kensei Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 (edited) Just thought I would make a thread so that when I come back, I can use the tips for my reviews. I've seen plenty of great photos, from the likes of sithlord, ikhii and also others. Thought that they would like to share their tips in this thread, and any adjustments that are made by Photoshop, if necessary. Edited February 19, 2007 by kensei Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big F Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Good idea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CdnShockwave Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 A few shots from my VF-11B shoot last Christmas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justvinnie Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Bright diffused back lighting. Bouncing the flash off of white walls. vinnie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante74 Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Anyone know how to make good shots with a Sony T1 camera? Please keep in mind that a tripod can NOT be attached to this particular model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghostryder Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Bouncing the flash off of white walls. vinnie There's a useful tidbit. I wish I could angle the flash on my sh1tty camera... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CdnShockwave Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 There's a useful tidbit. I wish I could angle the flash on my sh1tty camera... I didn't use the flash at all on the VF-11B pix. Three super bright all-spectrum light bulbs and lamps to go with them, a tripod, and a remote shutter control are all you need! There's a really nice looking lighting piece at the local camera store... but it's $500. And we all know that kind of money should be spent on valks, not lights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
izzyfcuk Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 (edited) Here's my set up, and some shots. i only play with "curves" in photoshop http://img358.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img27119dz.jpg This is how i take my pics. The background is a mounting board brought from art stores. Those are inexpensive light from Ikea. daylight of course. not using warm lights http://img224.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img25445zq.jpg Edited October 26, 2006 by izzyfcuk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CdnShockwave Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 izzy, what is that you're using to filter the two side lights? Thus far I've used tissue paper, but that looks finer. Looks like a pretty good setup, but I notice some noise in those low viz camo pix you posted, but that could just be compression. *shrugs* Come on everyone, strut your stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
izzyfcuk Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 im using "tracing paper" for the diffusion, that was my previous set up. This is my current set up For me i think there's two types of toy photography, 1. The photoshop type - relies heavily on Photoshop post-production Here's two examples http://www.timbrisko.com/commercialtoy.html http://www.toysdaily.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=37834 2. Secondly the more "photography based" one The best example would be www.tfkenkon.com. Remy's webby Personally i prefer the "photograhy based" kind. but im mucking around right now with both set-up im using a canon IXUS 5 megapixel cam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kensei Posted October 26, 2006 Author Share Posted October 26, 2006 Thanks kensei for thinking my photos are good but my camera sux ass and alot of post production work was put into it (probably more post-prod will be into it. :-) I will eventually get around to drop $600 plus for a decent SLR. I wonder who will post multiple photos of their stuff along with a strong conviction that maybe contested by others who think otherwise? I have to agree that "Professional" is key to this thread plus seeing how they work is a bonus! Don't be modest. I was thinking of your VB-6 photos when I typed that. I wanted some tips from the member Deckard too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drifand Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 I truly believe that good shots don't happen by chance or 'Auto' functions. Having a good 'infinity' backdrop like izzy's is a dream for me, but like he said even cheap lights USED WELL can add helps of quality. More important is the selection of angle and aperture, eg. Are you hoping to achieve 'dramatic' shots? Then shoot from a (lower) angle that creates the feel of the photographer being 1/1 scale, on-scene with the 'real' mecha. Using the Macro mode helps a lot if your cam is within 30cm of the toy. Also, turn OFF the flash - the strobed shadows are terrible. Use a tripod to enable longer exposures (1/30 sec or more) with a natural look. 'Bracket' your shots if possible to enable creative combinations of darker/lighter areas in related shots. Only experimenting with your cam can reveal what works best. My 4MP Canon G2 is like what, 5 years old? Still getting fantastic performance from it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonely Soldier Boy Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 Wow! Thanks for the tips, Izzi. I'll have some much fun trying this. So you use daylight bulbs, how many watts exactly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
izzyfcuk Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 Wow! Thanks for the tips, Izzi. I'll have some much fun trying this. So you use daylight bulbs, how many watts exactly? 40- 60Watts? daylight, think around that region P.S don't be too caught up with the lights. i went through the process..ain't really too much to bother with Point is u gotta play around with it, u'll have to constantly adjust the light's placement understanding what u see from your eyes will never be what ur camera see is the first step to taking great shots Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CdnShockwave Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 Photoshop works great if you're only working with one pic. It doesn't work so well for galleries, however, as it is difficult to reproduce the exact same effect pic for pic. Tracing paper eh? I'll have to try that when I get back home. But you're right, lighting is key, particularly for the white backgrounds, which I feel are the hardest to work with. Not to mention trying to take pix of white toys with a white background is pretty much futile. I've taken to using darker backgrounds, like this for Alt Wheeljack And as for Remy, that guy is incredible. I've been trying to take those kind of pix for YEARS and still have had very limited success, such as these I did for Alt Ravage and BT red Meister The biggest problem I've found is that you are your own worst critic. I take a pic, photoshop the hell out of it, and think it looks like crap. But when I show it to others they say it's really well done (though how much of that is truth and how much of that is just mindless praise is beyond me). But, you keep working at it. I'll take a pic of my setup at home and do a little tutorial on how I do my pix later on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
