Anyone with a digital camera can take great gun pics outdoors under natural lighting or even indoors with improvised equipment like shop lights and white board. However, being an apartment dweller, I can't just haul my black rifles around the complex taking picture, and I don't have the storage space for lights and other equipment. I also work night shift, so it's usually around 1:00AM on my off days whenever I get the itch to take pictures of guns.

However, photography was a big hobby of mine when I was younger, so I am not satisfied with unsatisfactory pictures. This has led me to discover improvised ways of taking decent pictures using simple equipment. Being a former photography buff, I own a digital SLR with an exterior flash. Since I'm forced to shoot indoors, usually at night, I set up white shelving that I bought a Lowes for $10 on the floor of my bathroom and bounce the flash of the ceiling (and walls) to produce some very nice photos.

However, most people don't have an SLR with external flash nor do they want to go buy backgrounds that they will have to store when not in use. Also, not everyone has a white, sterile, apartment type bathroom that works well at bouncing light. Most people do have a white bathtube though. After some photoshop tweaking, you can make decent images using any digital camera with a built in flash.

Set the gun in your bathtub, stand over it, and take a picture using the flash. Yes, it's that simple. Sure, the picture in the camera looks like shit , but we'll fix that.

Open up the picture in photshop, and follow these quick steps:

Step 1: Crop the picture. You want the rifle to fill the frame and want just a small amount of white space around the edges.



Step 2: Adjust the levels. This is the single biggest improvement that can be made to the picture. Click on Image -> Adjustments -> Levels... (NOT "Auto Levels"). In the levels menu, you can make the background a nice solid white by sliding the right arrow left until it's at the left base of the large right peak. Next, slide the left arrow right until it's at the left base of the left peak. Finally, slide the center arrow left until it's where the right slope of the left peak begins to move sharply upward. You can tweak the center arrow until the image is to your liking.



Step 3: Color correction. Click on Image -> Adjustments -> Auto color. That's it. If it darkened the rifle too much for your liking, then you can open up the levels menu and adjust the center arrow until you are happy.



That's all of the correction the picture needs. I usually save the file here so I have a hi-res version. However, this file is much too big to share on the web, so we'll have to optimize the image for web sharing . . .

Step 4: Image sizing. Click on Image -> Image Size... to resize the image. I usually make the width 800 pixels for posting on message boards. Be sure that "Constrain Proportions" box at the bottom is checked so the height automatically adjusts for the width.



Use the magnifying glass to zoom in until the image is at 100%. That's the size that the image will display on the web. If you think that it's too big or too small, click "Undo" and try another size.

Step 5: Adding a border. I border makes your image pop out on the web and generally looks more professional (Stickman uses a border right?). The easiest way to add a simple black border (which contrasts well with the white background) in Photoshop is to click on the Rectangular Marquee tool and select the whole image. Make sure black is selected as your color then right click on the image and click "Stroke...". In the Stroke menu, type in "10 px" as the width and check "Inside" under "Location" then click Okay. Click anywhere to deselect, and your done.



I usually save this as a different file so I have a hi-res version, and smaller version for web use. Here is the finished product:



You may notice a lack of detail in the darker parts of the rifle. This is due to using direct flash on a dark rifle--the recorded image just lacks the digital information in these areas. If you can find a way of bouncing the flash off of the ceiling (and subsequently the white shower walls) so that it's not direct, the photo will be much better lit and have a lot more detail. Here is the same setup using the same photoshop manipulations only with the flash bounced off of the ceiling:



Anyway this same method will work for any of your black rifles and easy to do the same every time. It's a simple way of producing decent pictures for those who lack the equipment, space, or creativity needed for the outdoor, natural light, or studio photography that produce excellent photos.

Here's a few more photos using the same photoshop method. The only difference is that I was using the external flash and white shelving background in my bathroom that I mentioned above.

Huh.  Good post.

Wow, cool post!


