Continuing the discussion from Wiki Structure is Lacking:
Continuing the discussion from Web applications, Photography, Solidworks, Cura, Photoshop, Arduino:
@John_Marlow is trying to get deep DOF from his 300mm lens. Since he’s using a tiny aperture (f/29), his images are too dark. I suggest getting some more lights - light cures all problems. The best investment I made when I was a poor college student was a $20 halogen work light. Even that had to be right next to my subjects sometimes, but it typically worked just fine, especially in combination with various other light sources.
As @Rolando_Sustaita1 pointed out, it’s also really helpful to shoot outside (or at least opening the blinds). You’d be surprised how much light the sun provides (sorry, not trying to sound cheeky).