Some of next years breeders.

bleeding_sarcasm

Rockstar
Messages
347
Location
Oakland
Thanks everyone :) I completely missed this thread. Beyond taking the pictures, cropping and stamping, I tend to leave the leopard gecko pictures to david [mine can be seen in the Rhacodactylus forum ;) ]
I am currently use a canon digital rebel xt [350d] and I want to upgrade badly [that 40d is looking mighty nice] for one thing, my sensor is dusty, and desperately needs a good cleaning 3/4 of the work in getting pictures from camera to web is stamping out specks of dust :main_rolleyes: I also have NEVER used any of the "auto" modes, or really anything other then aperture priority for that matter, so I dont really think an entry-level DSLR suits me anymore. It was great to learn on, but I think I am ready to move on to a more advanced model.
I cant wait till canon comes out with the update to the 5d, and the answer to Nikons d3 [http://www.dpreview.com/previews/nikond3/ 50+ auto focus points + live view? Semi-orgasmic, almost enough for me to convert] Full frame sensor, with more mega pixels would be nice [for web work, megapixels really dont matter, but I am taking a printing class with access to 48" wide printers. I gotta take advantage of that ;) ] + a self-cleaning FULL FRAME sensor [obviously a must :p]

Realisticly, I am a broke student, so I really cant afford anything, and my first area of focus should be in getting a new macro lens.

haha, so basically. When david has baby blizzard enigmas het for awesome, Please buy them, I need a new camera ;) hahah.

SO! moving on, as for my set up. it is VERY ghetto. [ghettogeckos was or original name, but I nixed that ;) ] Basically, I have a cardboard box, that I cut the front, sides, and top out of, and then covered 3 sides of it with white paper to act as a diffuser for lighting from the sides, and as a reflector to get more even light/less harsh shaddows. the whole inside of the box is white printer paper [hahah, yea... ] for black pictures, I put a long piece of black paper down [but keep sides and top white] for "natural" looking ones, I throw in a 16 qt sterylite tub full of gravel, sand [which I HATE and will never use again], or a piece of cork.

Well.. That failed miserably. Lighting from the sides gives me nice WHITE light, but doing a manual white balance is really freakin easy, and it is more importantant for me to have BRIGHT light, so I can have better settings [iso, f stop, etc] so, I ripped off the top and threw a compact florescent light up there. not the twisty bulb type, but the... salt water aquarium type. I got a custom one made from a local company who does PHENOMINAL cages [i got my split 30s for my juvie rhacs from them] It is really bright [sucks for albinos, but great for everything else] and it doesnt AS MANY shaddows as other things.

Now, First I had a bulb, and... I dropped it into the fish tank a few times, and basically just treated it like crap, till it died. then I was screwed. I tried using a metal hylide [which is still... strangely suspended above my bed, because I am too lazy to move it out, I cant imagine what people who come by to visit think, I dont even notice it anymore hahah] and that was hella bad for showers. and just sucked over all. not to mentian, if you use a light like that, and your shutter speed is too high, you catch the light flickers. To you, it is one solid color, but thats because it goes to fast, if you use a fast shutter then you see blue pictures, dark pictures, red pictures, etc. teh lameness. and then I gave up, and started using a point and shoot till I got the new bulb.

Yea. so this got kindof side tracked into a really huge tangent. I hope that answered your question... let me know if I forgot anything.

I use a canon 350d, w/ kit lens, I use a ghetto home made light box, that doesnt really function as a light box beyond holding up my light hahah.

Tips:
For white backgrounds you need to step up the exposure, and for dark ones you need to step it down. Always do a manual white balance. and if you have PS, ALWAYS do a auto contrast.

And Marcia, any time you want me to come by and photograph your non-albinos, Ill be MORE then happy ;)
 
Last edited:
K

Koda

Guest
Awesome breeders you've got there. I'm especially diggin' that tangerine wow he's awesome. Can't wait to see what ya'll produce!
 

Visit our friends

Top