Fancy backgrounds 'r us.

[bzarcher]

Fancy backgrounds 'r us.
Originally uploaded by bzarcher.

This was an attempt to use the "indoors" filter, turn the flash off, get overhead lighting in, and place the figures on a paper background to achieve a cleaner picture, using the FSM digital guide.

...honestly, I wasn't that impressed with the result vs. the work involved.

Anyhow. The actual figures involved are a decent chunk of the repainted Devastator squad.

I've been going through and stripping/repainting my DAs to bring them up to a closer standard of paint job with my 'nids, since it's a nice way to refine skills, and satisfies the painting urge without dropping far too much money on a 3rd army.

Comments

[riotlounge.livejournal.com]

Overhead light without the flash needs to be brighter and/or closer to the subjects. You also need an overall fill to get rid of shadows, so that there is a "clean white" to your background. Also - white balance. Your white is too gray. Your camera should have a setting to manually white balance.

[ardaniel]

Brighter, closer, more fill, maybe some rim lighting to improve the offset, fix the white balance, don't put the figures in each other's shadows, meter for the figures instead of the backdrop.

Also, since the figures are underexposed, there's not much here that can be adjusted in Photoshop; even with the levels shoved around to create proper whites and blacks, you're not going to recoup any detail with basic digital manipulations.

[ardaniel]

OK, after having messed with it in CS2 for a bit, I can fix the whites and blacks and even push the exposure towards a bit more propriety (Lab color mode is your friend)...

...but that dude on the left is not in the same focal plane as the three dudes on the right, and that's entirely more work to fix than is worthwhile for a pic of some miniatures. I'd say it's time for a do-over. ;)

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

Heh. I really had no plans to make anyone adjust them, anyhow. :D

I figure that if I want to do a do over, I'll probably tweak things per the advice I'm getting, adjust camera (tripod rather than barehand), and try smaller groups of figures.

I'll also admit that the FSM method's supposed to be for the average model car rather than 28mm figures, which probably makes a difference too. :D

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

The article didn't mention the white balance - thanks! I'll probably try tweaking that later.

Now, the article said to put a translucent plastic bowl over the work lamp as a diffuser - if I'm reading this right, you're saying to cut the diffuser?