How should I take a cheap photograph ?

Hello!

You don't need an expensive camera to take that shot - it's actually an easy shot, because the object you're photographing isn't moving. The key to it is the lighting - it is supposed to come from more than one direction, so as not to form definite shadows - that looks bad on such a photo. Your best bet would be to take your model outside on a cloudy day, or, if it's too dangerous, to put it close to a large window on a cloudy day. Ideally you would have a window to one side of your model, a white wall on the other side, to reflect light. It's also a nice trick to put the camera on tripod, or on some sort of stable base and use the self-timer on the photo to avoid shaking the camera while the photo is being made. The self timer is also good because you don't have to worry about shaking the camera while pressing the trigger. Just add a pleasant background and that's actually all you need to make an acceptable photo of a model. Hope it helps, good luck with it, please be sure to also post it here and have a nice day

Paweł

I absolutely agree with Pawel, light is the key, as is a stable base. for the camera.

1. Get as much light on the subject as possible, preferably daylight.  Even a litle more light can make a big difference.
2. get the camera as steady as possible - ideally a tripod, but you can work round this by either putting the camera on a steady base and using delay release or by holding the camera against a horizontal stable surface (table, back of a chair) or vertical stable surface (door frame, wall etc.) then take the photo.
3. Take several photos. Hopefully one will be sharper than the others.

If you have enough light, you may get away without doing 2 .  You shouldn't need a anything special to take this shot. 

 

Good luck and let us now how you get on.

 

I agree with the above posts.  Sunlight would be the key.  Here is why.  Your posted photo appears blurred because the camera moved slightly during the exposure.  The exposure was long because you were in dim light (relatively dim).  Sunlight will be many times brighter, and the exposure will be shorter by the same factor, allowing you to hand-hold the camera.

If you absolutely cannot take the model outside, you need to either borrow a tripod, or clamp the camera down so it cannot move, then move the model to where it is centered in camera viewfinder.  Then the camera cannot move during the long exposure.

Another option is to borrow a camera with a decent flash.

 

Thank you all so much. I really appreciate your help.

    happy modeling   Crackers       

Im sorry but I disagree. I've tried numerous times over the years to get pictures in, but only succeeded once. FSM can best answer this question, but they require pretty hi res material.

The only cheap idea I can give is to borrow someone and their newer smart phone and get a picture.

Again, ask Aaron in a PM, but they look for a 3-4 meg file.

I think GMorrison is right if you want to get your image published in the magazine.  Even in good light, your image may not be big enough to publish if the highest resolution images are below the 3-4 Mbyte threshold.  FSM publish guidance here,

http://www.finescale.com/~/media/files/pdf/submission-guidelines/fsmphotoguidelines2.pdf

 

but their guidance on aperture is only relevant to dslrs and cameras with large sensors.  If your camera has a small sensor, you probalby don't have to worry about deth of field as much. 

 

Their criteria for publishing on the web are more lenient

http://www.finescale.com/~/media/files/pdf/submission-guidelines/fsmgalleryguidelines2.pdf

If you really want to be published in the magazine, it's maybe a good idea to find a friend or relative who has a dslr or maybe a micro 4/3 camera and ask if you can borrow it.  The same advice applies, but the quality of the final image will be good enough to print.

 

 

If you're having trouble keeping your camera steady, and don't have a tripod, use the shutter release timed mode.  Setup the camera on a stable place, hit the shutter release button then let go of the camera.  The camera will count down, then take the picture.  It's helped me out many times.  Use it if you need to take a long exposure, even if you have a tripod.

Thanks for your help.

Happy modeling     Crackers      

There is an FSM forum just about photographing models.  Worth looking at and raising the question there.

Thanks Don for the heads up. Should have inquired at this site first, but did not, as I thought it only deals an entire photographic equipment layout. I do not have any of that, only a tripod and a camera, which I can't compete with professionals, who have the resources to produce quality photographs.

Happy modeling     Crackers   

Crackers,

If you weren't so far away I'd be happy to take the picture(s) for you. Unfortunately, ten hour drives are not really pleasant for me anymore.

Mike

Thanks Mike for your offer. Really appreciate your suggestion If you did arrive at my home, you would be obligated to have dinner from the "Queen of the kitchen" my wife, who loves to cook. I'm afraid you would die and go to heaven after you tasted her home made pies and cheese cakes, a specialty of hers.

Happy modeling     Crackers  

 

One of the things we skipped over here is backdrop. The ideal backdrop has no hard edge between the flat and the vertical behind. What we in the model world often do is to take paper from a roll and bulldog-clip it to the card table that the midel will sit upon. The paper then naturally forms a nice inside curve as you tack the top edge up on a wall or similar vertical surface. (Some bulldog clips on the top edge, and their "handles" hooked over pushpins are handy for this.) Going to the fabric side of the craft store can get you a felt-like fabric for a reasonable price.. But, where we ship modelers get tripped up is that our subjects are often wider than our backdrop fabrick. This can be tricky. As noted before light is key, and more ligth is better--if from more rather than fewer locations. Haunting the local gaage and estate sales can score you the clamping reflector fixtures for cheap. More is better. This is because 4 x 40W soft white lamps are better than 1 x 175 PAR 150 floodlight. (will be about 20º cooler, too). Your other friend is room, as in space. You want a good spot to sit the model, nad some place to stand up the back support for the drop. You will likely wind up with some chairs holding the clamp fixtures (1/2" PVC pips is a cheap way to get altitude so you can fill light in from above. So, why the room? Well, there is never the one photo, just the one angle. So, you need space to get that port-bow, the starboard quarter, the head-on shots, etc. So, you need to be able to get in to the modle to move it, or to reset the camera.

Thanks CapnMac for your advice. Much appreciated.

Happy modeling     Crackers    

Thank you all for your support. Much appreciated. How can I set this thread aside for easy future reference ?   I would like to have this thread available so that I do not have to scroll all over the landscape to find it for my personal reference.

Happy modeling     Crackers   

 

Crackers, be aware that there is a whole forum dedicated to photographing models, down lower in the list of forums.  Check in there- you may find much of interest in that forum.  Not real active, but good stuff in the threads that are there.

 

Crackers, I believe you go up to the top left and click on the "Add to Favorites" button. I'll second Mr Stauffer in visiting the Photography section. They have good info, and they deserve the page visits.

 Thank you for the info, I have already added my thread to "favorites", so that I can review all the information that was presented to me. Thanks again.

   Happy modeling       Crackers