Photographing Small Fossils
1) Lighting
Use natural light if you can, but not direct sunlight, to reduce shadows. Avoid using a flash for the same reason (Unless you have a way to diffuse the light: Try this for a budget solution). Use low angle light for picking out surface detail, high angle for high relief items to eliminate shadows. For the background, use a contrasting colour to your fossil (e.g. white for dark items, black for lighter items) and make sure the background is non-reflective. 2) Focus If you simply point a camera at a shark tooth and press the button, you'll probably get a very blurred image. The first thing you need to do to avoid this is to select the 'Macro' mode (look for the tulip or flower symbol on your camera or consult your manual). This mode is specifically designed for close-ups. Next, hold the camera quite close to your subject (about 15 centimetres, but you might have to experiment with this range). Finally, as you're about to take the picture, only press the button halfway, this will make the camera focus, and click. 3) Keeping the camera steady Macro shots are particularly vulnerable to camera shake. So it makes sense to use a tripod with adjustable legs and swivel fitting for stability. Use it to set up the camera 10 – 20cm from the fossil. Then you might want to use the timer to eliminate any wobble after pressing the button. Other tips
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