As you can see if you look in my account, my photos aren\'t that great, resulting in poor rating. I use plenty of light and everything, and on the camera the picture looks brilliant when I view it, but then I put the disk into my comp and look at it and its very dark. I try to brighten it but I can only go so far. Any suggestions on how to fix this?
How to take good photos?
- Thread starter Goallie11
- Start date
Please, please, please....
Don\'t think I am dismissing your question by suggesting that you:
a) Look at the articles on this site.
b) Search the forums...
If you have already done that...and you still have a question that hasn\'t been answered, you will get a big response...but you will probably need to ask a more focussed question....
HTH
Don\'t think I am dismissing your question by suggesting that you:
a) Look at the articles on this site.
b) Search the forums...
If you have already done that...and you still have a question that hasn\'t been answered, you will get a big response...but you will probably need to ask a more focussed question....
HTH
Fizl
Secret Crocodile
This is going to sound like a really daft question, but are the contrast and brightness turned down low on your monitor?If you are using lots of lights and you think the pic looks bright on your camera, maybe it is? Otherwise, someone with much better photography skills than me needs to chip in 
Shaz
Shaz
I have sort of the same problem with it looking good on the camera, but darker on the computer, so I just compensate with a little extra light. If extra light really isn\'t working, try using the articles.
Edit* That wasn\'t terribly helpful, sorry. Here is a link to (glances over shoulder and whispers...) Games Workshop\'s submission page. It has some good tips such as using a bounce card to reflect light into the crevices of the figure, and also setting your camera to the type of light you\'re using. Here\'s the link:
LINK
Edit* That wasn\'t terribly helpful, sorry. Here is a link to (glances over shoulder and whispers...) Games Workshop\'s submission page. It has some good tips such as using a bounce card to reflect light into the crevices of the figure, and also setting your camera to the type of light you\'re using. Here\'s the link:
LINK
Avelorn
Sven Jonsson
First, what camera do you have?
If you use automatic settings for the camera and depending on how it measures light, it will compensate for example a white background, making the mini appear darker. That could be one thing. Is there a \"manual\" setting on your camera and do you use it?
Another thing is when you edit a photo in photoshop for example. When you use the \"auto level\" on a mini with a white background, the same thing will happen. The program will compensate for the white background making the mini darker.
I had the problem that my screen had better contrast then cheaper screens.. so when it looked good on my computer it looked way too dark on my gf computer for example.
I looked at the picture of \"carried away\" and from what I can see there is more light coming from the left (judging by the shadows) so get more even distributed light would help. Nice conversion BTW.
If you use automatic settings for the camera and depending on how it measures light, it will compensate for example a white background, making the mini appear darker. That could be one thing. Is there a \"manual\" setting on your camera and do you use it?
Another thing is when you edit a photo in photoshop for example. When you use the \"auto level\" on a mini with a white background, the same thing will happen. The program will compensate for the white background making the mini darker.
I had the problem that my screen had better contrast then cheaper screens.. so when it looked good on my computer it looked way too dark on my gf computer for example.
I looked at the picture of \"carried away\" and from what I can see there is more light coming from the left (judging by the shadows) so get more even distributed light would help. Nice conversion BTW.
I\'m using a Sony Mavica MVC-FD91, but I\'m gonna get a new one. I use the white balance on the camera but I don\'t change it manually. It is kinda old so it doesn\'t have some of the features others have, for example it doesn\'t have a macro button.
To show you my problem, I\'ll ulpoad an image directly from the camera with no brightening. It\'s quite dark and you can\'t see many detail, but on the camera screen it looks crisp, clean and bright. Here it is. Maybe someone could brighten it for me or suggest some things I should do differently.
I use plenty of light. In that shot I didnt have the white paper sitting up but it doesn\'t seem to make to much of a difference when viewed on the comp.
To show you my problem, I\'ll ulpoad an image directly from the camera with no brightening. It\'s quite dark and you can\'t see many detail, but on the camera screen it looks crisp, clean and bright. Here it is. Maybe someone could brighten it for me or suggest some things I should do differently.
