Photography

[Big Al]

(Thanks again, GHOSTHUNTER. Good stuff.)

I've been a painting contractor for over 29 years, so I know the difficulty of making an important color choice from a computer. I've tried all my paint manufacturers' websites, and long ago gave up recommending that option to clients other than to get a general idea for a starting point. But nothing compares to actually getting a sample of the paint and putting it on the surface before a final choice is made.

To bring this back to diecasts, I would have a hard time committing a large amount of money to any item for which color is critical, without actually holding it in my hand. Unless I knew the seller was extremely knowledgeable and trustworthy, that is. Maybe one day the technology will exist to display things in "real time," so to speak!

Alan

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Hi Big Al,

Ask a friend if you can borrow his/her camera to get the feel and see what it can do, you can supply the memory card for it, so that way, any disasters won't be with your friends pictures that may, (most probably will be) still on their card.

GHOSTHUNTER.

[Big Al]

Hi Big Al,

Ask a friend if you can borrow his/her camera to get the feel and see what it can do, you can supply the memory card for it, so that way, any disasters won't be with your friends pictures that may, (most probably will be) still on their card.

GHOSTHUNTER.

Good idea! Actually, my wife is a friend still (I think ) who has a digital camera that I can try out. It's just that it is a bit of an oldie, and for some reason I thought I should upgrade. But after seeing some of Nick's pics that looked pretty good in another thread using "just" a 3.2 megapixel inexpensive camera, maybe ours will work. Will give it a try, as I intend (read: NEED) to start my selling career soon.

Alan

[motorman]

I use my Samsung Galaxy S phone for all my Forum images, i think the quality is very good and it is very easy to transfer the images onto my computer. Beats buying a new Camera if your phone is up to the job.

[Moyboy]

Al
I use 2 desk lights rated at 5500 Kelvins (Kelvin is measure of light and 5000 K is almost normal daylight) to light my models. I use those cheap squiggly globes as if you use cool or warm you get either a blue or yellow shade to your pics so go for the natural light and check the kelvin rating - the nearer 5000k the better.
Set up small tripod, not to close and go for a sharp pic. It matters not if small as you can crop and resize with most photo or paint programs nowadays and you should get some great results.

[Big Al]

Thanks, motorman and Moyboy.

My cell phone is about as old as I am, in cellphone years, so I'd better go the camera route!

And I was definitely apprehensive about using fluorescent light for sure; will look into your setup, Moyboy. Not sure what it is that you are calling a "globe," though. Is that the bulb? And the "squiggly," is that then a compact fluorescent? I also know we have bulbs in the USA now that are called "daylight" bulbs. Maybe they would work for the color problem.

Speaking of the color problem, I just bought this as part of a lot. When I saw the two pictures, I thought it was two different vehicles, but it's not!

Eidai1.jpg (471.72 KiB) Viewed 1262 times

Eidai2.jpg (261.37 KiB) Viewed 1262 times

(My first attempt at uploading pictures. We'll see how this goes. I didn't take them, just grabbed them off the site.)

Alan

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Hello again Big Al,

Once you've had a chance to muck about with a compact digital camera, I guess its time to think about your budget.

Modern technology is cheap, the marketing and advertising is dear. Go to your local electrical retailer and look at what they have available, several rows of fabulous looking cameras, all designed to do the same thing, take pictures. Because this technology moves so fast, the manufactures are always updating their products or bringing out newer, flashier cameras, so retailers will have a certain amount of stock that overnight can become obsolete, they will still have to sell these items, but at a reduced price point, so you could pick up a perfectly respectable camera for almost half price.

Then there are the 'shop soiled' products, cameras that have been out on display that have been handled by the staff and customers, but can no longer be sold as new. Often these items may have some minor damage or something missing like the instructions, (all available 'on-line'), and these have to be sold at reduced prices as well.

So Big Al, there are a few avenues for you,
GHOSTHUNTER.

[Big Al]

Here's an interesting article and comments related to who actually owns the photographs one uses to sell on eBay. (I thought about posting this in the eBay thread, but decided it was more appropriate here.) Alan

"On eBay, who owns the photos that sellers upload with their listings? That's a question Brian Cohen posed on the AuctionBytes Blog in July, and we posed this question to readers in the form of a survey.

Brian felt that sellers owned their photos, but that once an item sold, the photo (if not watermarked) should become fair game for the bidder/buyer to use as they see fit."

Continued here: http://www.ecommercebytes.com/cab/abn/y13/m09/i24/s02

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Before I even look at the included 'Link', here's how I understand it, again from the good old days of photography.

The photographer own's the 'COPYRIGHT' to the pictures he/she takes, no matter how or where the pictures are displayed.
Only when a release form is signed by 'BOTH PARTIES' can copyright be relaxed.

GHOSTHUNTER.

[Big Al]

I totally agree with you, GHOSTHUNTER. I didn't post that to advocate any certain point of view btw.