Gun Photography

I'm no photographer, but I do have a decent camera (my dad's Pentax K20), and I've been messing around with it a lot lately and learning how to get the images that I am wanting. I decided I'd take a pic of the 870, and came out with this... good? Bad? How to improve it? I have no real equipment other than the camera, a shoddy tripod, and Photoshop, so lighting has been the biggest pain in my rear.

Original


One I used for desktop after some Photoshopping

Like others have said before, it's all about lighting and composition.





Both of these were shot with just a swivel flash bounced off a nearby white wall and a 35L.

Having good equipment proper lighting can really help you but it's not the deciding factor in creating decent gun photos.

Here's an example:

Taken with iPhone 4 using handheld under incandescent ceiling light fixture lighting.


Taken with Canon 5D Mark II with Canon 28mm lens on a tripod and using studio lighting.

I'll play, assuming I can get these photos to work. I used a Canon PowerShot A1000IS and whatever lighting I had in the room, which is code for "I stole my wife's pocket camera 'cause she's visiting a friend and while the cat's away etc etc..."

A few of my G35 i took a few years back

REF Post #44

The picture, by Rail Driver:

I'm not the best at photography, and I'm not working with the best equipment, but my main problem seems to be keeping errant body parts out of the picture.

Click to expand...

You aren't the only one, Rail Driver, so here ya go --see attachment.

I used a product called Shoobegone which is available in any photo shop in spray cans or small cans if you want to use a brush.

It makes the shoe or sneaker transparent so the background can show through in the picture.

I've used it with great satisfaction for years, and found it even works if I take the pic in my bare feet. The same company makes Fingerbegone and Camerastrapbegone, but I think they're the same product, just different labeling on the cans.

I couldn't upload the full size pic of 750 KB, though.

Terry, "Bigfoot," 230RN

AKA "Bigthumb" and well-known as an expert photographer of camera straps and lanyards.

You guys are really pulling off some magic!

And really, folks? you don't need three lamps and a lightbox to take good photos.
That's a $160 camera, white craft board and ambient lighting. Hell the camera costs more than the gun

Speaking of which, I should go test out my new HX9V.

Panzercat said:

*Lego Pic*

Click to expand...

That reminds me, my best gun pic is definitely this.

And

Lighting and patience. Plastic guns are the hardest to shoot.

How about some more Desert Eagles?! Haha and the Lego pics made me laugh we have a few too many around this place lol..

Nothing to fancy. Taken with Cannon DSLR, nice camera but Im still a noob with it.

Some great pics and tips.

I find pictures of lighting setups with the position of the camera also indicated very helpful. Does anyone else want to share any?

I'm no photographer, but I do have a decent camera (my dad's Pentax K20), and I've been messing around with it a lot lately and learning how to get the images that I am wanting. I decided I'd take a pic of the 870, and came out with this... good? Bad? How to improve it? I have no real equipment other than the camera, a shoddy tripod, and Photoshop, so lighting has been the biggest pain in my rear.

Click to expand...

It's not the lighting, but your white balance settings, and post proccessing.



Btw, this version is not perfect, I just took a lot of the extra 'warmth', and saturation out of it.

nipprdog said:

It's not the lighting, but your white balance settings, and post proccessing.

Btw, this version is not perfect, I just took a lot of the extra 'warmth', and saturation out of it.

Click to expand...

Appreciate the advice! I'll try playing with the White Balance, and the I've never done much photo editing to get a nice pic (I've used Photoshop for years, but not really with any goal other than small touch-ups and to make Gif's and such. But lighting still is an issue. I had the lights on, but I had to use a 15 second exposure for it to be that bright.

I was a commercial studio photographer for ten years. Some quick tips...

1. What do you WANT to show about the gun?
2. How will you show it?
3. Sharp, directed light shows off textures. Smooth, even light shows off shaping.
4. Search for "Rule Of Thirds", probably the quickest, easiest way to good composition.
5. Macbeth / Pantone charts are cheap and a great way to get correct colour balance.
6. Shoot a lot. Move the camera around, move the subject, move your lights. Sometimes the best show is the one you didn't plan on.

I try...

If you have a camera that lets you shoot in RAW, you won't have to worry about WB much.

So what advantages do I get using RAW mode? Because this one does. I use Photoshop CS5 most, but I can get Lightroom and some other ones pretty easily.

Read here:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1094135&highlight=raw+vs+jpeg