Firearms Photography - a quick article

Photographing objects requires that you decide what's the most important characteristic you want to portray. Sometimes you luck out and seem to get it all but usually there are compromises that need to be balanced. Its a balance between getting an overall nice looking shot and getting detail at the same time. Perhaps at the next gathering, if I can make it, I could cover some elements in more detail but here are a few things to think about.
For what we are taking pictures of here we do two things: shoot for detail like markings, grinding and casting marks, etc. and the other is trying to portray the whole item to show a bit of everything to include color and contrast without washing anything out or losing a nice wood color for example. I will cover a few things to do on a budget, as opposed to walking into a photo shop and dropping a couple thousand on lighting equipment, etc.

For details like markings: you already know to hit it with a white china marker or something to increase the contrast of the lettering for clarity. However, to get other details or get markings without the mess make sure you have a light source at an angle. Your primary light source can do when you are shooting in close and just trying to get a certain detail but to enhance details in a larger shot you could add a spotlight of some sort like a cheap clamp light with a daylight colored bulb (available anywhere). Here your primary source covers the big picture and the spot highlights the details. Being a daylight colored lamp it will also help balance the color a bit if needed.

Speaking of color: you won't get good color if you introduce bad color. You can do a bit of repair with software as well of course but it takes longer and without practice you may not help yourself out. Use daylight colored lamps or natural sunlight to start. A flash is basically daylight colored as well, but not used carefully it can cause odd shadows or contrast when used alone. A flash can also "flatten" a picture and steal some of the depth away. Kick in some other light somehow to reduce the contrast and round things off a bit.

Speaking of contrast: When shooting choose a good background that lowers the contrast level of the whole picture. Sometimes white is used for books or documentation but it requires all kinds of care to prevent the dark parts from going solid black on you or the light parts from washing out. A neutral gray that is technically 16% is a good start, it is similar to a soft gray, the same shade your hand would be in a B&W photo. Provided you're a white boy like me of course. The tough part with firearms is the big contrast between black metal, tan wood, and a very light background. Also, try to avoid a color that competes with your subject for attention.
We like to see our toys on a big red back ground sometimes and actually red is on the lower end of the gray scale closer to where we want it to be but you have watch the color it kicks in and for documentation photos it can be distracting. Its a good gunshow table color though!

For a good even light source you can build a "light tent" out of a sheet and set it all in the sun or illuminate the sheet indoors from behind with several of those clamp light rigs I mentioned. This "tent" could surround all sides except for the front where you're shooting of course. A quick PVC pipe frame is cheap and works great, you usually don't have to glue it together if you don't want. Get at least three good lights on it, perhaps the top and the two sides. A bright window behind it all can perhaps be one of the sources as well. For a background drop you can use a lighter charcoal gray fabric or spray paint on something. Take your background material and let it "ramp up" behind the object to the top to eliminate the 90 degree corner behind it all - hard to say in words but ask if you don't understand what I'm saying here. You can still kick in a spot from the front to highlight details if needed.
Shiney objects require more of a tented/even light source to eliminate bright spots. The ultimate bright spot is that last picture you took where the flash bounced right back at you from a mirror, window, or some other simlar object that had nothing better to do than to wreck your picture that day! Commercial photography uses tents and/or multiple softened light sources to even out the reflections.

When not using a "light tent" of somekind and you are outside or have a single light source like a big window or light, try using a reflective surface to kick light in from the opposite direction. Use foil, a pillow case, white paint on cardboard, or a buy a white matboard. Photo shops have boards and reflectors just for this idea if you must have the best.
One more note on even light and reducing contrast: a cloudy day is the perfect "light tent" if you watch your background neutrality and are in an open space. Two cautions: don't scare the neighborhood with your toy and plan on kicking in a bit of warm tone with the software since cloudy skies introduce a lot of blue color since the sun is blocked. And yes, you still may want to kick in light from the side to highlight details if needed.

Exposure: This would take a long time to cover in the classic sense but thankfully most cameras are automatic. However, don't handicap the light meter! When you stand back to get a shot of that nice metal finish you just paid for you will lose it if the background is too light. The camera's light meter sees too much light overall and backs off the exposure causing the darker details to disappear. The opposite will occur if everything is dark except your subject, that's when you start seeing things you want "washout." Here are a couple answers for that: Again, neutralize the background for balance. If it has to be a light background use your cameras "backlight" exposure compensation feature if you can and if you follow what I'm saying. If you know how (or have to) manually adjust your settings, then for a dark subject (metal,etc.) "open up the aperture (lens opening)" a bit. For a lighter subject you close it down a stop or two. Then walk the exposure around trying different settings - its called bracketing. Kind of like walking the rounds up to that watermelon to get the right hit!

To get a light meter/camera into a more neutral exposure setting for any type of photography, to combat light or dark backgrounds, you can buy what is known as a "16% gray card" at a photo store. You take this card, make sure its in the same light as your subject (very important), and get your exposure setting by holding it in front of the camera or bring the camera up to the card itself. Try to fill the frame with the card but don't cast a shadow on it obviously. You then use that setting for a baseline starting point. Two notes: if you have automatic focusing and you "hold" your exposure by half pressing "trigger" up close to the card, then back off for the shot, you will be out of focus of course. Cameras can be too automatic if you're not careful! Next note, again if you're an average white boy like me, your hand is around a 16% equivelent gray and you can roughly use that for a subsitute for now. Just be careful to keep your hand in the same relative flat plane as your subject and don't cast a shadow on it. I've taken great shots of people relatively far away against a dark or light background by using the "hand in the same light" technique.

Watch camera shake! The best thing to do is buy one of those tripods that will extend horizontally over a table so you will keep your shaky mitts off the camera. Plenty of light or using the flash will help freeze the shake a bit which is what saves most of us but it wont solve everything all the time. Having the camera on a good tripod will free you up to do all that light adjusting I told you about. You use a remote trigger/release or the camera's own self-timer. If no tripod, the best you can do is have plenty of light and steady yourself or the camera against something to reduce the involuntary movements. Then shoot the camera like a sniper, use the same discipline as shooting a gun in the first place. Firing the "trigger" on a camera does the same thing as a gun, you introduce instant unnoticed motion and you miss your shot. This also can go unrecognized as such and make a picture look out of focus, you then wonder why your fucusing appears to be inconsistant. I got some good macro shots recently of cartridge markings in my basement by leaning me and the camera against the wall holding the round in a glove; the glove "disappeared" since I was shooting so close, it looked like a background cloth and everything came out clear through this expediant bracing attempt. I was in a hurry to get a picture or two out but I still recommend a tripod.

Guys, if you can control your background and exposure mistakes, use light to your advantage, and control camera shake you will do much better. Museum or "on location" photography can be another lesson at some point but the ideas remain the same.

I hope this helps! I stayed up late tonight to write this for everyone so if there are spelling and grammar mistakes just remember you didn't have to pay extra! Well ...unless you insist. Very Happy

Your Bro,
Dave
RussCollector