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From Mark Fergel:
- Lighting is very important. You want to evenly light the kit but not directly light the kit to much or you end up with
overexposure and washed out colors when using an automatic camera. I take my
photos outside away from direct sunlight. The best time I've found is sunny days with an overcast. The clouds help to diffuse the sunlight.
- Use a backdrop. I place a peice of fabric behind and under my kit as a backdrop. My kit is the main subject, not my
back yard or my workbench or yada yada yada....
- Focusing. The thing to remember is that automatic 35mm cameras do not like to focus in on tight objects. I think the
problem most people have is that they try to get to close to their subject and to
fill in the entire view. On small scale objects it just wont work. You also end up with depth of field problems on large objects. Try to stand back from the object. Use your zoom (if you have one) and don't necissarily try to fill the entire picture with your model. Shooting a litte further back will help yeild a sharper image. You may loose some detail but unless you have a SLR (single lens reflex) camera and a good macro lens, you are not going to get professional quality photos.
From S.M. Clark:
- I use a SLR Pentax ME Super 35mm (about 23 years old and still going strong!) with relatively slow (ASA 100) film. I use a standard
50mm lens combined with *two* close-up filters for the real close in stuff, *one* close-up filter for the middle ground stuff, and *no* close-up filters for full frontal shots of the entire model.
- As for lighting, *never* use a flash if you're concerned about accurate color reproduction. Get yourself 3 500w tungsten photo floods,
and spot them at the best angles around the model. This eliminates unwanted
shadows. Make sure you get diffusers with them or you'll have a harsh glare. You'll also need to get a tungsten (blue) filter for your lens to adjust for the high yellow content of the light.
- Finally, use a tripod.
From Jim Small
- The camera. The problem with photographing models correctly is that you usually have to get in very close. This is not possible
with those run-of-the-mill "point-and-shoot-idiot-proof" cameras with a separate parallax-prone viewfinder. You pretty much have to use an SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera. A good example is the
Canon Rebel XS. . Make sure you get an SLR that has fully manual override capabilities for aperature, time, and focus.
- You will also need a tripod, and if possible, a remote shutter switch to trip the shutter without touching the camera, because you're
going to do time exposures, or at least, slower than normal shutter speeds. You don't want the camera to move even slightly when taking these shots.
- When photographing the model, use a wide angle lens and get in really close to the model. This makes the model look much bigger.
Sometimes my lens is less than three inches from the model. I also use the Aperature Priority feature on my camera to stop the iris down as small as it will go. This increases the "depth of
field" greatly, allowing the entire model's length to stay in focus. This is handy
when shooting long models, such as the Galactica or Cygnus in head-on shots, although I now use this technique all the time for all model shots.
- Stepping down the aperture also means that you have less light available, so the shutter speed will be slower, and means the exposure
will be longer (hence the need for a steady tripod). On many cameras that
have the aperture priority feature, the shutter speed will adjust automatically, but on a fully manual older style SLR, you will have to compensate for this yourself. Consult the camera's manual.
- NEVER use the flash, if you want the model to look realistic.! Use available light. A flash is great if you're taking pictures of
models for reference and you want to show off it's paint job, such as colour variations or weathering patterns. A flash doesn't show off textural details very well though. Most of my model shots are
taken in front of a large window, but not in direct sunlight. Sometimes putting the model in a bright beam of sunlight can look good but the contrast will sometimes wash the model out. Put a white card on
the unlit side of the model to bounce light back to act as fill. I prefer ambient light for the most part, but with most of the light coming from one direction.
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