Rifles

[mediaspin360]

Does anyone has suggestions on how to photography a rifle without suspending it with multiple fish lines?

Anything I can use to support the rifle from the bottom and make it stand up?

Thanks.

[Jusselin]

mud

[mediaspin360]

Originally Posted by Jusselin

mud

mud? I need a clean white background...

[Jusselin]

you never mentioned that lol

[mediaspin360]

Originally Posted by Jusselin

you never mentioned that lol

sorry....oops....it is the end of Friday.....

[Jusselin]

Originally Posted by mediaspin360

sorry....oops....it is the end of Friday.....

w3rd

[revjvegas]

museum putty

[CaptainTom]

Why not use the fishing line ?
Are you looking for something like this ?

[revjvegas]

that red-dot scope looks like a similar one I have on my pellet gun

[mediaspin360]

Originally Posted by CaptainTom

Why not use the fishing line ?
Are you looking for something like this ?

Yes! Except the rifle is 5 times heavier...I rather have it sit on something...

I doubt museum putty can hold it but I will definitely try that.

[WarrenG]

+1 on the fishing line (10 - 12lbs flurocarbon as it has no stretch). Try tying off at 3 sections to a heavy duty boom arm to suspend it (a backdrop kit will work too).

[MrBeta]

Those are some sexy pics. I never thought of monoline.

[CaptainTom]

the line is very easy to photoshop out.

the line will take more weight than the boom arm, so using something more secure would work fine for a rifle.

[LANCE B.]

I frequently photograph rifles with more crap hanging off the rails than any man (or woman) should have to carry. The mono will hold if spaced out to distribute the weight and is a common way to photograph them. I'll also use an improvised light table with the rifle sitting on spotless plexi (a major pita) with the background about 24 inches below it. That will give you a suspended look. Or just green screen it. I've use mud occasionally but it really doesn't work well because it leave a grease smudge on the prop and background.

[Jusselin]

Originally Posted by mediaspin360

Yes! Except the rifle is 5 times heavier...I rather have it sit on something...

I doubt museum putty can hold it but I will definitely try that.

what rifle is it? a .50 cal, some 20 lbs test should do the Job

[MrBeta]

Originally Posted by LANCE B.

I've use mud occasionally but it really doesn't work well because it leave a grease smudge on the prop and background.

Forgive my ignorance but is mud something special or is it the mixture of dirt and water?

[David_3]

I just set it it on a piece of white foam core/poster board/paper, and start shooting.

[MrBeta]

David, do you have any pullback shots? I'd love to see your setup.

[David_3]

Originally Posted by MrBeta

David, do you have any pullback shots? I'd love to see your setup.

I don't, but the set up is very simple. Since I don't have a large sheet of seamless paper, I use several pieces of white poster board and foam core board, and just lay them out on my living room floor, and then lay the rifle on top of them. I have even used a few sheets of ink jet paper, to fill in any few gaps. The windows provide natural light, and I "feather" the venetian blinds until I get a nice soft lighting effect. I don't use a flash at all. I use a good tripod, stop down for max DOF, and use long exposure times. Then during post processing, I clone out any seams that are visible in the white paper. And that's it.

It's pretty easy, really. If I can do it, anyone can.

[MrBeta]

Thanks, I'll have to give it a shot. *Pun intended*

[CaptainTom]

K.I.S.S. keep it simple....

mine were done with a simple umbrella shot into a corner for a light box effect.

Don't try to complicate things by adding extra flashes, etc. just get enough light on the subject and shoot. Nice thing about a rifle is that it doesn't get tired, doesn't make faces, and shows up on time.

[mediaspin360]

great advises. I will definitely try the 10 - 12 lbs fluorocarbon. I did try with regular fishing lines but I think the lines were so visible in high resolution that it obstruct the top grid lines when I was shooting the top view of the riffle. I guess there is going to be a lot of Photoshop involved.