[QUOTE=sheepherder;276550]...still have to Gamma correct three times to see any detail...QUOTE]

Could you please post a picture as it comes directly from your camera, without any kind of correction applied?

--Dwight

Dwight -

I'll take another tomorrow as I've deleted all the 'raw' pics so far. :thumbup:

They come out of the camera at 2304 x 1728, btw. Pixels. Too big for here.

You can reduce the size by setting the camera so, would save an extra step.

Also do try the grey background, it does wonders; and a smooth
background will be less visible than a towel. JMHO.

So you are shooting in RAW?

--Dwight

Yes it's a digital camera, I went under a roof window of the attic, no sun, I shot jpeg shutter speed 1/125, f/3, W/B Auto, ISO Auto, straight from the camera no Photoshop.


Sergio

No, I meant unaltered, as it comes out off the memory card. ;)

The extra step allows me to crop the pics before shrinking them, or adding other smaller pics to the large one, like below. It's a lot easier to juggle the pics around while it's big and then crop it. (At least it's easier for me).

I don't know where to find a large gray sheet of anything, but I'll look.

Nobody praised the last three rounds of pics I took, but nobody complained, either. (Commemorative SS 1900, 1917/20 DWM, M1900 DWM Commercial)

They were taken with my phone camera, full bore res, auto mode all around. (Tripod, 3 sec. shutter delay, outdoors with bright overcast, yada, yada). Site-resized when posted.

It was the sudden rash of 1900 pics that motivated me to take my pics outdoors, with backdrop, etc. I only noticed the curvature with the Colt but the 1900 shows it also. I like the 3/4 view rather than straight on. :D

Your phone camera is probably better quality than this 10 yr old Kodak...

There are no sophisticated settings; this is a dumb cam...Best, Better, Bestest type of settings. No shutter speeds, no f stop, only 4 ISO settings, and I'm still trying to find the setting for what export file type and size...a 2304 x 1728 .JPG seems to be the default...Possibly the only export size/type... :(

You can get sheets of colored paperboard at Walmart fairly inexpensively.

White, black, grey and colors...

Marc

I use a grey sheet I bought at W-M. cut it up for large picts as rifles,
smaller for pistols. Get a lot of mileage out of one twin sheet!

Even matte paper board seems to be pretty reflective.

You are ahead of me on the collages, I have not fiddled with that as yet.

:cheers:

Seems like you don't have many options, but you could try the highest ISO and then experiment with the light options. I struggled with a pocket camera for many years, and I found that the best way to control an uncontrollable camera is to use a photo tent and experiment with the lighting, instead of struggling with the limited range of settings.

I finally broke down and bought a Canon Power Shot G3, and it has all the settings you need to take good pictures. This model is a few years old now, so you can find them used and dirt cheap on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/CANON-POWERS...item35ecf0a813 . This particular model is said to be the back-up camera of choice for many professional reporters and other photographers, and I have been very happy with mine.

I know that you're a tinkerer by heart, but you would save yourself a lot of headache and time by getting a better camera. A camera is just a tool, and cheap tools do have their limitations. ;)

I took a dozen or more pics today, using various 'settings' on this camera. It is quite dumb; only icons for settings [no proper names]; some settings remain, others change back to default when switching modes/power on/off; values are Best/Better/etc.

Anyway, I found that 'Exposure Compensation' plus values get a lighter pic without losing detail, minus values turn darker. 'Exposure Metering' Center-Weight setting is same as default; Center Spot gives a much better pic [lighter]. 'Focus Zone' Center Zone gives what seems to be the best picture for my morning vertical beige/cream background shots (pic below).

I was only interested today in lightening the picture, not concerned with the 'bends'.

Olle, if I spend time & money on cameras & picture taking, then that takes time & money away from activities that I am really interested in. Maybe I'll be more interested in photography in the years to come, but for now this is about the best I'll get.

I'll look for some gray pasteboard next time I go out.

You're already spending a lot of time on what seems to be a fruitless effort. It's all a matter of how much time you want to spend and what kind of result you want. Struggling with that pocket camera is like threading with a Chinese carbon steel die: It takes time, it's very aggravating and the end result will be mediocre at best, no matter how hard you try :D

It's time I usually spend standing around with a shovel & bag waiting for Bonnie Blue to find a good spot... ;)

What's this turquoise square on the top???

It seems to be an LCD display. I don't have one on mine so I don't know what it's for. I think there's a few different generations of this camera, so you may want to do a little homework before you buy.

Edit: I just looked at my camera, and it's actually a G11 (my previous "good camera" was a G3). Same difference, they can still be had for next to nothing on eBay.

Bwahahahahahaha!!! :roflmao:

That's a good one!!! You're extolling the virtues of a camera and you forgot it's not the one you have!!! :banghead:

I guess that pretty much wraps this thread up. Anyone think of any reason not to delete this thread??? Anyone??? :D

OK! Going once...Going twice... ;)

Ok, I'm an idiot then, but my point is still the same: You're trying to play Call of Duty on a 486 that doesn't even have a mouse.

Mary Lou hasn't told you that??? :D :roflmao: :cheers:

And I do still have a Compaq Contura 410C laptop; I read the Walkthroughs on it while I play Quake 4 and Doom 3 on my PIII 1.4GhZ 'game' PC...with a trackball... ;)

No, don't delete!
Someone else may want to learn how to do better photos and what camera(s) are cheap and good!;)