# photographing our little gems ?



## purple66bu (Dec 18, 2013)

Some of you take some real nice pictures...my problem seems to be lighting...wasn't sure where to post this..what's everyone using and or type camera


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## Dragula (Jun 27, 2003)

Try using a white background,even an old shoebox works,and give the camera low flash,red eye reduction even works.Im sure others will chime in with good advice to.Hilltop always takes great pics,maybe he will give us both some sage advice.


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## Hilltop Raceway (Feb 12, 2006)

Thanks D... I use an old Sony Cybershot, not sure how old it is. I use the macro setting which shows more than I really want at times, brings out all the flaws. Try using some of those clip on work lights. I also like those GE Reveal light bulbs, about 100 watt, light seems a little whiter/brighter...Also get a tripod are something to steady your camera. Todays' I/smart phones are getting pretty good also...Hope this helps...RM
P.S. My camera also has an illusion setting, makes things look better than they really are...


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## Dragula (Jun 27, 2003)

Hilltop Raceway said:


> Thanks D... I use an old Sony Cybershot, not sure how old it is. I use the macro setting which shows more than I really want at times, brings out all the flaws. Try using some of those clip on work lights. I also like those GE Reveal light bulbs, about 100 watt, light seems a little whiter/brighter...Also get a tripod are something to steady your camera. Todays' I/smart phones are getting pretty good also...Hope this helps...RM
> P.S. My camera also has an illusion setting, makes things look better than they really are...


I knew you had that setting ,randy!!!


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## purple66bu (Dec 18, 2013)

Hilltop Raceway said:


> Thanks D... I use an old Sony Cybershot, not sure how old it is. I use the macro setting which shows more than I really want at times, brings out all the flaws. Try using some of those clip on work lights. I also like those GE Reveal light bulbs, about 100 watt, light seems a little whiter/brighter...Also get a tripod are something to steady your camera. Todays' I/smart phones are getting pretty good also...Hope this helps...RM
> P.S. My camera also has an illusion setting, makes things look better than they really are...


Thank You Sir...Master Builder and Photographer!! Tips from the best


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## kriket (Feb 15, 2013)

Hilltop Raceway said:


> Thanks D... I use an old Sony Cybershot, not sure how old it is. I use the macro setting which shows more than I really want at times, brings out all the flaws. Try using some of those clip on work lights. I also like those GE Reveal light bulbs, about 100 watt, light seems a little whiter/brighter...Also get a tripod are something to steady your camera. Todays' I/smart phones are getting pretty good also...Hope this helps...RM
> P.S. My camera also has an illusion setting, makes things look better than they really are...


Your camera has an illusion setting that makes things look bigger than they really are? Hmmm My girl friend said that to me the other day while she was pointing the camera at me, I wonder what she meant?  lol


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## Hilltop Raceway (Feb 12, 2006)

I said "better"...read the fine print... RM


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## kriket (Feb 15, 2013)

oops my eye sight is'nt like it used to be.. :wave:


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## MSwaterlogged (Feb 5, 2014)

Take a look at this. http://www.wikihow.com/Create-an-Inexpensive-Photography-Lightbox

Simple, cheap and works well, I used white tissue paper on sides and top and 3 100 watt white curly bulbs in cheap reflectors (one on each side and one on top). I put a piece of track under white paper so the car would sit in the slot (cut small hole in paper) and have the correct stance. Made a big difference to my pictures. You also probably don't want to use macro as then the depth of field is pretty shallow. Trial and error on settings will let you figure out what to use on your camera. I set mine on manual and take photos at 1/5 sec, F22 with the flash, than use software to fix the lighting issues.

Charlie


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## purple66bu (Dec 18, 2013)

MSwaterlogged said:


> Take a look at this. http://www.wikihow.com/Create-an-Inexpensive-Photography-Lightbox
> 
> Simple, cheap and works well, I used white tissue paper on sides and top and 3 100 watt white curly bulbs in cheap reflectors (one on each side and one on top). I put a piece of track under white paper so the car would sit in the slot (cut small hole in paper) and have the correct stance. Made a big difference to my pictures. You also probably don't want to use macro as then the depth of field is pretty shallow. Trial and error on settings will let you figure out what to use on your camera. I set mine on manual and take photos at 1/5 sec, F22 with the flash, than use software to fix the lighting issues.
> 
> Charlie


Charlie
Thanks thats a great article..
Dennis


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## Jisp (Oct 19, 2008)

P66, you’ve hit on two of my favourite topics - slot cars and photography. I don’t claim to be a guru in either area but I do love combining the two. Straight up I’ll say I’ve seen your photos and I reckon they are great, there’s nothing wrong with them. But.... like anything in life, we all strive for better than we are doing so keep at it to get your photos how you want ‘em.

Two questions...... what’s your camera and if you have photo software, what is it and how experienced are you with it?

Given that all cameras are quite different it’s no surprise that my belief is that the photographer needs to get familiar enough with the gear to be able to generate predictable results. A digital photo costs zero cents so take millions of ‘em, testing all settings and noting the results.

