Take your photos outdoors on a day without rain. Do it early in the morning as the sun rises, but make sure the sun doesn't directly shine on your minis. That would give you harsh shadows.
An overcast day works well too (no shadows) but don't take the pics on a partly cloudy day or in full sun (shadows and weird light meter problems) or when rain is in the forecast (wet minis).
Also, crop your photos so only the relevant items are shown with maybe a little space around the subject. Even a free program like MS Paint will do the trick. Saves hard drive and web space.
Try this and your photos will come out much better, without a lot of high tech help.
