Model Citizen

I've been a modeller for years and years now, but it's only in the last 5 years I've made any effort to display my models professionaly, which is crazy when you think about it...why spend weeks and months on a kit and then take a quick snap of your most accomplished work to date with a cheapy camera on your back patio (Yes I used to do that).

It's only in the last year or so that I've felt like I've gotten anywhere with my photos in any sort of controlled environment, and only recently that I think I've finally got somewhere worth mentioning about.
So, here goes with a quick tutorial on how I made up a small photo studio, and how I display the results.



The light tent (pictured above) is the best way I've found of controlling a diffused light. Why is that important? Because before I invested (£35 for an 80cm cube from eBay) I was having major problems with glare. A strong light source just can't seem to stop things looking shiny.
(Total So Far= £35)
Take a look at these two images of a Steve McQueen bust that particularly frustrated me:
Old:

New:


The newer image shows a lot less glare, just look at the hand and face, but also look at the colours in the jacket and base. The second is much more real to the finished item.



So, once you've bought your light tent, I built a frame around the edge. On hindsight I think I should have made it a bit bigger, I chose a 1 meter size, but the wood was pretty cheap, just £2.50-5.00 for 2.5 meter lengths at B&Q.
(Total So Far= £45)



The next and last three bits needed are as follows:
If you have'nt allready got one, you'll need an extension lead. About £5
(Total So Far= £50)
Also, while I was at B&Q I bought a set of energy saving bulbs (pack of 6 for £9). I find that energy saving bulbs, apart from being cheaper to run, give off a purer white than a normal bulb. I know some people swear by halogen bulbs, but this seemed to work well (actually that's for you to decide when you see the finished article).
(Total So Far= £54)
And lastly, I bought about 5 clip on lamps. They are brilliant, and I bought all of them from my local pound shop. Yes, just £1 each.
(Total So Far= £59)

So, after I positioned the lamps around the cube, it's just a case of swithing it all on, letting the bulbs warm up a bit and taking the shots.



This is the second digital camera I've owned, the first was a Sony F505V and was about 3MP, I've just invested in an 8MP Olympus C8080, this is a beauty of a camera and won best of class at
Digital Photography Review
So I should be future proofed for the forseeable future. (It also takes hi-res video, which I have set up on a 1GB flash card, pictures on a 1GB XD card, it can use either at the touch of a button).

Photo Manipulation:
I'm not a big fan of this at all. I like people to see as near as possible what it is I've made and painted. however, being in the digital graphics business for the last 14 years I've learned a few tricks. I'll show you the one I use most:
Before:


After:


You might not like the second image, but it's the one that truly resembles the model. All I did was use a simple correction filter in Adobe Photoshop (sorry, that's the only package I use for Jpeg images), it's the Auto Levels command and 99 times out of 100 will give you the correct level of your colours. For instance, I know the background should be white and Auto Levels has put that right as well as everything else.

There. Finished. Hope this helps some of you with what has been a learning curve for me for a few years.