What kind of light bubs do you all use to take photos of your models? Doft white, bright white, daylight what??
I took some pictures with by photo box and the model came out with a totally different color. I took the same model outside and the next picture was the right color so I know I’m using the wrong bubs.
Whenever possible, I’d take them outside, in natural light.
Match the bulbs in both ‘color’ and age, use your camera’s fluorescent setting if it has one and use a low shutter speed (1/60 or less) to avoid the 60Hz flicker. If you can fine tune the camera’s white balance to the lights you have, then you ought to be golden.
Check the setting available in your camera for the white balance. Along with all the different bulbs and out door options there is usually one where you can set the white balance. Sometime called “White Set” in the option. Put something very white and big enough to fill the cameras view under the lights you intend to use, I use a sheet of matt photo paper, and set the white with that.
Here is a composite of all the setting on my camera using the same light source. In this case 3 halogen bulbs. It’s a good idea to do something like this with your camera. Keep in mind that, except for the last one, the background color will shift the colors of the subject. if you don’t have a white set function you will need to do as Dre said… match the bulbs to the setting and keep them the same age. If one burns out, replace both.
This is taken with the main light from 2 outdoor incandescent spotlights with a small halogen as a fill.
The 1st 2 are just a bit more orange and the white set pics are pretty close to the same.
I’m another sunlight fan. The narrow direction of arrival of the light is harsh, but that is what makes detail pop, and colors be the most brilliant. The opposite is the flat, light-tent type. For that I prefer incandescent, but the white balance function on modern digital cameras is so good that the spectrum of the light is not that important anymore. Direction(s) of arrival is more important, i.e, collimated or flat.
I frequently shoot my models against photo backdrops I have created (airport, auto race track, seashore, etc., and since I shoot the backdrops in bright sunlight I need to use same to shoot against these.
Some good information here.
I use a simple white seamless backdrop made of white dry erase board. There are three lights aimed at it in a pretty standard 3 position. Two lights slightly above subject at 45 degrees to each side and one more light over head shining back at the curved backdrop which helps soften everything. The key to ANY light set up is white balance… I have a fairly cheap point and shoot Nikon COOLPIX camera that lets me measure and adjust the white balance. I DO NOT use the preset white balance when doing photos nor do I ever ever ever use a flash. It only takes a second to let the camera measure and set white balance based on your unique situation. I would imagine that most modern point and shoot cameras have this function as well as the presets.
The bulbs I use are just simple 150 watt flood bulbs from walmart… Nothing fancy. Again, if you white balance the camera the bulb color doesn’t matter all that much (within reason) because the white balance will compensate for all of that.
Here is an example of a photo I took a few days ago.
I will also say that I am a graphic artist / editor by profession and I tweak my photos in Photoshop. I don’t adjust colors only the levels (brightness, Contrast) ect… I don’t know a single modeler that writes articles (and i know a bunch of them) that doesn’t do this. A camera can only give you so much and subtle tweaks with a computer makes images sharper, crisper and truer to life.
I also use the white paper for backdrop, but use one spot plus room light, for build pictures. However, for shots of completed models, it is sunlight for me. Here is a shot of my Williams bros. autogyro I finished this summer.
This is shot outdoors, using my civil airport backdrop. Real sunlight really makes the shadows pop, for good realism.