Can someone help me with my photos?

[silvana]

Hi
these are the first pics I've ever taken & posted of my small models and I am having trouble.
Can someone offer some advice please.

I've borrowed a friends digital SLR camera and I don't know how to take a good photo of something small.
I took the pics early this morning with the sun coming in the window but I can't stop the flash from going off - causing the flair on the surface of the model. My focus is a little out too?

Thanks Silvana

[Hammers]

Great miniatures Silvana. i especially like the head of Bilbo.

My first advice, if you are new to this, is to use a digital compact. The out of focus problem you are talking could be the result of not using macro lens. They can be expensive, that's why I recommend a compact digital, which now days come with built in macro functionality (just with the push of a button). Much cheaper and easier to handle. as for lighting I suggest that you take the photographs outdoors. You could invest in a couple of daylight lamps, but start outdoors. This will give you better ambient light and reduce unwanted shadows.

Flash should be avoided. You should be able to suppress it if you read the manual.

[Hauptgefreiter]

Nice Work! 
There's some advice on the photo matter in this thread:
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=13537.msg168754;topicseen#msg168754
maybe this is also useful for you.

[former user]

bloody awesome paintjobs girl!

as said, macro function
if You have a motif arranged at different levels, the autofocus will choose one level and the others will be blurred. So the only thing You can do about it is manual diaphragm on minimum. This way You will get a prolonged exposure and a depth focus.  But this obviously works only with a fixed camera and better with delayed shot.

Natural light always looks good, but I prefer studio light with an ambient source and at least two spots.
if You want to reduce strong shadows, You project the spotlight to a white screen (sheet of paper) and light it indirectly.
Then You can produce the "daylight" appearance with photoshop.

[Vanvlak]

They're much better than my first photos - and some of the more recent ones too!
Grand job on the models - love the baseball pair 

[DFlynSqrl]

Oh very nice!

[silvana]

Thanks for the compliments and suggestions- I really appreciate it.

[froboyharrell]

Silvana,

By looking at your photos, your camera has a macro function.  The issues are your depth of field and your flash.  To play with the depth of field, try to find out if the camera you are borrowing lets you change the apperature setting.  The higher the number on this, the better.  The only drawback is that this generally increases the amount of time you need to have the "shutter" open.  By disabling the flash, you'll need even more time (look for a lightning symbol on the back).  The link tells you to invest in a tripod, which is a must, and shoot outdoors.  What it negelects to tell you is that for these long exposures your pressing of the button will jiggle the camera and create an "out-of-focus" look.  I recommend that you use the self timer function with your camera-tripod combination.  Old school cameras had a shutter release cable so you wouldn't jostle it during long exposures for macro or night shots, but we are way past that these days.

[silvana]

I have now borrowed the manual (nearly 200 pages aaaah!). 

I will take new photos soon once it stops raining.
Melbourne weather boiling hot one day, cold and raining the next.

[Svennn]

Melbourne weather boiling hot one day, cold and raining the next.

You want sympathy? try cold and raining one day, cold and raining the next

[Michi]

Very nice figures, I think the skaven are painted best. Too much of a drybrush on the others for my taste, though it suits them well anyway. What scale are the baseballers?

[silvana]

The baseballers are 1/35th scale resin figures by Warriors Scale Models.

I have to agree with you about the too much dry brush - I'm not totally happy with it either

[Michi]

The baseballers are 1/35th scale resin figures by Warriors Scale Models.

I have to agree with you about the too much dry brush - I'm not totally happy with it either

I see. For 54mm figures you better choose layering instead of highlighting them with the dry brush. I quit the drybrushing after I had done it for a while when I did not know a better way. I am no master painter, but I like my results better now. Larger figures are more difficult to paint, but it works on them too. Here´s a 120mm I did earlier this year:

[silvana]

Yes - I really like your technique and I have seen it on this forum before.
I'm gonna give that a go on my next figure as dry brushing for me hasn't produced the results that I desire.
I appreciate that you posted some close up examples for me to look at.
Thanks again. Silv

[Michi]

You´re welcome. I lookforward to see what you´ll do...