DSLR Camera Before/Afters

AustrianOak82

AustrianOak82

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I have typically been using my Note 4 to get before and after photos, as well as whole car photos. I have been doing it this way because it is much easier to get uploaded to my FB page and website. I have been having some trouble lately getting good close-up shots for the paint correction before and afters, obviously because it's a cell phone and not ideal. The problem is, I know next to nothing about the camera I have. I got it when my son was born, and I just keep it on "Auto" mode most times, unless I switch over the close-up mode or something like that.

My question is, for those of you that use a DSLR for your photos, what settings do you adjust to really show and accentuate the paint correction? Any tips or trucks? I have a Nikon D3100.
 
Once you get going with your DSLR you will never go back to using your phone again.

I have a D3200.

Often times when I am in the process of working, I will switch it on to the no flash setting located next to the auto mode. I find this works for me as it accomplishes what I need in a fast consistent manner without worrying about the settings.

When I am finished using the camera during my work I the set the camera in "A" mode (Aperture) for the after shots. With this I keep the aperture as low as it will go. Also I put the camera on single point focus rather than the full auto multiple focus points. For these after shots, I keep the zoom set at 35mm as I find this produces the most natural looking pictures. Although it requires you to move your feet to get where you want everything rather than adjusting the zoom.
 
Mike@DedicatedPerfection said:
Once you get going with your DSLR you will never go back to using your phone again.

I have a D3200.

Often times when I am in the process of working, I will switch it on to the no flash setting located next to the auto mode. I find this works for me as it accomplishes what I need in a fast consistent manner without worrying about the settings.

When I am finished using the camera during my work I the set the camera in "A" mode (Aperture) for the after shots. With this I keep the aperture as low as it will go. Also I put the camera on single point focus rather than the full auto multiple focus points. For these after shots, I keep the zoom set at 35mm as I find this produces the most natural looking pictures. Although it requires you to move your feet to get where you want everything rather than adjusting the zoom.
Click to expand...

Awesome. How do you go about setting it to A mode? The aperture the amount of light the lens lets in right? I need to look up how to focus on a single point. I wazs trying to get pictures of a rock chip repair the other day and it kept focusing on the reflection of the lights above the panel. Frustrating. I am also going to start using my tripod so each shot is the same angle, etc.
 
I bought a Nikon 7100 a year ago and am embarrassed to say I can barely turn the thing on. Following this thread for sure.
 
AustrianOak82 said:
Awesome. How do you go about setting it to A mode? The aperture the amount of light the lens lets in right? I need to look up how to focus on a single point. I wazs trying to get pictures of a rock chip repair the other day and it kept focusing on the reflection of the lights above the panel. Frustrating. I am also going to start using my tripod so each shot is the same angle, etc.
Click to expand...

On the top right side of the camera is rotating dial. You will see the Auto Mode, circle with line through the flash, (no flash) P, A, S, M, etc. A is the Aperture mode.

You can also adjust the switch from auto focus to manual focus to manually adjust to what you want to see in focus.
 
medicscott said:
I bought a Nikon 7100 a year ago and am embarrassed to say I can barely turn the thing on. Following this thread for sure.
Click to expand...

I'm with you. I actually had a time or two when I forgot to take the lens cap off. I looked up photography classes from Nikon to just learn how to use it and they were several hundred dollars. I read the manual, but it was all foreign to me.
 
I shoot canon, so nomenclature may be a little different from yours. I will shoot in aperture priority, this is where I set the aperture to what I want (generally between 5.6 and 8). Aperture priority also shuts off my flash automatically. I'll shoot with a max ISO of 800 which I know will produce good results with my sensor. I'll also stop down expsoure compensation 2/3 stop when indoors to keep my shutter speed high, this avoids camera shake; and I can easily bring the exposure back up in post processing since I shoot everything in RAW format.

I also switch to single point focus and shut off the focus tracking.

You set the A mode by turning the dial on the top of the camera (probably left side), then using one of the wheels (probably on the right side) to adjust the aperture to the desired setting.

I tend to shoot somewhere around 35mm as well most of the time, but I will adjust as necessary. Depending on how close you want to get, you should look at the minimum focus distance on your preferred lens. If you can't get close enough, then you'll either need a macro lens, or a zoom lens to zoom in. The preference would be macro, but they can be expensive and you probably already have a zoom.
 
AustrianOak82 said:
I have typically been using my Note 4 to get before and after photos, as well as whole car photos. I have been doing it this way because it is much easier to get uploaded to my FB page and website. I have been having some trouble lately getting good close-up shots for the paint correction before and afters, obviously because it's a cell phone and not ideal. The problem is, I know next to nothing about the camera I have. I got it when my son was born, and I just keep it on "Auto" mode most times, unless I switch over the close-up mode or something like that.

My question is, for those of you that use a DSLR for your photos, what settings do you adjust to really show and accentuate the paint correction? Any tips or trucks? I have a Nikon D3100.
Click to expand...

Please read through the articles I wrote that Mike shared in his previous reply. They will get you started on understanding some of the fundamentals of photography... and I also have links to some good resources in there as well.

Properly photographing defects can be relatively challenging... not necessarily for you, but for the camera. The autofocus system and automatic metering system will struggle to produce the image you are seeking when you are shooting at a solid color, trying to focus on tiny defects, and shining intense lighting directly back into the lens.

I find that it is very important to learn to utilize manual exposure mode (or at least semi-manual modes like aperture priority mode with exposure compensation) and also manual focus (using live view to ensure precise focus) for the best shots of before/after and 50/50 type shots like these....

