Gun Photo How To... (Page 4 of 8)
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I got snooping around after being inspired by the shop light post earlier. Lowes has this one. Regent Lighting Twin Stand Work Light with Tripod Item #: 22565 Model: HDS1000 $54.00 Customer Ratings (4.4) Heavy duty 1 3/4" diameter tubular steel pole adjust to 8' in height Tip over safety switch Independent weather proofing on/off safety switches Vinyl coated fixture aiming handles Approved for indoor and outdoor use Operates on 120 volts (standard household current) Includes two 500 watt T-3 double-ended halogen bulbs  www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=22565-290-HDS1000&detail=cr&lpage=none I'm trying it out tonight. I'm also having some okay results using an old movie screen as a backdrop. I was given one by a neighbor and it looks pretty good so far using outside lighting and my cheap camera. I'll try to post some pictures when I get home later. |
Join us at The Colorado AR-15 Shooters Site: www.co-ar15.com A CMP affiliated club.
And Visit Colorado Shooting: www.coloradoshooting.org
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And Visit Colorado Shooting: www.coloradoshooting.org
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I recently did this image for a post in GD. I figured it'd be a good one to dissect. The setup involved propping an AR up on top of a couple nylon gun cases. Bricks were used to gain height on the rear case and a film can held the flash hider up off the nylon so it didn't create a distracting dent. I used my digital view camera setup with a 47mm digital Rodagon lens.  I wanted the lighting to be dark and moody. I knew that meant a small sliver of light but I also knew it needed to be a broad light source to carry a reflection along the whole length of the rifle. I accomplished the lighting with a small 'striplight' softbox which I further restricted by taping the flaps closer together to reduce the amount of light and the size of the light. This was on a Speedotron strobe head at 1200 watts. This was not enough and I had to add 2 black 'flags' to further block light to create the soft 'sliver' of light I was looking for. In the end, very little direct light is hitting the rifle as the light is pointing straight at the flags. The light looked good but it needed a kick. I added a small 7" 'grid' reflector on another light head to skim across the rifle from the right but not hitting the nylon bags. This was at 400 watts.  I feel the image turned out pretty good and it was a less than complex setup. Lets see if we can recreate it with non pro photo gear. Here's the setup with a Canon 5mp point n shoot.  Using the skylights above the set we get a nice image . The angle matches perfect but the lighting isn't even close.  We're going to need some artificial light. I'll use my $20 home depot light. This is an incandescent type halogen light which requires the correct 'incandescent' setting on the camera and the blocking out of all existing daylight. I was able to cantelever out the light above the set by swapping out parts on the light. Some 'diffusion material' (tough rolux) was placed in front of the light. This is important because it creates an effectively larger light source which gives us more white stuff to reflect in the black rifle. It's not as big as the softbox but it'll do.  Here's the image. It looks alright but it's overlit.  We'll add some black cards to the light to help create that 'sliver' of light look. We'll also need to add another light from the side. This will be a 50 watt reflector type household bulb in a desk lamp fixture. The reflector type bulb helps throw the beam across the rifle while not spilling too much light on the sides. A small black card was placed in front of this side light to block light from the front corner of the nylon bag.  Here's the shot with both lights  It's close but we're missing those nice dark gradations on the mags. Simply holding a card by hand to block the light at the time of exposure adds the final touch.  After a little more tweaking of the position of the top light and adjusting the exposure to make the image lighter overall gives us this which is getting quite close.  A little work in Photoshop allows us to correct the color and darken the edges of the frame.  Here's the original with the studio lights again Just goes to show what can be accomplished with $25 worth of lights and a large measure of patience. The little Canon 610 looks great. 5mp goes a long way, especially on the web. Though for print usage, the larger studio digital cameras cannot be beat.  BE CAREFUL WHEN PHOTOGRAPHING FIREARMS. MAKE SURE ALL GUNS ARE UNLOADED AND ACCOUNT FOR ANY LIVE AMMO ON SET. |
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cugir, As usual, great info, and great writeup. 
