If you're going to take pictures of tiny things, you need a tiny place to take their picture, right? It seems like lately my subjects have been getting smaller than usual. Instead of 6" action figures, I've been enjoying photographing 28-32mm miniature models (roughly 1.1-1.3"). Perspective is hard enough to get right at 6", but when you shrink down to miniature size, things get... difficult.
Which I why I build my own sets. I've done a post about miniature sets before, but it was more of a "Hey, here is one little prop" instead of a complete scene. This time, I'd like to show off a cave/stone set for miniatures.
First, the materials:
5" x 5" Canvas Panels (x3)
Spackle
Superglue
Acrylic Paint
Just a quick note before we get any further. The miniatures in today's shot are Sir Titus and a Hill Giant. Both are pewter wargaming miniatures produced by Reaper Miniatures. Ok, back on topic.
Assemble three of the canvas panels into a floor and two walls, then put the spackle down to create a texture. Give it plenty of time to dry (best to let it sit overnight), and then you can get to painting. I painted mine in browns and grays. Once the whole thing is dry and you're happy with how it looks, set your models on the set, get your lighting where you want it, and start snapping away. Here is what mine looks like, completed and ready to go:
Tiny, right?
Well, here is what that tiny little set and tiny little models looks like through the camera:
Be good,
-Dave
If you're not blind and deaf, how can we pollute your head?
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I told you not to botch that Stealth Check...
Courtesy of the Monster Manual:
A Troll eats anything that moves, from grubs to humans, and is rightly feared for its ravenous appetite, feral cunning, and remarkable regenerative power.
Trolls hunt most other living creatures and are unconcerned about the size or numbers of their prey. They regenerate quickly, even after they are "slain". Their regeneration is so powerful, in fact, that trolls can regrow severed body parts. Only fire or acid can kill a troll, and trolls have a healthy fear of fire and acid for this reason.
The Cave Troll Champion is a pewter gaming miniature produced by Reaper Miniatures.
Oh great... They have an EXIF Troll:
| Camera: | Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi |
| Exposure: | 0.05 sec (1/20) |
| Aperture: | f/8.0 |
| Focal Length: | 55 mm |
| ISO Speed: | 400 |
| Exposure Bias: | 0 EV |
| Flash: | Off |
| File Size: | 3.9 MB |
| File Type: | JPEG |
| MIME Type: | image/jpeg |
| Image Width: | 2592 |
| Image Height: | 3888 |
| Encoding Process: | Progressive DCT, Huffman coding |
| Bits Per Sample: | 8 |
| Color Components: | 3 |
| X-Resolution: | 72 dpi |
| Y-Resolution: | 72 dpi |
| Orientation: | Horizontal (normal) |
| Software: | Adobe Photoshop CS3 Windows |
| Date and Time (Modified): | 2009:03:06 09:06:13 |
| YCbCr Positioning: | Co-sited |
| Exposure Program: | Aperture-priority AE |
| Date and Time (Original): | 2009:03:06 09:06:44-06:00 |
| Date and Time (Digitized): | 2009:03:06 09:06:44 |
| Metering Mode: | Multi-segment |
| Color Space: | sRGB |
| Focal Plane X-Resolution: | 4433.29532497149 dpi |
| Focal Plane Y-Resolution: | 4453.60824742268 dpi |
| Custom Rendered: | Normal |
| Exposure Mode: | Auto |
| White Balance: | Manual |
| Scene Capture Type: | Standard |
| Compression: | JPEG (old-style) |
| Global Angle: | 30 |
| Global Altitude: | 30 |
| Copyright Flag: | False |
| Photoshop Quality: | 12 |
| Photoshop Format: | Progressive |
| Progressive Scans: | 3 Scans |
| XMPToolkit: | Adobe XMP Core 4.1-c036 46.276720, Mon Feb 19 2007 22:40:08 |
| Orientation: | Horizontal (normal) |
| Metadata Date: | 2009:03:06 09:06:13-06:00 |
| Creator Tool: | Adobe Photoshop CS3 Windows |
| Format: | image/jpeg |
| Color Mode: | 3 |
| ICCProfile Name: | sRGB IEC61966-2.1 |
| Viewing Conditions Illuminant Type: | D50 |
| Measurement Observer: | CIE 1931 |
| Measurement Flare: | 0.999% |
| Measurement Illuminant: | D65 |
| Color Transform: | YCbCr |
| Flash Return: | No return detection |
| Flash Mode: | Off |
| Flash Function: | False |
| Flash Red Eye Mode: | False |
Be good,
-Dave
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In honor of my buddy Jason's decision to run his first Dungeons & Dragons game, I present one of D&D's oldest monsters.
