Things I have Learned

[Paperbeam]

Best way I've found to shoot a model is using bright sunlight against a white background with a miniature tripod for stability.

Don't wallow in your failures and bask in the glow from your triumphs.

Surf the net less and design/build more models...

Terry

[ct ertz]

Originally Posted by Paperbeam

Best way I've found to shoot a model is using bright sunlight against a white background with a miniature tripod for stability.

Don't wallow in your failures and bask in the glow from your triumphs.

Surf the net less and design/build more models...

Terry

Yes-I like that!
CT:D

[Thomas Meek]

A couple years ago I asked Ray Morris at Card Models how to improve my pictures and he suggested what is basically a miniature studio. Thanks, Ray

A large cardboard box with 4 sides cut out and white Tyvek over the top and sides with the front open and a piece of grey cardboard curved between the back wall and the floor to make a nice shadowless "seamless paper" backdrop. I couldn't find Tyvek in less than 50 foot rolls, so used plain white wrapping paper it seems to work fine.

That, a tripod and a couple Ott lights and you are good to go. Don't forget to set your camera's light balance for outdoors.

[michik]

Always cut away from the part into the surrounding cardboard.

If you cut a straight line and use a ruler to guide the blade, always place the ruler on top of the part (i.e., when the blade should go astray. it will not cut the part but the surrounding cardboard).

If two cut lines intersect on a concave part: First poke a hole at the intesection point. Let the tip of your blade slip into the hole (you'll feel it!) and cut away from the hole. Don't apply much pressure - rather cut a few more times!


Always get the name and address of the young man... (Nanny Ogg)


Michi

[davelant]

Originally Posted by Thomas Meek

My digital camera does not have an adjustable iris diaphragm so the f: stop is fixed. This can cause depth of field problems when focusing on small items where shallow depth of field is undesirable.

I have found that by moving the camera away from the subject and then zooming in till the subject fills the frame, the depth of field appears greater.

I think this is because when the lens is zoomed to a telephoto the aperture, although of a constant actual diameter, is apparantly smaller. Like if you look through a hole that is closer to your eye and move it away from your eye it seems to be smaller.

Well said. Rudolf Kingslake, longtime lens designer for Eastman Kodak, wrote in his book "Lenses in Photography" that to a good approximation, depth of field varies proportionally to the "effective" aperture, and as the square of the object distance. "Effective" aperture is, as you surmised, the apparent size of the aperture as seen through the front of the lens.