Too bad the bathtub i have isn't white


But im good with photoshop, so i can cut them out anyways

Cool.  I always wondered how some folks have that perfect white background.  All I need is photoshop now.  Thanks :)

<golfclap>


This thread might actually be to useful to be posted in GD


makes me wish i had a bathtub.....


and a camera.....



and a gun

My bathtub isn't white either

Originally Posted By TheCanuck: My bathtub isn't white either

racist

I've been using "save for web" setting and resizing there -
is that a less-than-ideal method? Should I do all the resizing before that?

(I seem to end up with fairly large files that I try to get down to 100k or so,
any larger is unnecessary and foolish in a pic thread.)

Too bad I've given like 3 digital cameras away.  Guess it's time to buy another one.  Good post.  Wanna remind me how to feather that border?

Rectangular Marquee Tool

Feather: XX px


(at least on PS 7.0)

Cool.

Originally Posted By GhostRing: I've been using "save for web" setting and resizing there - is that a less-than-ideal method? Should I do all the resizing before that? (I seem to end up with fairly large files that I try to get down to 100k or so, any larger is unnecessary and foolish in a pic thread.)

I haven't used the "save for web" setting, so I really don't know. When sizing to 800 pixels wide, the file size will be anywhere from 20kb to 150kb depending on the compression level you set after pushing "Save". The pictures above are saved on the "Medium" setting (level 5), and are around 60kb I believe.

Cool.

Gotcha.

Very similar setting in SFW.
I adjust size and image quality (compression that same?)


Oh yeah - that is a thoroughly bad-ass collection you have there!

Originally Posted By GhostRing: Gotcha. Very similar setting in SFW. I adjust size and image quality (compression that same?)

Yeah, image quality and compression is the same thing.

Oh yeah - that is a thoroughly bad-ass collection you have there!

Thanks. It took me a while to figure how to get the pictures to looks right, but I've gotten it down to a science with the above steps. You would be amazed at how crappy they look before manipulation in photoshop.

Wow, thanks!  I'm gonna get out my DSLR and try this tonight.

Originally Posted By SnoopisTDI: Wow, thanks!  I'm gonna get out my DSLR and try this tonight.

Post it here. I'd love to see how it turns out.

Originally Posted By steve-oh: i4.photobucket.com/albums/y103/steve--oh/dec07019.jpg

Who'd a thought that tan paint job would come in so handy on that AR . . .

Originally Posted By steve-oh: i4.photobucket.com/albums/y103/steve--oh/dec07019.jpg

Oh gawd - not the I Am Legend thread again!  

Geek.

Originally Posted By 33shooter: Geek.

Gotta find something to do at 3:00AM when the wife's asleep . . .

BTW, the second pic at the end of my first post is my finished rifle.

Nice tut, thanks.

Originally Posted By topgunpilot20: Originally Posted By 33shooter: Geek. Gotta find something to do at 3:00AM when the wife's asleep . . . BTW, the second pic at the end of my first post is my finished rifle.

I know, I just got off.  Love the rifle, do I spy LaRue rails?  That turned out good, I wish I would have saved the scratch for the middy, but my LMT is sweet, I like it a lot.

How do you bounce the flash like that, on a simple camera?

Originally Posted By 33shooter: Originally Posted By topgunpilot20: Originally Posted By 33shooter: Geek. Gotta find something to do at 3:00AM when the wife's asleep . . . BTW, the second pic at the end of my first post is my finished rifle. Love the rifle, do I spy LaRue rails?

Sure do. Good to know your LMT works well and I didn't screw it up...

Originally Posted By JBlitzen: How do you bounce the flash like that, on a simple camera?

I did not bounce the flash at all in the first pic when using the flash on the camera. However, in the other pics, I was using an external flash that has a rotating head that I can point at the ceiling.

I have heard of people using things like aluminum foil to bounce the in-camera flashes.

Who would tag a thread like this?


jj

Originally Posted By JBlitzen: How do you bounce the flash like that, on a simple camera?