I use plenty of light. In that shot I didnt have the white paper sitting up but it doesn\'t seem to make to much of a difference when viewed on the comp.
Legacy Account
Active member
Your camera is certainly part of the problem. Trustworthy as Mavicas are, they don\'t take the best pics in the world!!
As for your problems with exposure, you have a very dark (almost black) mini against a very light (almost white) background. That does not help your cameras metering. Try a more neutral background - light blue.
The picture doesn\'t look too bad actually. You can see most of the detail, perhaps move the camera a touch further away from the model.
And get Photoshop or a similar image editor. As long as your pics are focused, you can sort all manner of problems out with it!!
As for your problems with exposure, you have a very dark (almost black) mini against a very light (almost white) background. That does not help your cameras metering. Try a more neutral background - light blue.
The picture doesn\'t look too bad actually. You can see most of the detail, perhaps move the camera a touch further away from the model.
And get Photoshop or a similar image editor. As long as your pics are focused, you can sort all manner of problems out with it!!
Avelorn
Sven Jonsson
What spacemunkie said.
Actually the picture looks okay on my screen. I can see pretty much all details and such. Try to tune up the light of your monitor ans see if you get any difference.
I lighted up the picture a bit in photoshop, but as I did lightglares became more apparent. This can come from the fact that the paint dries slightly glossy or enough light aren\'t reflected onto the mini from the white surface under it or perhaps that the lightbulbs aren\'t diffused properly. Try using a varnish that dries flat. For example testors dullcoat. Try directing some more light on the white sheet just in front of the mini. That light should bounce up onto the mini and reduce glares. As for the lights, you could use something to diffuse the light, a semitransparent plastic sheet for example or present wrapping paper. Be sure not to burn them up though! Hope anything helps.
Actually the picture looks okay on my screen. I can see pretty much all details and such. Try to tune up the light of your monitor ans see if you get any difference.
I lighted up the picture a bit in photoshop, but as I did lightglares became more apparent. This can come from the fact that the paint dries slightly glossy or enough light aren\'t reflected onto the mini from the white surface under it or perhaps that the lightbulbs aren\'t diffused properly. Try using a varnish that dries flat. For example testors dullcoat. Try directing some more light on the white sheet just in front of the mini. That light should bounce up onto the mini and reduce glares. As for the lights, you could use something to diffuse the light, a semitransparent plastic sheet for example or present wrapping paper. Be sure not to burn them up though!
Hope anything helps.
Einion
New member
Your picture is actually fine, lighting-wise*. If it looks very dark on your screen your monitor is in dire need of adjustment. Here\'s how:
turn the contrast up to maximum if it\'s not at this already (this is the first thing you do on any monitor);
then adjust the brightness until you get a decent image;
then adjust colour, re-adjusting brightness if necessary.
*It\'s actually not a bad photo either - just a bit lacking in sharpness, a wider depth of field should help with this (higher f-stop number if you can do that on this camera).
It\'s a safe assumption you\'re using a PC (the monitors on PCs are almost all darker than they should be) so if your graphics card software allows you to adjust gamma then do this too, if not then I would suggest you download Adobe\'s gamma control panel as this will improve the midtones immensely.
Next step is working on your highlighting
Einion
I would have to agree, I think the pictures look fine. On the other hand, having a bright light (esp white) background doesn\'t help the problem, because the camera is going to optimize on the average color of the picutre and that is mostly the white background.
Another problem is that detailed minis are going to be very three dimensional. depth is a wonderful thing, except when it casts extreeme shadows. You might need to add a few more light sources in other directions not as bright so that the shadows can be muted somewhat. In the real world lots of light reflects off of nearby objects (that\'s the whole SEMM idea right) so making your mini less than a lunar landscape model will help improve the overall brightness on the mini itself.
Another problem is that detailed minis are going to be very three dimensional. depth is a wonderful thing, except when it casts extreeme shadows. You might need to add a few more light sources in other directions not as bright so that the shadows can be muted somewhat. In the real world lots of light reflects off of nearby objects (that\'s the whole SEMM idea right) so making your mini less than a lunar landscape model will help improve the overall brightness on the mini itself.
