Diesel DM

As our photography series continues this week we’ll start talking about the camera settings necessary for getting great photos of WARMACHINE models.  Rather than only discuss technical photography terms and leave it up to the reader to figure out how they apply, I’ll be using the technical terms for the sake of generality, but then I will show how those settings apply to my camera, a Canon S2 IS.  While the actual steps and menus necessary to configure an individual cameras will vary, by at least giving you the example how it works for one camera you will be able to extrapolate the techniques to your own camera.  Remember to consult your owner’s manual to figure out any camera-specific details you need further assistance with.  As much as we all dread reading the manual, there can often be some good tips hidden in there.

In case you missed it, check out Part 1 of the series.

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Photographing miniatures is composed of two major elements. First is the setup, including things like backdrop and lighting. The second is camera settings, including things like exposure, depth of field and white balance. These are not complicated topics but they do each deserve some discussion and examples, so this photography series will be spread over multiple posts. Part 1 will cover the general physical setup o the scene. No Quarter #35 also had a short article covering this if you would like further information.

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Completed base

Basing your WARMACHINE models is one of the easiest things you can do to really make your models standout.  It gives a sense of terrain and ties the model in with a bigger scene. As I was completing the last model from my Cygnar Battlegroup box (the Lancer), I thought I’d take time to photograph my process and make a quick “How to” guide for making a battlefield base.  To the right is a photograph of the finished product that we’ll be working our way up to.

Materials

There is a wide variety of basing materials available for purchase.  Gale Force Nine, which refers to these materials as “Hobby Scenics”, has a nice selection of all different materials that arrive in convenient plastic containers. While GF9 is a well-known supplier of basing materials arts and crafts stores like Hobby Lobby may also carry similar products.  Before discussing the needed materials, let’s define some terminology: grit and flock.

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Without years of experience in building WARMACHINE models I am not seeking to bring an expert opinion on which is better.  Nor am I an economist seeking to rationalize the cost of metals vs resins.  What I am offering is the viewpoint of a beginner, someone new to the hobby, who started with the plastic models.  I have read some other blogs and forum posts about this topic, but I waited until I had assembled and painted both a plastic and a metal model before offering an opinion of my own.

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