How To Photograph Models

[finescalerr]

If any of you has a specific question about cameras, please feel free to shoot me an e-mail or phone. -- Russ

[Belg]

Russ, when moving back to take the shot if your lens is too short, what kind of distance are we taking about? Inches or feet further back?

[chester]

Alas my 10 year old Sony Cybershot has taken it's last photo. I am currently waiting for a Canon Powershot ELPH 300HS which research told me was a good camera for macro photography in a p&s digital. Hopefully I will be getting rid of the grainy postcard shots now. I am a bit concerned that the manufacturer claims a close up shot with macro is effective from 3cm. I have been listening to many say that they can photograph down to 1 1/2 cm. Any words of caution or encouragement on this purchase are welcome even though it's too late to change my mind.

[finescalerr]

Pat, with a short lens it's usually necessarily to back off only about a foot -- just enough to get rid of the "fish eye" distortion.

Chester, with any point and shoot digicam you will need bright light for model photography. The idea is to force the aperture to get as small as possible. Small aperture equals greater depth of field.

Russ

[marc_reusser]

Rick Lawler posted a very good, and easy to follow tutorial for photographing your models, and post-editing in photoshop, over on the AK forum.

http://akinteractive.foroactivo.com/t1170-photographing-models#16188

Marc

[marc_reusser]

For those that don't go to the AK forum, here is what my two redundant cents wre posted as:

I constructed a very sturdy portable cove (I actually have 2, a 50x30x30cm, and a 20x20x20) out of black foam-core. Onto this is clipped a piece of white photo seamless, that is changed out whenever needed. The sides are white strathmore board, and can easily be removed.

I use two drafting lamps each with 5500K (90 Color Rendition when I can find them), 100w spiral flourescent, AND a 5500K/Daylight flourescent "ring" bulb. I like my shadows a bit harder, so I do not use a diffuser on the lamps  ( I also like my light to come more from front/above, down onto the model). When I need some more top "fill" or bounced light; I place a board with some wrinkled foil (dull side out) mounted on it at an angle over the rear top of the cove; or hold/clip one low in front, for front/low shadow fill.



When I shoot white styrene parts (especially small parts that can be shot without needing a cove; like above), I place them on a photo "Grey Card".

I shoot with a SONY SLT A57, 18-55mm lens, I almost always use a lens hood, to prevent cross light on the lens. Indoors with the above set-up, I set the camera to "Aperature Priority", white balance at 5500 to 5600K (I check/set the white balance before each shoot). "F-stop" is usually 29 or higher, ISO-100. I set my shot format to bracket the white balance (original, cooler, warmer.)Depending on what the photos will be for I shoot either JPEG ("Fine" setting)...or like Rick, JPEG/RAW. Both will give a 350pix resolution.

I always use either a timer-release (when both hands need to be in front of the lens for SBS); or a cable, or remote release otherwise.

I also like to connect the camera to a power source (that way the screen stays on much longer, and I do not have to worry about messing around setting stuff up, while the screen keeps going dark, or the battery runs out).

Lastly, I will often also keep my laptop nearby, and connect the camera to it, before changing a set-up/cleaning up; that way I can see the image(s) in a large format/screen as soon as I have shot them.

The nice thing about the portable coves is that they are very light and easy to move, and allow me to shoot directly on my workbench, as well as easily take them outside when I want to shoot in the sunlight.

[fspg2]

In the German buntbahn forum you can find some tips about photography too.
Click here.
It's just a google translation, but maybe there are a few ideas for one or the other.
Original: in German.