Technic Photography

[kbalage]

I created a small behind the scenes video for the Lava scene of my Darth's Angels photo series. It shows how the scene and and lights are set up and how the smoke effect was created.

 

[BusterHaus]

@kbalage Very good work, thanks for showing the process - it's fairly simple but the results are terrific. 

[Jim]

17 hours ago, kbalage said:

I created a small behind the scenes video for the Lava scene of my Darth's Angels photo series. It shows how the scene and and lights are set up and how the smoke effect was created.

Very nice indeed!! I remember seeing the picture of the bag with parts, on Facebook right? 

[kbalage]

2 hours ago, Jim said:

Very nice indeed!! I remember seeing the picture of the bag with parts, on Facebook right? 

Thanks! :) Yes I think you saw the photo below, I posted it for fun in the Technic FB group and asked the ppl what are their thoughts about the puropse of the pile :)

[Jim]

Just now, kbalage said:

Thanks! :) Yes I think you saw the photo below, I posted it for fun in the Technic FB group and asked the ppl what are their thoughts about the puropse of the pile :)

Exactly 

[syclone]

I have a question regarding camera focus. On my old compact (~2008) and action cameras the object one photographs is always in focus no matter what . But , with the camera I'm using now - Canon EOS 70D- it only focuses on one part, so the background and foreground aren't focused together . I've read somewhere that it is due to aperture time, but the explanation was too complex to understand , so my question : Is it possible to focus on the whole area at once to get clear photos,and if so , how?
Example shot with the problem described, as you can see the back of the car is out of focus:

Edited June 23, 2017 by LXF

[TechnicRCRacer]

Huh, I haven't used a camera like that for a while. I can search it up. 

EDIT: found something: https://photo.stackexchange.com/questions/22239/how-do-i-keep-both-the-background-and-foreground-in-the-image-in-focus-at-the-sa

Edited June 23, 2017 by TechnicRCRacer

[Darkdragon]

2 minutes ago, LXF said:

. On my old compact (~2008) and action cameras the object one photographs is always in focus no matter what . But , with the camera I'm using now - Canon EOS 70D- it only focuses on one part, so the background and foreground aren't focused together .

The main reason is because the sensor in your pocket camera was the size of a pinky nail and the one in your 70D is the size of a thumbnail. Depth of field is the issue. As you mentioned, aperture is the solution. To get more of the field in focus, you need to set a higher number in your Av setting, such as F8 instead of F4.  This will mean that you need much more light or keep the camera steady longer for a clean photo.

Here's a thread related to DoF, hope it helps.

 

[Jim]

I recommend an even higher setting, like f/13. I always use f/20 :P

[Darkdragon]

On 6/23/2017 at 0:34 PM, Jim said:

I recommend an even higher setting, like f/13. I always use f/20 :P

Well, not all cameras/lenses go that high. Mine was just an example :P But yes, the higher number the better for getting more in focus.

 

[Myers Lego Technic]

1 hour ago, Darkdragon said:

Well, not all cameras/lenses go that high. Mine was just an example :P But yes, the higher number the better for getting more in focus.

 

You have to be careful though, if you care about image quality the peak point is usually in the mid-point of the aperture range. At f/32 at 250mm vs f/5.6, at 250mm, the sharpness differences are huge. 

Edited June 27, 2017 by Myers Lego Technic

[WvG_853]

4 hours ago, Myers Lego Technic said:

You have to be careful though, if you care about image quality the peak point is usually in the mid-point of the aperture range. At f/32 at 250mm vs f/5.6, at 250mm, the sharpness differences are huge. 

Indeed! A too small aperture (high number) leads to diffraction: https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/photographylife.com/what-is-diffraction-in-photography/amp.

[Splat]

4 hours ago, Myers Lego Technic said:

You have to be careful though, if you care about image quality the peak point is usually in the mid-point of the aperture range.

The best settings to get nice sharp images really depend on your camera and lens used, so there is no magic setting that will just work for everyone.

