Photographing LEGO

[Zeya]

This thread seems like the place for my current situation. I got a nice light shed and lights for Lego "tabletop" photography. I have a review pending for a small polybag set. But for this review, I used the best I had on hand which was a telephoto zoom, the Nikkor 55-300mm. Let's just say I now realize why people buy macro lenses! I need closer minimum focusing, and a less tweaky zoom ring would be nice.

So I'm looking into lenses. I've narrowed down my choices quite a bit. I hit up websites like lenshero, dxomark, and a nice article on macro lenses. My camera body is a Nikon d5100, which has a crop sensor (multiplier of 1.5). I'm looking at these 3 lenses:

Nikon 105mm f/2.8G AF-S IF-ED VR Micro

Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro

Tamron 90mm f/2.8 SP AF Di Macro

They seem to have pretty comparable optics. The Nikon and Sigma have stabilization, but the Tamron doesn't. I hear macro shots (esp with tripod) that's not a big concern. The Sigma has a nice feature for autofocus tuning, but that's just gravy I think.

But I think I'm leaning toward the Tamron. A new version of this lens just came out, and it seems people are dumping their old copies on eBay, or so I assume. I can barely find the Sigma up on eBay. And the Nikon even used seems close enough to full price as to be not worth it. But that Tamron I can get a used copy off eBay for around $330 USD or so. The regular new prices would be $880/$770/$500, respectively.

Would the lack of stabilization kill the Tamron for other uses like portrait photography (handheld)? Is there some other reason to get that Nikon or Sigma that I'm not thinking of?

[Andy D]

This thread just keeps coming back. A good thing, as the info is very useful.

Just this week, as part of my studio revamp, I have been thinking about a tabletop photo area that can be easily put up for use then easily taken apart to store. I found a web site and some very good YouTube videos. The site is: http://www.prophotolife.com/video-library/ and three of the YouTube videos I found particularly interesting are:

http://youtu.be/-zARqGgHjNc

http://youtu.be/mUJKqzlRtYo

http://youtu.be/RMqmOQK6odM

there are several other videos by Jim on the subject of lighting that I found useful.

YouTube is just a treasure trove of information for tabletop techniques and lighting. Well, I hope the info about prophotolife helps someone else, and on YouTube, just search prophotolife and you will see many of his videos.

Edit October 13, 2015: it looks like Jim took down his web site, and the majority of his videos. It seems that someone put some of his videos up on other channels, if you see a video by Jim or ProPhotoLife they were/are very good. I'm glad I archived several of his videos locally so I can refer to them. I don' know the legality of reposting YouTube videos on different channels, but if I can find out, maybe I will repost some if allowed.

Andy D

Edited October 13, 2015 by Andy D

[Admiral Khan]

I have been buildign MOCs for a while now, but whenever I want to "show the world" what I have built I never get good enough pictures. I always see people post such perfect, clear pictures of their MOC, and mine are always blurry and have bad lighting.

Also, pictures have a white background. How do you get this white background? Photoshop, white sheet? I would like some pointers on picture taking for MOCs so people can see the detail of my MOCs, and not the picture flaws.

Thanks

[Paul B Technic]

The key is good lighting and a clear background (nothing to distract away from your MOC)

For my photos I prefer to have them taken on my building desk, where they are built.

[rockethead26]

Besides a lot of natural, indirect light and a plain background, your next biggest friend is a tripod to hold the camera steady during the longer, indoor shutter speeds.

[eurotrash]

I don't have good interior light in my Lego room so I take my pictures outside.

(Taken with an iPhone on an overcast day).

A steady hand (or use tripod, or simple stand) and clear light (not bright, direct sunlight as that generates too dark shadows) and some judicious cropping and voila!

[BusterHaus]

Read Sariel's photo processing tutorial. It covers a lot of the basics.

From my experience, you will need to adjust his tutorial to your own setup. Don't spend money on a fancy camera and a full-blown light tent at the beginning. All you need is a tripod and a white cloth or sheets of paper (I liked to layer them to get them as white as possible). Familiarize yourself with the manual controls on your camera - even cheap point-and-shoot cameras have those. You may want to overexpose a few shots to see if it helps in the processing. You will probably want to set the ISO to the lowest setting, unless you're looking for a grainy picture. You will definately want to adjust the colour temperature (white balance).

