Photography Problems

[Janissary]

When I try to photograph my WIP, I frequently run into the problem you will see in the following pics:

These pictures fail to capture the surface details such as panel lines and rivets (for the left wing in this case). This happens regardless whether the surface is bare or painted. I have tried many things over the months and years to no avail. Any ideas what is going on here? Some details of my setup, and what I tried in the past.

Setup:

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- Canon A620 Powerhot

- Aperture priority (AV), set to macro setting

- f-stop between 5-8 but most often set to 8 (max for A620)

- Iso 100, Automatic White Balance, Evaluative exposure

- No flash

- Using a tripod

Here is a picture of my setup for WIP:

Things I have tried:

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- Different backdrops (white, black, blue you name it)

- Lower f-stops between 2-5. Expectedly causes too much out of focus regions

- Selectively turning on/off the lamps (from all off to all on)

- Changing lamp angles

- Covering the lamps with a screen or my hands (to diffuse the source lighting)

- Changing the camera position or the model position

Whatever I do, I cannot get it to show the details. The surface looks all too washed out. Notice that the pit area looks ok, but it has paint on it.

The only thing that seems to work is to keep only one or two lights on, and keep one light in my hand to move it around until I get the details to show. This usually involves a dramatic angle for the light such that the details themselves cast some shadow. Here is an example:

I usually don't like this. Do you have any suggestions for how I can take better pictures? I have a light diffusing photo tent, but I cannot set that up each time to take pictures.

[bugs3144]

turn off a couple of those bright spot lights. Use your strobe. You might be surprised how musch difference less lighting makes.

Frank

ATL

[Janissary]

Thanks Frank. I tried that but the results are not all that good. In the following pictures most lights are off, and I switch between flash on vs flash off (I take strobe means the camera flash? Otherwise I don't have a separate strobe):

Edited November 7, 2011 by Janissary

[ThatJeffGuy]

Using flash with point-n-shoots is problematic. A trick you can try is to bump your ISO up. You should be able to

still have acceptable image quality upwards of 1000 ISO. At some point you can even back off on the artificial lights.

It's buried in the menu somewhere....did it with my wife's powerShot years ago because the flash always gave

that same 'nuked' look.

Since you have a tripod you could always go full manual. Just pick an aperture and test fire at different shutter speeds until

you get it right. You don't have to worry about it being too slow and inducing blur because you have the tripod and the

subject is stable. Use the timer function when getting into really slow shutter speeds.

[Hawkeye's Hobbies]

You have to remember that a camera sees more and captures more light than the human eye. You have to experiment with from what angle and what intensity your light is at. Using an off camera strobe is usually more effective at eliminating the reflection and allow the detail to be seen. Instead of using light from either side, one above and one key light from the side quartering towards the model. Also use your post editing tools to remove the starkness of the light.

What editing software are you using?

[dnl42]

The only thing that seems to work is to keep only one or two lights on, and keep one light in my hand to move it around until I get the details to show. This usually involves a dramatic angle for the light such that the details themselves cast some shadow. Here is an example:

I usually don't like this.

This technique, "raking light photography", is used to show surface detail, e.g., of Impressionist paintings. As you can see, it's very effective.

[Jinro]

Recalling what little I remembered from my photography class, instead of getting your light readings and setting your shutter speed/aperture based on the darker colors of what it is you're shooting, take light readings and set your shutter speed/aperture to the lightest part (or even a light gray/white sheet of paper).

Although if you do this, it's possible that the darker parts, like the cockpit, will become too dark because you will need a higher shutter speed/smaller aperture to capture the lighter parts. There's a trick to this but I forgot what it was--I think it may have been "burning", but that was working with 35mm film :P

[chuck540z3]

This is a common problem I have experienced as well, and so I offer the following suggestions:

1) Metering. Your first pic shows that you're getting an average exposure of the very light plastic and the dark green pad underneath it. Make sure you use center or spot metering so that only the light plastic is used for exposure metering. Also bracket your exposures 1 stop higher and 1 stop lower than what the meter asks for, then pick the best one.

2) Angle of light. You figured that one out already, but direct overhead light just won't show the subtle shadows you're trying to photograph. Always have the light source at an angle for this kind of detail.

3) Oil or ProModeler wash. I always use a wash before taking WIP pics, because they not only show all the panel line and rivet details better, but they point out screw-ups I've made along the way.

Hope this helps.

[PlasticWeapons]

Although if you do this, it's possible that the darker parts, like the cockpit, will become too dark because you will need a higher shutter speed/smaller aperture to capture the lighter parts. There's a trick to this but I forgot what it was--I think it may have been "burning", but that was working with 35mm film :P

Or you can light the cockpit by redirecting some light using small mirrors before taking photo. :)

[Janissary]

Thank you all for your detailed suggestions. I was hoping that I had missed something very obvious, so the fix was going to be magical. So even though I had tried some of these suggestions previously, I gave them another try yesterday and today. Things have not improved tremendously, but here are some new pics:

http://s362974870.onlinehome.us/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=238118&view=findpost&p=2286110

I have found that the most significant variable is the position of the light source. So, I keep one the lights in my hand and move it around, while keeping two others fixed. These fixed lights are no longer at the 9 and 3 o'clock positions (as in the above pic), but brought to more like the 8 and 4 o'clock.

Thanks again for all your input here and also those through the PM system.

[Chuck1945]

The main thing has already been covered - direct lighting. Whether one light or three (or more) if shining directly on the subject wash out any panel lines or other details. We see the detail and lines, in part at least, due to shadows (however faint) from natural or artifical light hitting the subject at angles. Direct lighting negates this. Getting the exposure setting based on the model itself, and not averaging in background will also help. If you can control f stop and shutter speeds, use a small aperature (big f stop number such as f22) and slow shutter speed (with tripod). This will give more depth of field although that really didn't seem to be an issue based on the photos posted.

[chuck540z3]

When I uploaded some new pics I took last night I just realized that I forgot one of the most important tips: Photo-editing Software. You really need something to boost the contrast and sharpness of most pics and this software is sometimes critical to show detail. I use Microsoft Digital Image Pro which is OK, but I bet the Adobe versions are way better.

[blunce]

When I uploaded some new pics I took last night I just realized that I forgot one of the most important tips: Photo-editing Software. You really need something to boost the contrast and sharpness of most pics and this software is sometimes critical to show detail. I use Microsoft Digital Image Pro which is OK, but I bet the Adobe versions are way better.

GIMP is free and afaik, nearly exactly the same as Photoshop. Chuck's right though, all my posted pics go through GIMP before I post them.

[billbuccaneer]

Janissary,

A couple of things; your light source is too high. Placing it lower will cause the panel lines and rivets to cast shadows, making them easier to see. Also, try setting your camera to underexpose the photo by about 1/2 f/stop. Finally, using Adobe Photoshop or one of the online photo editing programs, boost the contrast on the picture.

I hope this helps.

[Andrew MacKay]

What color is your ceiling ? if its white try pointing ALL your lights towards the ceiling and bumping your ISO to compensate for the reduction light. or chase down / make a soft box. Though to get the details to pop you will need some side lighting. Try having the bounced light as the main light and setting the side light at around 1/2 to 1/4 stop less than the main light. Popping the contrast in post will help but getting it right in the camera is always better.