photo tips?

[trizzypballr]

I see alot of great pics posted that are taken on white backrounds and are very bright and very clear, professional looking pics. I would imagine most of them are taken with nice cameras, most likely DSLRs, but do alot of people use light tents or light boxes to get the lighting right for these pics, or do really good cameras have better lighting that the mid range cannon point and shoot that I am using right now?

 

[robin]

i do not use a light tent or light box. but for good photos you need good lighting. you dont need a dslr to get good photos. the photos with the white or even black backgrounds for that matter are done in a lightbox yes (well most of them) but you can make one of those easy enough

 

[trizzypballr]

I am currently using a Cannon Powershot A560 and am having all kinds of problems with it honestly. Ive played with about every setting I can find and cant seem to get a good picture. Im beginning to think its a problem with the camera itself, because the lighting in the pic changes between pics, even if I take the exact same pic twice the lighting will be different sometimes. Along with pic quality problems, it is eating batteries in literly 5 minutes. Ive tried adjusting the white balance, it just washes the picture out, I cannot find a good setting. My lighting situation isnt the best either, so Ive been considering buying a new camera and a lightbox both hoping to be able to capture some of these amazing pictures some of these other guys are. When it comes to DSLRs, I know they can get extremely salty, but are the lower priced DSLRs still good or are you better off spending $500 on a very nice point and shoot instead of $500 on a low end DSLR?

 

[robin]

i use a canon 350D (rebel XT i think it also goes by) it's not the newest model but i bet you can pick one up with a lens for under $400

 

[robin]

also the nikon D40 and D40 x i heard good thing of, as far as a starter DSLR http://www.google.com/products/cata...ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBkQ8wIwAQ#ps-sellers

 

[Chewbecca]

I, personally, would NOT spend $500 on a point and shoot.
Even with a lower end DSLR, you still have more power.
And the D40 is a GREAT camera.
The only thing is with Nikon's lower end DSLRs, they require AF-S lenses to auto focus.

I would suggest also getting an SB400 flash or an SB600 flash unit.
Get a long, clear sterilite tub. Place it on its side, long ways.
Bow a piece of white or black poster board inside (I say bow because you do not want to bend it and get creases), and place your gecko in it.

My photo equipment is listed in my signature, but I use the above type of light box, and my SB600 flash unit, some minor post processing work in GIMP, and this is what I can normally get:

 

[trizzypballr]

how much did your full setup cost you? And do you have a pic of how you have that tub and poster board. If im thinking about it the right way, wouldnt the geckos try to take off before the pic is even taken?

 

[Chewbecca]

Here's my photobox.
http://geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=51083&page=2

But I do not need the clip lamps because I use my external flash which is powerful enough for me not to need to use the lamps.

My camera was bought used, same with my SB600 flash.
The only thing new on my set up was my lens.

The cost of my equipment was more than $500.