Re: Getting good digital photos

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Dr. Resonance" <resonance-at-jvlnet-dot-com> 


We use a tripod with timer delay on the camera at 4 sec. exposure at f2.8.

It also helps if you have a straight vertical ground rod --- the sparks
"climbs" due to the heating of the air and produces very exciting spark
photographs --- the sparks look thicker than in reality.

Dr. Resonance

Resonance Research Corporation
E11870 Shadylane Rd.
Baraboo   WI   53913

 >
 > Some of you will have noticed, as I have, that many Tesla coil shots on
the
 > web are blurred, out of focus or are just don't convey the size of the
 > sparks/streamers.
 >
 > May I give a list of suggested criteria that I use for digital cameras (I
 > did win an award for my cover shot on my site - well a small one anyway)
 >
 > - Always use a tripod (or stack of bricks or the previous model TC). For
 > medium exposures of seconds a hand held camera will blur a lot. The sparks
 > will be sharp but the rest will be blurred.
 > - Make sure you get the end points of all the sparks to either side.
 > Chopped off sparks don't really give the impression of size. (that is
 > unless you do a Richard Hull and have sparks ONTO the camera)
 > - Try to get the sparks at a right angle to the camera by using a breakout
 > point or grounded object.  Only by doing this will you see the full spark
 > length in comparison with a fixed measure (which is usually the secondary
 > winding height).
 > - Have a person in the background for scale (at a safe distance).  Even
 > Tesla himself got this right in his photos (admittedly with double
exposures).
 > - Adjust the background lighting to be able to see the surroundings for
 > scale. It is best to at least partially cover the spark gap as this tends
 > to wash everything out.  It should have a shrapnel and UV guard on anyway
 > shouldn't it?
 > - Fix the focus on the TC toroid with lights on, hold the focus, then
 > lights off, sparks on and shoot. This is needed as you can't autofocus in
 > the dark. You may need to grow extra hands for this.
 > - Let the camera do an auto exposure and it will finish when it has enough
 > light (may be 10 seconds on my camera).
 > - Don't put a large number of shots on your site. You choose the best
 > one(s) to save others the trouble of downloading many.
 > - I use thumbnails linking to a largish size of compressed photo of 200 -
 > 400k but I am very choosy with the photos and lots get discarded.  I keep
 > the resolution full (4 megapixel before cropping) but reduce the colour
 > spectrum from 24 bit to 16 bit to save space. I can't tell the difference.
 > - I use some RF protection if my camera close up to the coil with a metal
 > can made for the purpose.  I have previously used aluminium foil to wrap
 > the camera with lens sticking out.
 > - Avoid windy times (unless you want to show the banjo effect) as it makes
 > the streamers look blurred.
 > - (I might add if in Australia, don't hold your baby up in front of the TC
 > for publicity shots).
 >
 > Any suggestions welcome particularly about using film cameras.
 >
 > Cheers
 > Peter (Tesla Downunder)
 > <http://members.iinet-dot-net.au/~pterren>http://members.iinet-dot-net.au/~pterren
 >
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