About the Wajdas

Photographing Herbs | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Camera Care and Film

Camera Care

When it comes to the care of my tools, I am still an amateur. I am not willing to invest a lot of money in routine professional cleanings, but I do some routine checks to maintain my camera in good working order. Every 6 months, I replace the batteries in the camera and in the flash. While it may not seem important, battery life directly affects the quality of the picture. I keep lint-free lens cleaner in my bag and regularly wipe off the lens. Dirt on the lens will show on the picture. To maintain optimum working order, the camera should not be left in temperatures below 40º or above 80º. The temperature range has more of an impact on the film than the camera itself, but is a consideration in performance (Richardson 1998a).

Film: Slides or Prints?

Most professional photographers use slide film instead of print film. Your selection should be dictated by your needs and desired outcomes. Slide film usually comes in lower ASA, and results in greater color saturation. Higher value ASA print film (e.g., ASA 400) allows you to capture quick movements, but often results in grainy, possibly faded, colors. Slides generally last longer than prints, and prints can be made from slides. An obvious benefit of slides is the ease with which a colorful, pictorial presentation can be developed. With a good slide library, we have been able to develop a wide range of presentations from herbs in the kitchen to landscaping with herbs to colonial uses of herbs. With slides, I can use a slide scanner (available at good copy centers and film processing centers) to create an electronic version of the picture. These electronic versions are then available for inclusion on our web site ("Click here to see this plant in bloom") or in our word processing software as part of a quick plant reference book for Willow Pond Farm staff and customers. Digital cameras (about $450-$600) facilitate these last two activities by creating an initial digital image that can be immediately uploaded to a computer. Clarity and color may be better in an electronic image from a digital camera than from a scanned slide, but both provide good sources for our current needs. >>

Page 1 Photographing Herbs
Page 2 Color Composition
Page 3 Lighting
Page 4 Scale and Perspective
Page 5 Background and Natural Elements
Page 6 Camera Care and Film
Page 7 Conclusions and Works Cited