I haven't seen this topic here, so here goes.

I have a Minolta SLR (35mm) with a range of lenses from 28mm to 210mm, including a couple of zooms. One zoom has a macro setting for really closeups. I have a pivot-head flash, and an off-camera flash mount if it is needed. I have a number of filters for both lens and flash. I got the stuff.

Now the question. Any tips on how to use this stuff for shooting models and in-progress pics? I will have to shoot mostly indoors, using flash and incandescent lighting. Suggestions for how to arrange the layout, camera positioning, and how to light the subject are welcome. I also need suggestions for what angles or items are good for in-progress shots and final product photos.

I get my film developed and scanned to CD at Walmart, so that much is covered. I just have to get something on film! Any and all help/advice is welcome. Thanks.

I also will be using a 35mm camera to take p[ictures of my models. I've got an old Canon AE-1 (program). From the looks of it, it's got program or auto settings for both f-stops and shutter speed. My question is this: Can someone give me a few tips so I can be relatively sure most of my shots will turn out?
Thanks in advance!

YodaMan

The first thing I'd do is get a tabletop tripod. You can get them for around $5.

More later

Second thing I'd get is a Cable Shutter Release. When I use a 35mm for model photos, I go with a manual shutter setting, so that I can leave it open to get a better exposure if you don't have a studio lighting setup.

Gunnie

Whoops, forgot that. I have a tripod, too.

So, would you suggest leaving the f-stops and shutter speeds to 'automatic'? I did them manually on my trp to the Kennedy Space Center, and half of them turned out wayyyy too dark to be useful. The other half of them turned out nice. And, trying to take pictures of the resort where I was staying with a slow shutter speed showed me the importance of a tripod! You'd think we were at Hotél Lé Blurri!

YodaMan

Go to Vinces Gallery, he have a picture of his set up, its under Figure Album!

Vince's Gallery look for lightning picture at bottom

Only if you're using a lower speed film and know you do not have high-powered lighting. I shoot 200 speed film, with adequate lighting, and manually leave the shutter open for about 40 seconds. This is tripod mounted, naturally, and I have to be careful that I don't move the Cable Release.

There are many, many, different ways to set yourself up. I learned what works best in my situation by trial and error - and also reading Steven Zaloga's notes on manual shutter speed photo setups.

Switching to digital has eliminated all of that effort above - and had gotten my lighting-fast photo results - inexpensively.

Gunnie

My cousel would be to use a 400 speed film. Their quality today is very good, so you shouldn't suffer from the "grain".
Your main lighting (flash or other) should come from slightly to the side (quarter view). You'd better have some secondary lighting in the same position on the other side.
When photographing someone's face, you try to have a difference of light of 1 diaphragm between the sides. But you need quite a bit of material to do such a measure...

good luck !
As some of my projects a nearing completion, I'll be experiencing the same problem soon.

There are a couple of rules of thumb about shooting pictures of miniatures. The first is to remember that the slower the film speed the finer the film grain which means the greater the ability to enlarge the picture and have it stay sharp. I get the best results from 100 ASA film either Kodak or Fuji.

A 35mm piece of film is only a little over an inch in actual size so chances are you are shooting an object that is larger than an inch (unless it is slide film but even that is projected). The very best camera for miniature work is a view camera in 4x5 or 8x10 but they are prohibitively expensive, expensive to develop film (Kmart will not do it) and very tricky to use. In 35mm the best thing you can spend your money on is the lens or lenses. A 55mm lens is the standard for 35mm cameras and on to that you can add close up diopters which usually come in sets of three or four which can be stacked together to get the ultimate close up. The downside is something called "reduced depth of field" and soft focus at the edges of the lens.

Depth of field can be compensated by closing the f-stop to its smallest aperature. Usually this would be f-16 or f-22. If you have a lens with f-22, USE IT! Otherwise set your lens to the smallest f-stop and do not change it. View cameras can go down to f-64!!!! This is a pinhole and guarantees the clearest, most in-focus picture with the greatest depth of field. 35mm cameras do not have this. Depth of field is important when you are shooting a miniature that has a protrusion sticking out like a gun barrel for example. You want everything to be in focus including the tip of the gun. The only way to do this is to have the smallest f-stop and the best set of close up lenses. Even then it may be difficult and you may have to focus somewhere in between the closest and furthest away part of the model.

Another technique is to use 100ASA film but shoot it at 200ASA and have it developed this way. It is called "pushing" the film. The reason why this is done is to saturate the colors of what you are shooting. However, this means the film has to be taken to a photo lab and not your One-Hour photo places. It makes an astounding difference regardless of the make of film. This technique is not essential but it does make a difference in producing quality pictures.

You do not need a shutter release cable if your camera has an automatic shutter release. This is usually a little timer gizmo that you can set and as it winds down it will release the shutter hands free. I find even with a cable release it is possible to jar the camera and this completely prevents that.

Another thing to do is to use a light meter either in the camera or hand held and check each light separately. If you have a flood light on the background it may be the brightest light in the scene and the light meter will under expose the model. Therefore, you will get a picture that is correctly exposed for the background but the model itself is too dark. If you check the light on the model by itself and ensure that it is correctly exposed then regardless of how bright the background is the model at least will be correctly illuminated and exposed.

Another trick is to use a reflector (white card is good) in front of the whole model to get bounceback fill light. A well light model will not have harsh shadows and the fill light will ensure that even in the darkest recesses you can still pick out a little detail. After all the work you put into it you want to make sure people can all that fine work.

I also use spun glass in front of the lights to soften the edges. There is nothing worse than a hotspot of light (unless that is the effect you want). Time exposures and macrophotgraphy go hand in hand regardless of how much light you are using. I would most likely NOT use a built-in camera flash for close up photography since it produces hot spots, harsh shadows and possibly washed-out exposures. You could use bounce flash in umbrella reflectors but now you are talking $$$. It is, however, the method used by product photographers with view cameras.

I have used both a 35mm SLR and a digital camera for photographing my models.

With the SLR I used:
a tripod
a cable release
white reflective board
bright sunlight
100 or 200 asa film
close-up lenses.

The latter are the most important! With the three lenses you get in a set you can get REALLY close. I have had some success leaving the camera on auto and using the remote shutter release. As Bob said, depth of field gets really tricky with the macro lenses.

A digital camera is much easier, but you need one that can handle 'macro' settings (getting real close).

Either way, you need to throw some money at the problem!

Hi,

Some ideas on Track Link

and

Panzer Net - How to make a small studio this one is in spanish but you can use one on-line translator that it's stay understable.

Hope it helps.

If you notice in the Spanish site the lights have spun glass in front of them as I mentioned. You can get this at good camera supply houses, it is fairly cheap and lasts forever. I use clothespins to clip on the scoop lights. Spun glass is also heat resistant.

All good info, so far. Thanks to all.

What sort of lights do you use? I recall that incandescent lights give a yellowish cast to photos (when shooting indoors, etc.), and the color correction filters take so much light that the exposures are very long. Does this yellowing occur at close range, when using macro lenses?

I am fortunate that one of my zooms has a macro range that allows very close ups, unfortunately with a very narrow focus tolerance, so I have that part covered. I think I can bounce light with my flash, using a piece of white posterboard.

Hmmm...after all of this, I think I will document what I am doing and use it for another article on "Photographing Your Models"! Any further ideas are welcome, as always!