Welcome to the Photography Techniques Thread.

Hopefully this thread will allow users to share their knowledge and experience when taking pictures of the vintage starwars figures to ensure we can work together to get the best quality pictures for the main TIG reference site.

Im going to start by putting up some example pictures.


LIGHTBOX PICTURES

Picture 1 - Focus is off


Picture 2 - Figure is relatively in focus


Picture 2 - After editing (Usable for the website)




NATURAL LIGHT PICTURES

(Pictures were taken of the figure on a white piece of paper in natural light (note not in direct sunlight)

Picture 1 - Focus is off


Picture 2 - Figure in focus


Picture 2 After editing - (This is the final result in terms of quality that we are ultimately looking for)



------------------------------------------------------------------

Photography has never been my strong point due to the cost involved in doing it "right", i.e good camera, light box, even editing software.

The main gripe I have with pictures is shadows cast by the item you are taking the picture of, like the Greedo.

I think you could of course edit the shadow out after the picture but a good investment would be a mini light box, Gustie & Spoons both use them and as long as you
have the patience to get a nice shot the light box works wonders to eliminate any shadowing.

I would make my own, but my camera is crap so not really much point!

And the last shot for clarity and focus is spot on, what tool in your editing software do you use to clean things up Jay?

Great idea on a topic Jay. I like to think my photo taking skills have improved over the years for my collection, but know there is always room for growth. I would agree with Joe on the Lightbox idea for loose figures. They are very easy to build and can make a difference.

Here is a link to instructions on how to build one.

DIY Lightbox

I used one like that for quit some time, but it was a pain on storage as I was living in a smaller place at the time.

I found this one when the chain Circuit City was closing down here in the States at a very reduced price. The nice thing about it, is that it folds up for easy storage. The lights included though are a little weak, so I might upgrade them, but overall I am very happy with it.

I just recently upgraded to the DSLR world and am doing some research and saving to get a good macro lens.

Im looking forward to peoples contributions and hopefully we can all learn something new

As i said i cant seem to get away with light boxes i have one similar to your link Shawn and with full set up it has 4 bulbs.

I took this picture today using my lightbox with 2 bulbs (hence the shadow)



And this is a picture of the same figure using my natural light source set up




For some reason i always get better results using natural light?

That is very interesting on your lightbox pictures Jay. I was just reading the Amazon reviews on mine and someone mentioned some replacement bulbs that are supposed to work better. I'm going to pick them up on the way home from work and do some experimenting. I'll post some pictures of my setup and what settings I use.

Looking forward to seeing the results Shawn, this will indeed be a valuable thread for many, as my collection is normally always boxed, I tend to
check things by pictures, I am a bit of a picture junkie, take loads and save even more!

Any tips and guides for better picture taking is definitely getting my support!

Oh..where is the man with the INSANE macro's?? I heard his name was Bryan

I haven't had quite the amount of time I wanted to dedicate to this today, but here are some pictures of my setup and photo. I do still have some shadow and probably need a light source from the top to take care of it completely. I also would like to get a white backdrop, so I could do some tests with it.

That's fucking ace! I think showing how you take good pictures is just as good as seeing a good picture, so funny to see that set up for a lonely Luke!

Awesome, nice kit Shawn! (And nice picture!)

LOL - We can now call you "the man who shot Luke Skywalker"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the info Shawn.

It's funny, I used that exact site to make my lightbox last week.

But, you have now inspired me to buy a full set up like the one you use from Amazon.

Can't believe you get the tent, 2 x lights and a tripod for that price.

I've had a look on UK amazon today and I'm gonna buy one tonight.

Thanks