A "seamless" eliminates distracting hard shadows behind the subject you're photographing, giving your item a more professional look (and hopefully increasing bids on your auctions). The beauty of the seamless I suggested was that it only cost a few dollars to make and also folded up nicely for easy storage.
The EZcube is a photographic-nylon light tent that not only provides a seamless "sweep" background, but is also translucent. This allows diffused light to enter the inside of the tent from all sides, giving a soft, even light to the item you're photographing. Here's a page I created that shows an EZcube in action: http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/pages/ezcube
The EZcube takes less than a minute to set up and simply entails pulling the expandable tent from its soft case, unfolding it, and attaching the "sweep" inside the cube by its Velcro tabs. (The sweep is a piece of nylon that attaches to the inside of the EZcube to make a seamless background.)
You can set up lights on either side - or do what I did, which was take the EZcube outside and let the sunlight filter through the light tent. The larger of the two available models opens up to a 30"x30"x30" cube, which I found to be more than adequate for most of the items I sell. Dougherty's site also sells a 20"x20"x20" polyester light tent for smaller items.
The EZcube comes with a nylon panel that attaches to the front of light tent. The panel has a slit in the center that allows you to insert the lens of your camera and take pictures. This is very handy if you're shooting something highly reflective and want to surround it 360 degrees. No more reflections in shiny metal teapots!
The front flap also diffuses light being thrown toward the front of your item. For example, I enabled the flash on my camera, and used the nylon panel to diffuse the flash so that no "hotspots" of light appeared on my item.
Another option is to put a piece of colored cardboard inside the EZcube, in place of the nylon sweep. That gives your pictures some variety, in case you get tired of the same white background. In fact, even though the nylon sweep is machine washable, Dougherty recommends using cardboard inside the tent to keep from soiling the material.
The most challenging aspect of the EZcube is folding it up to fit back into its 16"x4" case for storage. There's definitely a trick to it (the technique is outlined step-by-step here: http://www.tabletopstudio.com/documents/Folding-the-cube.htm). But once you've mastered it, you'll be folding it like a pro!
I have to say that in nearly 5 years of doing online auctions, this is one of the most useful tools I've seen come along.
David Steiner
http://www.ezauctiontools.com/free-articles.html
www.digitalworld.com
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
HOW TO CHOOSE A TRIPOD FOR YOUR DIGITAL CAMERA
How To Choose A Tripod for Your Digital Camera
Are you thinking of getting a digital camera tripod? Well, good for you! I feel that tripods really are a necessity if you're serious about photography. Yes, they are big, bulky and quite painful to carry around - but they do wonders for the digital photos. They are particularly good for getting rid of that camera shake that creeps into your photos now and then.
In particular, tripods are particularly good for nature shots, macro-photography, long exposure shots, slow shutter speeds or low light situations. That makes it a very versatile accessory which must be in any photographer's toolbox.
This article will give you some tips for choosing a good tripod for your digital camera. Read on and find out more!
Check the Stability
Always make sure you check stability of the tripod when the legs are fully extended. Adjust the tripod to a proper height, then check if it wobbles after you apply some pressure to the top. If the tripod is made of sturdy material and is of good quality, it should remain firmly in place even with some pressure on it.
Can It Sustain the Camera's Weight?
Another thing to bear in mind when buying a tripod is the weight of your camera. Remember, if you have a professional digital SLR, the total weight of your camera, lenses and flash unit will make the whole setup pretty hefty. Make sure that tripod can carry the total load.
In general, I'd avoid the plastic models. Yes, they're lightweight and cheap, but you want to trust it with your camera. A heavy tripod, made of magnesium alloy, titanium or carbon fiber is much better. Though slightly more costly, they will last you a long time and are much suited for rough photographic situations.
Check the Head
Tripods come with a head to which your camera is attached. Some of the tripods come with one that's removable, which will allow you to just buy whichever type you like. Some come with one that is not removable, and your stuck with it. So shop carefully.
