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FrozenGate by Avery

pics 5/1 589nm+593.5nm

Thanks Curtis, Bowtieguy, Gabe and Aardvark!

Curtis - I think the reasons I am able to get clear shots are using lower powered lasers, the right amount of fog to get the effect I am after, a decent camera, and the ability to manually set the exposure correctly, and a bit of photo editing. In the past 4 years I have taken thousands of laser shots so I have had a lot of trial and error.
 





Thanks Brucemir for the tip. I am not allowed to use fog in the studio though :(, as it affects the people that use it after me.
I borrowed a DSLR for the job, and was surprised how difficult it is to get it right. I came out with a lot of respect for those who do.
I had to put the camera back into auto and turn off the flash in the end.
Here is what I managed to achieve even after some photoshop on some.
They are resized so are not at their clearest. Is there any particular settings for if you don't use fog. I got told to use the 'S' setting, but I didn't get anywhere with that. Probably didn't help that I have had no experience with a DSLR :D
 

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CurtisOliver said:
Thanks Brucemir for the tip. I am not allowed to use fog in the studio though :(, as it affects the people that use it after me.
I borrowed a DSLR for the job, and was surprised how difficult it is to get it right. I came out with a lot of respect for those who do.
I had to put the camera back into auto and turn off the flash in the end.
Here is what I managed to achieve even after some photoshop on some.
They are resized so are not at their clearest. Is there any particular settings for if you don't use fog. I got told to use the 'S' setting, but I didn't get anywhere with that. Probably didn't help that I have had no experience with a DSLR :D
Click to expand...

The S setting as you might've seen controls the shutter speed while adjusting the aperture from making the photo over exposed or under exposed. The sweet spot for laser photography is usually around 5-10 seconds I find, more exposure isn't always more better though, it can be unnecessary at best and will over expose your photo at worst. Make sure you have a tripod or can set the camera on something solid, holding it will never cut it for exposures more than like 1/4 of a second. Even bracing it against a wall or something doesn't always do it, sometimes it feels like even my pulse is enough to ruin the photo by moving the camera :D . Sucks you can't use fog cause it really brings out the beams and colour, but depending on the camera model it doesn't always matter so much for colour. As Bruce said lots of trial and error will help you find what works :)
 
To add- When putting your camera settings on "S" for shutter or "A" for aperture, it is still not a manual setting. There are many different shutter speed / f stop combinations that will give you the same exposure. The difference is how much will you stop motion (shutter) and how much depth of field (f stop) do you require. To shoot manually, you want the camera set to "M" and set your own f stops and shutter speeds. As Gabe pointed out 5-10 secs is a good starting point for shutter speed and I usually have my f stop set at f 10 to get more things in my pics in focus. When you take a few pics, stop and analyze them before you take more shots. Are they too dark (longer sutter speed lower # f stop), too light, beams overexposed, etc (faster shutter speed, higher f stop #) . When you see what is wrong with the pics reshoot then with different exposures. When I start to photograph a particular set up, I only turn on my green lasers to help compose the shot, set my exposures. Once I am satisfied with everything I will turn on more colors and adjust my exposures as I go along. A tripod (or resting the camera on a stable surface using the cameras timer), but also necessary is for the laser(s) to be stable and not moving. The more you do it, the more you learn, more ideas you get, and the more you are able to visualize a picture in your head, figure out what is needed, and make it happen .
 
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Thank you Gabe and Brucemir. That is one thing I didn't have, a tripod. It was a struggle keeping my hands still. As for the settings advice, that is very useful for me and anyone else wishing to photograph their lasers professionally. :) I want to rep both of you but I can't.
 
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Hi Curtis,
You can still get by without a tripod. Just set your camera on a stable surface, adjust your setting, composition and focus. Then use the camera timer and you will be set.
 
Awesome pictures! I need some of those mirrors and cubes... and definitely a sphere. I may have to steal one of these for a wallpaper.
 
Lovely images again Brucemir. You need to stop showing us up :D The 589's produce such a warm glow.
 
Its been a long time since I added anything to this thread so here are some random shots taken over the past year or so featuring 589nm. Most of them are really just test shots to get my exposures right, but still look good.
A few of them may have been posted before, but I am trying to select ones that haven't. Enjoy

DSC_3408_resize by brucemir, on Flickr


DSC_3704_resize by brucemir, on Flickr


DSC_3781_resize by brucemir, on Flickr


DSC_3919_resize by brucemir, on Flickr


DSC_4239_resize by brucemir, on Flickr


DSC_4251_resize by brucemir, on Flickr


DSC_4388_resize by brucemir, on Flickr


DSC_4717_resize by brucemir, on Flickr


DSC_6580_resize by brucemir, on Flickr


DSC_7396_resize by brucemir, on Flickr


DSC_8297_resize by brucemir, on Flickr
 
Wow, more golden glory, cool! :)
Love that #4717, nice work.
Thanks for the update of a fine thread.
 
Bruce, you really shouldn't necropost. Especially not with more fine pics. :D
Just kidding, those pics are beautiful and it gave me a chance to skim through the old pics again too.
Thanks for sharing. (y)
 
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