Photographing Miniatures
By Don Effinger
| The secret is only allowed to be
revealed to the select few that obey the Keeper... but
I'll tell you anyway! :o Actually it isn't very hard with either a digitalcamera or a 35mm camera. The 35mm is the best way togo but it can cost you the film and processing (using 400 or 800 ASA...ooops showing my age again. That should have read ISO. This makes it a snap). There are two ways to do this, the easy way and the tough way. |
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| The easy way: When it is a nice and sunny day (no clouds), find a spot that is shaddy but preferably at mid day or closeto it (color temperature and all... 640 degrees Kelvin for you folks keeping score at home). While in the shade set up your stuff and snap away. The shade will avoid direct sunlight and harsh shadows on the figs. It looks pretty crappy when you shoot them in direct sun. The bright day should provide enough light to shot your figs even in the shade. |
| The hard way: This is the BEST way to shoot them but requires a bit of work to get you started. If you are handy with wood working is will be a snap though. Get some thin wood. You'll need to get it to make a 'picture' frame about 3 feet by 3 feet, it could be larger. The wood only needs to be able to hold itself up and not fall apart. Nail the sucker together to make a box or picture frame contraption. You'll want and need the center 'hole' or square for this. Use light wood and not hvy beams! Go to a cheap household store and buy a white translucent plastic/vinyl shower curtain. Get one that does NOT have patterns or colors on it. The cheapest are the ones usually that have nothing on them. Go home and cut the shower curtain to the correct size to fit your frame. Staple or nail the curtain to the frame. This will eventually be a light diffusing thingie. Set up your figs in the direct sunlight but make sure you have the figs facing the sun or overhead. Set them up however you want them to look. Then, get a friend to hold the frame up to block the sun with the diffuser or prop it up somehow. The sun light will be intense but with no shadows. The light level will be perfect for a good depth of field. Make sure NONE of the direct light creeps into any part of the final shot. This will throw the camera's light meter all out of whack. Now you have the secret
to backyard photography 101. |
