Hello.

Can anyone suggest a cheap way of illuminating this? I can't get enough natural light into the room, and I can't use a flash as it makes him squint, using a slower exposure makes for blurring, I want him static in the space.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3309/3483371491_80dc344726.jpg

As you can see, I've used an ISO of 160, exposure 1/1000, f2, and mucked about with the brightness and contrast. I don't want to increase the ISO as it'd increase the graininess. I'd like to take a much better picture than this.

Any ideas, especially low cost ones appreciated.

My Flickr photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/72718192@N00/

K.

Karl101,

Hope you don't mind...I've had a play. Was it ISO160 or 1600?? There is a lot of grain. I could try and smooth out the grain but it would take a while.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3323/3484265654_a4e5e744cb_o.jpg

Hello.

Can anyone suggest a cheap way of illuminating this? I can't get enough natural light into the room, and I can't use a flash as it makes him squint, using a slower exposure makes for blurring, I want him static in the space.

As you can see, I've used an ISO of 160, exposure 1/1000, f2, and mucked about with the brightness and contrast. I don't want to increase the ISO as it'd increase the graininess. I'd like to take a much better picture than this.

Any ideas, especially low cost ones appreciated.

My Flickr photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/72718192@N00/

K.

Would floor lamps / desk lamps not help? How do you get him to jump on command? :P

Karl101,

Hope you don't mind...I've had a play. Was it ISO160 or 1600?? There is a lot of grain. I could try and smooth out the grain but it would take a while.

Thanks, but I want to get him to jump again with decent lighting. The EXIF data says ISO 160, but that's clearly wrong. It must be either 1250 or 2500 but I've deleted the original, so can't check.

K.

To get the cat crisp sharp while in mid jump you will need lot's of light to be able to use the 1/1000 shutter you are wanting to use, no matter how many lights you have in the room, you will not achieve this, plus the color balance issues will be horrendous.

Really the only ways of doing this at that low ISO is high sink flash or train him to do it out side on a nice bright day which you have already probably tried.

Wish ya luck, H.

When you say that flash makes him squint was that because you were using flash on camera - pointing straight at him? I would suggest that the only way you're going to freeze him in mid air is to use additional lights, and electronic flash gives such a short burst that you're working with an effective shutter speed of something like 1/10,000 sec - even faster if the flash is at fractional power or shut off by the camera's exposure control. Maybe using the flash off camera wouldn't make him squint so badly. It certainly would give a better quality of light and wouldn't give the green-eye (feline red-eye) effect that straight on flash would give.

I've now borrowed a proper flash, one that can point upwards. This is the second attempt taken with my Canon G9 1/1000, f2.8, ISO 80. Its a touch out of focus around the head, but much improved.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3596/3485315879_1746299a5e.jpg

I'll look at getting a flash that points for my other camera.

K.

You only need to use 1/250th if the flash is the sole light. You can actually use a 1 second exposure if you wanted too, as long as the flash is the sole light.

I'd try using an off-camera set-up... and an off camera cord will be the cheapest and most reliable way. You can get one for a few quid.

:)

You only need to use 1/250th if the flash is the sole light. You can actually use a 1 second exposure if you wanted too, as long as the flash is the sole light.

I'd try using an off-camera set-up... and an off camera cord will be the cheapest and most reliable way. You can get one for a few quid.

:)

Wouldn't using 1/250th show motion blur?

K.

Wouldn't using 1/250th show motion blur?

K.Nope.

Even at 1 second long, if the flash is the sole light then the exposure is effectively at the flash-pulse speed... usually something like 1/10000 - 1/25000. :)

You can open the shutter up for 20 seconds if you want, and as long as the flash is the only light.

People use that technique when capturing water-drops or, like you need, very fast moving subjects!

Good reads:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/technique/discuss/23591/

http://webs.lanset.com/rcochran/flash/hss.html

More here:

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&rlz=1C1GGLS_en-GBGB300GB304&q=using+flash+to+freeze+motion&btnG=Search&meta=

Nope.

Even at 1 second long, if the flash is the sole light then the exposure is effectively at the flash-pulse speed... usually something like 1/10000 - 1/25000. :)

You can open the shutter up for 20 seconds if you want, and as long as the flash is the only light.

People use that technique when capturing water-drops or, like you need, very fast moving subjects!

Good reads:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/technique/discuss/23591/

http://webs.lanset.com/rcochran/flash/hss.html

More here:

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&rlz=1C1GGLS_en-GBGB300GB304&q=using+flash+to+freeze+motion&btnG=Search&meta=

Excellent, thanks. I just tried it by closing the curtains, it's not totally dark, but gave a good result at 1/125, f3.5, although a little out of focus again. But with a bit of practice...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3583/3486327912_77b9d64600.jpg

The image is straight out of the camera, I've just cropped it. The cat is only willing to do three jumps a day. After that he gets bored.

K.

Cool! :)

Try this:

Use the lowest ISO, close the aperture down (highest f/X number) and use 1/250th.

Then take a shot (without flash). The shot should be pitch-black.

Introduce the flash (set to Manual if you can) and adjust the flash power until the picture is at the correct exposure.

Then, pre-focus your camera to the area that the cat will be in.

Then you should be ready for the cat. :)

Matt, thanks for the advice. I bought a cheap(ish) flash for the posh camera, and after a few goes, I got this:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3345/3489313804_1c7f59d74c_b.jpg

Making the room as dark as possible really helped.

My Flickr photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/72718192@N00/

K.

Another, at a different angle, I think this is the best one. So far.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3592/3488591425_01cb31e5ae_b.jpg

Note to Self: Must redecorate room.

K.

Admit it, you pumped him full of helium!

Admit it, you pumped him full of helium!

No. String and blu-tack.

K.

That last shot is a cracker. :thumbsup: What did you do - creep up behind him and make a noise like a vet???

I'll have to work on our two beasties - they've just arrived and it's all we can do to get them to come out from behind the bookcase!