Pictures Of Graffiti What is the best lens/settings for taking pictures of graffiti with a Nikon D60 DSLR?
Help please?
It depends on just how close to the graffiti you can get. The Nikon 18-70mm is a good zoom to use and the 70-300mm is good too.
The best zoom setting for focal length is 100mm to avoid distortion, and move in or out until you fill the frame.
Since it is a non-moving subject, and you're hand holding (tripod is better), put the shutter on a fast speed like 1/500sec or 1/1,000sec.
Let the camera meter pick the f-stop, since a wide f-stop like f4 is fine because your subject is on a flat surface. If it's on a post or something else round, you need a smaller f-stop for depth of field. Put your ISO on as low a setting as you can and still be able to get that fast shutter speed and good f-stop. This is why it is better to shoot on a tripod, because you'll have better control of your settings and you can use a "slow" shutter speed if you have to.
It is a very good idea to have a rotating Polarizing Filter on the lens, so you can rotate it to eliminate any glare that may be taking place off the paint or surface the graffiti is on. And, if you can, shoot in bright sunlight to capture the beauty of the colors, etc.
It is very important that you label each image with the location and date when photo was taken, after you've downloaded it into your computer.
Have fun and good luck.
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