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Here's something I've put together to hopefully help those new to model photography. Please feel free to pose questions on anything that is not clear!. Bob Boudreau ========================================================= CLINIC ON MODEL RAILROAD PHOTOGRAPHY – Directed towards digital cameras. THE BASICS – Using the camera properly 1. RTFM! RTFM! - Read the Friggin Manual! [:D] Yes there is a lot of information in most camera manuals for all kinds of photography. Manufacturers want you to make the most out of your camera and usually include way more information than the average user might ever use. Whenever you have a question or problem, check the manual first. You will not be able to absorb all of the info in the manual and probably will not need much of it, but you should have an idea of the camera’s capabilities by reading the manual. 2. TURN OFF THE FLASH. [tdn] Unless you want only “snapshots” to show a model or scene quickly. Any camera that I’ve seen has this option. 3. LIGHTING - Provide lighting on the scene in any other method - existing room lights, work lights, lights on extension cords, desk lamps, daylight from a window, etc. The more light you can place on the scene the better. 4. USE A TRIPOD. If you turn off the flash, the shutter will have to stay open for a relatively long time. During this time ANY camera movement will make the image blurry. With film cameras the idea has always been to have a good sturdy tripod, because film cameras are usually heavy. Most digital cameras are small and light, so can get by with lighter tripods, although heavier ones can be the best choice. Flimsy tripods can vibrate if the shutter is pushed too hard. 5. USE THE CAMERA SELF-TIMER. Most cameras have a self-timer; use it when taking photos even if the camera is on a tripod. Pressing the shutter button can sometimes cause minute vibrations or movement of the camera, resulting in blurry photos. Some cameras have infrared remotes or the ability to accept remote control cords. These are better than using the self-timer as they take less time to trip the shutter. 6. Set the COLOR BALANCE in the camera for the type of light you are using. Better cameras will allow you to choose between daylight, fluorescent, incandescent, etc. Improper color balance can be corrected in the computer after shooting if you have a decent graphics program. 7. CLOSE UP SETTING – Most digital cameras have a close up setting; it is often shown as a flower icon on the camera body or screen. You should know what the distance range is in this mode; check the manual. Some will focus down to a few inches, others may be farther back. Most overall model railroad photos may not require the close up setting unless you want to get in really close like in the front of an engine, or a shot of a particular detail. For a small scene you will probably be shooting about two feet or so away, so the close up mode will probably not be needed too much. There are so many differences between camera capabilities that it is best to make some tests yourself to determine when the close up setting will be useful. 8. QUALITY SETTING – Always use the highest quality image setting on your camera, for the largest file size. You can always make a larger file smaller, but you cannot make a smaller one larger. 9. ZOOM LENS – Most digital cameras come with zoom lenses. The “optical zoom” is when the lens actually moves in or out to change the size of the image. Many can also do a “digital zoom “ – do not use this for any purpose! All a digital zoom feature does is take the image at the long end of your optical zoom and cut out the center portion, resulting in a poor quality image. You can do the same by cropping an image taken at the long end of the optical zoom. You will get the most depth of focus when using the lens at the widest setting. The more you zoom in, the smaller the depth of focus becomes. 10. BRIGHTEN THE SHADOWS – If parts of the model or scene are in deep shadow, there will be nothing to see in the dark areas. Reflect light into the shadows to brighten it up. I made a reflector from two pieces of sturdy white cardboard hinged together with duct tape; this allows the reflector to stand on its own. One side was covered with aluminum foil that I had crumpled up first then flattened before gluing on. This breaks up the reflections so they do not look like a single point of light from a mirror. When less light is needed, I use the plain white side. Make sure when you lighten the shadows that you do not overdo it – there should not be two sources of light. 11. TEST PHOTOS – It is a good idea to shoot some test photos with your camera using the above tips, to help judge its capability. Most point and shoot digital cameras will not have a great depth of focus, so test photos taken on your actual layout will help. If you want to take a photo of your favorite engine, a popular ¾ view of the model may not have the entire engine in focus. Reducing the angle of view towards a side on shot may result in more of the model being in focus.
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