Short Story: I'm interested in seeing and learning different camera settings and perspectives used by other Poser users. Share what you know know about the camera settings and camera angles when deciding to render a scene.  All camera related renders welcomed even if it's not complete.

Long Story: These days (actually for the past year or so) I've been experimenting with Poser cameras in hopes to improve my renders.  My first attempt with the camera wasn't much at all as you can see below from a 2007 render I made. I was pretty much satisfied using the main camera for rendering (I should have been more open minded) and it took me 7 years to get out of that comfort zone.

In 2010 I tried again but never really tried to get the most out of camera settings and angles

It wasn't until 2014 that I got smart and started paying more attention to the configurations of my cameras. Cameras make all of the difference when creating renders.  You just can't capture the energy or mood correctly without it.

Some threads dealing with aspects of the topic

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/?thread_id=2868305#msg4071040

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/?thread_id=2797984#msg3621260

Thanks Primorge

I definitely missed those

@FIghtingWolf
Camera perspectives, field of view, depth of field and bokeh types are all biggies when experimenting, so it's good you're paying around with the camera.
They all work in unison, but getting them working in harmony is a skill I think most people ignore.

One point I'd like to make, and not in response to anything said in this thread so far, but in response to things I've read in other threads, so I want to kill it before it comes up again:

With respect to the actual render, all of Poser's perspective cameras are identical. Any perceived difference between these is either imagined, due to misunderstanding, or failure to put two cameras in the exact same position and orientation.

The most commonly used perspective cameras are: Main, Aux, Posing, Dolly, Face, etc. There is no visual difference among these.

They differ in how they move when you use the various tools to move them. They differ in what they are parented to and therefore how they move when other things move.

They do not differ in magnification, field of view, perspective, distortion, focal blur, or motion blur.

"I was pretty much satisfied using the main camera for rendering (I should have been more open minded) and it took me 7 years to get out of that comfort zone."

This statement is dangerously close to expressing the belief that something was gained by moving from main camera to one of the others.

It's not true.

The orthogonal cameras are different from the perspective cameras. 

The orthogonal cameras are: Top, Bottom, Front, Back, Left, Right.

These do not rotate. These do not have a position. They are simply collapsing the 3d coordinates directly onto 2d coordinates and have no analog to anything in real life. (The closest thing they simulate is a camera infinitely far away from everything.)

If we could orbit them, then they would no longer be different from each other. The fixed orientation is why you cannot produce the same image with any two orthogonal cameras, but this is a Poser-imposed limitation, for reasons I cannot fathom.

I did a series of tuts on Poser scenes, cameras included, but also lights, atmosphere, etc. Go [ here ].and enjoy.

Yeah, all the cameras are the same. I often render stuff from the hand cameras when I need a second or third view on the same scene without having to move my main or save a second file as an alt view.

Right, so recognizing that we're not actually talking about cameras (one vs. the other), is this thread actually about composition? If so, just read this (or any of a hundred other articles):

http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2012/04/12/10-rules-of-photo-composition-and-why-they-work/

or

http://www.photographymad.com/pages/view/10-top-photography-composition-rules

or

http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/tip/3372/18-composition-rules-for-photos-that-shine/

Bagginsbill

yes its not one camera vs the other it's more about how to use the cameras when it comes to composition. I'm interested in seeing how other people use the cameras when creating their art / render (even if it's just a test render).  I didn't want to single out composition because I'm afraid that it'll turn into a "how to place things in a scene" to create a certain look. I like to see how other people create because it helps me with my own creation and I hoping that it will help others as well.

I've been doing nature photography for a long time, but I haven't been doing a good job of thinking of poser cameras in a similar way when trying to get that perfect angle.  Now if I can only get into the photography mindset while working in Poser then I could really get a lot more out of my renders.  Photo: Copper head snake that was calm enough to let me take pictures of it. 

OK. Well one subject that is important for "photorealism" is - focal blur. I use it in Poser mostly to demonstrate focal blur in Poser, but I'm no artist.

I have nothing to say. Yet I have test renders that demonstrate.

Here's one:

This exhibits several composition techniques:

1. Smooth (no distracting) background.

2. Main subject (first pawn) off center.

3. Intentional use of focal blur to draw attention to the subject.

4. Interesting/unusual aspect ratio

5. Intentional vertical crop, but lots of extra horizontal space.

I actually thought about all these things when I made it.

Here's another example.

Ah come on dude, you always say "I'm not an artist" but that's just not true. I'd say you're easily more of an artist than many I know that have degrees in the subject. Not only that, but since the advent of Dada and conceptualism, simply saying "I am an artist" makes it so. Not sure if the inverse applies. Lol.

Ah come on dude, you always say "I'm not an artist" but that's just not true. I'd say you're easily more of an artist than many I know that have degrees in the subject. Not only that, but since the advent of Dada and conceptualism, simply saying "I am an artist" makes it so. Not sure if the inverse applies. Lol.

Thank you.  I was just about to say the same thing.  That second image made me think of brown coffee pots and how good that effect would look.  Bagginsbill is technical with his renders but it doesn't mean that it's not art.  If Jackson Pollock can be an artist then Baggins can clearly be one even with the technical renders lol (at least I can tell what he's making a picture of). @Baggins

Using the same line of thought with the composition technique that you gave,  how would you apply it to say a 3D snake on a branch or even on the ground? Would those those 5 things come to mind?

Here's another example.

I don't know why this makes me think of a brown coffee can sitting on the kitchen counter.

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/?thread_id=2754029

I'd love to know those camera settings. I'd like to understand those settings. And your metal shaders, just love them! You're materials are why I'm still not completely sold on Luxrender. Thanx to you, I have far more materials to use with Poser than with Lux or IRay.