Best Cameras for physique pictures?

[MikeS]

Need some advice. I need a picture for my new Personal training job to go on the board at the gym, so of course I want a pic that makes me look good. Well with good lighting overhead I took some pics with a 35mm camera yesterday. I could see how I looked in a nearby mirror and I was looking cut with abs and intercostals. Im a bit small now so looking somewhat cut helps make me look a bit better. Well I had the pics developed and I look like a fat ass with no cut at all because the flash lit me all up in front and ruined the shadowing. Now of course if I was real ripped this would probably be OK-but the pics werent what I wanted.
So, what kind of camera should I use, that will keep the original shadowing/light? Digital? Can someone recommend one thats not too pricey but will work well?
Thanks in advance for the help fellas.

 

[mike man]

MikeS

Good topic. I think the best way for the pics now is that most are leaning toward the digital pics. Easier to correct and now to get them developed is pretty common at most places too.
Sure it may be a more expensive investment for the camera and to get them developed, but you can always just erase the pics that don't turn out and save youself money that way to make up for all the other expenses.
I'd like some ideas and input on this too since I don't know much about them either.

 

[montyburns]

A good photographer can take excellent pics with a shitty disposable camera. It's all about lighting, exposure etc. -- and getting to know your camera better, i.e., a camera lens doesn't 'see' things exactly how your own eye will due to different lens curvature, focal length etc. Also, ditch the flash, and use fixed external lighting, try various angles that will bring out the cuts with shadows.
I'm by no means a good photographer, but just recently getting into it, the one thing I've learned it that its more skill than equiptment.

 

[JustWannaBeHuge]

i agree with monty here, while i only took a few photography classes, i worked with video for several yrs(i used to do alot of freelance work) and the thing that we learned first was lighting. drilled into our heads every class, every single project. you don't need expensive equipment either, first thing i learned, as monty said, it's not the equipment, but how/what you can do with what you have. you'd be surprised what ya can do with some inexpensive things.

anyway, as he said, find someone who knows a thing or two about lighting, and how to use it to bring out your good points, and you'll be set.


JW

 

[Steak Helmet]

YOu need to look at the pixels...3.5+ is best.

 

[Tadger]

I'm with the other boys here. It has almost nothing to do with your camera. It's all about the lighting, and the aperture and exposure settings.

 

[MikeS]

I have found the selection to turn the flash off on my camera.
Dumbass question-whats the aperture?

 

[xcelbeyond]

It's the speed at which the lens opens (I think). The lower the number, the faster it'll open. You want it to stay open longer (which is really spit-second increments) under lower lighting conditions. That why you see blured headlights for cars on some night shot pictures - apeture stay opened a LONG time.

On most newer cameras, this is an automatic setting. You may be able to override it though.

xcel

 

[montyburns]

What xcell described is roughly the exposure. The aperature is the size of the opening in the lens, you may see an F setting on your camera, this adjusts the aperature. Aperature affects the depth of field. Dont worry about it.

Check out this glossary: **broken link removed**

 

[Got Juice]

i know fathead had charles glass take some pictures and they turned out really well, maybe you could hook up with him..LOL

Later,

Tlodd

 

[phatkid77]

www.dcresource.com


should help!!

phats

 

[Mr Pickels]

MikeS....

You can't polish a turd !!
*******************
thats what I was worried about !
But Im gonna try...

 

[RicPhoenix]

so the lens quality .....

So are you guys actually suggesting that the lens quality does not matter?

I always thought the quality of the lens...made a great difference in the picture quality along with light etc...

So then its mainly light...then lens...got ya...

I was also told that for a digital camera anything over 2 meg pixel is not really necessary for online pic posting...is that true?

Thank you

 

[cannibal]

I studied photography for several years, so hope can help.

For physque photography you want a shallow depth of field/focus, so that the only thing in sharp focus is the subject, thus drawing attention to it. If the background is focused sharpley it draws the eyes from the subject. You want the opposite for landscape photography, so as much is in focus as possible.

Aperture controls the depth of field, it is indicated by an F-number, e.g. F-5.6., F-32
The lower the number the shallower the depth of field, so if you can manually select, go for lowest number you can.

Lighting probably the most critical thing, avoid backlighting as will make look soft and small. A strong overhead light will cause alot of shadows, and can make you look alot bigger, at the expense of detail. Generally a top lighting at approx 30deg angle will yield a good result.

Direct frontal flash will was you out, and get rid of any shadows, making you look flat, so avoid using the flash on your camera if you can.

A 2.0MP camera would be fine for online use. anything more and you will be resizing them all the time,and take forever to download. very seldom do I have my 4.0 camera on high res.
You should be able to print standard size prints with good results from a 2.0 MP camera

hope helps a little

 

[RicPhoenix]

thanks...

Thats great news...because there is a big difference in cost between a 2.0 and 4.0+ digital camera at the moment.

So it saves me alot of money.

 

[JETHRO TULL]

mIKES.....WELL BUDDY........

HERE IS MY ADVICE.....TAKE A BUNCH OF PICTURES....LOTS OF THEM UNTIL YOU GET A GOOD ONE. THAT'S WHAT I WOULD DO.....SOMETIMES IT TAKES A WHILE TO FIND ONE YOU LIKE. HOW IS THAT FOR STUNNING WISDOM?

 

[burkehanson19]

hey there!

why don't you try Board Camera?...

Board Cameras are basically a fixed lens mounted on a circuit board. These cameras are often used in mini cameras, dome cameras and for making hidden cameras but are also sold unpackaged, for mounting by the buyer.

Lenses in these cameras are either of a full opened lens or pinhole in which the opening of the lens is very small. Pinhole lens cameras are often called "spy" cameras and are most often used in making hidden cameras. All of our hidden cameras are examples of hidden board cameras.

Lenses in board cameras are pre-mounted and have a fixed iris. In most cases they have a short focal length (the distance between the surface of the lens and it's focal point) which results in a wide angle of view. Our board cameras have a lens between 3.6 and 6mm.

Because board cameras have so many fixed features they are limited to what they can be used for. However, they offer a low cost solution to security needs especially hidden camera situations.

**broken link removed**