Photographing miniatures

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Burning Sun
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Photographing miniatures

#1 Post by Burning Sun »

I realise this isn't really P+M, but IMO it's better here than elsewhere.

Allerion PMed this to me, and I'm going to stick it in the library at some point (The author has said that everything can be copied), but until I get around to it, I might as well just post the link:

http://www.weetoysoldiers.com/wp/?p=439

EDIT - Link dead
[size=90]Ex-Loremaster, despite what some of the profile may say, I can't edit it any more. Contact one of the others for issues.

Whaia e koe ki te iti kahurangi; ki te tuohu koe, me maunga teitei - Maori Proverb
(Seek the treasure you value most dearly: if you bow your head, let it be to a lofty mountain)[/size]
redarmy27
Posts: 57
Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2009 12:08 am

Re: Photographing miniatures

#2 Post by redarmy27 »

Beautiful article! I love it. I've always had a little trouble getting the right pictures for my minis. Great post!


Jake
My blog: http://redarmystudios.blogspot.com/
If you're interested, feel free to contact me about commission work!

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TheGeminiKiller
Posts: 69
Joined: Mon May 07, 2007 8:20 am
Location: Tucson, Arizona USA

Re: Photographing miniatures

#3 Post by TheGeminiKiller »

Link is dead :(
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Falahk
Posts: 145
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2004 8:43 pm
Location: Falun, Sweden

Re: Photographing miniatures

#4 Post by Falahk »

I found this article to be very helpfull when i started to use a digital camera:
http://z3.invisionfree.com/Orc__Goblin_ ... opic=18962
[url=http://swfbr.ipbhost.com/index.php?act=idx]SWFBR[/url]- Swedish Warhammer Tournament Calendar, Ranking and Forum
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Burning Sun
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Re: Photographing miniatures

#5 Post by Burning Sun »

I welcome other helpful painting links here
[size=90]Ex-Loremaster, despite what some of the profile may say, I can't edit it any more. Contact one of the others for issues.

Whaia e koe ki te iti kahurangi; ki te tuohu koe, me maunga teitei - Maori Proverb
(Seek the treasure you value most dearly: if you bow your head, let it be to a lofty mountain)[/size]
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Baalan
Posts: 402
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Location: HellasNagarythe

Re: Photographing miniatures

#6 Post by Baalan »

An interesting site especially the Tips&Tricks section (perhaps most know about it, but best if it posted here for easy access):
http://games.necrosys.com/tip_photo.shtml

Also, for the more DIY oriented among us:
http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/2006/0 ... tudio.html

http://www.macworld.com/article/60804/2 ... photo.html

And finally for the 'die-hards':
http://www.amazon.co.uk/studio-includin ... B000NHBN7E

cheers
"Full of pride and sorrow for what i am gonna do with tears in my eyes and a dream in my heart...Nagarythe shall endure..."
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Baerion
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Re: Photographing miniatures

#7 Post by Baerion »

Thanks for posting those Do it Yourself studios. I was just wondering what I could do to make my models look better. The wood grain table and paint pots in the background are a little distracting IMO. Once I find time I think I'm going to build one and redo all of my camera shots. THANKS AGAIN!
Midnight Legion Painting Blog: http://www.ulthuan.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=30693
SlythRa
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Joined: Wed Jun 09, 2004 3:19 pm
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne
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Re: Photographing miniatures

#8 Post by SlythRa »

It' difficult to get good pictures to show off the details of your painted models, as most often they do not show all the highlighted detail because of reflected light/shadow on a 3d model. I'm rarely satisfied and need to take a good half a dozen pics of each model then select the best - easy with a digi camera.

Here are 6 easy tips I have learned to follow when readying your models for photographing and taking the pics:

1. Don't use flash - instead use a lamp focussed at a 45 degree angle to your model. This way you can manipulate the light and shadow as you wish by amending the direction of the beam instead of using flashing which is usually too bright and doesn't show the painting
detail well.

2. Don't use varnish. Varnish IMO dulls the paint work of the model, and when a photograph is taken its reflective texture messes up the photo. The only time I'd use varnish is for water/slime/blood effect on small parts of the model/base.

3. Don't use a fantasy background. Use either sky blue or white so that the only attraction is focussed on the model. If you had a fantasy backing of woodland and castles for example, the outline and shade of the model would be less pronounced. So keep it simple and eyes focussed on the model. Also make sure you don't lay the model on a dark surface such as dark grained wood. If you don't have anything else suitable, just use a blank sheet of white paper, its a lot better than a dark paint-stained scratched desk!

4.Variation - if making a gallery vary it a bit to make it interesting. Don't just take pic after pic after pic of white and blue infantry, mix it up to add interest with an example of infantry, an example of cavalry, a character riding a beast and a war machine. Even better, if you collect more than one army like most gamers do, don't just focus on one type.

5. Photoediting - the only thing i'd ever use photoediting for is to increase the sharpness and perhaps contrast of the picture in the event of a slightly blurry photo. Anything else IMO is cheating and not really your model.

6. Basing. Basing always improves a model. even if the model isnt that well painted, a well crafted base upflits it and makes it times better. conversley, an amazingly painted model on a plain black plastic base chepens the look and devalues tyour skill. Basing is really easy - just go into your garden and take a few twigs from some trees, some small pebbles, some soil and some litchen/moss. Glue them onto your base, give the whole thing a watered down black/brown ink wash and then drybrush the twigs/litchen/moss using lighter shades of whatever colour they are: there you go, instant, realistic fantasy forest base.

Hope that helps :)

-Slyth
ARBAL
Posts: 86
Joined: Mon May 14, 2012 9:58 am

Re: Photographing miniatures

#9 Post by ARBAL »

Some photography tips:
How to make a simple photobox? http://coloureddust.blogspot.com/2012/0 ... tobox.html
How to make rotating pictures of your figures? http://coloureddust.blogspot.com/2012/0 ... -your.html

and profesional backgrunds:
Hangar18 - HiDef Photo Backgrounds http://www.coloureddust.com.pl/2013/04/ ... ounds.html
[url=http://coloureddust.blogspot.com][img]http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/7632/coloureddustprzezroczys.gif[/img][/url]
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Peepster1976
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Location: Netherlands

Re: Photographing miniatures

#10 Post by Peepster1976 »

how I take Pics

Image
Light from both sides, reculator on the lamp. And i use the continuos light of my foon camera (Sony Z5).

ANy more set ups?

GRtzz
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