No Such Agency
New member
I don\'t want to set a bad example but I still have yet to use the manual settings on my digital camera (except the white balance, but once it\'s set I go back to auto). And my mini photos are turning out pretty well these days, in my not so humble opinion
From the GW guidelines:
Only hand-hold a camera when the shutter speed is 1/60th of a second or quicker. When photographing miniatures, you will never use a shutter speed that quick. Miniature photography typically uses a shutter speed between 1/8 and 1/2 of a second.
?????? Are they serious? My camera takes perfectly good macro photos with 1/15-1/20 sec. exposures. I never use a tripod though I try to steady my hand... with my other hand
Avelorn
Sven Jonsson
Originally posted by No Such Agency
I don\'t want to set a bad example but I still have yet to use the manual settings on my digital camera (except the white balance, but once it\'s set I go back to auto). And my mini photos are turning out pretty well these days, in my not so humble opinion
I used the auto setting at first too.. It produced good but not the best photos I could achieve with my camera. The reason for that is simple. You have more control. And it differs so much between different cameras. Some auto-functions are sweet, some suck.
From the GW guidelines:
Only hand-hold a camera when the shutter speed is 1/60th of a second or quicker. When photographing miniatures, you will never use a shutter speed that quick. Miniature photography typically uses a shutter speed between 1/8 and 1/2 of a second.
?????? Are they serious? My camera takes perfectly good macro photos with 1/15-1/20 sec. exposures. I never use a tripod though I try to steady my hand... with my other hand
It\'s strange that they write such a thing as it depends on many things. What aperature setting you have used and how much light you have used to lighten the mini. I suspect they allways use a very small aperature size (high F number) and hence need the longer exposure time.
airhead
Coffin Dodger / Keymaster
One last thing that noone has mentioned. Click on the brilian link in my sig and go to dragon miniatures and look at a photo diffusion box. Help greatly for me. I use a $10 window sheer and some dowels and is not near that sophisticated. On that same site, is a downloadable blue/white fade.
NSA is amazing or got an extreemly well set camera. Most of us have to use a tripod and set the exposer to about 1/20 second to get a tight aperature and good depth of field and color saturation.
Go to the mall and pay attention to the photo portrait studios. You are creating the same thing in miniature. The lights should not be over the top of the mini. Instead, position them still higher than the camera, but more horizontal to the mini. A third light over the top pointed at the background will eliminate the shadows on the background.
The last pic http://www.coolminiornot.com/91853 is not lit that bad, but the background is too white and the shadows show that the lights are not balanced.
NSA is amazing or got an extreemly well set camera. Most of us have to use a tripod and set the exposer to about 1/20 second to get a tight aperature and good depth of field and color saturation.
Go to the mall and pay attention to the photo portrait studios. You are creating the same thing in miniature. The lights should not be over the top of the mini. Instead, position them still higher than the camera, but more horizontal to the mini. A third light over the top pointed at the background will eliminate the shadows on the background.
The last pic http://www.coolminiornot.com/91853 is not lit that bad, but the background is too white and the shadows show that the lights are not balanced.
Shawn R. L.
New member
One trick I just started to use and is helping clear up some of the problems I have had (my digital photography usually sucks) is to take a one gallon milk jug and cut a hole in the side which to put the mini thru and photograph thru. It makes a good all-around diffuser. It gives a slight pink-ornage tint. Slight. I shoot my stuff in the sun at around noon for consistancy sake.
airhead
Coffin Dodger / Keymaster
One other thing that can make a diffence it the type of lights. I know that you can set the camera to color correct for incandesent lights or flourescent lights, but you are better off if you have a whiter light to start with. Some use the reveals which are an incandesent with a blue filter to cut out the yellow, but I like the halogen lights - a much whiter, truer light.
I\'ve done a bunch of things you guys suggested and took some new pics. These are of a hewed goblin from the Goblin Hewer. I also use photoshop on them.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v653/Goallie11/HewedGoblin.jpg
Now it works.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v653/Goallie11/HewedGoblin.jpg
Now it works.
