Miniature photo opinions wanted (experimenting, general advice welcome)

[Charlie_]

Ok, It's about time I started getting some good photos of my little project.

• I'm just using a cheap digital camera. I'm not planning to buy a super-expensive 'real' camera, but I could potentially be persuaded to go for something between the two extremes.
• I'm not interested in photography for any other purpose.
• I'm not looking for amazing studio quality pics, just good enough to show my work well.
• I want to be able to take pics of units, individual models and in-game shots for battle reports.

So this is me seeing what I can do with my cheap camera, and deciding what is the best option. I've been playing around with different bulbs for different lighting effects, along with some different settings on the camera, carefully keeping records of each combo.

All photos of the same unit. I chose the five which look the best.

What do you all think? Which looks the best? Obviously some of them have a different sort of colour, some being a bit more 'orange', but I think they look nice like that. But perhaps I'm just being silly? If you were to see lots of pics of units from my now quite large collection, which of the following would please you the most? Is it obvious, and I just can't see it? Which lighting / camera setting combo should I go for?

Cast your vote! If one of them is a universal winner, that's probably a good indication of the one I should go for. I'm genuinely interested in what you all think.







And here's a link to all of them in one image if you want to compare them side-by-side easier -

[Jeff965]

For what it's worth, I think the best photo is number 5. 1 is to dark, 2 looks washed out and 3&4 look like the real colours have been altered in some way (I think it's the way the lighting has been altered).
However I think the most important thing is to go with what you are happy with, hope this helps 

[Unlucky General]

2 or 5 for me.

[Romark]

Number 5 for me 

[fred]

I would suggest using some kind of light reflector infront of the unit. Figures always cast their own shadow, so getting some light reflected back in can really help. This can be as simple as a folded piece of white paper, positioned just in-front of the unit, but out of shot.

I'd also suggest finding a different background, than striped curtains!!. Getting some terrain in the back of the shot can help.

I think I prefer picture 5 - but they all look a bit dark. 3 is my least favourite, due to the orange colour shift.

[Charlie_]

Thanks guys, looks like 5 is the winner from that comparison.
I'm now trying out some other combos, I guess I'm going to end up with a full 20 pics to compare, every combo (4 bulbs, 5 different settings).

I would suggest using some kind of light reflector infront of the unit. Figures always cast their own shadow, so getting some light reflected back in can really help. This can be as simple as a folded piece of white paper, positioned just in-front of the unit, but out of shot.

I just tried that with both some white paper and a mirror. The results were either too subtle for me to notice or not there.... But it's an interesting idea, thanks, I'll keep it in mind for the future!

I'd also suggest finding a different background, than striped curtains!!. Getting some terrain in the back of the shot can help.

Well yes, I was planning to do that eventually... but point taken, I've plonked some trees down for the next pics. 
Can anyone tell me where to get a suitable backdrop?

Ok, take a look at this pic....

This is with the brightest bulb. So there is more light all round.... it means the legs are no longer in shadow, which is good... but also there is now quite a glare on the flag, which I think is bad. Compare both the legs and the flag on this new one to the first ones I posted.
Any thoughts?

[Charlie_]

Ok, ok, here we go!
I've spent all evening playing with light bulbs, which has been kinda driving me crazy, but I think the results have been worth it.
First off I moved where I was taking the photos and was able to get much better light coverage, so no deep shadows.
Then I worked through loads of different settings and lightbulb combos and was eventually able to narrow it down to two finalists!

So which one do you think looks best? TOP or BOTTOM?

I'm very pleased with both of them, and have a feeling I know which one is best. Happy to say I won't be spending lots of money on a fancy new camera! The winner will be the blueprint for all my photos in the future (must remember to write all this down!). Including the white border, which I think adds a bit of class. I will look at getting a woodland backdrop to hang behind it all as well.



Which one do you think it should be?

[AndrewBeasley]

Though I love seeing other people terrain as a background, I do prefer a basic picture that shows the figures to there best.

Have a Google for infinity curves.  A simple A3 coloured sheet of paper can be held up with blue-tac rather than a fancy holder will do.

Adding a simple white sheet of paper (or foam core) to bounce the light will help to counter front shadow.

GW have a good simple guide http://www.blacklibrary.com/Home/how-to-photograph-miniatures.html

Great paint job and basing by the way

[tomogui]

Top is miles better, IMO. Looks much clearer and brighter.

But I think framing of the shot is important too. If you took this shot a little closer, cropping off some of the dead space to the left and right of the unit and giving a better view of the soldiers, it'd be clearer visually. After all, we're here to admire your minis!