Say hello to the Umber Hulk:
An Umber Hulk is a powerful subterranean predator from the Dungeons and Dragons roleplaying game. Umber hulks stand at 8 feet tall and possess large mandibles and huge claws capable of burrowing through solid stone. They have four eyes. The two smaller eyes provide normal vision while the two larger ones enable the creature to see in the dark. Furthermore, anyone who looks directly into the beast's four eyes may suffer from a debilitating sense of confusion.
Umber hulks eat young purple worms, anhkhegs, and similiar creatures. However, their favorite prey are humans!
Even though the Umber Hulk is a subterranean monster, I found it very difficult to dig tunnels that were both in scale for the miniature and large enough for the camera to fit. Seeking a compromise, I found a splintered tree where the figure could stand and the base was mostly hidden. As a happy accident, it looks like the beast is tearing through whatever hasty barricades the players have erected.
In Photoshop, I tried to create an HDR effect out of a single exposure and tweaked the saturation a little bit. I added the black "widescreen" lines primarily to hide the figure's base. That they look cool with the HDR is an added bonus.
I have a +5 bonus to my EXIF save:
| Camera: | Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi |
| Exposure: | 0.01 sec (1/100) |
| Aperture: | f/11.0 |
| Focal Length: | 55 mm |
| ISO Speed: | 400 |
| Exposure Bias: | 0 EV |
| Flash: | Off |
| File Size: | 5.5 MB |
| File Type: | JPEG |
| MIME Type: | image/jpeg |
| Image Width: | 3888 |
| Image Height: | 2592 |
| Encoding Process: | Baseline DCT, Huffman coding |
| Bits Per Sample: | 8 |
| Color Components: | 3 |
| X-Resolution: | 72 dpi |
| Y-Resolution: | 72 dpi |
| Orientation: | Horizontal (normal) |
| Software: | Adobe Photoshop CS3 Windows |
| Date and Time (Modified): | 2009:02:25 22:38:28 |
| YCbCr Positioning: | Co-sited |
| Exposure Program: | Aperture-priority AE |
| Date and Time (Original): | 2009:02:25 14:23:33-06:00 |
| Date and Time (Digitized): | 2009:02:25 14:23:33 |
| Metering Mode: | Multi-segment |
| Color Space: | sRGB |
| Focal Plane X-Resolution: | 4433.29532497149 dpi |
| Focal Plane Y-Resolution: | 4453.60824742268 dpi |
| Custom Rendered: | Normal |
| Exposure Mode: | Auto |
| White Balance: | Auto |
| Scene Capture Type: | Standard |
| Compression: | JPEG (old-style) |
| Global Angle: | 30 |
| Global Altitude: | 30 |
| Copyright Flag: | False |
| Photoshop Quality: | 12 |
| Photoshop Format: | Standard |
| Progressive Scans: | 3 Scans |
| XMPToolkit: | Adobe XMP Core 4.1-c036 46.276720, Mon Feb 19 2007 22:40:08 |
| Orientation: | Horizontal (normal) |
| Metadata Date: | 2009:02:25 22:38:28-06:00 |
| Creator Tool: | Adobe Photoshop CS3 Windows |
| Format: | image/jpeg |
| Color Mode: | 3 |
| ICCProfile Name: | sRGB IEC61966-2.1 |
| Viewing Conditions Illuminant Type: | D50 |
| Measurement Observer: | CIE 1931 |
| Measurement Flare: | 0.999% |
| Measurement Illuminant: | D65 |
| Color Transform: | YCbCr |
| Flash Return: | No return detection |
| Flash Mode: | Off |
| Flash Function: | False |
| Flash Red Eye Mode: | False |
Be good,
-Dave
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