WoeIsMe Posted February 3, 2014 Report Share Posted February 3, 2014 anyone have any advice on photographing minis, i have no experience photographing them and cant seem to get even halfway decent results.... i just have a semi decent digital camera....just cant seem to get the photos to look ok.... --Woe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bacms Posted February 3, 2014 Report Share Posted February 3, 2014 anyone have any advice on photographing minis, i have no experience photographing them and cant seem to get even halfway decent results.... i just have a semi decent digital camera....just cant seem to get the photos to look ok.... --Woe Lighting is the difference between bad results and good results. Are you using a lightbox? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omenbringer Posted February 3, 2014 Report Share Posted February 3, 2014 I strongly second the above recommendation. Lights, lights and more lights. In my set up I use 5 lights (and though it has brokered some debate I also use mutliple tempreture lights as well). A light box is another great recommendation and there are a number of methods to do it on the cheap. I would try the "milk jug" method first and then you can build a custom lightbox later (if you want to). Outside of those two it really depends on the type of camera you are planning on using as the settings will be important as well. I really wish we had access to the old forums user blog entries as I had a rather extensive entry dealing with this particualr topic (I wonder if a mod could retrive it?). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike3838 Posted February 3, 2014 Report Share Posted February 3, 2014 I had a good old play with my phone camera last week (Galaxy S3) and found the following two things improved my pictures immensely: 1) Increase the exposure settings to max 2) Use a black background. 3) Use plenty of light, but diffuse it (in a lightbox) rather than shining a bulb directly on the miniature I don't know enough about cameras to understand what's going off with the background change from white (which was washing out my colours) to black, but it seemed to work very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako Posted February 3, 2014 Report Share Posted February 3, 2014 I personally am in the camp of one temperature of light (as the camera can correct for it then), a diffuser (made of sheets of paper if needs be), a mid to dark grey background (white bleaches things out, black creates false shadowing), and a small piece of white paper in the picture that you can use to set the white balance, then crop it out. That's what I use for photos of models that I'm getting critique on, as it gives me an accurate representation of the model for people to look at and comment. Also, a longer exposure with softer light is preferable to a short exposure using intense light, as the latter can cause reflections from the paintwork. I also set my camera to F22 or higher to give me maximum depth of field and keep the model in focus across its depth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyboy30672 Posted February 3, 2014 Report Share Posted February 3, 2014 Having been a macrophotographer for a miniatures company for 6 years, I fully agree with Mako's advice above, though I still recommend usung a pure white background. Black bacgrounds create those false shadows, yes. But grey backgrounds also take a bit of the color away from models. Especially with acrylic paint, which is slightly translucent and allows light to go through it to see the colors under it, setting the aperture to a high number, like F22 (some cameras only go as high as F16, depending on your lens, but anything over 8 should really be fine, unless you have a group of models or something very deep), and shooting with a timer or a cable release (for old cameras) or remote shutter release will aid in being able to control the washing out of the colors. It takes a little bit of experimenting with the Auto White Balance setting, and shooting in Manual Mode, so definitely consult your owner's manual for how to adjust all those settings. And using a bounce card (or white sheet of paper) off to the side and angled up under the model will allow more light (and a softer light) to capture more detail in some of the underside shadows. It takes the harshness out of the shadows caused by lights all pointing down or directly at a model. You'll definitely need the Auto White Balance setting in order to shoot with multiple temperature (or colors... incandescent, fluorescent, daylight, etc) lights, in order to make sure the colors are captured true in the camera. And a tripod is a must. With letting the shutter speed go below 1/60th of a second (most often my shots are 1/15th, 1/8th, or sometimes even 1/4th of a second), even your heartbeat can cause the camera to shake enough to blur the image. Definitely get a tripod, or find someway to affix the camera in place. As long as it doesn't move at all, you're fine. Hope that helps! --monkey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omenbringer Posted February 3, 2014 Report Share Posted February 3, 2014 ...Especially with acrylic paint, which is slightly translucent and allows light to go through it to see the colors under it, ... You'll definitely need the Auto White Balance setting in order to shoot with multiple temperature (or colors... incandescent, fluorescent, daylight, etc) lights, in order to make sure the colors are captured true in the camera. This is one of the main reasons I shoot under multiple temp/type lights. Each one of the bulbs casts its own hue (the blog entry I mentioned earlier showed this) which influences the models colors. Never had an issue with the white balance and the colors definitely tend to look truer to what is actually on the model. Also strongly support the bounce lighting (light box) as opposed to flitered lighting (milk Jug) methods. This is the main reason I shoot with a small homemade foamcore light box (matte white). