We work hard to make the miniature dollhouse items we love. But sometimes, not so much care is taken to present them on the Internet, where good photographs are essential to sell our products. It’s a shame, because around $ 60.00 worth of lights and a folding table “studio” is all you need to take better pictures, no matter what type of digital camera you own.
Turning on
To photograph dollhouse miniatures, from small 1/12 scale objects to large Victorian palaces, the lighting settings should be your first concern. A tabletop photo studio sells for around $ 40.00 online. I use a game table near a sunny window, being careful not to let direct sunlight hit the object. This minimizes unwanted shadows. An old gooseneck reading lamp with a daylight balancing compact fluorescent bulb hangs over the “study” if additional light is needed. Cost? $ 8.00 for the lamp at Goodwill; $ 12.00 for the fluorescent light bulb you could find.
Alternative configuration
I guess my mini movie set works really well, because they ask me if the photos I take are of a real room or a dollhouse. They are actually two pieces of foam core glued at right angles. I cut a casement window to 1/12 scale, paint the walls and cut out the necessary colors, then “seen” the whole with furniture and accessories to 1/12 scale. On the open side of the set, the camera can take wide photos of the entire room or zoom into individual pieces.
The camera
Any low-end digital camera, like the Nikon CoolPix or Canon Powershot, works fine. They really are glorified snapshot cameras, in the best sense of the word. You can point and shoot, and if there is enough light, rest assured of getting a clear image.
Most of these cameras have a macro setting, even a macro zoom. This is an advantage because in small object photography, you want to have the effect of zooming in so that you can see the details. Without a macro setting, getting too close to the subject will distort the image. In that case, stay further back, increase the light level as much as possible, then crop the photo in whatever program you are using to download images from your camera to your computer.
Shoot through the glass
Try to avoid it. But if necessary, watch out for glare, lights reflecting off you, or your own reflection with the camera in front of your face. Although, that could be an interesting self-portrait.
The end turned out
There are three main types of small object photography: catalog, fashion, and art. To sell miniature dollhouse products online, the catalog style is best. The images in the catalog give you data; art and fashion bet on emotion. Our client wants to see clearly what is being offered for sale and is probably not interested in sexy lighting or selective focus.
More information
This article provides a quick overview of small object photography for dollhouse miniatures. If you want to dig deeper, there is a lot of information available on the web. Use the “small object photography tutorial” in the search field of your browser and you will find all the information you need, unless you become a professional photographer.
