Tripods are the key (got at least 5 in the house) from dinky table top toys to might steel towers with a maximum lift of well over 2m. I have a well loved, well used and very heavy example for most of my model pictures. Its a real windy day tripod and too heavy to carry about without a very good reason.
If I need to get in close I use a very posable and flexible Malfronto which is a wonderful and very light bit of kit.
I tend towards an all white photographic area composed of the remains of a sheet of illustration board and artfully arranged sheets of A3 paper! I can assemble disassemble in a couple of minutes. I have used grey card and would consider other neutral colours it required by the subject but I take the wonderful D&K illustrated books as my example.
Less is defiantly more.
Lighting: hmmm. Text book says you need 4 lamps. I usually use 2 sometimes 3 and very occasionally 4.
One lamp is positioned close to the axis of the camera and one to the side. I use angle poise reading lamps and try to eliminate harsh shadows and I sometimes use greaseproof paper diffusers over the lamps.
Digital cameras are great, even a the cheapest ones take a picture which will be fine at web page resolution (will Zealot HD come to a browser near you one day?). My cameras do not have oodles of mega-pixels but do have good lenses.
Use the macro function to get in to about 8' - 12' (20cm - 30cm). Switch
off the auto flash and use manual focus if you got it.
I have one last secret but I am keeping mum on that for a wee bit longer. If you look carefully you can see it...
On with the photography
D
