Ideal lighting situation?

[Spike]

I've spent about an hour trying to make some pics of his goblins come out right, and no matter what I do, there's too much shadow. I've tried over-riding the auto shutter settings, tried using fixed exposure, even tried using my editor to fix it. Nothing seems to be working right.

 

When you all take pics, how do you light them. I suppose I'll need to eventually set up like a small studio for his minies... this bedside lamp just don't cut it.

 

Any suggestions and tips are sorely needed.

[Archaon]

i think its 3 lamps....front, side and top or something...a bedside lamp wont cut it at all, unless its a powerful one with no shade and a daylight bulb

 

of course, dont take what i said as solid fact...

[pae]

What works best for me is a bright overhead flourescent light. It's actually the one in my kitchen, and it is on the ceiling. I take my pictures on the countertop, and use a grey card as my background. Perhaps I should take a picture of the setup the next time I take pictures of my minis.

 

I usually don't have to do much editing at all to get a decent picture anymore. The first several I did were pretty horrific, because I was trying to use lamps in my basement, and there just wasn't enough light.

[Froggy the Great]

The lamp I bought in order to fix my lighting broke at the switch. Then when Ir eplaced the switch, it made that lovely "I'm gonna do electrical aluminum-sculpture" smell that's been wired into my memory ever since my aunt charred a coffeepot on an electric stove in the early 80s.

 

Now I'm usually content to take pics under the ott-light, using a flash, then upping the brightness and contrast about +10%. Maybe I'll get a better lamp some day.

[Errex]

I use 2-3 desk lamps, all fitted with daylight bulbs. I bring up the third lamp on those really difficult minis that insist on coming out too dark, no matter what I do.

[Spike]

Well I think I've kind of taken a few of your suggestions and combined them.

 

I took my most recent formal minie-portraits in my all-white-walled guest bathroom..with one lamp overhead..one lamp over the counter..BOTH lamps reflected in the big mirror..and an extra bedside lamp strategically placed on the toilet tank. (I'm sure guests would find THAT odd). I'm burning REVEAL bulbs in all three..and am finding that i can diffuse the light if need be with a sheet of waxed paper (held not TOO near the bulb)

 

I still am learning how to avoid the slight redness that comes from overexposure... and am now trying to perfect the manual focus and using a deeper focus range.

 

It's kind of hard not to end up with a bizarre forshortening effect when a minie has a weapon pointed right at the lens.

[Painfully]

I use 2 lights, and a white index card held above the mini to help fill-in the shadow spots. The lights are very close to the mini when I take the pictures. I NEVER use the camera flash.

 

To fix blurring, you need to use a tripod, and a timed shutter release or remote control if you have one. Blurring from having one part of the mini in focus, but not another can be fixed by increasing the exposure time to one second or longer. Increasing exposure time also means using a tripod to avoid shaking though.

 

Visit Cool Mini or Not and check out their articles on taking pictures. I found it to be very helpful.

[Vikinglodge]

I use a dinette kitchen light up in the cealing about 10 feet behind the mini it has 5 light bulbs 40 watts. If I take pics during day time I shut all daylight out with covering windows. This works very well for me also in taking the picture of the mini its very important of what background you use a grey tone is good and will not affect the colors on the mini very much.