Scanning/Photographing figures to place on custom cards?

[Faustus]

What's the best way to do this? I am using photoshop. My digital camera is not good enough to take a crisp, very close up shot of a figure (or else I haven't figured out how to do this).

My scanner is decent, but I want to know the easiest way to scan a plastic figure. What do I put behind it? It seems like everything I try has some color that matches something on the figure. Also, shadows make it difficult to select the figure without getting the background.

There must be people on here who do this all the time. What's the best?

Thanks!

[krai]

as a background color when white wont do hot pink usaly works well and using a camera stand helps pictures turn out better

[CupidsArt]

I grabbed a piece of black felt from WAL*MART a few weeks ago and use that as a backer. I also try to avoid using artificial light as much as I can.

Most of us don't have fancy lighting and some may think that the more light the better but what you really need is illumination.

Use any backer (white, pink, black, neon) but try not to have it under direct light. Cloth I've found is best and can be curved to avoid seeing a crease. If you have a choice take picture on a sunny day but not outside, try and just open a window but face away from it, pointing into a light will give you a dim/dull/muddy picture.

Also try to prop your camera, holding it with your hands is a no-no. Even your heartbeat can effect your picture. Find a tall speaker or the back of a chair to brace your camera against. This will give you a more steady shot.

Another thing is to make certain that you focus on the figures torso or middle section as to avoid a blurry face with a crisp sword, :D


Hope that helps a little, :)

This is a 4mp camera propped on a pack of cigarettes on a sunny day facing away from the light inside a building with a black felt backer.

http://www.heroscapers.com/oldgallery/albums/userpics/10077/avatar_of_anubis_2pointO_color.jpg

This is a 2 mp camera using the same technique as above (different day)
http://www.heroscapers.com/oldgallery/albums/userpics/10077/thar_stage_2.jpg


This is an 8 mp camera on the same table during a sunny day propped on a camera stand 5 weeks earlier.
http://www.heroscapers.com/oldgallery/albums/userpics/10077/BEhmoth.jpg

IMO a steady picture with pleanty of time and patience will merrit great pics. Also never be afraid to take 5-11 pics of the same thing, trust me they will be different, :D

[Fallen Templar]

Man i love that krug mod

[Doustin]

Man i love that krug mod

I didnt even realize that was Krug, looks awesome. And these are some great tips. My pics always come out so blurry you can barely tell what it is. Im gonna get a lot of use from this advice.

[Faustus]

I also just discovered that many good pics of heroclix figures can be found via google search and clicking the "image" box. Of couse, I haven't yet tried to use these and put them on a heroscape card, but they appear to be very crisp and set off from their backgrounds.

The downside is that I was not able to find EVERY heroclix figure I'm using, so I will apply some of these techniques...

Thanks for all the advice! (And keep it comin'!) :)