Photography questions - about background

[Kilofix]

1. Is there somewhere that sells vertical backdrops / backgrounds (cardboard / cardstock, etc.) that depict 40K'ish environments and that can be placed behind minis when taking photos (as opposed to just a solid color)?

 

Looking for something larger like for a diorama.

 

I realize I can probably make my own by using an appropriate 40K book, or poster, etc. - but hey, I'm lazy and wondering if there are pre-fabs.

 

2. Alternatively, is there an easy way to do some sort of fog effect in the background (and foreground for that matter) without having to buy super expensive photo software and manually "paint" that in?

 

Thanks for the insights!

[Warsmith Aznable]

You can use GIMP, which is basically Photoshop that is free.

 

Using a photo manipulator like GIMP or PS you can remove the original background fairly easily, and drop the model onto an image of your choosing, such as futuristic scenes found on the internet with an image search. It looks a bit naff, though:

 

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j91/montismo/herjar-brotherinforest.jpg

[Gurth]

is there an easy way to do some sort of fog effect in the background (and foreground for that matter) without having to buy super expensive photo software and manually "paint" that in?

Use a cheaper photo editor. For what you want, you can use GIMP, as has been mentioned, or a relatively cheap photo editor such as Photoshop Elements, Pixelmator, or similar. There is absolutely no need to get a professional-grade program like Photoshop (the “full” one) unless you know what you’re doing requires it.

It looks a bit naff, though:

 

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j91/montismo/herjar-brotherinforest.jpg

It looks naff because your model doesn’t look like it’s part of the environment. A quick way to do this a bit better would be to light the model from approximately the same angle as the background, so its highlights and shadows form on the same side, and add a drop shadow to the model (either automatically or by drawing one in yourself) so it seems to be part of the scene.

[Kilofix]

Thanks guys!

[Warsmith Aznable]

It looks naff because your model doesn’t look like it’s part of the environment. A quick way to do this a bit better would be to light the model from approximately the same angle as the background, so its highlights and shadows form on the same side, and add a drop shadow to the model (either automatically or by drawing one in yourself) so it seems to be part of the scene.

 

I suppose that should have read, "It will look a bit naff if you don't plan your original photo to match a selected background and fully understand how to use the appropriate tools in the software." I only have a very basic understanding of Photoshop, having never taken any classes or anything.

[Gurth]

Formal education is overrated Just think of what you want to achieve and browse through the program to see if anything seems like it might work, then try it. If it doesn’t, undo (or step back through the history). If you can’t find what you’re after, try searching the internet — chances are good that someone else will have had the same question; the problem here is formulating it so you’ll get results you can use, but with that, too, a little experience goes a long way.

And an important tip: use layers. That way you can always chuck away a layer if it totally doesn’t work, without having to start all over on things that are the way you want them.