izzyfcuk Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 U can try to PM REMY about his set-up, i'll be very interested in how he does his pics as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CdnShockwave Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 U can try to PM REMY about his set-up, i'll be very interested in how he does his pics as well I've always been reluctant to do that since my guess is that he gets bombarded with e-mails about his pix. Although, now that you mention it, the worst he can say is no. *L* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kensei Posted October 26, 2006 Author Share Posted October 26, 2006 What do you guys judge as the minimum megapixel range that a camera should have? 3? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CdnShockwave Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 What do you guys judge as the minimum megapixel range that a camera should have? 3? Usually 3 or more megapixels is good. Anything more than that can sometimes be considered overkill since you're not really taking pix that require anything more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghostryder Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 (edited) I truly believe that good shots don't happen by chance or 'Auto' functions. More important is the selection of angle and aperture... Using the Macro mode helps a lot if your cam is within 30cm of the toy... Use a tripod to enable longer exposures (1/30 sec or more) with a natural look. I have a Canon S30 3.2MP... I will try these tips tonight, I've always had it on AUTO ! Do you recommend setting shutter and allowing camera to select aperture, vice-versa, or doing everything manually? Edited October 26, 2006 by ghostryder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doodler7 Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 2.1 megapixel is good enough for web...but 4.0 + megapixel will be even better. If one cannot access a digital SLR and lights, I recommend getting a camera will aperture/semi-manual settings. I'd like to get an SLR and some lights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghostryder Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 (edited) Here's some experimentation I did with a 3.2MP by simply using the MACRO mode (thanks drifand!). Keep in mind, I used no special lighting other than the overhead fluorescents of my laundry room. It helps that the light reflects off the white walls and the white dryer top. If I wanted a dark base, I'd probably need diffused side lites. There's nothing special about the MACRO pics other than them being sharp and representative of the toy, which was my only goal: FLASH ON (eww ) AUTO mode MACRO mode Here's some other closeups I' took with the MACRO mode on. Edited October 27, 2006 by ghostryder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drifand Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 Looking good, Ghostryder. As to your earlier question, my personal preference is for Aperture priority mode - I decide on the aperture and let the cam figure out the shutter speed. Since I always shoot my toys with a tripod, slow speeds of 1 sec or more are of no concern. For most compact digicams, the extreme settings are almost always never optimum. So I almost never shoot at f2.0 or f8 on my G2. - For close ups, I use f2.8 - f3.2; (focused area sharp/backgrounds blurred) - For group shots where all the toys are more or less in a line - f4.0 - f5.6; (row of toys sharp, background/foreground blur) - For staggered groups (eg. 2 or 3 rows of toys), I'd use f5.6 - f8. (Toys sharp, but background will also be sharp unless kept further away ~2 feet or more) I'm not up to explaining how f-stops affect depth of field (DOF), but the above works well for me. Good luck and keep shooting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kensei Posted October 27, 2006 Author Share Posted October 27, 2006 (edited) That's great Ghostryder! What a difference! Flash on looks sharp, but the light doens't disperse evenly across the whole 1/48, whereas the MACRO one does. And the AUTO one does indeed look crap. EDIT: Actually note that on the Flash one that the canopy is clear, the MACRO and AUTO ones have a glare across the canopy. Edited October 27, 2006 by kensei Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akilae Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 lol, so MWers have finally gotten onto the pixel peeping boat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
izzyfcuk Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 This thread is exactly what myself and other members had gone through you can try readling through this link, it will save u lots of unneccessary trouble too http://www.sgcollect.com/forum/index.php?s...TOY+PHOTOGRAPHY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghostryder Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 EDIT: Actually note that on the Flash one that the canopy is clear, the MACRO and AUTO ones have a glare across the canopy. Your right.... well, there's another vote for a custom light setup rather than relying on fluorecent overheads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
izzyfcuk Posted October 27, 2006 Share Posted October 27, 2006 a non-valk photo Same Setup Shot on tripod. macro mode. Post Production, photoshop "Curves" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalvinmaui Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 (edited) Just got my new canon SLR and wanted to practice shooting toys. My first attempt. I wish I was able to get rid of the shadows. Edited October 28, 2006 by kalvinmaui Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akilae Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 Just got my new canon SLR and wanted to practice shooting toys. My first attempt. I wish I was able to get rid of the shadows. This might be personal taste, but try either stepping down the lens or jacking up the shutter speed... the images are coming across as pretty bright on my monitor... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenius Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 (edited) Looks like the shadows could be helped by having a second light, one more directly over-head. Yes, the pics are also a bit bright and the white balance is off on Voltron. Here are some samples from my site: My system is HORRIBLE. I have one direct overhead light, nothing else. I also do not own any photo-editing software. I do own a pretty sweet camera though, a Cannon a620 that is chock full of manual settings and a pretty sweet macro function. Edited October 28, 2006 by jenius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CdnShockwave Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 Ahh yes, the ol' macro mode, a wonderful tool indeed. Thought I'd post a few of my non-Macross photoshopped pix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big F Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Ok CdnShockwave You realise now your opening your self up to "how did you do that" kind of questions. So get thinking the answers up and writing out your how to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drifand Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 Mmmm, Photoshop dioramas! How-to...? First thing is to get the angles right - match the horizons and perspectives of the background and toy. Then you have to match the lighting - take note of the sun's angle in the sky and try to simulate a similar angle when shooting the toy. Then comes the 'merging' of the two (or more photos) - which requires practice with the MANY methods of edging out your required elements. I remember my 1st important lesson in Photoshop: Learn how to select only the areas you want to affect... ya gotta practice. Here's an old fav of mine: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CdnShockwave Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 Funny, angles and lighting conditions usually don't matter much to me. I'm usually able to correct all the shadows using the dodge and burn tools. Like this one here, all the shadows were made using the burn tool. You can also use the lasso to cut different parts of the subject and fudge them a little to make the angles match up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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