How to take good pictures of your customs!

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

They look awesome, what a great idea, thanks for sharing. I have two of those lights sitting in my cupboard waiting for me to drag my tent out, but that set up looks less cumbersome.

[Cosmicman]

Well, if you feel like a fruit cake, perhaps you should consider a different hobby. Or at least wait for the snow to melt.

Naw. It's not the hobby. It is just the idea of a 6'5" 275lbs with long blond hair standing in a snow bank taking pictures of an object that is 8 inches in height and trying to get many different angles. I live among a community of houses with folks around me who are 50 and above. Trust me, I look like a strange fella when they glance out their backyard and see me taking pictures in snow drifts.

[highquality]

I'm thinking it's going to take more than just that box.

If those lights don't throw out pure white light, you may have to white balance the pic.

Also, I've seen that much light end up looking really dark in the pic.

[toys2cool]

Naw. It's not the hobby. It is just the idea of a 6'5" 275lbs with long blond hair standing in a snow bank taking pictures of an object that is 8 inches in height and trying to get many different angles. I live among a community of houses with folks around me who are 50 and above. Trust me, I look like a strange fella when they glance out their backyard and see me taking pictures in snow drifts.

Hey honey that freak's outside playing with his toys again

[Cosmicman]

Hey honey that freak's outside playing with his toys again

[darklord1967]

As a contribution to this thread, there was also this photography tutorial that I wrote last year to help familiarize customizers and collectors with the finer points of action figure / miniature photography.

Warning: It's a LONG (but very informative) read.



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[SUP-Ronin]

I think you can take great pics with a cheap camera, you don't need a superexpensive one.

The biggest problems I see in peoples posts are both easily fixable.
1. Lighting - which is easy to manipulate, until you get what you want.
2. Focus. If it's blurry, and you don't want it to be, then take more pics. With my digital camera, I noticed if I get too close it has trouble focusing so back up and use the computer to adjust the size and crop out the junk around the outside. If you have it MS Power Point is a great program for basic picture altering. Also Photobucket is pretty good for editing photos, and the basic package is free.

Also try lots of different shots until you get the one you want. Use the flash, don't use the flash, use a tripod, use different types of bulbs, daylight, screens, etc. I think that light box is sweet. A great way to diffuse the light and still illuminate the object. Totally controllable. Also looks professional. You can try different colored material as well as the white paper.

[highquality]

I wonder where I could find colored gels for my lights. A neat trick I learned from running stage lights is to use an amber gel on one side and a bluish gel on the other. This gives the best 3-D effect.

I've never tried this in home use, but I'm dying to.

[vulcan2074]

I Like this idea alot. Looks like a great way to take some pictures
Sammy

[Brazoo]

Great set up!

MegoRonin's and darklord1967's advice is great too.

Here's another couple of quick tips I learned for cheap & simple point-and-shoot cameras:

Most cameras can only focus on objects over 2.5' to 3' unless your camera has a macro mode (usually it's a flower symbol) so use that if you don't have a zoom lens.

It's sometimes helpful to defuse the light from an in-camera flash. In-camera flashes can flatten the object or cause glare (this is especially a problem for packaged toys). To defuse the flash just peel one layer off a kleenex and hold it over the flash. Don't get your fingers over the flash!! You can use more than one ply of kleenex if you need to.

[kingdom warrior]

That's a Great idea Cat gotta try that!

[Meule]

Hey honey that freak's outside playing with his toys again

"Hello police? Our neighbor is whipping out his eight inches again in his backyard."

[Bizarro Amy]

I wonder where I could find colored gels for my lights. A neat trick I learned from running stage lights is to use an amber gel on one side and a bluish gel on the other. This gives the best 3-D effect.

I've never tried this in home use, but I'm dying to.

Is there any way you could use colored cellophane or saran wrap to do the same thing?
Here are the google results for stage light gels. They don't sound that hard to find. stage light gels - Google Search

[thunderbolt]

Naw. It's not the hobby. It is just the idea of a 6'5" 275lbs with long blond hair standing in a snow bank taking pictures of an object that is 8 inches in height and trying to get many different angles. I live among a community of houses with folks around me who are 50 and above. Trust me, I look like a strange fella when they glance out their backyard and see me taking pictures in snow drifts.

OK, consider a privacy hedge or fence then, if you are surrounded by a whole neighborhood of Gladys Kravitzes. Come to think of it, I'm surrounded by old folks, too.

[Brazoo]

Is there any way you could use colored cellophane or saran wrap to do the same thing?
Here are the google results for stage light gels. They don't sound that hard to find. stage light gels - Google Search

I'm going to sound like such a nerd here, but I've actually seen a few burns and small fires due to improper handling of lighting equipment on low-budget student photography/video productions.

Proper lighting gels aren't expensive and they're fire retardant. Those worklights Wrathdemon is using throw off a lot of heat.

Every accident I've seen so far was caused by improper equipment, people tripping over cords or trying to move lights before they cool down. None of the accidents were hugely serious mind you, but singeing carpet still sucks.