Then, spend a weekend photographing one model and processing the pictures from it. You will learn what it takes to make that model look good. It may apply to other models, or it may not. In my experience, white bricks with a white background pose the most problems.

Once you get comfortable with picture processing, you can start thinking about a light tent, light diffusers, a sync flash for washing out the background and other fun toys.

[BartSimpson]

Lights, tripods , and nice cameras are a good start, but the backdrop is key

[Slickbricks]

I use a light box and two bedside lamps with high watt bulbs in them. The light box only cost $15 and I use a regular, everyday camera. If I play around with the white balance setting I can normally get reasonable white background pictures.

You can also get pretty good white background photos just by taking photos of your models outside, on a sunny day and using a white towel or cloth to place your models on. (you want something that is white but not shiny hence I think cloth can be better than paper or cardboard). If you drape the towel/cloth over a deck chair you can get a gradual curve to hide the horizon.

Of course touching up the photos with a photo editing program helps a lot.

[Gideon]

Getting the lighting and the background right gets you most of the way to a "professional" look of your MOC pictures.

The backdrop doesn't have to be fancy at all, just a paper or cloth with a uniform color that you can put the build on and curve it will get you a long way. This is how my backdrop setup looks like, using a cheap roller blind from IKEA and a drying rack I saved from being scrapped (hence the rusty parts):

(I also have a white blind and will get a black one next time I go to IKEA as I'm slowly getting into some space building)

The lighting on the other hand is an entire science (or maybe rather an art ). Never use the built-in flash pointed towards the build, you will get ugly reflections and shadows. Natural lighting outside on a cloudy day or in the shade works very well (point is: avoid direct sunlight). Natural light can however be in short supply here in the North, especially for us who are mostly taking the pictures when the kids are asleep... Presently, I'm using an external flash which I'm bouncing off the white roof and the white wall behind me (fortunately only one wall in the living room is black).

Now to my question here:

I'm looking into getting a more serious lighting setup with either studio flashes or use a couple of off-camera speedlights (slower to recharge and less powerful but no messy cables) mounted on stands. Right now I'm gravitating towards trying to equip my old Olympus flash with an external trigger to use it as one of the off-camera flashes and use a Nikon (probably SB700) I'm planning to get for my new camera.

There are however quite cheap studio flash kits which doesn't cost much more than just buying all the stuff around the flashes. But as I already have one flash and need to get a new Nikon one, I'm thinking I might start out that way at least as long as I can find a reasonable triggering solution for my old flash and don't end up selling it along with the old camera.

So far I also havn't been able to make up my mind on if I'm going to get umbrellas (shoot-through or reflective) or softboxes... Regardless of type, umbrellas at least seems more affordable and easier to put up/take down.

So, any good advice on how to build good MOC studio lighting setup?

[bitbang]

Besides a lot of natural, indirect light and a plain background, your next biggest friend is a tripod to hold the camera steady during the longer, indoor shutter speeds.

I love using a tripod for any still shots. It helps alot, specially if you are a bit jumpy like myself!

Getting the lighting and the background right gets you most of the way to a "professional" look of your MOC pictures.

The backdrop doesn't have to be fancy at all, just a paper or cloth with a uniform color that you can put the build on and curve it will get you a long way. This is how my backdrop setup looks like, using a cheap roller blind from IKEA and a drying rack I saved from being scrapped (hence the rusty parts):

(I also have a white blind and will get a black one next time I go to IKEA as I'm slowly getting into some space building)

The lighting on the other hand is an entire science (or maybe rather an art ). Never use the built-in flash pointed towards the build, you will get ugly reflections and shadows. Natural lighting outside on a cloudy day or in the shade works very well (point is: avoid direct sunlight). Natural light can however be in short supply here in the North, especially for us who are mostly taking the pictures when the kids are asleep... Presently, I'm using an external flash which I'm bouncing off the white roof and the white wall behind me (fortunately only one wall in the living room is black).

Now to my question here:

I'm looking into getting a more serious lighting setup with either studio flashes or use a couple of off-camera speedlights (slower to recharge and less powerful but no messy cables) mounted on stands. Right now I'm gravitating towards trying to equip my old Olympus flash with an external trigger to use it as one of the off-camera flashes and use a Nikon (probably SB700) I'm planning to get for my new camera.

There are however quite cheap studio flash kits which doesn't cost much more than just buying all the stuff around the flashes. But as I already have one flash and need to get a new Nikon one, I'm thinking I might start out that way at least as long as I can find a reasonable triggering solution for my old flash and don't end up selling it along with the old camera.

