Poll - How do you photograph your collection...

[Al P]

Natural light is the best IMHO, but in Canada this time of year natural light is hard to come by.


Al

[PZIV]

I have a big album with acid free paper. I just buy the pictures take pictures of the front (and back if something is there) and then file them in the album. To prevent from taking them out everytime someone wants to see (or me!) I just have a digital photo album of my photos.

[evilmike]

a steady hand or tripod in natural light, they always come out better than with the flash for me

[Eric Gaumann]

I use a tripod I got cheaply at a giant chain store. It really helps with the details. I almost always use the macro, or close-up, setting. And I got and old white bedsheet from the goodwill store and hung that over the window to reduce the glare from the natural light I use (no flash).
I then slow the shutter speed manually to get the correct exposure. Takes a while to master bu the results are good.
The background I prefer is black, and usually I use the reverse of a mousepad that's made of recycled car ties.

[Ralph P]

Eric - thanks for posting a picture and providing your thoughts and comments...

[WhitePhantom]

Im really new to the whole miltiaria collecting scene but i use my digital camera without flash. I have a tripod i got for $10 bucks from Zellers, just a generic tripod. I put the item on a board that has 100% black cotton fabric and use that as my backgrond. The macro setting works best and i try to limit the zoom i use when taking the photo.

My pictures turn out the best when i take the picture of the item with the blinds closed to limit the light and glare. So far its working well for me. Thinking about getting a diffusion panel but maybe when my collection grows a bit more.

[Seitengewehr]

I prefer outdoors.. for smaller items as well as flat and papers I use a scanner.

My camera is a 6megapixel cheapie.. I'm trying to save up for a Canon SLR 8 or 10megapixel

[bobcam1]

Originally Posted by Seitengewehr

I prefer outdoors.. for smaller items as well as flat and papers I use a scanner.

My camera is a 6megapixel cheapie.. I'm trying to save up for a Canon SLR 8 or 10megapixel

Keep in mind, as you shop for a camera, that it's not the number of megapixels that makes the difference in quality, it's the image sensor and the lens that you use. The better the sensor, and the better the glass, the better the photo.

The Nikon D70, a GREAT camera, is only 6.1 MP, but it has a quality CCD and uses great lenses, so.....bigger isn't always better....

Bob.

[bnz. 42]

..how..

[Ralph P]

bnz. 42 - Quite the set-up you have...

[bnz. 42]

and results are worth it

[Ralph P]

bnz. 42 - Other than the light color in the face, the color on the uniform and gear and lighting is great.

[bnz. 42]

Thank you, Ralph.
Here is one faceless
more: http://www.reichsbunker.com/

[Michael Kuligowski]

Originally Posted by bnz. 42

Thank you, Ralph.
Here is one faceless
more: http://www.reichsbunker.com/

great studio and photo - only You should replace WW2 EK2 with WW1 ribbon and spange

oh.. and gasmaske on this SS guy isa bit too low unless its a butt-armor

[Michael Kuligowski]

here is my "small" and "econo" studio for badges....

its a 30" tent with two $10 500W garage lights ... these lights give too much yellow lights - but thera are cheap and powerfull... I fix colors in ADOBE Lightroom 2.0 later anyway....

good cheap solution for badges photos