How do you correctly photograph miniatures?

Something the model train guys do is stack images. That way you get the background and foreground in focus for shot you normally can't.

How To Do Model Railroad Photography - (Part 2) Image Stacking for Maximum Sharpness


Part 1 - the basics. Demonstrates how even simple cell phones can still get great pictures

 
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Also some tips from Paul Dolkos ( a well known model railroad photographer )

How do you light your scenes?
Everything is taken on a tripod using continuous light sources. I use Lowel Tota- and Omni-lights—you can shoot under fluorescents, but the lighting is very diffused. With hot lights, you can create shadows, like the sun.
What equipment do you use?
I don’t need a lot of horsepower, as far as cameras go. I started with a Rolleiflex and I had a Linhof 4x5. Now I use a couple of very basic Canons. I started shooting digital several years ago with the first EOS Digital Rebel. I decided I needed a backup, so I just bought a Rebel T1i with the 18–55mm f/3.5–5.6 IS kit lens. It’s perfect for model railroading. It focuses close (9 inches) and stops down to as much as f/36, which is very important. We’re taking photographs of things fairly close up, and you need the depth of field to go maybe six feet back. You can’t just have the front of the locomotive in focus and have everything else fuzzy.
Do you achieve your depth of field solely in the camera?
I use software called Helicon Focus for extended depth of field and focus-stacking. You take several photographs at different focal points, and the software takes the sharpest point of each exposure and combines it into a single exposure. That means I can have a finger practically touching the lens in focus, and 20 feet away have the wall in focus. If it’s a routine picture that won’t get blown up, I’ll stop down to f/29 or higher to get the depth of field. But if it could be on the magazine’s cover or a double-page spread, I open the lens up where it should be, f/8.
 
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Most importantly:

Get Low

So you have a little plastic figure all set up and ready to be photographed in front of you. Imagine you were about to do a photo-shoot of a full-scale real person. How would you place that person within your camera's frame? In most cases, you would shoot them straight on, not way above them. Do the same for your miniatures. Get on their level, even if it means you're squatting or laying on the ground

Blur!
Shallow depth of field is your best friend when it comes to photographing toys and miniatures. Having a narrow field of focus allows you to pick and choose where the viewer looks and what specifically they see. Learn more about depth of field here.

Simple v. All the Things
This one all depends on your style and what you're trying to depict. If you're more of a minimalist, then you'll want to choose what you include in your image carefully and with meaning and then choose your main subject matter as your point of focus. If you like detailed, all in focus scenes, then those little details matter in a big way.
If you choose not to blur things out, not to pair your scene down, then you need to make sure to make or source realistic items to complete your scene for a realistic look.

More to consider:


  • Mind your scale. Non-mini materials or various scales together can be a dead giveaway that your image isn't of a real scene. Choose dollhouse and model train layout accessories for things like gravel and grass.
    • But! Don't be too hard on yourself. It's okay to have small hints of your mini world.
  • Use a tripod and remote or self timer to make sure your camera is steady and stable.
  • If you have it in your tool box or have the budget, get a macro lens and a dslr camera! Otherwise use a macro or microscope mode on a point and shoot camera, or a clip on macro lens on your smart phone.
  • Use a desk lamp or studio light to illuminate your scene. Try to stay away from camera flashes. With your studio lights your aim is to emulate sun light or a room light, so choose the angle of your light accordingly.
    • If your scene is outdoors, use a single light source. There's only one sun after all.

I have a 7 part series on my blog on photographing miniatures, and I'll have a quick start guide that includes the above info soon. https://jennifernicholewells.com/blog/my-mini-monday/
 
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Using a tripod and a remote release will give best results for shots taken with a small aperture/long exposure to maximise the depth of field.
But much depends on which "realism" you are trying to obtain: the human eye/brain combination gives the impression of a large depth of field (it's no such thing really, but that's another issue); in contrast many still images and films express their reality through a deliberately small depth of field.
Plus, factors other than depth of field affect the sense of an object's size: lighting, dynamic range and "scale colour" for example.
Combining multiple images in Photoshop can give great results, but is often labour intensive.
I'd try to find a shot that has the characteristics that you seek and then spend some time trying to identify what impresses you, after that have fun trying to emulate the effect.
If any of your friends are keen photographers, set them a challenge. Enjoy experimenting..
 
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