I've been spending the last few days taking beam shots, and after meticulously experimenting with different setups, I was able to create some shots which I think are really good.
However, taking beam shots is still a tricky business. You need the right brightness and the right exposure. I personally think evening beam shots look the best, but they are rather tricky. It can't be too bright or too dark, and "window of opportunity" lasts only about ten minutes. Barring an expensive camera, there is also a trade-off: if it is bright outside, the picture will be of high quality, but the beam will not be very visible. If it is very dark, the beam will be impressive, but the quality of the image will be lower.
It can be problematic if the laser hits a light-colored surface, since the glare can drown out the beam. Care must also be taken to reduce the amount of light backgrounds, since they can also make the beam look dimmer. Another thing is that laser beams often produce speckles due the particles in the air, so if a "clean" beam is desired, multiple shots must be taken. Simply put, taking "good" beam shots requires a lot of trial and error, as well as patience.
I spent about a whole week taking these beam shots! I've replaced my original beam shots, as well as added new ones. Enjoy!
Improved beam shots:
New beam shots:
However, taking beam shots is still a tricky business. You need the right brightness and the right exposure. I personally think evening beam shots look the best, but they are rather tricky. It can't be too bright or too dark, and "window of opportunity" lasts only about ten minutes. Barring an expensive camera, there is also a trade-off: if it is bright outside, the picture will be of high quality, but the beam will not be very visible. If it is very dark, the beam will be impressive, but the quality of the image will be lower.
It can be problematic if the laser hits a light-colored surface, since the glare can drown out the beam. Care must also be taken to reduce the amount of light backgrounds, since they can also make the beam look dimmer. Another thing is that laser beams often produce speckles due the particles in the air, so if a "clean" beam is desired, multiple shots must be taken. Simply put, taking "good" beam shots requires a lot of trial and error, as well as patience.
I spent about a whole week taking these beam shots! I've replaced my original beam shots, as well as added new ones. Enjoy!
Improved beam shots:
New beam shots:
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