Also, nice work on these guys. The unit basing style looks fantastic.

[Charlie_]

Though I love seeing other people terrain as a background, I do prefer a basic picture that shows the figures to there best.

Have a Google for infinity curves.  A simple A3 coloured sheet of paper can be held up with blue-tac rather than a fancy holder will do.

What I'm thinking I will do is have the scenic backgrounds for unit shots, and the white background you have just describe for individual models from the units.... Like this.



I should probably go back to B&Q and get a couple of extra lamps with appropriate day light bulbs... But these two pics I did with just the one ceiling bulb, plus adjusting the brightness and contrast afterwards, and I think they look good enough for now. I've actually got one of those lightbox things, but think it's more trouble than it's worth... This is just a bit of white paper bluetacked to the wall.

Great paint job and basing by the way

Thanks!

But I think framing of the shot is important too. If you took this shot a little closer, cropping off some of the dead space to the left and right of the unit and giving a better view of the soldiers, it'd be clearer visually. After all, we're here to admire your minis!

Well I don't think I could really crop it any smaller, the corners of the base and top of the banner pole are already nearly touching the edge.

Also, nice work on these guys. The unit basing style looks fantastic.

Thanks!

It's funny you both mentioned the basing... it really is the simplest. Just sand, sealed with watered down PVA to make it rock hard. And patches of one type of static grass. That's it. My theory was simple bases to complement rather than distract from the miniatures, and I think it's worked out well.
And they are just 20mm bases in an MDF movement tray. Seen at the right angle (like in these pics) the edges of the individual bases aren't apparent, which is a bonus. They are set up in ranks Warhammer style, 3 by 6, and I think it looks good, so no multi-basing for me!

I've got lots more units to photograph, but most of them need going back to and a few things sorted out, a few extra coats of matt varnish here and there, etc...

[marianas_gamer]

I much prefer the top photo. The bottom photo appears "muddy" to my eye.
LB

[fred]

Top looks the best.

Try cropping more - I tend to do as you do and crop to the edge of the base. But often the base is on an angle, so takes up way more visual space than the figures. Try cropping tighter, e.g. to the foot of the front right guy, and the weapons of the left hand guy. See what that looks like. Then crop even tighter, just have the main figures, even if you loose a few on the edges.

Having stuff in the background also helps the camera with its light settings, if you have a light background (like the curtains) and even more so with the white paper, the camera gets a bit confused by the very light background, which is a big area and the small darker figures, and tends to under expose.

The two individual figures are suffering from this I think, and have therefore come out quite dark. You often have to force the camera to take the picture a couple of stops brighter than it wants to.

A light box is great for getting more light into the front of the figures (this is also where the reflector comes into play).

With the unit, you are getting good depth of field (the amount of stuff that is in focus) - this is good, and can be quite hard with close up shots of small stuff.

[fred]

GW have a good simple guide http://www.blacklibrary.com/Home/how-to-photograph-miniatures.html

That is a good guide.

One thing I would disagree with, is the idea of filling the camera view finder with the model. We modern cameras with high resolution this isn't really needed. Instead you can pull back a bit, which will normally give you more depth of field. Then crop the image after taking it. And even though you have cropped the image you will still have a plenty big enough image to use on the web. Perhaps if you are after a full page photo to use in a printed magazine then you want to fill the frame, but this isn't how most of us use our photos.

[Charlie_]

Try cropping more

I think I want the entirety unit base in the shot, as it's supposed to showcase the unit as a gaming piece.

However I did just play around with cropping it down, and it undeniably looks great!!!

if you have a light background (like the curtains) and even more so with the white paper, the camera gets a bit confused by the very light background, which is a big area and the small darker figures, and tends to under expose.

Yes, I think I'm going to have much more success with the scenic backgrounds. I think I'll save the white background / lightbox for just individual models when they are required. I will get a couple of new lamps and experiment with the lightbox again, but I'm not going to get too carried away trying to get these ones perfect.

Here's another one.... The scenic background to show the unit, and the white background just to show the detail of the flag and the horse side-on.





I know that white background one isn't perfect, but I think it's just fine for the job I need it for.

[Norm]

Hi, the fasters way for improvement is to learn what WHITE BALANCE is and how you can control it on the camera and secondly, you need to get some more light onto the front facing of your figures and that probably needs to be a gentle light, like powered down flash.

Some people spend a loooong time to master their photography, so don't worry if you feel things are an uphill struggle.