Ninjas,
I see a lot of great models on these forums but in some cases it's difficult to really appreciate the hard work as the photo provided is out of focus. Below is a guide to some basic techniques which will make your miniature look amazing.
Photography
1. Utilise the Macro feature. Nearly all digital cameras these days have a macro feature. To enable this feature look for the little flower in the camera's menu. It looks something like this
2. Macro mode has a very small depth of field. That is, the amount of space/depth that will remain in focus. Therefore, focus the camera on a key feature of the mini. Eg, the character's face. You may find that elements of the model that protrude in front/behind the model will be slightly blurred. Do not worry. In most cases photographers actually prefer to have a blurred background so as not to detract from the target of the image. If your camera has manual settings you can decrease the Aperture. For example, change from f/2.8 to f/8. This will give you a greater depth of field allowing you to capture more mini in crisp detail.
Macro mode also has a very short focal range. Therefore, you need to position the camera only 10-15cm (4-6 inches) away from the mini. Ensure that the reticle turns green before taking the shot. If you can't get it to focus, move the camera toward or away from the miniature a little.
I often use a small tripod to ensure a crisp shot.
3. Flash. Turn it off. See lighting below.
4. Image size. You need to take into consideration a few things.
4a. If you are taking a photo solely to post on www.dakkadakka.com or another web based application, lower the image size. 2
Mb is more than enough. It may sound odd but computer monitors have a very low resolution when compared to printed images.
4b. If you're taking a photo of your army or several models (ie, not using macro mode), bump the image size up to 5Mb+ or so. This way you can crop out a particular model for display and not lose any detail.
5. Turn your digital zoom off. Digital zoom only enlarges pixels and in no way increases the quality of the image by capturing more data. It's a completely useless feature.
Lighting
Lighting is very important. You want bright even light over the entire model .. but not saturate the image with light. For best results, take your photos on an overcast day. I was also recommend placing a lamp nearby. If your lamp is the desk lamp style, face the lamp away from the model. You do not want bright light shining directly on your miniature or your detail and colouring will be lost to patches of white. Alternatively, place a sheet of wax paper/grease prof paper of the lamp to soften the light. BE CAREFUL doing this as paper burns when it gets hot.
Turn your flash off as your flash will generate a direct source of light .. and as stated above .. saturate the image.
Positioning
For best results, a plain white background is preferable. This shows off your miniature, reflects soft light (giving you a more even balance of light) and eliminates any confusion between model and background. It also makes life a bit easier if you want to photoshop your model into a background later. Take a piece of A4 size paper (you probably have some in your printer right now) and sticky tape a piece to the wall and bench - as in the picture below. Do not fold the paper. This way you get and even blending of white behind the mini.
Place your mini on the paper and away you go. I often use a small tripod with the camera to ensure a crisp shot.
Snap away my friends. By following this simple guide you'll get amazing photos of your awesome miniatures every time.
Regards
