Self Takes

[Gazlaaar]

I could really do with some help chaps, im having real trouble with self takes, not the self taking itself, but the quality of pictures, im using my phone as I just can't afford a camera.

Ive got the galaxy s4 mini, ive tried the camera no more than a couple of feet away, and the flash is just bouncing off the fish.

Should I move the camera back and zoom in?

[Gazlaaar]

These are the typical pictures

 

 

 

I know the first thing would be to buy a decent camera, but its just out of my range for now, I just wondered if you had any tips

[ianain]

Distance would help as flashes can be quite fierce.

[Gazlaaar]

The camera is no more than 3 feet away for these pictures, I might try at 6 feet, just trial and error I suppose

[nigewoodcock]

What camera have you got gaz?

[Gazlaaar]

Its my phone nige, ive just found out I can adjust the iso and a few other bits, but have no idea, they might as well be talking in latin lol

[Gazlaaar]

I can change

Exposer Value from 2.0- to 2.0+

ISO from 100 to 800

 

Do I use flash both day and night, or just at night?

 

I have no idea lol

[nigewoodcock]

To be fair mate, your never going to get really decent pictures at night from a phone. Get on eBay and you can pick up a decent dslr or even a bridge camera that will unlock the route to better pics for you. You still need to understand how the camera works to get the best from it though.

[ianain]

Might be an idea to have a play in your garden at night with various backgrounds.

[androoooo]

I'm with Nige that you'll only get good results with a camera. If you're stuck with the phone, you could try softening the flash. Something like white tissue paper can be used but will be a pain on the bank. You want something that will let light through but not in such a harsh way. If they're still a little dark try turning up the exposure.

 

You should generally be ok without a flash in the day.

[nigewoodcock]

A fag paper might work on it?

[Gazlaaar]

Cheers chaps, Ill give it a go when I can

[Gazlaaar]

The paper over the flash does work

Plus ive switched the phone from 16.9 which uses 6mps to 4.3 which uses 8mps gives a better quality photo, cheers chaps.

I totally agree about a bridge camera, ive been looking at the Fujifilm, but its just out of my reach for now, but it is down on my christmas list

[ianain]

 

Once he's worked out how to take the lens cap off, I think you'll be lucky

[Gazlaaar]

 

Once he's worked out how to take the lens cap off, I think you'll be lucky

I do try

Otherwise, it does do some decent shots when I get it right

 

[nigewoodcock]

Look in the four pics I put up in August catches. Three were self takes, one was taken by welder after I had dialled the settings into the camera first. See if you can guess which one.

[androoooo]

If I was to guess, I'd say the third. It has nothing to do with picture quality though as to why I'd say that.

[nigewoodcock]

To make it a bit easier to see, I put them here. I'll let a few more have a guess before I tell you Andrew!

 

 

 

 

 

[Turnip]

Self takes 1, 3, 4 for no other reason than you're looking away in the 2nd photo.

[Carpbell_ll]

I got my camera from cash converters, £30 for a Fuji S2960, they usually have a good selection with prices starting at £20 going up to a few hundred quid, you can find a real good camera and they do a deposit and weekly payment on all their goods.

The shop in Nuneaton has some real nice rods in the shop too.

[salokcinnodrog]

I would really like to get myself another Canon Eos, but can't afford it.

In the end I bought myself a secondhand Fuji Finepix A330 through Ebay for around £15!

 

It plugs into my iPad, with a Camera Connection kit, that will take the SD cards and a direct link to the camera so I can upload my pics easily.

 

The camera is easy to use, has 3x optical zoom, 3.2 mega pixels, and with an adaptor will fit onto Bankstick or tripod.

You may find newer Fuji versions are available, but this one does me.

 

The downside is that I have to use self timer rather than a remote trigger.

 

I put the camera on the bankstick, sort out my background with the mat, and then work out the frame size, so preferably I don't cut off my head on pictures. I then get the fish in the landing net and lift it onto the mat, unhook, weigh etc, get net out the way.

 

The self timer gives me around 10 seconds to get back to fish, lift and pic. It can be a pain if you have a fish that wants to wrestle though.

 

At night it is even more important to make sure that your background and frame size is sorted, and (unlike my last pics) make sure your flash is set to prevent red eye.

 

With a bit of practise you will get it right, but the random is always a wriggling fish.

[wamps]

i bought a used canon hs40sx for £70 which has a flip round screen, customizable self timer and smile detection so it takes a photo when you say cheese. dead easy self takes coz i can set camera on bank stick then position myself in frame as i can see forward facing screen then just smile . alot of people use canon g6 as they have flip screen and come with a remote.

[freeman0121]

U can get a tripod for any iphone on ebay with a little clicker for u to press

[Gazlaaar]

Nige

I took your advice and got a bridge camera off ebay some time ago now. I also got a pneumatic bulb and fashened a bracket together. Although I'm still getting used to the settings, it' coming along nicely.

One thing I did purchase recently was a quick release adapter, meant for goal post buzz bars. It just means I can leave the tripod set up in the right position and remove the camera without to much fuss.

 

[nigewoodcock]

That camera may take an intovalometer. They are the best thing for self takes. 

You can set the delay, interval time between shots, how many shots it fires etc etc. You can pick them up for around a tenner on amazon.