My Tips @n Toy and Collectables Photography

[DM101]

TIPS - How to Determine the Total Number of Shutter Count on Your Camera Using Photoshop

Need to find out how many photos you've taken with your camera? This information tells you how much usage the camera has actually had (especially if you intend to sell your camera).

The shutter is a precision device (usually electronic mechanical) that allows light to pass for a determined period of time for exposure of the camera sensor to light to capture an image. The shutter unit has a limited mechanical shelve-life before it has to be replaced

To check the Shutter Count, open your RAW file in Photoshop. From Photoshop File menu, select File Info...



This will open up the file information window below. Select the Advanced tab and expand Schema (http://ns.adobe.com/exif/1.0/aux])

Look for aux:ImageNumber: - this is the number of shutter count of your camera ! This number gets incremented by 1 every time to take a new photo.

 

[zackdeth]

are all those equipments needed or not necessarily?

 

[DM101]

are all those equipments needed or not necessarily?

These are the basic equipment required, the rest are optional

Part 2 - The Camera and Accessories
Part 3 - The Lightings and Support

 

[zackdeth]

i see....

i am into toy photography too.just waiting to save up for a DSLR to start proper!

 

[DM101]

TIPS - Shooting Top-Down - Top View (Part 1)

Sometimes the top view of a tank or vechicle shows some more details of the subject - which could be interesting i.e. interior details not available from side or front/back views etc.

To shoot TOP-DOWN, you'll need a Camera Tripod that could be adjusted at 90 degreses as shown below

Next setup the subject as follows :

NOTE: Make sure the camera or any accessories etc. are secured and the Tripod well balanced or else it would drop onto the subject below !

(The Micro Lens @ 85mm may not be "usable" if your subject is large - it so switch to a 50mm lens or smaller if requires)

Below are some examples - cool right ?

 

[DM101]

TIPS - Does the PHILIPS BULBS Flicker?

I had been asked if the PHILIPS BULBS I used flicker.

Fluorescent lamp is a low pressure mercury-vapor gas-discharge lamp that uses fluorescence to produce visible light. Some fluorescent lamps operated at the power supply frequency (50 or 60 Hz) can also produce flicker - which may pose problems for photography in inconsistent exposure.

I did some testing at different shutter speeds (1/400, 1/250, 1/125 and 1/30) in a series of shots (NO FLASH used at all - only the lamps and one LED front ligthing)

The images looks consistent - from what I see no flickering

Here's the final image after some quick post-processing....

 

[DM101]

TIPS - NIKON DG-2 EyePiece Magnifier - Does it Work ?

As I shoot miniatures close-up, I got this NIKON DG-2 Eyepiece Magnifier which I thought could help me see and thus focus better since it provides 2x magnification.

Well, the fine print is it only "magnifies the central area of the finder image" !


1. As illustrated below example, it is not useful as I cannot see the whole subject up-close, only the central area is magnified and anything outide this central region will look very "fuzzy" and "distorted" with the DG-2 attached. It is hard getting the whole subject focused other than by trial and error (Depth of Field).

2. The DG-2 can be flipped for the photographer to see the original viewfinder though but may scratch spectacles if you are not careful (as the housing is made of metal) - for those wearing glasses just take note.

3. The DG-2 has built in adjustable diopter correction system for those who wear eyeglasses to correct their vision

My verdict on DG-2 for use in miniatures focusing - well, you can do WITHOUT this piece !

DG-2 you will be staying "cold-storaged" my dry cabinet shelf in a long time to come :angry:

 

[DM101]

TIPS - How to Focus Miniatures WITHOUT Using the NIKON DG-2

In my earlier post, I had tested the NIKON DG-2 Eyepiece Magnifier does NOT suit or help me in focusing Miniatures.

Well this is a trick I experimented and it seems to work - all you need is a bottle with some running text !

Next (with camera on MANUAL focus) adjust the focusing until you can see all the text are SHARP and CLEAR

Then you'll just need to remove the bottle and take the shot

See below sampel shot - well this simple and cheap technique does works !

 

[DM101]

More samples shots of this tecnique....

A post-processed image below

 

[ed9119]

Thanks for the HUGE effort !!

Promoting this in front page as well as on the Clubsnap Photography Community FB page

https://www.facebook.com/ClubSNAP.Community

 

[DM101]

Thanks for the HUGE effort !!

Promoting this in front page as well as on the Clubsnap Photography Community FB page

https://www.facebook.com/ClubSNAP.Community

Thank you all for enjoying this thread :cheers:

 

[DM101]

TIPS - Shooting Top-Down - Top View (Part 2)

This is Part 2 on shooting top-down TIPS - Shooting Top-Down - Top View (Part 1)



Sometimes if your camera and the subject (the top view of a tank or vechicle) is NOT level, the perspective of the subject could be "distorted"

So BEFORE shooting top-down, do use a Level Meter to ensure your camera and the subject are of the same "level"

 

[caroland]

Bro, thanks for the time and effort.

You are a master

 

[DM101]

TIPS - A Simpler Way to Shooting Top View of Toy Models

You can shoot top view of some toy models (especially 1:72 scale tanks less than 10cm long) using this technique below.

1. First look for a right-angled transparent base and screw the model to the base as shown

NOTE: Make sure the base can take the weight of the tank model - if not use a counter-weight to ensure the toy model does not topple over

2. Place a mirror as shown to give the bottom part of the tank model more reflected light

3. And the final result you can get this shot below (without the cumbersome top-down shooting setup or reconfiguring your current camera setup)

For light plastic toys, you can just use double-sided scotch tape to tape it which works fine as well

 

[Benton102]

Sometimes due to lighting limitations or conditions, we may get TOO MUCH SHADOWS for a figure which is sometimes undesirable - for example like this toy below. The large hat blocks most of the lighting - making the eyes uninteresting (too dark). In ordet to get more HIGHLIGHTS in that area, I make use of a reflector.

 

[James02]

Hello, thank for provide the best thread posts!

 

[DM101]

TIPS - The Lightings - Switching to LED Light Bulbs

I had switched from using Fluorescent Light to LED Light for my shooting setup.

Fluorescent Light bulbs are very HOT if I use them for extended period. LED Light bulbs on the other hand do not generate much heat and as such do not "fry" the models - especially those plastic ones ....

Now that I have switched to LED looks like I can shoot more on my plastic toys and anime figures - so stayed tuned

 

[DM101]

TIPS - Post Processing Metallic Painted Model Cars

For metallic painted miniature cars post-processing effort is required to spruced up the final image.

As you noticed above these high collectable value miniature model cars are painted in the likes of the ACTUAL car paintwork for true realism to the original. (This model is 1/43 scale and measures about 10cm in length)


However when scaled down to computer resolution, these metallic flakes created artifacts (grainy) in the final images. To post-processed these artifacts you could use Photoshop's "Reduce Noise...." filter




1. First select the area you wish to "smoothed" and create a new layer. Next choose the "Reduce Noise...." filter

2. Use the settings as below and click OK

Check out the "pre" and "post" images below - notice the big jump in the image quality :thumbsup:

 

[jaggedmick]

very neat thanks bro for sharing

 

[PhotoProZero]

Thanks for sharing!