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyboy30672 Posted February 3, 2014 Report Share Posted February 3, 2014 This is one of the main reasons I shoot under multiple temp/type lights. Each one of the bulbs casts its own hue (the blog entry I mentioned earlier showed this) which influences the models colors. Never had an issue with the white balance and the colors definitely tend to look truer to what is actually on the model. Also strongly support the bounce lighting (light box) as opposed to flitered lighting (milk Jug) methods. This is the main reason I shoot with a small homemade foamcore light box (matte white). I absolutely agree and support this. A very good point to bring up! --monkey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Blank Posted February 3, 2014 Report Share Posted February 3, 2014 I agree with the above statements, However I also want to mention know the settings on your camera, Understanding Aperature, Shutter Speed and ISO are really helpful. Knowing these allows for you to use the light you do own to more effect. While I am learning Macro Photography I have been a club and concert photographer, so I am often not in control of the light. Medium ISO like 400 is a good starting point, then a $20.00 dollar remote and a tripod, placement and I often like using terrain to make the model look in the moment. I am just starting on painting but a medium aperature like 8.0 or 9.0 is good for starting out and getting as much of the model in focus. The truth is it is about finding your own process and making it work for you. But your best bet is to use the manual mode on your camera and learn the settings, then you can fine tune till your heart is content. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omenbringer Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 If you have a camera that allows these controls then the recommendations Mako and Malidave made above are close to ideal (f-22 and ISO-400). Keep in mind the higher the f number the smaller the lens aperture (opening) for light to move thru. The smaller the opening the deeper the depth of field and the longer the shutter speed In Macro photography the depth of field (volume that will be in focus) can be very difficult to get right, especially if you allow your camera to zoom in and auto focus. A fixed focal length (no auto zoom or auto focus) is another very important component, you can achieve this by rough focusing and then moving the camera in and out (toward and away) from the subject until tack sharp (a tripod helps immensely). I dont recommend working the ISO up to 800 or down below 200, as the higher speed sacrifices detail while the lower can induce blur due to movement. ISO 400 is a great shutter speed to aim for and if your camera is struggling to get there (due to the small aperture for good depth of field) adding more light on the subject will fix this (one of the reasons I use 5-6 lights in my setup). Lastly, be sure to frame your subject tightly. Having a loosely framed photo (to much space around the subject) can trick the cameras light meter into over or underexposing the final image (as it tries to balance the light reflecting on the subject with the light reflecting from the background). I am not a fan of allowing the camera to white balance as you never know exactly what it is doing and it is something that can be easily done (and controlled) in post production. You dont need an expensive camera to do good macro photography either, most digital point and shoots have plenty of capability in this regard especially if you are only intending to post it on the web. PS, I really wish the stupid spammers wouldn't have gotten the blogs from the old forum shut down as I had a great article all about this with contributions from several others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoeIsMe Posted February 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 wow so much great advice.... thanks i have a canon powershot a590 IS it has manual settings and a pretty good range of ISo and Fstop settings...ive just never really shot anything so small.... shame about the old blog im sure that would have been great to read over omen.... guess im gonna scour the net and youtube on how to make a lightbox and such...sadly i dont have much in the way of lighting...and no cash to just run out and buy such things....a couple desk lamps and my overhead lighting is about it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoeIsMe Posted February 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 just pulled it out...it goes up to an F8.... is that not gonna be good enough? i saw an F22 mentioned up there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Blank Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 F8 will work, again use ISO 400, then try playing with the shutter speed. over time you will get it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc T Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 Light room, blue sugar paper, daylight bulb, camera on "auto":gets pics like this:http://wyrd-games.net/community/topic/97594-children-of-december-newly-done/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omenbringer Posted February 5, 2014 Report Share Posted February 5, 2014 just pulled it out...it goes up to an F8.... is that not gonna be good enough? i saw an F22 mentioned up there If that is the highest it'll go then that is what you'll need to use. The only downside is that the depth of field will be a bit shallower so you may want to avoid including "extras" in the photos. As Malidave suggests you can play with the ISO to try and fine tune. In this case I would recommend working down in ISO incrementatly toward 125 (I wouldn't go up). The fixed focal length of the lens will also be an important thing. guess im gonna scour the net and youtube on how to make a lightbox and such...sadly i dont have much in the way of lighting...and no cash to just run out and buy such things....a couple desk lamps and my overhead lighting is about it... I would start with Coolminiornot, they have a few articles that will provide a good base. You'll also see a few other recommendations. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Blank Posted February 5, 2014 Report Share Posted February 5, 2014 Omenbringer when you say iso 125, do you mean shutter speed? My canon 6d does iso increments of 100, 200 etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyboy30672 Posted February 5, 2014 Report Share Posted February 5, 2014 Omenbringer when you say iso 125, do you mean shutter speed? My canon 6d does iso increments of 100, 200 etc... Yes, he does. He means 1/125 of a second shutter speed exposure. Shutter speed is different from ISO, which (in the days of film) was also called film speed. For shutter speed, try to keep it under 1/60 of a second, if you're going to hold it in your hand. Won't matter if you're using a tripod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omenbringer Posted February 5, 2014 Report Share Posted February 5, 2014 As Monkeyboy30672 states Shutter Speed is different than ISO. There are a number of "variables" that can be adjusted in photography to effect the final result. The main three are Aperture opening (amount of light allowed thru the lens), Shutter speed (length of time the light hits the recording media) and ISO rating (the sensitivity of the recoding media to light). Manipulation of these variables determines the look of the final image. Not all cameras will allow adjustment of all the variables (often refered to as "manual mode"). Most cameras do function in either "Shutter priority" or "aperture priority" mode, where the user selects the variable they want to control and the camera adjusts the other accordingly. Adjusting one of the three variables will affect the others in a significant way (think of it as a balancing act). Skillful manipulation of the variables can allow the replication of very different setups. Given that your camera lens has a maximum aperture rating of f 8, increasing your depth of field (volume that is in focus) can be done by slowing the shutter speed and decreasing the ISO rating. Essentially you are allowing the camera a longer and deeper look at the subject without risking over exposing the image. Hopefully this all makes sense. Talking about cameras can often feel like speaking in a foreign language. BTW Malidave your camera (Canon 6d) is very capable, out of curiousity whatt are the specs on your lens?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Blank Posted February 5, 2014 Report Share Posted February 5, 2014 Hi Omenbringer, I have a 6D and a T3I. I often use the T3I to take pictures of the mini's because it is a crop sensor so I can get more natural cropping. I have a variety of lenses, EF24mm, Pancake 40mm, 50mm 1.8, 85mm 1.8, Tameron 70-300 and finally the Kit Lens for the T3I which is an 18-55mm 4.5-5, I have some Macro add on lenses for this lens so I tend to use it for the mini's. I do a lot of Concert and Club photography so I tend to use the Tameron for this. Doing Macro is something I don't do a whole lot of, but I am doing more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyboy30672 Posted February 6, 2014 Report Share Posted February 6, 2014 Malidave, You sound just the opposite of me... I do a lot more mini photography, but I am IN a band, so I don't do a lot of club photography! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omenbringer Posted February 6, 2014 Report Share Posted February 6, 2014 Hi Omenbringer, I have a 6D and a T3I. I often use the T3I to take pictures of the mini's because it is a crop sensor so I can get more natural cropping. I have a variety of lenses, EF24mm, Pancake 40mm, 50mm 1.8, 85mm 1.8, Tameron 70-300 and finally the Kit Lens for the T3I which is an 18-55mm 4.5-5, I have some Macro add on lenses for this lens so I tend to use it for the mini's. I do a lot of Concert and Club photography so I tend to use the Tameron for this. Doing Macro is something I don't do a whole lot of, but I am doing more. You have some nice gear there. Both of those bodies are very good however I would probably lean toward the 6d due to the full sized image sensor (the T3i will produce a magnifying effect due to the smaller sensor size). I would also probably use either the EF 24mm fixed focal length lens set to f 22 or the 18-55mm lens set to the 24mm setting (18mm might produce a slight "fish eye" effect) with the aperture set to the minimum (specs show f 22 though the zoom will reduce this slightly more). I would also turn off the auto focus and stabilizer. I would set the camera's ISO to 400 to start and have the camera set to aperture priority. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Blank Posted February 6, 2014 Report Share Posted February 6, 2014 Thanks i will try it and let you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simian Posted February 6, 2014 Report Share Posted February 6, 2014 i wrote a piece on this for a blog recently. see here. http://hootingintotheabyss.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/photographing-miniatures.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoeIsMe Posted February 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2014 again, i just wanted to say thank you for the wealth of information you guys have provided. sadly, omen, you are correct...most of this sounds like a foreign language...but im starting to understand it all. hopefully ill be able to get a few shots going this week coming and post them up for, what I imagine will be scathing, reviews..lol Hopefully is a very operative term there...life has a tendancy to get in the way nowadays. Simian gonna read through that and see what i can glean from it, thank you for the link --Woe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omenbringer Posted February 8, 2014 Report Share Posted February 8, 2014 again, i just wanted to say thank you for the wealth of information you guys have provided. sadly, omen, you are correct...most of this sounds like a foreign language...but im starting to understand it all. hopefully ill be able to get a few shots going this week coming and post them up for, what I imagine will be scathing, reviews..lol Hopefully is a very operative term there...life has a tendancy to get in the way nowadays. Simian gonna read through that and see what i can glean from it, thank you for the link --Woe Dont be afraid to ask more questions or post your images, as they say a picture is worth a thousand words. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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