First to the OP, Awesome post. Thank you very much.

Ok, I just tried this following the tutorial as I have Photoshop and tool around with it sometimes.

I used a simple point and shoot $100 digital camera. I put an item in the bathtub. Bathtub isn't 100% clean white. It needs to be cleaned. No biggie. It contrasted it right out and looks great with the adjustments in the tutorial.

Really great info.

Originally Posted By Storm_Tracker: Originally Posted By JBlitzen: How do you bounce the flash like that, on a simple camera? First to the OP, Awesome post. Thank you very much. Ok, I just tried this following the tutorial as I have Photoshop and tool around with it sometimes. I used a simple point and shoot $100 digital camera. I put an item in the bathtub. Bathtub isn't 100% clean white. It needs to be cleaned. No biggie. It contrasted it right out and looks great with the adjustments in the tutorial. Really great info.

You're very welcome. Please post the pics you took. I'd really like to see how it worked for other people.

This thread is SOFA-KING cool !!

Originally Posted By topgunpilot20: Originally Posted By Storm_Tracker: Originally Posted By JBlitzen: How do you bounce the flash like that, on a simple camera? First to the OP, Awesome post. Thank you very much. Ok, I just tried this following the tutorial as I have Photoshop and tool around with it sometimes. I used a simple point and shoot $100 digital camera. I put an item in the bathtub. Bathtub isn't 100% clean white. It needs to be cleaned. No biggie. It contrasted it right out and looks great with the adjustments in the tutorial. Really great info. You're very welcome. Please post the pics you took. I'd really like to see how it worked for other people.

Sure thing. Here you go.

Before




After

Originally Posted By Storm_Tracker: Originally Posted By topgunpilot20: Originally Posted By Storm_Tracker: Originally Posted By JBlitzen: How do you bounce the flash like that, on a simple camera? First to the OP, Awesome post. Thank you very much. Ok, I just tried this following the tutorial as I have Photoshop and tool around with it sometimes. I used a simple point and shoot $100 digital camera. I put an item in the bathtub. Bathtub isn't 100% clean white. It needs to be cleaned. No biggie. It contrasted it right out and looks great with the adjustments in the tutorial. Really great info. You're very welcome. Please post the pics you took. I'd really like to see how it worked for other people. Sure thing. Here you go. Before www.supercellhunter.com/exmpl2.jpg After www.supercellhunter.com/exmpl1.jpg

Outstanding! Thanks for posting them.

I would never tag such a thread.

Nice tutorial!

It's like tonight is "How-To" night on ARFCOM or something.  Tons of instructional posts for the reading.

Low quality hostage photos are a thing of the past!

THANKS!

-5 points for no dog in the bathtub.

GREAT post!  This needs to be put in the photography section and stickied!

Originally Posted By disco_jon75: GREAT post!  This needs to be put in the photography section and stickied!

Thanks. I cross posted into the photography section.

finally a helpful post, so tagged.

I tried my bathtub, but it's not a smooth surface so I couldn't get the background to wash out right(no pun intended).  I took this on the kitchen counter-top, which is sort of beige.  The beige background makes it look like the white balance is off, but the gun looks right I think. (ETA, I think the lack of surrounding tub loses a lot of the lighting effect)

Very cool post!  Thank you for taking the time to write this up!

Thanks!

Tag!

Great info, thanks for aking the time to post it.

Taggin' for the levels info.

Thanks for posting this.

Must tag. I can't take pics at all.

Oh.......
Never mind..............

Originally Posted By AJ-IN-JAX: i183.photobucket.com/albums/x35/ajinjax/Posters/44731.jpg Oh....... Never mind..............

I thought it was about that too when I clicked on it.

Originally Posted By steve-oh:

HFS!!! Demon Gun Owners!  I love the red eyes!!! That alone makes this pic epic!!!!!


THere needs to be a T SHIRT made out of this!!!!

Tag.  All my pics so far suck.

Magician giving away secrets