Help Taking Pics?

[Doc Sunrise]

OK!  I finally have these beautifully engraved John Wayne USFA SAAs that I would like to take some pictures of and post for everyone, as well as some other USFAs.  What is the best set up for lighting and backgrounds?  I have a 7.1megapixel Olympus camera.  I have figured out the transfer to photobucket and posting onto forum.  I just wish I had better lighting and backgrounds.  I saw my gunshop owner using two poster boards set up in a triangle over a gun, is this good for lighting?

[Grogan]

Doc,

I took this picture with a little Canon 8 mp "pocket" camera.

I don't know IF it's "good enough" to pass your criteria?

But if it is, then this was simple.  I took it out in my back yard, on a patio table. 

I did use single point (the camera's built-in) flash, nothing fancy.  Also used was available light (sunlight) and it wasn't a particularly bright day here in wettern Orygun.

For my background "prop" I just used a length of Green Felt, to represent a gambling table's top.  The revolver resting on it is placed much as you might see one in such an environment, so that was easy.

Now if you want to get fancy and use multi-point light sources, reflectors, and "fill" lighting, you can.

The super thing about digital cameras is the instant feedback as you can see what your results are and play with things like angles and different lighting until you get the effect you're looking for.

If you're using your backdrop with a subject that's been propped up to take a side shot, make sure to make a little frame where the backdrop material CURVES up in its transition from horizontal to vertical.  This avoids having a sharp corner whch also creates shadows.

I have a number of small pieces of backdrop material that I purchased over at the fabric store.  3-4 colors of felt and 5 colors of Velvet all ~40" x 24", which is a good size for using for taking photos of smaller objects, like knives and handguns.

[Doc Sunrise]

Looks good.  I guess my problem here where I live is the lack of sunlight.  I am wondering about that posterboard reflecting the light instead of a bright light directly shining in certain areas, or a flash doing the same thing.  I am going to do some experiments.  I know when we bought this camera that 7.1mp was a lot then.  What is out there now?

[Capt. John Fitzgerald]

8 to 10 seems to be the current standard but your 7.1 will do you just fine.

[Grogan]

My "good" (pro-grade Digital SLR) camera is a 12.7 mp unit.  It's recently updated replacement is 21+ mp.

I think that a freind's son has a small, slightly larger than a cellphone, digital camera that was 12 mp also (although, to me having such a small/compact unit is pretty much useless, except for storing to carry.  (You do need something to "hold onto" when shooting pics and if it's too small and all these little function buttons are bristling all over it, it loses its "handiness" quickly IMO)

But don't be overwhelmed by a digital's image size for photos here on the Internet.  Even though my little camera has 8 mp, I think that I snapped that photo at ~4 mp resolution (and it was further reduced by Photobucket, in order to place it online).

IF you're making photos where you either want to enlarge to a fairly large size, OR you're trying to show great detail, such as an enlargement showing fine detail, such as engraving, you can get away on here with quite a bit less than "High Resolution" digital.

Oh and the light?  Well if you're using the small, built-in strobe tube that's found on most pocket digitals, you might try something like taping a small rectangle of printer paper OVER your flash and see if that helps diffusing it some so as not to have a single bright reflection shining off any certain area.

If you were able to use a seperate, off camera, flash unit, that's what you'd do.  You'd place a "bonnet" over your flash or otherwise "bounce" it off another surface to scatter the light source.

Play with your light source some and you'll find out what works and what doesn't.

[Doc Sunrise]

Thanks for the info.  My next day off will be busy.  I am curiously waiting to be able to make some decent pictures.  Nice thing is my failed experimentation can be deleted.  Technology is wonderful.