iron the sheet you use as backdrop. it looks really unprofessional to have a wrinkled backdrop.

also, blurry/grainy photos are never good. make sure you have the right DOF for the shot...

look at the camera settings, there may be one for tungsten light, which is what you want to be shooting in..

take the model outside and use natural light..... seriously.....

you can also prop it up if you want to get some shadows/etc......

also use a black backdrop like a sheet/board....

people are still building models???

My thought 'zactly, mdler. Way to do it old-school, afrdzak! Thank God someone's still dealing in actual built objects.

My other smart-aleck comment was going to be: "Make sure you get a cute model."

What exactly are you imagining? Can you post some images of model photographs that you like, in the style/effect you are trying to accomplish? (Better yet - would you also be willing to post some images you took with descriptions of why you are unhappy with them?) It's difficult to give any suggestions without such a reference. There are many, many ways to successfully photograph things.

Seem to remember a thread on this a while back - worth doing a search.

thank god people are still building real models...

aside from the tips above, you can get a filter for your camera to simulate tungsten lights (those bulbs are pretty pricey I think). also, the best tip I ever got was to set up your photo shoot on top of the highest parking garage you can find on a sunny day.

if you're trying to get close up and keep the perspective in check, you need a solid 50 or 100mm macro lens. your camera won't take on extra lenses so that's not a direct option, but that's going to be the only way to get those gehry/h-dm/koolhaas close up shots, especially for interiors. your camera's lowest lens range is 35mm, which doesn't offer too many options. try to get back far enough to keep it in true perspective and jack up the resolution as high as it can go. zoom in and crop the image later in photoshop. i don't know what kind of light controls you get on that camera, but my guess is not much. make sure you get enough in the base shot and try to correct it in photoshop.

i prefer black backgrounds, especially for the main shots. you can always edit it to something else later, but the black cuts out all unintentional reflections off the background surface. white is no good unless you can really control the stops and light intake on the camera. cloth is better than a board (something like a wool or anything more matte than shiny).

outside is the best solution. You'll need to work hard on that lighting, for it to look good on interior shots. Read up on some basic photography indoor tips - key light, fill light, bounces/reflectors, etc.

Outdoors is the safe/easy way to do it.

Basswood models look really nice outside on a sunny day, sitting in grass.

We do make our models by hand! Can you believe it!? (I'm in my first semester M.Arch 3 studio at Virginia Tech).

Thanks for all the tips. I think my first problem lies in the backdrop I'm using, "super black" construction paper. I'm going to get some black fabric. The second problem is me not knowing all the functions of the camera (specifically the light settings, which is highly customizeable). We do have tungsten lights in our rooms. Right now there's one in there, but I can get more if needed.

Example of the style I'm trying to achieve:

Also, my model is made out of sheet metal. Out of all the shots that I took yesterday, I feel this is the only successful one which. It was accidental.



I realized that I should probably put the model on top of some sor of board...

try bouncing the light (a large piece of foam core) so you don't have hot spots.

some lighting studios have big light screens you can point the light at and bounce it off of to make it more diffuse, otherwise the foam core idea is good.

get a light meter. make sure the background is at least 4 stops darker or else you'll be photoshopping.

the more distance you can get between the bg and model, the softer and darker it can be.

Personally, while the arch is interesting in your sample photo, the lighting looks pretty bad to me. Day lighting would win, hands down.

The key to indoor light is soooooft light, which naturally occurs outdoors.

First find yourself a pretty model to shoot or one with alot of interesting features....it always helps if they are clad in as little clothing as possible.

Aside from a good camera and good light (daylight is best) these are my tips:

1. The old photographer's cliche "if your photos are no good, get closer," is really true of models. Take photos from very close up, from down low, worm's eye view. Get in there—get details.

2. Take TONS of photos. The great photographer Gary Winogrand used to take 600 photos for every one he used. Take straight on elevations, aerials, street-level details. Shift the lights two or three times—shift the model two or three times. Backlight the model, frontlight it, high light, low light, raking light. Do all of these things.

3. Lighting. If you're not using daylight, use two lights, one as a main and one as a fill, coming from the other side. But occasionally turn one of these off and take photos with only one.

4. Scale figures. Without scale figures, your model is just an object. With scale figures, it becomes a space. Even a tiny scale model can use a bunch of figures. For a 1/16" model, cut a bunch of 3/8" ends of 1/16" basswood and glue them to the site. They'll look like scattered people.

5. Photoshop. Whenever I open a model photo in Photoshop, the first thing I do is "Auto Levels" and "Auto Color." More often than not, these improve the photos drastically. Then I go light on adjustments in "brightness/contrast."

great to see someone making physical models and even more so taking pictures. Asside from the advice above here are a few suggestions.

1. try taking samples in black and white/grayscale it helps to indentify exactly where you need to increase or soften the light.
2. take the camera off the tripod. Its a great tool but it can also limit your view point.
3. take close up samples with a cameraphone...easiest option to determine how close you can get with having to greatly adjust your settings.
4. shoot with your macro setting starting at about 6" away from your model surface...going back 2" at a time until you get the best finish.
4.5 also the macro setting (or lens if you have one) will best handle non-tungsten light

but because of your material choice, most artificial light will have to be refracted and ideally more than once. See if you can rope in some classmates to help. I prefer white matte paper that can bend.

enjoy

Thanks everyone for all your respones.

Yesterday, I spent about 3 hours which got me about 100 shots and then abother 2 hours of post-processing work. I managed to get a hold of our department camera, a Nikon D300 and a tripod. I spent about 1 hour just trying to figure out the proper settings since it was my first time using an all-pro DSLR. I also found out about another room that has better backdrops and display areas.

I did manage to get a few great shots and usable, but I will probably have to go back in for some really close up shots. I think the people/scale idea is great and will utilize that in the future.

Oh, I went around the undergraduate studios and asked if any of the ladies were willing to model with my model, but no takers. Damn.

I'll disagree about scale figures, looks cheesy to me. If you have good detail in your model, you shouldn't need 'people' for scale.