better results outdoors, I just can't seem to get my indoor lighting right
> 
> 
> 
> ...


excellent


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