What and how do you photograph your guns?

[Triathloncoach]

I typically use my HTC Max cell phone to photograph my guns. They are more than typically lousy photos.

I have a Nikon D40 or 60(?), but they also look bad relative to most of the photos I see posted on the various sites I frequent.

What set up do you use?

Thanks for assisting this technical dunderhead

Frank

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

iPhone. Before that I never took a picture of a gun. Well that's not quite accurate. I never took a pic of a gun before I started to visit gun forums.

Not professional but good enough to post as far as I'm concerned.

The guys who understand lighting and have their cameras on stands take phenomenal pics. I just toss mine on the back deck out of the Sun and click.

Sometimes I like to play with the Photobucket editor.

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[GunarSailors]

I just use my Note 2 phones camera to take a picture. Upload it to Photobucket, and then copy the direct link to the photo in the comment window with a

after it. Not bad for a 2 year old phone...

 

[BigBoy99]

I have found that camera are best for taking pictures and phones are for communications.

 

[J. R. WEEMS]

photos

Funny. I started back in photography with a a 2.1 pic Cannon our youngest son gave us that layed around for a couple years. I quickly found out a tripod, and self timer was the way to go. This fired me up to try and improve- I've always had the photography bug, and this rekindled my interest. All else digital was a self learn effort and I am still at it. This includes post processing, and the learnings on the computer. I love it, to the extreme. Here is one of my past efforts.

 

[RO73]

Funny. I started back in photography with a a 2.1 pic Cannon our youngest son gave us that layed around for a couple years. I quickly found out a tripod, and self timer was the way to go. This fired me up to try and improve- I've always had the photography bug, and this rekindled my interest. All else digital was a self learn effort and I am still at it. This includes post processing, and the learnings on the computer. I love it, to the extreme. Here is one of my past efforts.

Great picture. Do you use a light box? If so, do you recommend buying or making one on the cheap? Thanks.

 

[zipty6]

I use a light box constructed from a cardboard box, tissue paper, and poster board. Search online for "DIY Lightbox" and you'll find several sites with instructions.

 

[Fishinfool]

In a nutshell, it's all about lighting, and how you manipulate it to provide even, shadow free lighting, without any glare.

Several strategically placed lights, along with a couple sheets of white reflecting cardboard can do wonders.

Using a tripod or rest to avoid camera shake (blurry pictures), the self timer function, or a cable release, and a little post processing in your computer is all you need for a quality result.

Don't be afraid to experiment with lighting and camera settings (Usually a faster shutter speed, and a smaller aperture works best).

Larry

 

[wundudnee]

I use an old point and shoot Sony Cybershot. I use a tripod quite a bit and the timer on the camera. I take a hundred pictures and pick out the best one. I am seriously impressed with a lot of the posters here efforts.

I need to get with it and make a light box. I rarely try to use a flash, just house and shop drop lights to take out shadows.

 

[tacreload]

Coach, I take most of my pics with a Nikon D70 and a few with a Sony Cybershot.The Nikon always seems to be the better choice although it is probably the carpenter and not the hammer in my case.I'm usually never satisfied.I pick the best and delete the rest,usually after a lot of editing.

 

[pharmer]

Outdoor shots seem best. I can't take an indoor pic worth the effort. Joe

 

[tacreload]

Outdoor shots seem best. I can't take an indoor pic worth the effort. Joe

You ain't the only one.

 

[snubbyfan]

I use this old thing.

Set stuff on the cuttin' mat on my work bench.

And snap the picture.

Been workin' on gettin' decent detail shots.

 

[Smith357]

I use an older Canon G12, I think they are up to G16 now, it does everything a DSLR does save the interchangeable lenses. I like it because it's still small enough to fit in a pocket, barely. I use a Bogen tripod and take a lot of shots adjusting the settings in manual mode. I use multiple lighting setups from a small light box to setting up outside on a cloudy day.

 

[Laketime]

I use an iPhone 4 ,takes high def videos but low resolution pics.For every 20 pics I take, one or two are sharp.

 

[Sconnie]

I agree that lighting is key but so is the context or something in the shot for scale is key also. What I mean is in a thread from back in October that has a couple shots that I REALLY like. I have a Nikon D90 that I need to get out and try to get some decent shots with. My guns are all shooters so I don't have any dazzling darlings but I love those that I have.

I have to say that I am very impressed with shots from phone cameras for the most part. Outside of photos that are blurred, there are no bad shots if a Smith and Wesson is in it.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/lounge/397394-handgun-photography-techniques.html

I have to admit that I love the threads where folks post shots of their treasures. They don't share how they do it since the topic isn't about photography but some are very good.

 

[Triathloncoach]

Thanks everyone. I learned something, while "tricking" you to post up some nice gun-porn.

 

[Rick_A]

This forum has some of the best firearm photography I've seen online.

I wait for good conditions and do my best with the crappy cell phone cam. At close range it does ok.

For whatever reason these have had the most attention:

20130927_132119 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr

20140915_101230 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr

20140915_101444 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr

20140723_111203 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr

20140723_111238 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr

20140723_111359 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr

20140728_154830 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr

20140909_113915 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr

As with guns...the limitation is often the shooter

These have been my top photos on Photobucket, though neither are particularly good:

 

[Cyrano]

I use this cheap copy stand I've had for many years. I got a couple of cheap (my middle name) gooseneck lamps and put pigtail lights in them at close to outdoor lighting color temperature and bounce the light off the white ceiling. Keeps things simple. I currently use a Leica v-Lux but am not too happy with it. I'll probably go to a Canon D5 and a dedicated macro lens. The Leica is OK except at fairly short close-ups, and I always have to boost up the color saturation and the contrast. I envy the guys who have interesting and appropriate backgrounds, or shadowless illumination on a white background. Still, sometimes the results aren't too bad.

 

[flundertaker]

I'm still trying to figure out how RKMESA and Doc4 get the awesome shots of their guns standing up right with no apparent prop rod.

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