Just painted - Ironcladman, British officers, and infantry

[warburton]

Perry Miniatures and Ironcladman by Ironclad, I think.

Just need static grass to be completed. They are part of a slowly growing force.

My photography skills are also improving, albeit even more slowly; apologies for chap who is out of focus.

Any suggestions gratefully received (on painting or photography).

[warburton]

**deleted**

[Lawful Evil]

I'm painting some Victoria Miniatures sci-fi British at the moment, and how I wish I could get them to look like yours. Nice work, mate.

[Malamute]

Nice brushwork

[Bullshott]

Very nice work. The infantry are great and you've got the finish on Ironcladman just right 

[Vonkluge]

Nice job, love the "Iron Cladman" makes me want to start up my Victorian Sci Fi again!

There are a lot of good painters her and quite a few also good at taking pictures of their minis too! I'm not half bad (I should be better considering I've made a living in the film biz for 30 years, but its not quite the same) so pleas allow me to drop some tips on things I do or have learned. I dont know what you know so if I point out something you already know please just ignore it, just hope I can help a bit  as good pictures help us all enjoy the fine minis here.

First, think of the area you put you minis in as like a football or soccer stadium and your camera sits on the goal line. All the yardage marks or lines would mark focus points and the space in between your depth of field (or focus). Your focus will always run parallel to the goal line where the camera lens is so miniatures have to be lined up on the same line to be in focus or there has to be enough depth of field, the distance your focus "carries" from one line to another for the mini to remain in focus. This depth is reliant on the amount of light verse the stop or appitchure size of the lens. The more light, the higher the appiture or stop you shoot at and the more depth of field or space between the lines that items will remain in focus. Thats it!

The one out of focus mini was forward of your focus line.

Now a lot of photography depends on the camera you have as well as your light sources.

If I was to guess you shot yours outside?  Your camera seems to have "exposed" for the white bacground leaving the front of your minis a bit dark, not bad but try the same shot with a flash or put a black background up. Photography is really about taking lots of pictures under different conditions or settings and seeing what works.

Good luck.

[warburton]

Thank you for the kind comments; and particularly vonKluge for the helpful points on photography - very useful.

The finish on Ironcladman was achieved by drybrushing, purple and chesnut ink and gloss varnish.

[Vonkluge]

Here's a few pictures I took recently for the LAF "Medieval Painting Challenge". Now grant you I have a nice camera but the principles are the same. I used a black background so my cameras exposure meter reads the mini not the background brightness. I set my camera macro mode, auto with flash (my flash can vary itself you might have to put tissue or even tape a bit of Toilet paper over it to lessen it) I have a light on the left side through a white sheet and the flash does the front fill, the right side is slightly down to give contrast and a more natural looking picture. With this exposure and closeness to the mini depth of field is only about 1.5 to 2 inches. In the first photo everything is in focus since the entire mini is positioned with in the focus range for this camera setting. You can see in the second picture the horses nose is slightly out of focus as well as the base material just behind the leg. Group shots are tougher as you have to back up use much more light to get depth of field. Shooting them individually and then just grouping is best for showing the groups detail but if you want to show them in relationship to one another then back up, add light, use longer lens. The last group shot is done this way. Not that sharp on the internet but remember that these pictures all have their quality reduced to be displayed on the WEB. A fact of reducing the pixels to fit. Your PCs screen cannot display as well as most cameras can shoot, well they can but the picture would be huge and you need a big monitor.

The images were shot with a cannon G10 on tripod (mounted) and using a remote shutter button to avoid shaking the camera during the exposure time. You can use the camera "timer" to also take pictures with out having to press the button and shake camera. Mounting is almost a MUST! 

[warburton]

Thanks again - at first I thought it was the camera that meant all of the photos I took were out of focus, but I did some reading and discovered, no, it was me!

I have improved a lot in photography to get to where I am now, though the camera I have is still just a very cheap one. My brother has lent me a camera with a very good lens whilst he is overseas but I need to buy some parts for it before I can use it and see if it makes a further difference; and yes - a tripod is on the to buy list!

Thanks again, vonKluge, for your helpful comments.

[The Dozing Dragon]

Nice Pjs. I have a bunch of Perry colonial types that will now join the VSF queue...

[Hitman]

Nicely done. I love the name...Ironcladman...Well done sir!! Thanks for sharing.
Regards,
Hitman
 

[The_Beast]

...
The one out of focus mini was forward of your focus line.
...

Truly said, but amongst the many attempts, don't forget serendipity. I thought the out of focus, in this case, gave the image atmosphere and depth. Ditto the shading.

I've NO talent and NO technique, mind you. Every interesting image I've ever taken has been a happy accident.

Doug

[warburton]

I've NO talent and NO technique, mind you. Every interesting image I've ever taken has been a happy accident.

Not a bad method! Thanks for the kind comments, very encouraging to get more done!