[shotgunner]

Some of you have some excellent photos of your guns that even show the engraving in detail. I would like some hints on how to achieve that kind of quality particularly interested in what you use for lighting for indoor shots.

thanks
Joe

 

[grntitan]

I don't have the right equipment but a good camera and quality camera lights are best. My brother has some excellent equipment and paid dearly for it. Most good photos are taken outdoors where the natural light takes over. Hard to beat Mother Natures Photography Lights. The proper lighting can make a cheap camera shine. JM2C

Matt

 

[Southpaw Sam]

The newer digital cameras, and I prefer Nikon, will auto correct most of the time for differing light conditions. Also good closeups can be taken with the same camera. I use a shirt pocket size camera for all my gun photos, even though I have a professional SLR. A good website for camera comparisons is
dpreview.com. Sam

 

[tallengnr]

I always thought that this web site had great picture of pistols. The photographer also has a small tutorial on how he gets the great shots on that same site.

http://lundestudio.com/firearms.html

 

[EuroJoe]

Ask Smok'n Joe. He's the best !!

 

[claybuster60]

For indoor lighting I use the "bounce" method. By that I mean I position the flash so that the light "bounces" off the ceiling. I have had great results using this method. I use a Fuji 7000 with an auxillary flash attachment on the hot shoe.

Billy P

 

[claybrdr]

MIA is my photo hero.

 

[cubancigar2000]

Indoor flourescent lights are not good. Take your photos outside with a good background. MIA does a great job as well as Josh Lovejoy and others

 

[Unknown1]

Fluorescent lights work fine if you use one "blue" and one "red" tube or use 2 "daylight" tubes in each fixture that lights the subject. Regular utility tubes light at the "blue" end of the spectrum; tubes intended for bathrooms light at the "red" end. Pairing the 2 tubes covers both ends, something that "daylight tubes" also do but for a lot more money. The light "temperature" rating indicate the light color; blues are around 4000º K, reds are 3500º or less, daylight is above 5000º. Halogen lights are at the blue end.

A digital camera of 8 pixels with a "macro" setting for extreme closeups will capture the detail. More than 8 pixels isn't necessary for a photo seen on computer monitors. A good photo editor like FastStone Image Viewer can be used to fine tune the color balance and sharpness of the image before posting it.

MK

 

[BDodd]

The trouble with relying on your flash on or off the camera is you really don't see what the results will be while composing the shot. Indoor lighting is better if you take the time to exam the appearance through your camera before tripping the shutter. best is outdoor lighting where you can see where shadows, reflections, hot spots, or whatever may be seen through your lens before taking the snap - even with the least expensive digitals. Knowing how your camera deals with close up snaps and then making sure the shutter is activated as smoothly as you would your handgun trigger will help with sharpness. There are other good suggestions above.

 

[Calkidd]

The best lighting, if you are using indoors, are flash strobes or a remote flash. Using the one on top of the camera is OK, but it has it's limitations. If you can find a good backdrop and use some lighting off to the side you will get better results. Additionally, some of these photos you see that are exceptional or not just because of lighting, but how the picture is being shot. For example small aperture and extended shutter times, thus you will need a tripod to take these types of photos.

Take for example this photo. As you can see the light is coming from the top, not from the camera. It appears he might have used a slower shutter speed with a smaller aperture to enhance the details. Also pay attention to his depth of field (DOF) and how sallow it is. This tends to bring out the item or subject you are photographing.

Bryan

 

[HSLDS]

A muzzle flash??

 

[1oldtimer]

A dim light works pretty good for hiding flaws.
Clyde

 

[goose2]

A damn good camera would be the first place to start. Then learn how to use it. It all depends on how big you want to go with it.