A call for HELP!!

I'm no shutter-bug and my camera skills are almost non-existant but one thing I have figured out is when it comes to mini-photography you HAVE to use a tripod!! I am trying to improve and the tripod ensures a "steady" frame but if anyone out there(hello?...Guru??) has advice or tips on photographing "macro" subject matter please post it!! so I can finally take an in-focus shot of my paint!! The problem I'm having when taking pics of minis is getting part of the mini in focus and the other part is fuzzy(just look at my Stalker pic and you'll see what I mean). Also please post some advice for those of us without super high-dollar camera rigs. I have a cheap(price not quality) Polaroid digital model i633 with 3x zoom and a 16.5mm lens. Now I realize that its a couple years old but I know it can take VERY good pictures, the problem is when I do it I dont know how I did it!! ...a happy accident. The other reason why I'd like some advice for guys with cheaper cameras is not all of us wish to drop several hundred(or even thousand) bucks on a camera...for me personally I couldnt and wouldnt justify such a purchase. So please advise me o great and wise camera gods!! Any tips will be greatly appreciated!!
-Spectre

Wish I could help you there. Beyond the occasional Family Birthday holiday photography I am a bungling idiot.
Looks like you know what your doing to me!

Ok, here is what I have read on the matter.

Aperture-Priority Mode:
This is the mode that you want to put your camera in so that you can alter the settings for the aperture, also known as the f-stop, which will let you get small items in focus. The higher the number, i.e. f.8 or f.22 the more everything in the photo will be in focus.

Macro Mode:
Look for this as a flower looking like symbol on the camera, this will allow you to take very close up photos, sometimes as close to 0.02cm away.

White Balance:
This is important to do for every shoot. Go to custom white-balance on your camera and put something as white as you can find, a poster board for example, snap the picture while in this mode to let your camera find what white is.
You will want to do this in front of the set-up you have for what you are taking the picture of while the camera is in place and on the tripod.
If your camera doesnt have this function then I would still take the picture of the poster board.

Tripods:
These are a must and with using one I would suggest using the timer function as well, 2 or 3 seconds will suffice. This will help remove any hand movements form pressing the shutter button.

Anti-vibration:
If your camera has this ability then shut it off when using the tripod and timer as it could cause un-wanted movement.

Lighting is another post altogether so I will get my take on that put up soon.

Also, if there are any questions regarding your brand/model of camera and it's settings just post a reply with the Make and Model/# and I'll get back to you.

Now I'm no professional photographer and do NOT pretend to be I just have been researching these very same questions for awhile now.

Spectre wrote: I have a cheap(price not quality) Polaroid digital model i633 with 3x zoom and a 16.5mm lens.
-Spectre

Here is some setting info for your camera.
P Program Mode: Select this mode to permit the ISO, EV, and White
Balance to be set manually

Setting White Balance
This feature lets you make adjustments to compensate for different lighting types
according to your shooting conditions.
1. Rotate the mode dial to P
2. Press the power switch to turn on
the power.
3. Press the MENU button. [Mode1]
is displayed.
4. Use the navigation buttons (arrow down) to
select [W. Balance]. Press the
button.
5. Use the navigation buttons (arrow up/down)
to select the desired white
balance setting. Press the OK
button to confirm.
6. To cancel the setting, press the
MENU button and exit the menu.
7. Press the shutter release button
to capture the image.

Setting the Quality and the ISO can be changed in this same menu.

Setting the Focus

Rotate the mode dial to P
2. Press the power switch to turn on
the power.
3. Press the navigation buttons (Left arrow or macro/flower). The focus mode changes
each time the button is pressed.
You can also change the setting
using navigation buttons (up/down arrows).
4. Press the OK button to confirm
the setting.
5. Compose your scene and press the shutter release button.
The camera has three focus modes: Standard, Macro and Infinity.
The table below will help you choose the appropriate focus mode:

Standard: Select Standard-focus setting for most occasions when you
want the camera to automatically determine the focus
setting.When using Standard-focus setting, any object at a
range of focus is 40cm (15.7 inches) or greater can be in focus.

Macro: Select Macro-focus setting to capture close-up images. When
the lens is zoomed to its widest position you may focus objects
as close as 6cm (2.4 inches). When the lens is zoomed to its
telephoto position (3x zoom) you may focus objects as close as
35cm (13.8 inches).

Infinity: Select Infinity-focus setting when you want to capture images of
subject at a distance of infinity. The flash mode will be set to
Flash Off automatically.

Hope this helps bud, let me know if you need anything further. Josh.0

Wow, thanks Josh.0' for all that research...that will surely help ALOT!! GREAT REPLY!!!

So first the camera. You must learn the abilities of your camera, how close you can still focus on an object, the ISO settings, Zoom abilities, And also the Sensativity or MP's.
1)How close can you still focus, most of todays point and shoot camera's can get as close as 12inches or less, thats from the front of the camera lense to the object being shot, for example a polaroid i633 can focus down to 0.2 inches, if you have other features set accordingly.
2) The ISO or ASA terms come from the film days, ISO in the digital relm means the Hypothectical film speed, in the case of a digital it's the light sensor, which on most digitals can be ajusted. the bigger the number the more sensative to light it becomes and the lense apature now comes into play.
3) the Apature is the F stop, every camera lense that has the ability to focus has an aperture, which is able to allow more light or less light to enter the lense according to light conditions. so as the environment gets darker the more you need to open the apature, so it will let in all available light, the brighter the day, the smaller the Apature should be. Now the point and shoot camera's do all this with a few settings. Called Modes, Portrait, Scenery, Normal and Macro for close up. Each mode generally makes all the Shutter speed, Apature and focusing automatically, Hence point and shoot.
4)Now most of todays point and shoot have more flexability. You can actually manually set certain fuctions. Here is were you need to really read the camera's manual. to be able to take certain types of shots and get the max capabilities out of you're camera.

For example: you have the Polaroid i633 and you want a close up of the details.
1.) set the ISO to 400
2.) no zoom at all
3.) use a tripod
4.) set timer to 1 second ( avoids shutter release motion)
5.) use Macro Mode, it will auto select the apature
6.) use external lighting no flash, use white fabric over clamp on incandesent lights as difuser's
7.) use a white or light colored fabric back drop, it helps to fill in shadows.
8.) always take more then 1 shot as you move closer to the object until your as close as possible and stil be in focus
NOTE: always use the Highest quality image setting on your camera to save the image

OK everyone these are general and common things with most point and shoot digital camera's
if you happen to have a point and shoot with less then 5 mega pixels you may not have any choices
or very few. Just remember a few things. Save the shots with the camera's highest resolution, Use the Macro or close up setting, use a tripod, use lamps to get rid of the shadows, gently push the shutter button and take several shots at different lenghts from the camera till you have the result you are happy with.

I am looking forward to seeing all the great shot's

GREAT REPLY Guru!!! Thanks for the excellent tips!! PLUS REP!!!

Definitely, awesome Guru, Rep'd as well.

I just wanted to thank you guys one more time for all the great tips, they have been REALLY helpful!! I think if you guys (and gals) go look at some of my later posts you will see some improvement. I have been experimenting with different settings and lighting techniques (based on member replies) and I am far from being a pro, but thanks to your tips I have noticed ALOT of improvement!! Every time I go to set up a shot and take the pic it looks a little better than the last. I have been messing around with different diffusers (and materials) based on Gurus tip(s) and I have managed to make some cool dusk effects (more on that later). Anyway just thought I would show my appreciation and say THANKS!!

Shot of my "Stalker" in the woods.
(this was taken indoors on my bench)

Hey that is a bad mama jama Stalker, Good job! :-)