Beginners Guide:
Photographing Your Models
With a low cost point and shoot camera.
With today's prices for digital cameras, model photography is in reach for many in the hobby. Most of the photographs on this web site were taken with a entry level digital camera so an expensive camera is not needed. Good quality digital photos are possible with lower cost digital cameras.
I am not a professional photographer however with the help of many hobbyists and a lot of practice I was able to improve my model photography. I have to extend special thanks to Justin May, Bob Harpe and Jim Six for sharing what they know and answering my many emails with questions about how they achieved such good results. In an effort to "pay it forward" this page is an outline for a Digital Photography clinic presented to the Northwest Trainmasters in January 2007.
Basic Photography:
When we are photographing models we are primarily concerned with light entering the camera. We can basically control two aspects of light; how far we open the door and how long we keep the door open.
Shutter Speed - Measures how long the shutter remains open allowing light into the camera. This is effectively how long we keep the door open to let light into the camera. Generally;
1/10000 = Very quick (open for a short amount of time)
8 = Very slow (open for a long time)
Aperture - Is the size of the opening in the lens. This is effectively how wide we open our door to let the light through. Aperture is measured in a unit called f/stop. Cameras typically have a range of stops that you can pre-set depending upon the model of your camera. Generally;
f/stop 2.8 = A big opening allowing a large amount of light through .
f/stop 8.0 = A small opening only allowing a small amount of light through .
The f.stop also determines the depth of field in a photograph. With f/stop 2.8 you will let a lot of light in but only the front of your model may be in focus. You can notice this on some pictures where the cab is perfectly focused but about halfway down the model, it is totally blurry. To remedy this you can set your f/stop to 8, this is a small hole that only lets a little light in, but your whole model will be in focus.
The only down side of a small aperture is that a tiny hole doesn't let in a lot of light. We can compensate for this by increasing the length of time the shutter remains open, that is, we use a very long (slow) shutter speed.
Camera Settings:
Aperture Priority (A) - Aperture priority function allows us to set the f/stop which gives us total control of the depth of field in our photos. There is most likely a dial or setting on your camera with an (A) on it. This is the setting for aperture priority. The shutter speed is automatically set by the microprocessor in the camera to ensure a proper exposure. That is, the computer figures out how long the shutter speed should remain open to create a good photo. This is a desired feature in a low cost digital camera and used a lot when shooting models. Set your camera to aperture priority when shooting models.
Macro Mode (Flower Icon) - All lenses have a minimum distance from the lens that we can shoot a clear photo, it is possible to be too close to a camera when photographing. Macro mode gives us some some breathing room by allowing us to move the lens closer to our models at the expense of depth of field. Some cameras have Super Macro Mode which allow extreme close ups. I have noticed that when I use the Super Macro Mode, the depth of field becomes shallow. Set your macro mode when you are photographing your model in an extreme close up.
White Balance (WB) - Is a built in filter (through software) that adjusts photo color to compensate for lighting in the room. Depending upon the type of light bulbs in a room you will notice a yellow or blue hue over all of your photographs. White balance can help compensate the negative effects of fluorescent or incandescent lighting. I find mercury vapor lights the most challenging to deal with and when shooting at shows and experimentation is needed by changing the white balance before I can take a good photo. Adjust your white balance for the conditions in the room.
Remote trigger or timer (Q) - This is needed because our fingers can vibrate the camera during the shot. Using a hands-off method to trip the shutter is a necessity. Point and shoot cameras have infra-red triggers, semi-pro SLR cameras generally have a electronic shutter release cord. Always take advantage of the remote trigger when shooting.
Zoom (+/-) - Stay away from the zoom trigger on point and shoot cameras. Move the camera toward or away from your model as necessary. Why? because the zoom function will negatively affect your (A) aperture setting and shutter speed. Keep it simple, move the camera. Don't use the zoom, move your camera.
Lighting:
You need plenty of light, a lot of light actually. Normal room lighting will probably not be bright enough. I experimented with desk / reading lamps and I found that even with the camera filters the photos turned out with unusual hues of red and blue. Compared to other photographers on the internet, using room lighting did not produce satisfactory results.