Of course, if you want to get the sharpest image out of particular lens, most manufacturers produce technical information such as MTF Charts that can help.  See here: https://photographylife.com/how-to-read-mtf-charts 

As a general rule, this has worked for me:

1. Use a tripod.
2. USE A TRIPOD!
   Even a cheap tripod or a GorillaPod is better than hand-holding your camera if you want to get a large depth-of-field and a sharp image.
3. Shoot in manual mode.
4. Use a low ISO setting (eg 100).
5. Use an aperture (f number) that is not 'wide-open'.  I have had good results with values between f/8.0 and f/16 on a dSLR camera.  Sometimes I will take the same photo multiple times, with the only difference being that I change my aperture (called 'bracketing'), and then I choose the best photo once I get back to my computer to edit them.
6. Let the shutter speed be whatever it needs to be to get a well exposed image.  You are using a tripod so the camera is steady, and Lego is an inanimate object, so a slow shutter shouldn't be an issue.  Some of my images can take 15 seconds or more to expose, depending on the lighting conditions.
7. Use a remote shutter trigger, or if you don't have one of those, use the timer feature on your camera.  This prevents the camera from shaking just as you press the shutter button.

This is the digital age where you can immediately review your photo once you have taken it.  If you're not happy, adjust your settings (for example, use a smaller aperture for a larger depth-of-field) and take another shot!

[Jim]

5 hours ago, Myers Lego Technic said:

You have to be careful though, if you care about image quality the peak point is usually in the mid-point of the aperture range. At f/32 at 250mm vs f/5.6, at 250mm, the sharpness differences are huge. 

It definitely depends on your lens. I am using a 50mm macro, which still yields great results at f/20. In some cases I can probably do with a lower f/stop, but since the picture is still sharp at f/20, I always use that setting. 

 

30 minutes ago, Splat said:

As a general rule, this has worked for me:

1. Use a tripod.
2. USE A TRIPOD!
   Even a cheap tripod or a GorillaPod is better than hand-holding your camera if you want to get a large depth-of-field and a sharp image.
3. Shoot in manual mode.
4. Use a low ISO setting (eg 100).
5. Use an aperture (f number) that is not 'wide-open'.  I have had good results with values between f/8.0 and f/16 on a dSLR camera.  Sometimes I will take the same photo multiple times, with the only difference being that I change my aperture (called 'bracketing'), and then I choose the best photo once I get back to my computer to edit them.
6. Let the shutter speed be whatever it needs to be to get a well exposed image.  You are using a tripod so the camera is steady, and Lego is an inanimate object, so a slow shutter shouldn't be an issue.  Some of my images can take 15 seconds or more to expose, depending on the lighting conditions.
7. Use a remote shutter trigger, or if you don't have one of those, use the timer feature on your camera.  This prevents the camera from shaking just as you press the shutter button.

Nothing more to add! 

31 minutes ago, Splat said:

I have had good results with values between f/8.0 and f/16 on a dSLR camera. 

Yup! This should be fine for most of us.

[therealjustin]

These were taken in RAW with post-processing done in Photoshop CC. I use a portable LED light bar on a white backdrop for most of my indoor shots, but I also use an overhead light if I want a bright white background. For outdoor shots I always underexpose by at least 1/3rd stop as you have little control over lighting. 

 

Pansonic FZ40 f/2.8-f/8, ISO80, RAW

 

 

 

[kbalage]

@therealjustin great shots and a great model, congrats!

[Splat]

@therealjustin - Nice looking photos and bike.  Some constructive feedback for you:

• For the indoor shots, you have some distracting shadows under the bike.  Are you able to diffuse the LED light so that it creates a softer shadow?
• Some of the black areas of the bike have just become a big black blob.  Depending on the look that you are going for, this is fine.  However if you are trying to 'document' your model, you might want a little bit more detail in there at least.  Having a reflector or a secondary light that can bounce some light back up into the model from below might help, or if you want to do it in post-processing, adjust the highlights/shadows.
• Also be careful of that 'one extra bright reflection of light' that always seem to appear.  It can be hard to avoid, especially when you have a model with so many angles, but this is where having a diffuse light source can help again.
• It looks like some of your backgrounds have introduced quite a bit of grain.  You mentioned that you are shooting at ISO80, so I'm not sure what is causing that.  Trying to make a dark image lighter in post-processing will typically make it look grainy though.  Are you having to change the exposure levels in post-processing very much?