So far I also havn't been able to make up my mind on if I'm going to get umbrellas (shoot-through or reflective) or softboxes... Regardless of type, umbrellas at least seems more affordable and easier to put up/take down.

So, any good advice on how to build good MOC studio lighting setup?

Amazing tips! I never knew there was so much into making a good shot. Likely why I just have a basic camera and can never get a good picture. haha

[Gideon]

I love using a tripod for any still shots. It helps alot, specially if you are a bit jumpy like myself!

Amazing tips! I never knew there was so much into making a good shot. Likely why I just have a basic camera and can never get a good picture. haha

Most cameras are more than good enough to take great shots of Lego for computer/phone/tablet screen viewing, given that all the other circumstances are good. How many Lego pics get printed in much larger sizes than a large monitor? So put time and effort into improving the background and lighting, and learning how to use your camera to it's full potential before wasting any Lego money on new gear

[dr_spock]

Now to my question here:

I'm looking into getting a more serious lighting setup with either studio flashes or use a couple of off-camera speedlights (slower to recharge and less powerful but no messy cables) mounted on stands. Right now I'm gravitating towards trying to equip my old Olympus flash with an external trigger to use it as one of the off-camera flashes and use a Nikon (probably SB700) I'm planning to get for my new camera.

There are however quite cheap studio flash kits which doesn't cost much more than just buying all the stuff around the flashes. But as I already have one flash and need to get a new Nikon one, I'm thinking I might start out that way at least as long as I can find a reasonable triggering solution for my old flash and don't end up selling it along with the old camera.

So far I also havn't been able to make up my mind on if I'm going to get umbrellas (shoot-through or reflective) or softboxes... Regardless of type, umbrellas at least seems more affordable and easier to put up/take down.

So, any good advice on how to build good MOC studio lighting setup?

I use cheap Cactus V4 radio triggers with my old Vivitar flash off camera. I shoot with camera in manual mode. I don't have room for a photo studio setup of softboxes, umbrellas, etc. Using the small speedlite type flash is quick and easier to setup and put away. Since the flashes are small, it is also easy to move them around the model for different lighting angles.

[Darth Punk]

Some basic tips. First exposure. When your camera is reading for exposure it is attempting to make whatever it is reading what is called 18% grey. Thus if you using automatic exposure with a spot exposure area and you are focusing on a light or white area it will attempt to make it grey. Newer cameras have a greater ability to fix this problem by reading multiple areas at once and to create a balanced exposiure. This doesn't always work out. A simple solution if you don't have an exposure meter and a camera wi the ability to manually adjust exposure is to use what is called a grey card. It's basically a hard piece of card board that is white on one side and 18% grey on the other. They can be found usually at any place that sells professional photo equipment and usually is either 4x5" or 8x10". One can then place the card in the shot and use the card to get a good exposure reading. Cameras often have exposure,locks,allowing for the card to then be removed. I recommend both a tripod and an assistant to hold and remove the card but either one will work. If no assistant just prop up the card .

Second focus. Typically in a photo you,want to focus 1/3 into the scene. Thus if you model is 3 feet deep you focus one foot from the front. Also a tripod will be beneficial so you can have greater exposure times thus allowing for a greater aperture which will increase your depth of field (area that is in focus). If you dont have a tripod any flat surface will suffice to lay the camera on such as an adjustable ladder, light stand with clamps, etc.

Thirdly lighting. As some have mentioned the easiest solution is to go,outdoors. Preferably,you,are going to want to,use indirect lighting. Under an awning, the north side of a building, or even under a tree. If those were not available things such as scrims and various light panels could be used. A very cheap trip would be to take an old semi transparent shower curtain and hang it up between two poles or from a clothes line to diffuse the light and reduce contrast. Another trick would be to use a reflector used to place in a cars windshield and use it to block out the direct sun. The added bonus is the background would be brighter thus eliminating unwanted details. The outdoors doesn't always cooperate thus artificial light must be used, well not always. Light from a north facing window creates a nice and even lighting as well as placing anything to diffuse the direct sunlight in a south facing window.

These options are very usual for those not wanting to invest in lighting equipment. For those wanting to take the next step the options are really unlimited. It really comes down to the type of,look you are seeking to achieve. Generally soft light works,great to minimize contrast and produce an even affect over the shot. It could be as simple as bouncing a camera flash off a white ceiling or a white card to either side of the shot. There are also various products that can be placed over the flash lens to diffuse and disperse the light.