The best source of light is natural sunlight, photograph outdoors. Given the limitations of moving models outside and the fact that the sun is only available for about half the day shooting outside is not always possible. Fortunately, we have options when shooting indoors and they are lower cost than you may think.
We need to use a very bright light bulb that resembles sunlight when we shoot indoors. I purchased two BCA 250w 4800k photoflood lamps from Calumet Photo in Bensenville, IL. (Calumet is also online at calumetphoto.com). The bulb is blue but the light it produces is white. A word of caution, these bulbs will melt your model if you leave them on too long. Another word of caution, these bulbs will melt an ordinary socket lamp very quickly which can result in injury as you try to save your model. You can purchase professional photoflood housings and tripod holders when you purchase your light bulbs. Having a low budget I went a different route.
Brooding lamps were recommended by Justin May as a good alternative to professional photo equipment. Brooding lamps are used to raise chicks and they possess the most important feature we need, a ceramic socket. The socket and metal housing will adequately hold the photoflood bulb without melting. I located a brooding light equivalent (painters light) online from Ace Hardware and I found a few in a local store. The light has a large clamp which is useful when positioning and it has the required ceramic socket to prevent a meltdown.
Bright lights are essential in keeping your aperture and shutter speed settings within the range of your camera. Best results are achieved by using two bulbs; one straight above shining top down, and a second bulb at 45 degrees to the side of the model. The side bulb helps eliminate harsh shadows in your photo (this also brings out underframe details). I also found that turning off the lights in the room, so only the photoflood is on, helps in producing a better photo.
Photo Background:
Build a three sided background with a neutral color. I use a three sided white background that I made from foam board. The arrangement has a white floor and two white sides. This makes touchup and much cleaner photos with less distractions away from the model.
Steady Shot:
A tripod keeps things steady. Due to the fact that we are using very long (slow) shutter speeds the slightest movement blurs our photos. I use two types of tripods, a small table top that I do a lot of traveling with, and a short floor tripod that I use for photographing the modules. I must admit, a good tripod is a necessity and the "cheapies" I use really need to be upgraded. Why? More expensive tripods have better manufacturing, hold the camera better and are much easier to adjust. I briefly borrowed a tripod from a photo-pro and it was a dream to use. This is a required piece of equipment.
Photographs:
When photographing for the web you can use cameras with low capability or file size. File sizes are measured in megapixels or millions of pixels. This means that the more pixels you have in an image the more detailed it is. Also, images with a high number of pixels can be enlarged or printed on bigger sheets without the picture becoming blurry.
I have achieved good results with a 3 megapixel camera when posting photos to the web. I currently use a 6.1 megapixel camera when posting to the web because I like the added breathing room to manipulate images before I upload them.
For publications like Model Railroader Magazine you generally need a higher end digital camera. A point and shoot camera will not be sufficient for a two page spread in a major magazine. It is generally a good idea to consult the publisher before shooting and submitting photos so you know what the minimum requirements are before you invest time and money.
Quick Review:
- Use a tripod to get a steady shot.
- Set your white balance to match the lighting in the room.
- Set your camera to Aperture mode or "A" on the controls.
- Push your Aperture to the highest setting possible f22 or greater if possible.
- Set the timer so you don't touch the camera while the shutter is open for the long exposure.
Reading:
"The Basic Book of Photography" by: Tom Grimm and Michelle Grimm
This book is an excellent reference on the basics of photography. Both film and digital subjects are covered in the book. The focus is mainly on single lens reflex (SLR) style cameras but there are chapters on how to use point and shoot convenience cameras, tips on photo equipment and using camera accessories.
Practice:
This is the key to good photographs. Practice, practice, practice.. I Have taken thousands of photos, most of them quite bad. Don't get discouraged, experiment and learn from your mistakes, this is the strength of digital. I consider it a good day if, out of a batch of 65 photos, I can pick 9 - 12 photos suitable for the web site.
