pics 5/1 589nm+593.5nm

brucemir · Jul 15, 2016

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.

CurtisOliver · Jul 15, 2016

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

Gabe · Jul 16, 2016

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

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

. 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

brucemir · Jul 16, 2016

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 .

CurtisOliver · Jul 18, 2016

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.

brucemir · Jul 18, 2016

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.

CurtisOliver · Jul 18, 2016

Thank you, that is handy to know.

brucemir · Sep 2, 2016

Here are some 589/593.5 pics I have taken in the past few months. Pardon the 460mw in a few of them. Enjoy.

94Z28 · Sep 3, 2016

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.

HydroSean · Sep 4, 2016

absolutely beautiful lasers my friend

thanks for the views! +rep well deserved

CurtisOliver · Sep 5, 2016

Lovely images again Brucemir. You need to stop showing us up

The 589's produce such a warm glow.

brucemir · Oct 29, 2016

Here are some 589/593.5 pics I took last night. Even though I photographed this set up using multiple frequencies (rainbows), I did take a few using just two 589nm and a 593.5. Here are a few of them. Enjoy.

CurtisOliver · Oct 31, 2016

Beautiful Brucemir

+rep :beer:

brucemir · Oct 30, 2018

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