Classic-Castle.com

Hey all,

Does anyone know how to get good lighting for castle MOCs?

Right now I'm using my kitten table lights, but the seem to give off a slight yellowish glow, which is really annoying because it makes the light gray bricks seem yellowed.

Any tips anyone can give me would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

~RBC

This has been pretty well covered already in the general photo tips thread.

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=20141

If you have yellowish lightbulbs, use sunlight or buy some bulbs that give off whiter light. You can find them at any Wal Mart or home improvement store.

I do almost all of my photography outside, and it comes out pretty well.

Ferretclaw wrote:I do almost all of my photography outside, and it comes out pretty well.

I did my earliest MOCs outside, but I feel like there are a couple problems:
1. Lighting can be overly bright. Not enough white balance.
2. Lighting can change on a whim...or a cloud.
3. Really harsh contrasts.
Here's an example. Again, it's different for everyone and cameras, but...yeah. More stable environments.

~FB~

Sunlight is what I always go for. Also white poster board covering all sides and the bottom

Also white poster board covering all sides and the bottom

Poster board is fine, but you can see the lines. What I suggest is investing in some white or off white material, a yard or two. Make it NOT shiny and if it is polyester you won't have to iron to remove wrinkles. You can hang it in corners, down a hallway, and tuck it under your moc. Get a ton of lights (make sure they are white lights) and voila.

Or just buy/make a light box.

Forestboy wrote:

Ferretclaw wrote:I do almost all of my photography outside, and it comes out pretty well.

I did my earliest MOCs outside, but I feel like there are a couple problems:
1. Lighting can be overly bright. Not enough white balance.
2. Lighting can change on a whim...or a cloud.
3. Really harsh contrasts.
Here's an example. Again, it's different for everyone and cameras, but...yeah. More stable environments.

~FB~

Overcast days are best... Lighting stays pretty stable, no harsh shadows or contrasts. I do agree that sometimes it can be overly bright, but then I just move under the shade of a tree... That was where I was when I took my new profile picture <----.

That is an extremely contrastful picture. Reminds me of Theoden putting on his armor at the hornburg...

My dad made a major motion picture back in the 70's, and he used to call optimal lighting "cloudy bright", which I think is what Ferretclaw is describing. The clouds act as natural diffusers, helping to eliminate glare and shadow.

However, if you don't want to rely on mother nature, a curved piece of poster board and a few cheap utility lights with tissue paper over the front to diffuse a bit works pretty good 24/7/365

For larger MOCs, Blue's suggestion of white fabric is a good one.