I notice that frequently people post final pics of completed models with the model sitting on the building bench surrounded by tools and supplies. To me this detracts from the model. I recommend either cleaning the bench, putting supplies and tools away, and then shooting the model on that bench. I personally put it on tables in the house that are ordinarily kept empty (especially ones with a decent clean finish).
Aim center mass… sight picture, breathing, trigger control…
just kidding…
I agree though about the background. A simple piece of poster board on any flat surface works wonders for improving the appearance of finished model photos. Or even just a simple solid color bedsheet or pillow case will work as well. All the background clutter in many people’s photos detracts from their build. Even something as simple as those blasted cutting mats with all the lines upon them… Not to mention it gives their camera something else to focus upon in auto focus mode.
Last year i bought a pop up photo booth that came with 2 LED lights, only £20. Made a real improvment to my finished build pics. I don’t use it for progress pics but i do clear the bench and use a piece of A4 white paper for smaller parts.
Amen to getting rid of tools, brushes, paint bottles, etc. when photographing models. I put a light grey or dark grey foam core board on my workbench when I photograph models. Behind my workbench is a blank wall that is painted a neutral color.
…and please stop using paisley bed sheets/sofas in grandma’s dark house.
Fill the camera view with the model. The classic “tiny bug on a bedsheet” makes the model hard to see.
Finally, focus. We want to see everything!
Yeah, I’ve shot a few models from time to time back
when I was a young boy. I always used the side of the
carport for a shooting backdrop.
I had fun with my Red Ryder BB gun and an occasional
firecracker too (when Mom wasn’t around).
!http://www.sherv.net/cm/emoticons/fighting/smack-self-in-the-head.gif
I’ve found using natural light works best for my shoots. But sometimes I’ll add a couple of hand held mirros to reditrect the natual light sources on to areas that would have remained too dark to have been seen. Than might add a soft white flash light or an overhead light source which can be adjusted.
In this image, the back drop is a textured flexi panel about the size of a refrigerator door. I curved the panel up onto the wall. Then using natural light coming from a single window (left) I thought this wasn’t enough light so I suspended a small white light flash light over head to highlight the top of this structure.
One thing many of us are going to experince is getting older is that our eyes can’t focus like they use to especially when trying to view these small live view screens on the small cameras. if you can and want to take better pictures see if your camera has an app which allows you to tether your image to a larger tablet. Let’s not forget if your camera allows for “force focus” where as you can touch the view screen to pin point one a particular subject to force the camera to focus just on that subject when taking pictures. In other words, don’t always rely on the camera to know what you’re taking a picture of or it will end up blurry.
Something else I’ll add. For those who have all in one cameras which have a multi range lens, you will have to use the force focus or the lens will continue to search for soemthing to focus on. As for others who use mirco lenses as these are ideal for close ups. However, the image above, I used a 50mm and I’m please with the results.
In otherwords, don’t get too close to the subject as you can crop later for a better or more ideal image.
if you have to, get a better pair of reading glasses.
Try a reflector / diffuser instead of a mirror. So many uses for these and they come in all different sizes…
Just one example
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005M09B4E/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_2yWJEbAXD5JB8
Paul Budzik has a superb written and video series about photgraphing models
https://paulbudzik.com/photographing-scale-models/scale-model-photography.html
Oh, the irony! I like to shoot my finished models out in the sunlight, and I have some photo backdrops I have made at local airports. I used a mounting brack for the backdrops on a card table. I got tired of carrying out all the individual pieces of junk, so this spring as soon as the snow went away, I started building a portable photo studio to carry out into the back yard. I should finish it today- but, it snowed this morning- still snowing. And by the weather forecasts it will be around for a couple of days!
Okay, finished the photo bench. Here it is.
I used to carry out a card table, set it up, then bring out a bracket thing to hold the vertical backdrop upright, in all bringing out things in about four or five seperate trips. The new bench has both a vertical and horizontal section for the two backdrops (background and surface), and a storage area behind for backdrops. I got one image today before camera battery went dead,
