photography help

[brian]

Hi
I'm looking for info regarding photography techniques as you'll notice with the examples i've attached,same figure but all different looking The one with no background is probably the closest to the real thing,but photographing figures is my major frustration and would love to hear from people with their expertise
I'm sorry if i've put this on the wrong forum.By the way there is still a bit to do to the figure especially the fur
Brian

 

[Figure Mad]

Hi Brian

Try using a lighter background paper or card, this may give a little more likeness to the original colours, I have found this being the problem with mine, also do you take the pictures through another piece of software before you take them into kitpic, if so, maybe you can do some more adjustments within this software to give a lighter or more contrasted image, just a couple of small things that mite help

Dave

 

[Roy]

Hi Brian, I'm not much of a photographer, but it looks as if you're not doing such a bad job.
Just some general things that might help. Keep on experimenting with those backgrounds, sometimes simple works best, maybe white, grey or black...depending on how it goes with the figure.

I don't see much evidence of camera shake so that's good as that's magnified when you get close with macro. I use a tripod or if I'm in a hurry with in-progress shots I just use a little blu-tak to angle the camera a little up or down or whatever.

The only thing that I can see that is spoiling your pics is the lighting...a lot of your great painting is thrown into deep shadow. If you use several light sources and mess with the angles they hit the figure at...you can do away with almost all the shadow and capture everything you want to be seen. If the lights are hitting the figure a little too brightly, just wrap some white tissue over it and it'll soften it a bit.

And use the auto-timer to take the shot as that takes away any movement while you're pressing the button to take the shot.

Hope that don't come out as too boring mate...all the best to you....Roy.

 

[brian]

Thanks for the info Dave and Roy.You've hit the nail on the head LIGHTING .I've been using my aculite for photographing my figures but it's only because i'm too lazy to try another source .I'm open to suggestions as i'm determined to get better at this photography lark if it kills me
Thanks again lads
Brian

 

[Randy Myers]

It seems, from all the different techniques in use, that a lot depends on the camera your using. Mine works well with a dark, blue-grey background that I light with a 100w incandescent bulb (sunrise effect). I use two desk lamps with 60w and 40w bulbs above, and on either side, slighly to the front of the figure. Be sure to set the white balance on the camera to match the bulbs. I sometimes use a white card to bounce a little light upward into the shadow areas. Experiment with different apertures until you get what you like. Good luck!

 

[megroot]

Brian,

I can write very much of photographing but that is not where the planet is for.
You gotta keep in mind that the camera is not thinking but he measured.
All that he is measuring is gonna into a great memory, and the outcome off all the measuring is still related to 18 % grey.
Iff you take a white and black paper and take a picture of both together you get a grey picture: Also when you do it with white or black apart.
That's the whole thing.
So, you see that the red, purple and beige-white background give's another look off your figure. That's because for instance the red is reduced by the camera in 18% grey. The other colours are also reduced to 18 % grey through the camera. That's why the colours are different.
My advice, experiment with the settings, lightning, background. But one at the time, if you change everything in one time you loose control.
For easy working: take a grey or white background and in photoshop or similar you can change your background.

Marc