Ive heard puting your hand by the paint defects help the camera focus on that area and capture the defects better.
Exactly... or a dime, or a piece of painter's tape, or piece of clay or even a business card...
How-To capture swirls, scratches, etchings and other surface defects with your camera <-- This one
Due credit where credit is due
This article was originally written by me, (Mike Phillips), and posted to MeguiarsOnline on
May 28th, 2006 and it can be found here,
How-To capture swirls, scratches, etchings and other surface defects with your camera
Sometimes I will try to re-write articles I have written on the Internet and sometimes it's really hard to re-write what I've already written, in these cases it's easier to share the original article and provide a link back to the originating site out of respect for the other site and the law, and for good reasons of good
Netiquette. I don't like seeing my articles stolen or re-written by others and then seeing my worked presented as someone else's and wouldn't do that to anyone else.
-Mike Phillips
A few tips and techniques for helping your camera to focus on the surface so you can capture the defects in the paint you're hoping to remove.
Finger Pointing Focus Technique
Besides figuring out the right camera setting for your specific camera, another quick, simple way to help your camera focus on a defect you're trying to capture with a picture is to simply place your
index finger close to the defect on or hovering over the finish then carefully captures a few pictures and in most cases you'll get a couple you can use on the Internet. This works for Swirls, Scratches, Etchings, Water Spots both Type I and Type II, Stains, Oxidation, etc. Basically anything on the surface. The reason you need to give the camera something to focus on is because often times when taking shots of a large, uniform, flat surface, once any focus points are zoomed out of the picture your camera has nothing to sense and focus on.
Detailing Clay
You can also use a little piece of detailing clay because in most cases you have some detailing clay around. If the paint is clean and it should when trying to capture pictures of surface defects, then when you're done taking your pictures you should be okay to put the little piece of clay back into the large piece you took it from or just through it away. A small piece will work fine. (See picture below).
Coin
A coin can also be used if the surface is flat and horizontal like the hood. Place the coin carefully onto the paint so as not to instill a scratch. If you already have a flawless, swirl-free finish then maybe stick with the finger or clay technique. If you're getting ready to buff the car out then as long as you're careful you'll be okay; remember you're going to be buffing out the paint and likely the defect you're trying to capture with a picture.
Cobweb Swirls or Cobweb-Effect
Cobweb Swirls or Cobweb-Effect
Cobweb Swirls or Cobweb-Effect
Detailing Clay
Another way to help your camera focus on a surface defect is to place something on the surface of the paint, for example in the below picture we placed a small piece of detailing clay on the paint, then let the camera auto focus and wa-la, perfectly captured swirls, scratches and a bird dropping etching in the paint.
Random, Isolated Deeper Scratch
Scratch Removed using Ultimate Compound
An Isolated Bird Dropping Etching
How To Remove a Bird Dropping Etching by Hand using M105 Ultra Cut Compound
Photos courtesy of MeguiarsOnline.com
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