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Hmmm I have some desk lamps...... Here's my sacrificial cow. I got a set of halogen work lamps from home depot. They are similar to the ones I found a Lowes, but were cheaper. Two lamp heads on a tripod. The lamps are 500 watt, but they can be set to 250 or 500 and each lamp has its own switch. I threw my good old army issue OD blanket on the dining room table. I put the rifle on the blanket. I set the lamps so they were facing the rifle, but were set at an upward angle so the light bounces off the ceiling. The ceiling is painted white. The far wall is covered with a floor to ceiling mirror. No other lighting was used here. No filters or defusers. Camera is an auto only Koday 2MB that I was loaned about a year ago. The owner disappeared. It has some issues and won't focus in close. But for web work is okay. Zoom is set to be as wide as possible since zooming in close the camera won't focus and the images get fuzzy. I did crop the image useing Paint Shop Pro.  Larger Image I used to take this same kind of picture outside in my driveway. But I'm always dependent on weather, clouds, and such. This isn't great, but at least now I can do this inside and not worry about weather. Also I just got a copy of Adobe Photo Shop, the complete suite. Now I have something new to learn while I'm saving money for a good camera.... Thanks for the input... |
Join us at The Colorado AR-15 Shooters Site: www.co-ar15.com A CMP affiliated club.
And Visit Colorado Shooting: www.coloradoshooting.org
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And Visit Colorado Shooting: www.coloradoshooting.org
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http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=5865 I took this the other night with the Digital Rebel. Lots of lint in the pic. |
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This is really great info - I think everyone here can learn something from one part of it or another. My only "add" would be if you don't have a light table or other improvised setup, plexiglass on a white background can work well for the "white" shots. - Canon 20D - 24-70/f4 L  |
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Something Brilliant to Follow....
Something Brilliant to Follow....
this one wasnt bad:
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There are some great pics here. Now that I have a good digital I need to work on my light source. thanks for all the tips everyone. |
Originally Posted By brass:
I like standing on the pointy end of the boat and smelling the wind.
Originally Posted By Miss_Magnum:
<font color=red>Then tell your wife you love her and have wild, monkey sex. </font id</font>
I like standing on the pointy end of the boat and smelling the wind.
Originally Posted By Miss_Magnum:
<font color=red>Then tell your wife you love her and have wild, monkey sex. </font id</font>
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Well, here are a few pictures I did outside a few months ago. I just came across this area and have learned quite a bit from the tutorials here. These pictures were taken outside, it was an overcast day towards sunset. You can notice some of the colors (the sky had an orange hew to it).   I have a few more but I have to resize and upload them. |
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There's lots of good pictures here..........but I've always been kinda partial to this one........ http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v368/sotwmc/407687.jpg |
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http://www.doradointeractive.com/glock2.jpg glock 26 8.5x11 sheet of paper, window, olympus e-500 with a tripod, its a small size scaled way down for myspace |
Looks like her "Cannons" are ready to fire.  
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So, with my Canon Powershot A610, I can take great clear pics with the help of Adobe? Here's a couple of the best pics I've ever taken of gun parts: Indoors Inner markings of an XM177 stock latch:  Comparison between BFI and RRA bolts:  Outdoor Stocks:  Great thread for taggage! ETA: Wolf_Spyder. Those are amazing macro shots! |
No...I don't live in a grass hut...nor do I wear a grass skirt!
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first attempt at shooting a pistol in a light box. http://www.pafoa.org/forum/imagehosting/63245ce0483c84f2.jpg I need to make a bigger box. Iwould also like to try with some colored lights. |
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some nice pictures in here. i need to invest in a light setup now lol here's a couple pictures, gun sitting on the kitchen counter.. http://www.eh-online.net/images/misc/IMG_2886-1.jpg http://www.eh-online.net/images/misc/IMG_2893-1.jpg |
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Here is the master of handgun photos.....with his instructions. Dr Ken Lunde's Pistol Page |
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great thread. So cugir , or anyone else that can anser, what are the essentials to start a small "studio" in my garage? I currently have a canon S3 IS, it's no DSLR but as close as I'll ever have. I saw a mention of a white paper/board with plexi-glass on top of it. Wouldn't the glass make a bad reflection. I have a small tripod but I would guess I'd need a taller one for those overhead shots as well as some lighting. What exact ype of lights are needed. Preferrably somehting from Home Depit, Lowes, walmart, etc. And then some more white paper or posterboard to use to "soften" the lights? Is that what you're using it for? thnaks for any other info. |
O'er the land of the free & the home of the brave!
Joined:
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EE: 100% (85)
TX, USA
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Great thread! I love taking pictures with my new Panasonic 7.2 Megapixel. Since I bought it in April, I have taken over 3000 pictures with it.... One thing I'd like to add is: If your camera has the option for taking a black & white picture, try it sometime. Black & White seems to give an edgier feel or more class to pictures that would otherwise just be very bland. For example...   And here are some others I took...     
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