I acknowledge and thank the soldiers who died in service to this country. In observation of this day, I am sharing this Wikipedia article and this brief video. (A black cat is involved; how could I fail to share that?)
I took some dolls and doll bikes out earlier to photograph. I wanted to show off Carnival Barbie on her new body. I wanted to take advantage of the sun shining and the day not being too humid. I wanted to use the bikes before I packed them away. And I wanted to acknowledge Memorial Day. So I went out and took photos.
Usually, I like my outdoor photos. Natural light helps. Usually. But I was not happy with these results. The last group photo is okay, but the bike photos are dark in spots and fuzzy. Any suggestions?
Thanks for looking and any feedback.
They look so cute. I love the bikes.
ReplyDeleteHappy Memorial Day.
I enjoyed this post. I love outdoors pics. I am still working on my pics so I have no suggestions.
ReplyDeleteI didn't take dolls outside today, but I did debox a couple of dolls and did a little repaint on them. It was a vey nice way to spend a day off.
A steady camera helps in producing crisp images. When a tripod is not available, we can reduce the camera shake with these techniques:
ReplyDeletehttp://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-avoid-camera-shake/
For item #3, I use what ever is available to rest my elbows on. I usually get dirty elbows but the pics are clearer.
I hope those tips help. ;)
Hi D7ana. The real problem here is photographing in full sun which produces dark shadows. What you need is something to fill in those dark areas with light. Take a piece of cardboard & cover with aluminum foil. You will use it to bounce the sunlight into those dark areas. The foil produces strong lights. If they are too strong & washing out the details, simply use a white board. It will still bounce the light but somewhat softer. Hope that helps.
ReplyDeleteSo happy to see your dolls enjoying their bikes outside. Nothing like sunshine to brighten any day.
ReplyDeleteHi D7ana, the pictures ideas are beautiful. With reference to the blurry images, sometimes in full sun (or in other difficult light situations) I had the same problem with autofocus. I think that April's suggestion is the real solution. The other soultion I found is to work with my camera with manual settings.
ReplyDeleteHi Chasing Joy, Georgia Girl, Niel, April_n_Paris, Vanessa, and Billa's dolls and fashions!
ReplyDelete@Chasing Joy - thanks for en[joy]ing the shoot ;-)
@Georgia Girl - I LOVE outdoors pics, too. Repainting new dolls sounds like a fun thing to do on a day off. Shall we look forward to seeing results photos? Oops, Bad Dana typed that ;-)
@Niel - thanks for that link. I'm going to take a dropcloth with me next time I go out. Dirty elbows are a small, temporary price for clearer photos ;-)
@April_n_Paris - ... a dropcloth AND a white poster board. Or foil covered cardboard. I had picked a sunny spot. Thanks for these suggestions; they sound helpful indeed ;-)
@Vanessa - I'm glad that the sunshine prevailed. (And I have a greater appreciation for your outdoors shots. Can stuff fall much, ha ha.)
@Billa's dolls and fashions - inside, I adjust the manual settings, but I forgot to make that adjustment outside. Usually, I use close up or high ISO or digital image stabilization. Thanks for these suggestions ;-)
Carnival Barbie looks great on her new body! I should attempt some outdoor pics. Your dolls sure seem to be enjoying the sunshine.
ReplyDeleteHi, Jewell! Thanks! I think she does, too. Outdoor shots are fun AND challenging - please share if you do some ;-)
ReplyDeleteIt does look like they're having fun. I like that.
Those pictures are nice but the last picture is so cute. They all look like they had lots of fun. I never seen that double bike before so that a cool item to have.
ReplyDeleteHi Brini! The last group photo is my favorite ;-)
ReplyDeleteThe bicycle for two is from the My Scene Jai and Sutton Jammin' in Jamaica: The Boardwalk Gift Set. It's one of my favorite bikes.
Hello from Spain: I really like your photos on the outside. The bikes are fabulous.We keep in touch
ReplyDeleteHi All4Barbie! Good to hear from you. Yes, we'll keep in touch ;-)
ReplyDeleteI guess because I'm using a tablet, I couldn't see all of the pictures until today. I hope to get a new to have a computer soon. I know you understand-. These are great shots! I love taking photographs outside. These bikes look sturdier than the Heart family bikes. I have put my Alex Ailey Barbie on a SIS Chandra body. I wish I could straighten her feet.
ReplyDeleteExactly what April said! Also if you're using a camera that has a flash function you can use that as well to light up dark areas. If you are shooting white dolls it will probably blow them out but it works fine on black dolls.
ReplyDeleteNice pics! I like the last one the best.
Hi Ms. Leo and Muff!
ReplyDelete@Ms. Leo - oh, I do understand. I wish a new computer for you and soon.
@Muff - I forgot about using the flash button. Thanks for the reminder ;-)