digital pictures

Would anyone share their technique for good crisp digital images? I have a Nikon coolpix 5000 so the horsepower is there. I want to do pictures in either my basement or outside. Anybody care to comment on background, flash, settings, anything like that wouldhelp me get started.

Thanks, guys.

Don’t know if I would be much help, I just point and shoot.
Depends on the capability of the camera. High megapixal will yield good results if you are going to print large copies. I seldom use my flash, it seems to wash out more details. Background is always nice to have a one color poster board (gray or blue) but sometimes, different colors bring out different aspects of the model. For realistic settings, do the shots outside on overcast days. You can make a simple groundwork (tarmac, etc) and then raise it to get the right background in it (treelines, mountains, etc). Try to avoid cars, stop signs, etc. Pete Bave did a really good article in an old FSM special. Probably can find it in the archives. There are several other good photographers in the forum so maybe one of them will speak up or if you see a good shot done by someone, send them an email and ask them.

well, if you’re gonna be doing photo shoots on your modelling subjects, then the things you’ll need arent that expensive. for backgrounds, i have 4 sheets of matt board found at hobby lobby or michael’s. it is used to matt paintings and such. i have white, black, light gray, and light blue. they are found over near the picture framing section in big bens, they come in every color under the sun. i also purchased 2 desk top lamps with adjustable necks, one clamp on lamp for overhead lighting, appropriate wattage GE “reveal” bulbs, and a camera tripod. reveal bulbs supposed to be the right light for photography. my workbench is just a cafeteria table about 7’ long and it is shoved against the wall. i take the matt board and clamp it to the front side of the table and just let the other end of the matt board roll up on the wall. it rolls up the wall enough to cover the background properly you want see a “corner” in the background, it’ll just look like the light just fades into the dark like so:

i have a kodak easyshare 4.0 megapixel digital camera and it has a “manual” mode on it. with this, i set my F-stop on 8, and adjust my shutter speed (usually anywhere from 1/4 to 1/30 of a second) to adjust the shot to the particular lighting situation. i try to compare my subject as i see it throught the LCD to the picture that i just snapped and it usually works out fairly well. what i do is adjust the shutter speed and when i think i have it dialed in, i snap about 4 shots adjusting the shutter speed one increment down and up from and delete the 2 shots that i think is too light or too dark. i’m certainly no expert, but its really fun!!! i leaned a tremendous amount from the Pixilater. here is a link that you can look at and find some really good info on.
http://www.scalehobby.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=57

Saltydog,

Thanks for the tips on the poster board and reveal lights. I’ve been looking for some ways to improve my indoor photography. And like philp said, overcast days seem to be the best for outdoor photography because the light is softer, but I’ve also found that early morning low angle light is pretty good, too. The only problem with that is trying to avoid making shadows.

Don, be careful using poster board, some of it is shinny and will wreak havoc on your lighting situation. matte board is flat and won’t reflect light. i forgot to mention that i shoot all shots from a tripod, moving the cameral around to frame the subject. i have a “landscape” mode on my camera that i also set when getting really close up shots of the cockpit and such. i also turn out all other lights in the room but the ones i’m using to light the subject, and close all doors where other light can bleed in.

i’m tellin’ ya don, not that those pics of the your F-4 are bad in anyway, but with the proper lighting, you could really show off that marvelous finish you have on that bird!! such a nice scheme you chose for that bird. later.

You may not be an “expert” in your own opinion Saltydog,but on my screen that is a pretty darn good picture!![:)][:)] Man I love this forum,I learn something new almost every hour here…[:D][:D]

G’day,

I use a Nikon coolpix 2000, set on the fine, using either or mostly the zoom for indoor or out door pix, under some lighting I use the light turns the subject to a brownish colour, so most of my model shots are taken outside.

Rob.

Thanks again for the tips, Chris. The downside to taking pictures that are too crisp and clear is that they will show all my mistakes![:)] Seriously, thanks. I’ll give it a try next time.

i know where ya comin’ from dagne!!! its hard for me to pose my humble efforts without something showing!![V] i hope you didnt get offended by that statement because i meant no harm, your pics are wonderful!! later.

No way that I’m offended. Appreciate your help and that of all the other members of this forum. I welcome constructive criticism. Maybe there should be some kind of icon under our stars that shows that we are open to criticism or not. That way other forum members wouldn’t have to worry about hurting feelings by making helpful suggestions. Think we should start a thread on this subject?

The digital camera is definitely a modeling tool in that respect. I find myself spotting flaws that my eyes don’t easily pick up. I can’t always fix them though [B)][:D]