Photographing your lizard
From UroWiki
Although a detailed photography article is outwith the scope of this article, it is sometimes important that to be able to show off our uromastyx nicely - for use on the wiki or elsewhere - some basic knowledge of photographic principles is useful.
When taking photos, however, it’s neither high megapixelage nor a fancy, expensive camera that results in good photographs - it’s a combination of the camera’s other quality features (size and speed of aperture, for instance) and the skill and perseverance of the photographer to take a million bad photos before getting one good one. Of course, it helps if your subject actually stops long enough for you to be able to take a good photograph, which can present quite a problem, as they are usually quite active lizards.
| "Generally speaking, good photos tend to result from, in varying degrees, a good eye, good technique, good understanding of lighting, quality lenses, experience and luck." |
| Source: Photonotes.org |
Contents |
What to look for in a camera
There are three major components to digital photography:
- the image sensor
- the lens
- the hardware-software processing component
In each of these areas, DSLRs will easily blow anything else out of the water. However, you’ll notice that megapixelage is not on that list - that’s because it’s probably the most overrated spec of any camera, and while the sheer number of pixels that a camera claims does have an impact on the size of the image you get to play with, it’s actually how those pixels are captured matters far more to image quality - and those pixels are captured by an image sensor. A good rule of thumb is that the larger the CMOS sensor, the less ’noise’ in the image.
Light and sensors
Although not such an issue in a light-flooded uromastyx enclosure, the thing is that a lens doesn’t only let in light (in most cases, the more the merrier), but it also carefully collimates that light, adjusts for chromatic aberration, and ensures that no geometric image distortions occur at varying zoom lengths, so that’s why it’s the really the most important component of a camera - so much so that many professional photographers will change camera bodies every few years but keep the lenses, often for decades. Oh, and speaking of the light coming into the lens, it’s worth being aware that you should probably white-balance for the type of light (most modern cameras have settings for ’daylight’ and ’florescent’), and if your camera supports it, shoot your images in RAW mode rather than as JPEG, which is a lossy compressed format, and then edit them in an image editing app later on.
Other things to look for in a lens
What else you require from a lens varies depending on your subject and photographing style; the most important is manual control. Not all the cameras offer this, but most do and for serious photographers it’s crucial. Control over important features such as white balance, ISO and exposure compensation can make the difference between getting exactly the shot you want and getting something inferior. As for lenses, there are various schools of thought on non-DSLR camera lenses (the type built into a compact camera); some go for length above all else, offering 10x zoom and greater. Others opt for more modest focal lengths, but prioritise aperture size and image sharpness. The latter is probably more worthwhile than a long lens if you’re primarily doing people shots and photographs of lizards.
One more thing to be aware of, if going for a proper DSLR, is lens filters. Even if you don't plan on using any fancy filters, even just putting a UV filter or a clear glass (neutral density) filter when out and about will not only protect the leading edge of the camera, but also the surface of your expensive lens, against scratches and splashes. A lens hood - those round or flower-shaped things you see professionals use - are also good, as they reduce lens flare as well as provide something else for objects to bash against instead of hitting the lens directly. One accessory that I would consider necessary is a circular polarising (CPL) filter, which basically blocks all non-metallic reflections (meaning glass, water, etc). This is great if you're trying to photograph a lizard through the glass, and there is light causing problems. The only downside is that any type of polarised or polarising filter will take you down by one aperture stop, making your lens slightly 'slower', but for brightly lit areas outdoors or in terrariums, it will not be a problem.
What does the UroWiki use?
Filecore's own point of view: "In most of the photography here on the wiki and in my photo album, I've used a simple and basic Pentax Optio W30 camera. It's a fairly straightforward point-and-shoot, with no real outstanding features (beyond its excellent 1cm focal distance macro mode); the reason for its purchase was its dust- and waterproofing, as my other hobbies include hiking in all weather, and kayaking. The W30 is fairly bog standard and image quality is average for a modern point-and-shoot, and below average compared to a bridge camera such as the G11 (above) or a DSLR."
"However, in the past I have owned a proper analogue SLR and am familiar with advanced photography techniques, so when my W30 recently got broken in an accident, I decided it was time to upgrade. I replaced the W30 with the newer Pentax Optio W90, but also invested in a DSLR, the Canon EOS 500D (known in North America as the Canon Rebel T1i) and a selection of lenses and filters. This has proven to be a good camera, with good manual control over ISO, F-stops (aperture size), shutter speed, white balance, and exposure compensation. It has a comfortable and ergonomic grip and handy access to quick changes in P, Tv, Av, and A-DEP modes, which make it simple versatile to use - if you know what you're doing."
Lenses include:
- Canon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS (kit lens)
- Canon 80-200mm f/4.5 EF
- Tamron 70-150mm f/3.5-5.6
- Tamron 300mm f/5.6
- various filters including CPL and UV
