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January 22, 2008
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I found a light tent purchased from Amazon works quite well for indoor shooting. The one I purchased included two light fixtures on tripods and color neutral CFL bulbs. Also included are 4 color backgrounds. Many of my newer gun pictures were produced via a light tent like in the picture below
February 20, 2008
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That sir is going in the correct direction to much better lighting!
Photo
If you're going to drink, don't drive. Don't even putt.
January 5, 2015
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I have enjoyed photography for a very long time and for many years and currently still contribute to a wonderful photography forum called Fred Miranda. I will offer some suggestions to those that struggle with images and try to be general in my response.
First the more light you have the better the image will likely be. A single source light or single flash will often have very bright and very dark areas. If you have a flash that you can angle the light to bounce it off a neutral (gray) or white surface it will help scatter and diffuse the light which gives less contrast and that means more range of color and details.
Digital cameras have an Auto White Balance control so make sure 'WB' is set for Auto. What this will do is correct the color cast that household lights give (yellowish) or fluorescent lights (greenish) give off in color. However you still need window light or you can purchase light bulbs or compact flourescents that have 'Daylight' balanced light. This will show a Kelvin temperature rating of approximately 5200 degrees, regular incandescent house bulbs are more around 2700 degrees which is yellow. The higher the number the 'whiter' the light to the point of almost being a blue-white light.
If you can elevate your gun off the ground or separate it from a backdrop it will help eliminate shadows that are often cast. Use white foam board or even aluminum foil to help direct light to the subject. Angle the gun to help avoid direct reflecting light from light sources. A tripod or setting the camera on the table will help with sharpness in the images as at times the camera uses a slow shutter speed to gather enough light for the image however we can't hold it steady enough to prevent blur at these shutter speeds, kind of like holding your gun perfectly still on a target vs resting it on a shooting brace:)
Keeping the gun parallel to the camera will help ensure most all stays in focus, angling it away may show a selected focus area and other areas out of focus which is a creative tool used in photography with those experienced in how to achieve it with specific camera settings.
If you have a specific question regarding how to photograph or have a specific problem image let me know, I may have a way to 'fix' your image or a suggested method to re photograph it better to your likings
The above method in the light tent is an excellent choice for getting light in all the nooks and crannies! I think that is a bottle of bourbon though LOL
Hope a few of things you may find helpful........
Karl 
January 5, 2016
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I generally have to go outside and use the sun for good lighting. However, direct sunlight causes shadows. I prefer cloudy days the best. Otherwise, I've had issues with the camera trying to get good photos of those small black objects we call guns.
February 21, 2011
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For the best outdoor lighting go somewhere in the shade. Direct sunny light is way too harsh, you want softer, more diffused cloudy days for the best effects.
Indoors, if you don't have studio lights DO NOT use the camera flash. that's the absolute worst light ever. Its much better to use window light with the gun close to the window so it gets lots of it. You don't need fancy equipment, but it does make it easier.
The simplest light accessory is a sheet of craft foam from Wally-World. Just prop it up so it catches the window light & bounces it back at the gun. Guns are mostly dark colored so if your camera has a "bracket" option turn it on. If it only has exposure compensation (+ or -) try setting it to + 1.5 or even + 2.0 to add detail to the dark areas.
Matthew Quigley on handguns:
“I said I never had much use for one. Never said
I didn't know how to use it.”
January 13, 2013
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If you have some nice equipment to take a gun pic, you can shoot it on any background. But if you're the typical GunBroker seller with a point-and-shoot camera, DO NOT put your gun on a WHITE background! The camera is going to pic up the white background, auto-darken the shot, and your gun is going to look like a black silhouette blob.
Tony
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