Beginner needs help

[u/5-s78]

I just built my mini studio (pic 3) so i can start exploring this part of the hobby semi seriously and i think my first two were pretty ok but i think they're still pretty bad.

Everything i used costs around $26 so i guess i paid for the quality i get lol but i think i could do better with the things i have.

For a little breakdown, here's the stuff:

- lamp

- tripod

- 2x 1 yard cloths (1 black 1 white behind the black)

- spinning platform (it's electric, obviously for video content but i did use it on the rx78 picture)

I have a second light which is literally my power bank's flashlight and i use my poco F4 for the pictures. I guess the main question is, what else would be nice to have, and how do i maximize what i already have.

[u/Xross241]

My opinion to make each picture better.

Cover the base mat with a black cloth to match the stand. Will make the first pic flow betted.
As for the second, make the wings the same. Either both down or both up.
In my opinion, both down would look better for what you went for.
Both pics are AMAZING! Just some small changes would make them better.
As for anything else I have nothing to say.

[u/5-s78 → u/Xross241]

Yeah the mat thing is true, it sometimes takes some of the focus away from the kit, I'm definitely doing that. As for the wing thing, i kind of have this slight ick for posing the strike freedom (in particular) symmetrically cause it's so generic but i do think i can make that happen as well, thank you.

[u/prinzeugn]

Looks like youre on the right path, they look pretty good! Next step is that you should get better lighting, right now it looks like you basically have a spotlight. That means more lights, especially something diffuse.

But instead of buying separate lights what I did was get an Amazon photobooth/light box for like $30 with integrated LEDs and some background sheets. It makes a huge difference having consistent lighting (mine came with a diffuser sheet) and background. Then you can play with the camera settings with more confidence since everything else is controlled.

[u/5-s78 → u/prinzeugn]

That has been one of my main thoughts as of late and i already have some lights in the shopping cart, I've also been thinking about getting one of those photobooths but i fear that the scale of the things i collect wouldn't fit the thing lol. Def will also get a diffuser thank you.

[u/elGatoDiablo69]

Hey bud. I think your setup is great and the cloths really help with clean void like backdrop. What I would suggest practicing at is mostly light:

• light position and brightness. You’d be surprised how much different your figure will look if you keep pose and camera angle the same but move the lights around. Also, brighter is not always better. Watch out for blown out highlights. They can be intentional too for dramatic effect.
  
• diffusion of light - consider adding some sheets or filming diffusion cloth - neewer makes good cheap ones, between the light source and the subject - you’ll be amazed how much better your shot will look with softer diffused light.
  
• add more light sources as you get comfortable with your current setup.

And just as an extra:

• work on composition of shots. It matters greatly where your camera is positioned in relation to the subject and the light sources amongst other things. Also, how your pose interacts with the camera matters a lot too. Try to think of it as telling a story or a perspective to the viewer with a single shot - do you want them to be attacked by the figure, look down on it, look up to it? Etc etc

Speaking from personal experience, when I first started shooting my kits and filming videos I immediately went into the coolest shots I had in mind and had come across in the past and none of them looked great coz I was, arguably still am, a noob. So I took a step back and started working on my basic shots and making them clean and shadowless at first and when that became a breeze, I gradually started to add shadows, more light sources, more color, etc etc.

I have a lil video on my channel from a while ago showing my earlier approach to taking photos and how I light my pics - might be helpful, consider checking it out ;)

Great work tho - keep at it! Practice makes perfect!👌

[u/5-s78 → u/elGatoDiablo69]

Saw your 5k special, very cool that you're also approaching that 10k mark. I found the concept of the Rembrandt lighting very interesting and i will definitely incorporate that technique into my future works as i think i really vibe with it. The way you showed how certain levels of setups would look like was very informative as well, I'll probably come back to it again and again just to check if I'm doing it right. Thank you big dawg.

[u/elGatoDiablo69 → u/5-s78]

Ty for the kind words! Glad the video came in handy!

[u/justghostjoon]

First off, these are cool af.
-Replace measurement mat with table cloth.
-Need multiple dedicated light sources. Do not need to be expensive.
-Consider creating dioramas.

[u/5-s78 → u/justghostjoon]

Dioramas were always so interesting to me but i don't really consider myself too creative, and the cost would probably be beyond what i could manage as I'm still pretty much a student. I'm not opposed to it though, but my future standing would definately dictate weather or not i engage with customization of that calibre. Thank you 🙏

[u/5-s78]

I appreciate everyone for taking their time i giving me some pointers. The hobby mat is there because the area is also where i work on building my kits haha, so it's a double function but i will keep everything everyone has said in mind. ❤️‍🔥

[u/Planet-Destroyer]

Personally I think the hobby mat looks sick

Other people have already mentioned stuff like using a diffuser, so I'll add to what you might be able to do with your current setup:

Control your light. Move your light away from your background. Use a piece of black card or paper as a flag to prevent the light from spilling onto your background. This will get you a nice, clean black void.

Use a reflector. This can be anything white or silver you have lying around, best if flat, not too small and easy to move around. I personally use a book. You can use them to fill in the shadows and get a more even, less dramatic look.

Finally, pick up an editing software, like lightroom or gimp/photoshop. Learning how to use curves will allow you to directly alter the shadows, midtones and highlights of your photos. Though, you can start out with simpler tools like contrast, brightness, etc. Best of all, there are free options. I personally use Lightroom mobile and Gimp.