Heads tend to come in two categories - the pan and tilt heads and the ball and socket heads. Both have advantages and disadvantages. The pan and tilt heads move up and down, left to right. The ball and socket type allow you to position the camera in any direction, is nice for moving your camera around while on the tripod.
Check the Height
One more thing - remember to check for the height of the tripod. How does the tripod extend? What are its maximum, minimum and folded heights? And most importantly, do the heights fit you? This can really vary depending on the type of photographs you take.
Brand Name Tripods
There are many brands of tripods out there - many beginner digital photographers end up buying lower quality ones. Remember, a cheaper price doesn't always mean the tripod is of a better quality. I prefer to go for quality brand names like Sunpak, Slik or Vanguard. One of my favorite tripods for general usage is the I use is the Sunpak 6601UT tripod as shown below.
The Sunpak 6601UT Tripod
Conclusion
Great! Hopefully you've now learnt a thing or two about choosing a proper tripod for your digital photography exploits. Trust me, a tripod is a really useful tool - something that you will need sooner or later if you're serious about photography.
Gary Hendricks
http://www.ezauctiontools.com/choose-tripod.
http://www.digitalworld.com
Are you thinking of getting a digital camera tripod? Well, good for you! I feel that tripods really are a necessity if you're serious about photography. Yes, they are big, bulky and quite painful to carry around - but they do wonders for the digital photos. They are particularly good for getting rid of that camera shake that creeps into your photos now and then.
In particular, tripods are particularly good for nature shots, macro-photography, long exposure shots, slow shutter speeds or low light situations. That makes it a very versatile accessory which must be in any photographer's toolbox.
This article will give you some tips for choosing a good tripod for your digital camera. Read on and find out more!
Check the Stability
Always make sure you check stability of the tripod when the legs are fully extended. Adjust the tripod to a proper height, then check if it wobbles after you apply some pressure to the top. If the tripod is made of sturdy material and is of good quality, it should remain firmly in place even with some pressure on it.
Can It Sustain the Camera's Weight?
Another thing to bear in mind when buying a tripod is the weight of your camera. Remember, if you have a professional digital SLR, the total weight of your camera, lenses and flash unit will make the whole setup pretty hefty. Make sure that tripod can carry the total load.
In general, I'd avoid the plastic models. Yes, they're lightweight and cheap, but you want to trust it with your camera. A heavy tripod, made of magnesium alloy, titanium or carbon fiber is much better. Though slightly more costly, they will last you a long time and are much suited for rough photographic situations.
Check the Head
Tripods come with a head to which your camera is attached. Some of the tripods come with one that's removable, which will allow you to just buy whichever type you like. Some come with one that is not removable, and your stuck with it. So shop carefully.
Heads tend to come in two categories - the pan and tilt heads and the ball and socket heads. Both have advantages and disadvantages. The pan and tilt heads move up and down, left to right. The ball and socket type allow you to position the camera in any direction, is nice for moving your camera around while on the tripod.
Check the Height
One more thing - remember to check for the height of the tripod. How does the tripod extend? What are its maximum, minimum and folded heights? And most importantly, do the heights fit you? This can really vary depending on the type of photographs you take.
Brand Name Tripods
There are many brands of tripods out there - many beginner digital photographers end up buying lower quality ones. Remember, a cheaper price doesn't always mean the tripod is of a better quality. I prefer to go for quality brand names like Sunpak, Slik or Vanguard. One of my favorite tripods for general usage is the I use is the Sunpak 6601UT tripod as shown below.
The Sunpak 6601UT Tripod
Conclusion
Great! Hopefully you've now learnt a thing or two about choosing a proper tripod for your digital photography exploits. Trust me, a tripod is a really useful tool - something that you will need sooner or later if you're serious about photography.
Gary Hendricks
http://www.ezauctiontools.com/choose-tripod.
http://www.digitalworld.com
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