I've always had trouble photographing 'Lego red' and getting it to look good as it always tends to look over-saturated, but I think you have done a great job here.  

I was always taught that it was better to over-expose a little bit rather than under-expose, but there are different schools-of-thought on that these days.  When shooting in RAW, 1/3 of a stop isn't going to make too much difference, and you will be able to adjust that easy enough in post-processing.

 

@ everyone else - Take a look at the last image (the outdoor shot).  That is a nice use of aperture to get a good depth-of-field.  The entire bike is perfectly in focus, but everything behind the bike quickly falls out of focus, which helps the bike stand out from the background.  At the same time, where the tires meet the road and the road is in focus and you can see the bike's shadow, this helps to keep the bike to look 'grounded' so it doesn't look like it is just floating there.

[jam8280]

Working Curiosity rover at http://www.moc-pages.com/moc.php/422507...

Twin-L 42065 mod: The only thing worse than a maniacal meat-eating dinosaur on your tail is one with a tank...

Planetary fidget spinner at http://www.moc-pages.com/moc.php/439257...

Twin-L 42037 mod at http://www.moc-pages.com/moc.php/430359...

Twin-L 42039 mod at http://www.moc-pages.com/moc.php/429626...

Sorry, that last one's a little blurry, but it's still one of my favorite LEGO shots.

Used to shoot all my MOC photos intended for online use with a Canon 7D on a tripod at the highest DOF the lighting would allow without letting ISO go above 1600 or so.

Then I saw acclaimed Colorado nature photographer John Fielder doing a shoot with his phone camera -- for a coffee table book, no less! Now I shoot many of my online MOC shots with my phone on a tripod. Works pretty well most of the time but still need the 7D now and then.

Edited June 28, 2017 by jam8280

[jam8280]

On 6/22/2015 at 0:43 PM, Werlu Ulcur said:

Lighting is everything. I always say that to make a good shot you have to have 70% of GOOD lighting, 10% of good equipment and 20% of luck. Get the light right and as long as the object is in focus the rest are details. And of course, a good eye for framing goes a long way for that 20% of luck criteria.

Totally agree with the 70% and 10% parts. Luck definitely has a lot to do with the rest, but so does learning to trust your gut reaction to whole -- angle + lighting + framing + focus. Then there's the crop, which can easily make or break the shot.

Edited June 28, 2017 by jam8280

[Paknaloid]

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Edited January 4, 2018 by Paknaloid

[Myers Lego Technic]

3 hours ago, Paknaloid said:

Thought I'd jump in with my best pics - although I've only just started photographing my sets.  No proper camera, all were taken on an iPhone 7, with bokeh effect added afterwards using a free app called 'Blur':

-pics-

-pics-

-pics-

Hey, not bad! You can tell the DOF was added in post, but it still looks better than a straight-out-of-iPhone picture. 

PS- I thought the iPhone seven had had the dual cameras, for a Portrait mode with a DOF?  

Edited July 6, 2017 by Myers Lego Technic

[TechnicRCRacer]

3 minutes ago, Myers Lego Technic said:

PS- I thought the iPhone seven had had the dual cameras, for a Portrait mode with a DOF?  

That is the iPhone 7+ if I am not mistaken.

[Myers Lego Technic]

Oh, that's right. 

9 minutes ago, TechnicRCRacer said:

That is the iPhone 7+ if I am not mistaken.

 

[Paknaloid]

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Edited January 4, 2018 by Paknaloid

[Leonardo da Bricki]

Just posted these photos yesterday in this topic. Someone said @Jim has a rival... I disagree, but feel free to critique my skills. What should I/do I need to improve? More is on Flickr.

Monster Truck

Monster Truck

This shot of the front grille of my Monster Truck is my favorite Lego photo to date.

Monster Truck