Tutorial | How to Take Photos of Your Miniatures

I have a bit of a love hate relationship with miniature photography. On the one hand, capturing the details of a well painted mini is absolutely important, and requires a white or black background to get those crisp photos. On the other hand, that background is boring as all get out. Minis are cool, but minis belong on the battlefield looking cool. They are part of the scene, and that conveys a story to the viewer that you don't completely get from a static, solid color background. In this post, I'll show you how to take cool miniature photographs, even if you don't have your own studio. 

Atmosphere is obviously important to me. I've made it a goal on Space Dinosaur Miniatures to minimize boring backgrounds. I like creating miniature dioramas that hint at a larger world, from fetid bogs to ruined castle gates. I also like seeing all of the worlds other artists have created. Some of my favorites are sites like Gardens of Hecate or Another Wargaming Blog. Both use backgrounds and terrain to great effect to get some awesome photos. 

For my most recent post, I used a new photo setup that allows me to take pictures of large scenes. My original photo setup is still really nice and allows me to take some great pictures of minis, but the maximum limit is Nagash. Anything larger than that and you can see past the scenic background I created. So I needed something a bit bigger, something that would allow me to take a photo of a full table's worth of terrain and minis. 

Materials

For transparency, I'm experimenting with Amazon Affiliates to see if I can get this blog to be self supporting and so I can provide even better content. It comes at no extra cost to you, if you decide to purchase any of the items. I don't like ads, so I won't post them on this site, and I will only provide links to things I have purchased and like to use. I will also only post them when appropriate, and if I think another site has better materials/offers, I will send you there. Big thank you, and on with the show! 

Background - 5x7 ft blue photo backdrop (Amazon)  

Frame - HPSUN Backdrop Frame (Amazon)

Lighting - RGB Gaming Lights (Amazon)

Tablecloth - Polyester Fabric Vineyard Green (Joann Fabrics) 

Camera - IPhone 7 (or whatever you have available)

Software - Photoleap Editor (Apple App Store) I use the free version, not the pro where they ask you to sign up for a free trial. Just skip that prompt and it should take you to the free version. 

Set Up

I have a normal, standard size kitchen table first of all, so this should work for the vast majority of you. Just make sure to let the spouse know you will be using the table for a bit, and try not to do this around a meal. Anyways, I drape the tablecloth across the table. I used the color of green that I did since I think it evokes grass well and lets your brain fill in the rest. You could also use any game mats that you have available, just be aware that in photos they often have a shine to them. 

Behind the table, I set up the frame. It comes with 4 rods that go along the top, I only used 3. I then use the provided clamps to hold the backdrop up. This is a photo backdrop that anyone who had picture day in elementary school should be familiar with. Turned to the side, I think it looks like a cool stormy sky. The product was a little wrinkled and smelly when it arrived, but luckily it's machine washable and that solves both of those problems. 

Now you can set up your minis on the table. Lighting can be an issue. Since this was daytime, I had to deal with a lot of sun coming in through the patio door. I don't own a studio, and I imagine most of you don't either, so this is as close as we can get. I closed the blinds fully to mute some of the light and I took my first picture:

As you can see, we get a lot of strong natural light towards the right of the photo. That's ok, you can either wait for a later part of the day, or use a different part of the house. My solution was to work with it. 

Lighting can get you other effects as well. I got this pair of RGB lights that lets me change the color of the set. It's a cheap set since I'm experimenting, but I think it results in some cool photos. Below, in order: white, red, green, and blue. 

The Photography

Now that all of that is complete, we can move onto photos. First, you photo can fulfill three roles: information, action, or both. You achieve this by composition, which is a fancy term, but I'll boil it down to two things: angle and lighting. 

Information tells you what it is or showcasing the techniques used to achieve a look. Often this is against a single color background to highlight the object itself. You see this a lot with high level painting or sculpting, where the miniature isn't necessarily on display as much as the paint job is. The prime example of this is Non-Metallic Metals, or NMM. 

The above picture conveys a lot of information. It tells you how big the model is, the different layouts you can use, and what the general paint scheme is. These are good for tutorials, or, if I was a better painter, showing off the paint job of my model. The angle of the camera allows for full view of the model, and the lighting hits the whole model evenly (or should attempt to). You want to avoid heavy shadows, as they can obscure details. 

On the opposite side, we have what I call action shots. The entire frame is filled, the camera is down low, aligned with the eyeview of a miniature. Details can be obscured in shadow or fuzzy due to camera focus. Other areas and minis are implied to be just out of the frame, hinting at a wider world. The minis inhabit a world, and it's the style of photo I prefer. In the above, a desperate Freeguild Handgunner readies his weapon to take another shot at an approaching skeleton warrior. These kinds of pictures are good for conveying a story. 

Next we have the mix of information and action. In the above, you can see a bit more of the battlefield. It shows you the layout and where the minis are in relation to each other. It also tells the story of a courtyard fight. This style is good for battle reports, as it is more immersive than a birds eye view but still tells you the relevant information. 

Now that we have the angle down, we can use lighting. In the above, the camera is lowered to miniature height. The focus is the two minis up front, a halberdier vs a skeletal spearman. We can evoke a different emotion by changing up the lighting. Red implies aggression, energy, and passion, so we add a splash with the RBG lights. It's important to have the light coming from one direction, as it increases contrast and hints at a nearby source, like a fire.  

You'll have to play with the light intensity and where it's coming from to evoke the look you want. I mostly use the white lighting just to ensure good lighting, but you have the option available to you. 

In my final example I have the pictures above and below. The top picture is cool, as it shows a human army assaulting the docks of a city overrun by undead. However, changing the angle and working with lighting can create an all together different story. In the below image, I set the camera low, and I used terrain to frame the picture and block out light. Here, we get a secretive assault through the sewers, and it's one of my favorite photos to date. 

The final tool you have in your arsenal is photo editing. Now, some may consider this cheating, but I think as long as you're not trying to pass off a filtered paint job as better than it actually is, you're all good. Your phone already has several options in it, but I went an extra step in using Photoleap Editor. In the below image, I took a photo I already had and added a layer of rain over it. The app provides some excellent tutorials of how to achieve this effect, and I would recommend it to those trying to do more with less. 

And with all of that advice, you should be able to go and get some cool shots! It takes some experimenting, but eventually you'll find your style! Thanks for reading, and let me know down in the comments if it was helpful or any other areas that I could improve. 

-The Space Dinosaur