One could use shop lights found at Home Depot, clip on light with a metal reflect or what not. These could then be moved around to create a more directional light while still bounced off a white card or have diffusion material placed between the light and the shot. I wouldn't recommend placing directly,on the,light for,obvious reasons. The ultimate lighting solution if of course is using strobes. Once again many of the same techniques for bouncing end diffusion can be used. Other things such as soft boxes and umbrellas can used to help in the process, it really comes down to what works,best for you. Umbrellas diffuse the light but create a more specular, or sharp light. Where a soft box is softer and tends to wrap around objects more thus creating less contrast as well.

No matter what method you choice I really encourage you to spend time just looking at the light. My very first assignment in school was to take a cantaloupe and a hot light and merely observe the effect of moving the light around had on the cantaloupe. Diffuse it, bounce it, etc. One could take a simple table lamp and move it around your shot and see how it affects it. Try with the shade on and off, etc. The key to photography is not equipment, it's understanding and recognizing the different qualities of light and the effect they have on your subject.

This is of course a very down and dirty basic photography lesson. I tried to keep it practical and accessible. It is not,comprehensive in any way. I think if you are really interested and wanting to invest time and money you need to understand the very basics of photography. I hope this helps and doesn't,just add further confusion. Feel free to,ask me anything.

[Gideon]

[...]

Thanks for the extensive answer!

It reminded me that I need to be better at controlling the exposure, usually I'm just putting a small piece of white paper at the edge of my shot to use as the reference when correcting the white balance afterwards if I'm not using a white background. The exposure is just something I do at the moment by adjusting the exposure compensation according to what I think look good. I'm usually shooting lego with aperture priority to be able to make the whole build sharp, but I didn't know that the focus should be 1/3 in...thanks for teaching me that!

For lighting, strobes (does that term also include speedlights?) is what I would prefer to use as I'm shooting my pics indoors, and very often at like midnight when I can have peace and quiet to do that.

Are there any drawbacks of using speedlights vs bigger strobes "with cords" (in terms of white balance etc), or does it just come down to things like power and recharge time etc?

The key to photography is not equipment, it's understanding and recognizing the different qualities of light and the effect they have on your subject.

That I think is important to stress...too many times I've seen people explaining that their MOCs didn't turn out on the pics like they wanted because the camera was bad.

Edited December 31, 2014 by Gideon

[dr_spock]

When using a flash, you can set the white balance to "flash" if the auto WB doesn't work well. The difference between strobes and your speedlite is power and cost. You probably don't need strobes for small LEGO models. Recharge time is depend on the model and brand. My old Vivitar 2800 recharges pretty quickly compared to my Canon 430EX.

Here is a good lighting 101 from Strobist: http://strobist.blogspot.ca/2006/03/lighting-101.html

[Carefree_Dude]

Hi everyone, I'm glad I found this photo discussion! I hope to take some professional photos of my lego pirate ships soon. The main thing I'm concerned for is a good backdrop. I'm not sure if I want to go with a solid white or not. Is there any other good options? I don't mind making something, though I'd want it to be foldable or easy to disassemble. Also any recommendation on positioning of the ships? Like say I have two large pirate ships that look like they are having a battle.

[easytiger]

Another crucial point I've found is setting your camera on self timer when using a tri-pod (not that I follow my own advice!!)

[Patgeo]

Great tips from all of you! Hopefully i can apply some of them to my pictures!

[Spectervamp]

Maybe I'll get an answer to this, but I don't expect it, seeing as this thread's been inactive for 6 years. I need a new way to take pics, as the camera on my phone broke...the lens somehow shattered. I'd send a pic, but I can't for reasons that should be readily apparent. Any tips on what camera to try to get? 

 

Also thank goodness images don't have to be landscape format here; I was screwed over many times on Ideas because I typically build sorta-large mechs and my backdrop wasn't big enough for me to take the photos in landscape mode without having massive gaps on the sides of the images.

[MAB]

It depends on your budget and what else you might want to use it for. For taking pictures of lego for the internet, so long as you can focus close enough a cheap tablet or second hand phone takes decent enough photos and can be used for other things. Whereas if you want it for more quality work, a dedicated camera with decent lens will give better results.