Having taken more shots than I can count, this is the net balance of what I have learnt.......... most cameras benefit from learning to set the white balance. While the naked eye may not notice it, different light sources tend to make a photo either warm (reddish) or cold (bluish). This has the effect of throwing off the colour white. If the colour white on the subject looks white in a photo, most of the other colours will appear normal also. Some cameras handle white balance well on the auto setting but mine doesn’t. I set it manually for the area I’m shooting in.

As Randy mentioned, keeping the critter still while taking close up shots is critical, I can’t stress this enough. If you don’t have a tripod, get one. It will make a night & day difference to shots. If you have a point and shoot camera an inexpensive light duty tripod is perfect but if you have a DSLR you’ll need something more heavy duty to keep it still during shutter movement. Either way, always use the camera self timer for the shot. Your best shots will be those where you are not touching the camera.

To macro or not to macro.... that is the question. Depends on the camera and depends on what you are trying to shoot - there is no hard/fast rule, it just comes down to working out what gives the best results for the camera. For example, I have an expensive camera that takes beautiful day to day shots but horrible macro shots. It takes much better close ups by getting in close and then backing off slightly before shooting. I have another inexpensive “bridging” camera that takes the best macro shots of any camera I’ve used. Important - don’t be fooled into thinking that the best macro photos need to be taken very close to the subject..... not true. In my experience the reverse is true. Back away from the subject and you may get better results, I do.

Charlie mentioned lack of depth of field with macro shots and again, it comes down to the camera. It is true of some but not all. What is depth of field? It’s simply how far forward and back from where you focus, remains in focus. It is governed by how much the lens aperture is open during a shot which in turn dictates how much light hits the sensor. It’s often called the f/stop value and can be quite important to what we do with slots and close up work. A low f/stop value means the aperture is open wide and vice versa. Example.... say you lay 20 slot tyres in a line extending away from yourself. Say you get in close and focus on the tyre nearest you with a low f/stop of 2 to 3. The shot will have the front tyre in perfect focus but gradually blur as it moves toward the back of the line. Now, narrow the aperture as far as the camera & light allows. Might be f/10, 20, 30+. Repeat the shot...... the front tyre will be in focus along with all the ones to the back.

Who cares? Maybe nobody but the depth of field can make or break what you are trying to show. Say you want a shot of 2 or 3 cars lying in a random pattern and distance from the camera.... you want a higher f/stop to get them all in focus. Say you want to just show a decal on the bonnet of one..... you zoom in a bit further and choose a lower f/stop to make the decal the focus of the photo.

Not sure if I have helped you or confused you. I’ve seen both Randy & Charlie’s shots and you’ll do yourself a favour following any of their advice also.

Cheers,
Michael. :thumbsup:


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## Rich Dumas (Sep 3, 2008)

HO cars are the most difficult ones to photograph because they are so small. Any defect or bit of dust will be magnified when you take a closeup. You can also get reflections and glare from your lights or flash. 
Light is the most important thing when you take pictures, the most expensive camera will not give you good pictures if the lighting is poor. Try not to take pictures using different types of lights at the same time. Different types of lights have different color temperatures. Most decent cameras have an automatic color temperature compensation feature, but that may not be totally effective, causing colors and especially white areas to be off. You can fuss around with the camera settings, but I prefer to control the light itself whenever possible. One thing to do is to shoot outdoors in fairly strong light. I have flourescent lights that mimic daylight.
With many cameras you can change the contrast and sharpness settings, I prefer to tweak those up using editing software. Editing software can let you improve a less than perfect picture, but there are limits to that.


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## RjAFX (Oct 26, 2014)

Me......I just use my Galaxy gNote 2014 to take pictures. That way they are right where I need them to be when putting them in photo bucket, adding to email, sending in a text, putting in my WD cloud or what ever. I don't have to bother downloading from one of my camera's to one device or another.


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

Walmart photo dept... If your camera has a threaded hole in the bottom, you can use a tripod with it. Wally sells a snall one for less than 10.00, and it'll make a world of difference! Also, the "illusion setting" aka Macro, might be an option. On my Kodak, it's a tulip, and allows pix to be taken closer. You can experiment with taking them a little farther away in Macro, and then cropping the picture to make it bigger. 

For lighting, all I use is my desk lamp with a 40 watt bulb. Depending on the color of the car determines how much light I give it. My camera doesn't like blue/green very much, but from what I read, that's a normal problem. Your editing software might help adjust the picture to get it more accurate, though it usually messes up the background image.

I have also used my florescent bench lamp for pix, but it's more bluish, so it's not often used, except for extreme close ups... I need the magnifier in it plus Macro to take pix of the LEDs I'm messing with.


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## hefer (Sep 18, 1999)

I never use a flash. I find the best light to be daylight. Not sunlight, just the light coming through the window.


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## old blue (May 4, 2007)

I am terrible at taking photos. I am also terribly bored with this winter weather. This was my first attempt at using the panorama option on my cell phone camera.


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## Redwater slot (Jun 27, 2012)

Picture looks good and clear to me!Nice collection of great cars and trucks. I still call it wide screen.:thumbsup:


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