Dude, for your first pics you did a great job. At this point it is just practice. The main thing, and the hardest thing is lighting. You just move the figures around or the lights around and shoot. Eventually you find sweet spots where the figures look how you like.

So start moving the lights closer, then farther. Just keep snapping pics and compare your notes. Things like size of figures. A MP figure is taller so you may have to use the light at different heights then let's say legend sized figures.

What I strongly recommend is the 36 inch light tent on eBay. I got the 24 inch one, but it's still not big enough for all figures. With the 36 you can fit pretty much any TF figure and be fine. Plus you'll have room to move em around to catch the light just right.

Then you can start playing with things like zy80, TJ and hardreturn does.

The one thing I found, is never use a light in the front of the figure when it is not defused. It will mess up the color of the figure. Also the light in front of the figure at least in my experience should be the smallest bulb out of all of them. So if you do 100s the light in front of the figure should be 60 or less. I use to throw a t-shirt on top of the light.

Having said all that, I never use front lights any longer. Well at least directly in front

1000x better. I am sure you can tell for yourself.

Btw, read your other post. Never mix your bulbs or else you will get that effect your talking about. I think tungsten setting fixes that. But still, get another CFL light at the same rating.

Also, the same advice as above. I see you use front lighting, and the light may not be too defused (saw the cfl bulb in the reflection in the pic). So throw a tshirt over the light to defuse it. Well a white T Shirt.

If your using a light tent, and I mean a real light tent, then get brighter bulbs so you don't need a front light.

Btw, a real lit tent is made of better materials then let's say a cloth. So the light reflection and defusion is a lot better.

But like I said, I think you can tell for yourself, the pics look so much better.

Also, another thing. Different back grounds give different experiences when shooting with them. White tends to give more light. Dark saps the light away and so on.

As they say, photography is all about light. I am still struggling with it myself.

 

Thanks !!
Considering the set up (card board box, tee shirt, poster board, and and 6500k flourecent light) and the fact I took them with an 8 year old 7 mega pixel camera they turned out pretty good.

 

I'm not a good example, because I don't at all use a lightbox.

I haven't been involved in whatever photo "tips" conversations have been going on, so I don't know what you're looking to improve, but I can say that the colors on these are dead on thanks to what you've done with lighting and diffusion. That can add or take away a ton.

LMAO! I vote no.

 

Definetly. The shots you took were awesome for what your using.

To be honest a $40 light tent would make your pics awesome. Also, you know that light you have on top of your box, if you can move that up a foot, it should really help too.

If you check out my MP / Classics / G1 comparison thread or my collection thread, you can see some of the differences in the pics I took.

Also Process' collection thread is also a good example of what happens when you upgrade your light tent.

 

Basement set up finally complete. Initiate: Pictures.


5D3_6435-Edit.jpg by prismrat, on Flickr

 

i've got my eye on a 48" tent, since i'll be shooting overlord, fort max etc in it, i'll need a bigger one, right now all i have is three desk lamps and a sheet light box,

i have a white bg, i know the cam enough to get infinite white pics straight from it, but bored of them for now. my blue bg got wrecked, i'll get another some other time, also looking at some nice grey vinyl instead of the posterboard

thinking i'll be getting a nikon soon though, really want a good cam for this and taking pics in general

 

And you came out with a bang! Nice!

Wow, then yeah, 48 inch would be the way to go.

I have to find some good bendy desk lamps. I have had very little luck finding one for the price I am looking for.

Also, Vinyl is sweet and so easy to clean. Once you get that, you will not be able to go back.

 

Wanted to touch on this before it gets buried with "shop talk".

First off, welcome back - Congrats again on the new addition, and I hope that it's been going well for you and the Mrs..

Secondly, nice pic! It's nice to see composition being used, and you captired the figure, especially his FACE very well. Good stuff.

FOC Air Raid:

 

Thank you!!!  Nice shot!!! His light piping is sick!!!

Beautiful shots, man!!!

Nice shot!!!

Sweet!!! 

 

Woah! i was just scrolling down the page and this instantly caught my eye. His face is captured very well in your photo, great pic man great pic!  

great pics as usual   that choice of backdrop gives it a very rugged atmosphere *not sure if that is the correct word   *

still waiting for kickback to show up in mass retail over here   meanwhile I will enjoy your pics of him  

 

Thanks TJ, it's been a fun six weeks so far!! finally starting to get a handle on things again. I've been keeping up where i can mostly with this thread, and you never fail to disappoint. love the new bg's.

Thanks also to alucard and ricemaster and zy.

For Swipe, the only thing i don't like about the mold is how deep the face is set under the "hood"... so i was trying to dig it out of there with the head tilted up and a light coming straight from that direction. wish the light could've gotten a little deeper on the camera-left side, but it brought the front into too much light for what i wanted.

One of my favorite molds and least favorite characters, this is how this guy sits on my shelf..


5D3_6442-Edit.jpg by prismrat, on Flickr

And possibly my favorite mold ever, in possibly my favorite color scheme ever... tried really hard to capture the golds, think it came out well.


5D3_6450-Edit.jpg by prismrat, on Flickr

 

Last one for the night.


5D3_6461-Edit.jpg by prismrat, on Flickr

 

So the background is reflecting on him? Cool. Reminds me of how daylight turns the black figures blueish in some photos.

brr-icy - even better! (will talk to you in a PM...haven't got enough time now)

RICEMASTER - you really are a master  

That looks like the first lightboc I made myself. I used baking paper instead of t-shirts though  

bit boring with him just standing....tried something else and he's just a prop. Pardon me.




and the usual

I've decided to sell the pair so no stickers on TC.

 

so, so good.

and ya syd, although i think there may be a blue tinge to his plastic.

 

brought this old toy out to fiddle around and pose on my computer desk at home and just took a quick snapshot of him; hope to find more dynamic poses for him in the next few days  


DSC01074 by zy80..., on Flickr

* I tried to position his wheels a bit further down to see if it looks better *

 

Some white on white fun during lunch break.


5D3_6487.jpg by prismrat, on Flickr

 

How do you like the Vinyl white background? Do you recommend it?

 

I really like this last set. The pose on Rodimus is awesome. And, dude, black/gold/red is my favorite color scheme period. I love it.

Nice framing on this!

I don't do infinite white much, but I was bored:

 

Love this!!!

Nice shots!!! Your gonna sell them!?!? Are you dumping your TFP collection?

Nice pic!!! It's a lot more dynamic than i can get my figs in!!!

Nice!!! I never get tired of looking at him!!! Should of never passed on him!!! 

 

love the micromasters, nice shots syd