20150616-DSC_4099_zpskbjodik1.jpg


20150617-DSC_4118_zpschzhldre.jpg


20131019-DSC_5422_zpsb9af2aec.jpg


20131019-DSC_5423_zps5f3dac68.jpg


20130810-DSC_0047_zps7af97794.jpg




Some other articles I have written...

How to Capture the ’50/50 Shot’ by Zach McGovern

How to Capture the ‘Before and After Shot’ by Zach McGovern



Hope that helps

-Zach
 
AustrianOak82 said:
My question is, for those of you that use a DSLR for your photos, what settings do you adjust to really show and accentuate the paint correction? Any tips or trucks? I have a Nikon D3100.
Click to expand...

There's no one setting that will give you a great photo. Photography is like detailing the more you know and the better your technique the better the photo (lens are like compounds and polishes, and the camera is your DA). As the lighting is always changing I typically shoot full manual but I'm also an experienced enthusiast Photographer (I was professional but doesn't pay enough).

I'd recommend starting with the basics and learning what the difference is between each shooting mode (on your specific camera). By basics I mean you should know what the following settings effect when taking a picture: ISO, Aperture/f-stops, Shutter speed, Manual Focus.

For example if the light/sun was very strong I would use a low ISO (100-200), with a higher shutter speed (200+), you also want the whole car in focus so I would go with small aperture/high number (f/20-f/30). You could also do super focus (to do this you typically need to know the specifications of the lens and how many f-stops of light there are) to get the entire photograph in focus...

I notice a lot of amateur photographers (detailers) use the automatic shooting mode and compensate for lack of light using the flash (even when shooting in the sun). This is done to get the details in the dark/shaded areas (wheel wells, etc). I personally prefer multiple exposures because the flash will create bright spots on the reflectors, windows, wheels, and freshly polished paint. The technique of combining multiple exposures is not easy or user-friendly (unfortunately). Some of the newer SLR cameras come with a built-in HRD mode that will allow multiple shots to be taken at once (using a tripod) and automatically combined by the software in the SLR for one perfect shot (not as good as doing it manually but still good enough for a detailer to show off his/her work).

Here's a good starting point: How to Take Photographs of Cars: 8 Steps (with Pictures)
 
AustrianOak82 said:
Awesome. How do you go about setting it to A mode? The aperture the amount of light the lens lets in right? I need to look up how to focus on a single point. I wazs trying to get pictures of a rock chip repair the other day and it kept focusing on the reflection of the lights above the panel. Frustrating. I am also going to start using my tripod so each shot is the same angle, etc.
Click to expand...

Typically you have to manually focus when working with reflective surfaces (i.e. shooting trough water and not shooting the reflection on the water). In short the reflection and the surface are at different focal lengths.

You can also change the AF (auto focus) points your camera uses to auto focus in order to force the camera to target the right thing when auto focusing.
 
4u2nvinmtl said:
There's no one setting that will give you a great photo. Photography is like detailing the more you know and the better your technique the better the photo (lens are like compounds and polishes, and the camera is your DA). As the lighting is always changing I typically shoot full manual but I'm also an experienced enthusiast Photographer (I was professional but doesn't pay enough).

I'd recommend starting with the basics and learning what the difference is between each shooting mode (on your specific camera). By basics I mean you should know what the following settings effect when taking a picture: ISO, Aperture/f-stops, Shutter speed, Manual Focus.

For example if the light/sun was very strong I would use a low ISO (100-200), with a higher shutter speed (200+), you also want the whole car in focus so I would go with small aperture/high number (f/20-f/30). You could also do super focus (to do this you typically need to know the specifications of the lens and how many f-stops of light there are) to get the entire photograph in focus...

I notice a lot of amateur photographers (detailers) use the automatic shooting mode and compensate for lack of light using the flash (even when shooting in the sun). This is done to get the details in the dark/shaded areas (wheel wells, etc). I personally prefer multiple exposures because the flash will create bright spots on the reflectors, windows, wheels, and freshly polished paint. The technique of combining multiple exposures is not easy or user-friendly (unfortunately). Some of the newer SLR cameras come with a built-in HRD mode that will allow multiple shots to be taken at once (using a tripod) and automatically combined by the software in the SLR for one perfect shot (not as good as doing it manually but still good enough for a detailer to show off his/her work).

Here's a good starting point: How to Take Photographs of Cars: 8 Steps (with Pictures)
Click to expand...

+1 to all of the above advice. Also, you may not need or even want a DSLR. A good fixed lens camera or mirrorless camera will do the job just as well. DPreview.com and imaging-resource.com are good places to read reviews and research cameras.
 
4u2nvinmtl said:
Typically you have to manually focus when working with reflective surfaces (i.e. shooting trough water and not shooting the reflection on the water). In short the reflection and the surface are at different focal lengths.



You can also change the AF (auto focus) points your camera uses to auto focus in order to force the camera to target the right thing when auto focusing.
Click to expand...


I find it easy to cheat when using a smaller aperture, just set focus based on the interface with some trim or a panel seem adjacent to what you are shooting. As long as you have decent depth of field it's never failed me. Just review the shot and move along.
 
trekkeruss said:
+1 to all of the above advice. Also, you may not need or even want a DSLR. A good fixed lens camera or mirrorless camera will do the job just as well. DPreview.com and imaging-resource.com are good places to read reviews and research cameras.
Click to expand...
Well I already have the camera, so...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk
 
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