"Critique my firearm picture" thread

[BrigandTwoFour]

For what it's worth, I agree with Stickman on your first photo regarding mag and hands. The first thing I saw in that photo was his left wrist. At first glance and second close look the rifle looked to have no mag inserted.

On your last pic I would think this might be an add for an eye doctor. "when your eyesight saves lives"... etc.. That white eye is where my attention is drawn. After that you are selling the jacket, gloves, and cap. If it's not for an eye exam ad might as well get that guy some "cheap sunglasses". If you are selling that jacket imo, a little more light on his left shoulder / upper arm would be nice.

That's my non-professional 2cents. Just based on what my brain and eyes tell me.

Thanks, I'll keep plugging away. I think I made a mistake in that last photo in that I turned off the lights in my office to minimize light spill, but it resulted in my pupils dilating. It's hard to get right for self portraits because I'm basically setting the camera on a tripod with a self timer, triggering with with an app on my phone and then trying to get set before the timer goes off. Not ideal to do thing solo, lol.

Not sure what I can do about white skin and the lighting.

[Stickman]

Hot spots and lighting control are issues you are going to face. Those two things can be partially worked on in post processing, but getting as much as possible dialed in via lighting in studio should be the primary goal.

[BrigandTwoFour]

Hot spots and lighting control are issues you are going to face. Those two things can be partially worked on in post processing, but getting as much as possible dialed in via lighting in studio should be the primary goal.

Thanks! Any suggested resources for learning the lighting side of things?

[Stickman]

Thanks! Any suggested resources for learning the lighting side of things?

There are a lot of books and youtube videos, lots to check out.

[BrigandTwoFour]

More learning. Tried to suspend the gun from the ceiling with fishing line a few feet in front of the the background.

[Stickman]

Uneven lighting across the subject for no apparent reason.

[BrigandTwoFour]

Another go at this. Glutton for punishment, I guess, lol.

Trying to do a single light source behind everything, blocked with a piece of wood. Two white cards placed at angles just in front of the subject to bounce some light back. I was holding a black mask over the top to block extra light from blasting the camera.

[Stickman]

Another go at this. Glutton for punishment, I guess, lol.

Trying to do a single light source behind everything, blocked with a piece of wood. Two white cards placed at angles just in front of the subject to bounce some light back. I was holding a black mask over the top to block extra light from blasting the camera.

If you had more light on the front of the weapon, as well as books, this would be a keeper. It comes across as probably a half a stop underexposed, maybe a tad more.

A bit more reflector or fill flash would bump it up to awesome.