Photography Tips?

[Corrose]

If this is the wrong section to post this, please let me know.
I wanted to get some feedback from some of the photographic geniuses we have on board here.

I took photography about 12+ years ago in college. At this point digital cameras were not quite the mainstream they are now and we learned on the old school ones where we developed the negatives and all that fun stuff. Since then I only did photography as fun and most of the knowledge has been lost about apatures, speed settings etc.

Well what I'm using now is a Fujifilm FinePix S1800. The model number may be off a little since I don't have it in front of me to verify but it looks like the S1800 so it's in that same family. Now I know this is a -decent- camera but when it comes to photographing my statues and props I rarely get the results I want.

What I have been doing:

- Not using the built in flash
- Using the macro setting to try to capture details. Now I know the macro setting captures more details but I may not be using it right.
- If I'm not getting enough light finding a shutter speed that opens long enough to grab more light.
- Using the auto mode since I no longer remember what FStops and speeds work for what.
- Using the "night" setting when trying to capture unique lighting on things at night, but it never turns out how I'd like. I can dim my LED lights down to lmost being off inside my display case and it looks AWESOME at night only showing the edges of my statues and I can never capture an image of it that looks like how it does in person.

Can the pros hit me up with any tips on how I can improve my pics?
My latest photos are up on the Silver Surfer Comiquette thread. I'm pretty happy with them, but they still don't look as crisp and sharp as what I'm seeing with my bare eyes. I don't necessarily want to build a photo tent with diffused lighting, I just want to improve my photos of things as they are, on my shelves.

I know I can find tons of resources on the web about photography but I have seen some unbelievable talent on these boards that I would love some first hand advice from.

Am I just hosed with not having a better camera or is mine okay with user error?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Lejuan]

Do you use a tripod?

 

[Corrose]

I have 2 different sized ones, in some cases where I photograph inside my display case it's sometimes awkward to get even the little one to fit, and if I'm trying to get an angled shot from down below I can't use one anyway.

 

[Lejuan]

I'm no expert, but it seems to me that the a good way to get solid results is to set up a 'figure studio' that is separate from your display. This will allow you to get the most out of your tripod, and let you use a variety of plinths or boxes for posing and angles. The 'studio' should allow for a variety of backdrops - ie drapes or photographic images - and have a flexible lighting set-up for different moods, including reflectors for bounce/fill lighting. Be aware that different artificial lights cast different hues - ie LED, halogen, incandescent, fluorescent etc.

But if you're really into it, I'd bite the bullet and get on top of your f-stops to shutter speed ratios. Depth of field is - I think - an important aspect of photographing small-scale subjects, and knowing how this is affected by aperture and shutter speed will improve your results immensely.

Maybe do some reading up on stage lighting? The theatre guys are experts on dramatic character lighting IMO.

Sorry for these general observations - the pros on this board will be able to answer your specific questions

 

[EVILFACE]

This is a nice site with some good info: https://www.slrphotographyguide.com/camera/settings/