What camera do you use?

[YYS4BOB]

It came with the light kit, along with black, dark blue and red backdrops. it's a soft finish cloth one side and a harder slightly glossy fine mesh finish the other side, The stand is just a couple of pieces of ply joined at 90 degrees, but covered in A3 size paper under slight tension to give a curved support for the backdrop. The floor standing spots are
Andoer® E27 220V 5500K 45W Photo Studio Bulb Video Photography Daylight Light Lamps
The top light is just a hobbyist magnifier with rim light.

In pre digital days, I used to stand the models on a light box (the illuminated kind used for viewing contact sheets of negatives) then set the SLR camera up on a tripod with a couple of slave flash units where the spots are in the above set up. These would be set off by the flash gun on the camera. A test firing of the flash guns would be done with a light meter in place of the car to ascertain the shutter speed needed on the camera for the F stop chosen.

Nowadays you just press a switch on your phone...........

[Squid]

I'm still working out a similar setup in my head. Most likely I'd build it out of scrap lumber I have laying around.

[Tinman]

In the early 2000's I bought a bloody expensive Olympus DSLR camera, some lenses and filters.  I set up a mini photo booth with a slight and some camera lights I bought at the camera shop. I used a small tripod for nearly all my shots.  Setting up for a shot was a big deal and took some time.  Once the shots were taken, everything was downloaded to the computer and edited using the Olympus editing software (which came on a disc included with the camera which I uploaded to the computer).

After seeing how good the everyday photos came out using my i-Phone 4, I put away the DSLR Olympus and just used the i-Phone. By the time I got my next i-Phone, I had put away the fancy home made model photo box (with slight and the expensive camera lights.

I now just use a piece of printer paper as a slight and have one bright light that I aim straight up and allow to reflect off the ceiling and walls. Once I snap the pics, I email them to myself (faster than downloading them off the phone with a cable). I edit the pics using the photo editing software included with windows.  When I started using this method I was running XP and now I'm running windows 10.  Any additional editing can be done in Paint or Paint 3D. I have no other editing software and just use the free stuff included with windows.

These rushed photos were taken using my i-Phone 8. I don't know how good the cameras are in other phones but I imagine they are trying to keep up with Apple. Here are some quick shots I just did with a random model. I've added some comments right onto the pics using Paint. From "clicking" the shots to editing and posting this was all pretty quick

[Dinkied]

Thanks, all posts very informative and helpful. I do get the odd good shots which are in focus and sharp but it is hit and miss. If that is the case I think i need to follow some basics and try to write d0wn the process and when I do have a good photo i will know distance, settings etc.
I do take my pics on a white thick paper background. I purchased a couple of 100 Daylight bulbs to get better light, not much difference to be honest.
Sometimes It will be camera shake, but mainly I think it is my settings.
Shooting mode is set at 'Still Image Shooting'
Still shooting scene is set on 'Intelligent Auto'
Flash is set to auto.
It is set in 'easy' mode.
VGA is set at 4::3VGA
0EV -Exposure Compensation is set at 0

I have just taken the following photos from a distance o approx 4-6 inch.
In the bottom left hand sign it stated ''Tracking Focus.. then a little green spot appeared and then back to tracking focus.

.online upload picture



img hosting online

[Tinman]

I never use the flash on my phone or the DSLR when there is ambient light. A little editing will always get rid of the shadows and put the right light on the subject.

Sometimes, to capture a specific detail, I will add a second light source, as in this photo of the Matchbox canteen.

[DrJeep]

My set up is very similar to Joe’s - just a curved piece of white paper under a north-facing skylight. I never use flash, though very occasionally I’ll use an LED torch as a second light. The tripod isn’t really to prevent camera shake (though obviously it does) but to let the camera get the focus right - particularly with extreme close-ups, even slight camera movement will throw the focus out. Joe also illustrates a point that Ghosthunter has made before: it’s far better to crop a distant, sharp image than to get too close.

Anyway, it sounds like you’ve got everything you need already. Good luck!

[misterpop]

i THINK YOUR RIGHT THERE..i LEARND SOMETHING TODAY....OOHH.Check caps lock..Not too close and bin the flash most times.....

[Viewfield]

What did you use for the white background?

Probably the wife’s best table cloth

Rod

[YYS4BOB]

I might be daft, but not that daft!

[Dinkied]

I am getting the jist of this a little better now. There is not much daylight comes through my small windows so it is always needing a flash to photograph, I will get a desk lamp to help with illumination. I have in the past taken items outside on a nice day and got good results.. Thanks again.