Experiments with a Quick and Dirty Lightbox. . .

Here is the new lightbox in action, constructed with several sheets of very cheap foamcore board.    More experimentation is needed to get optimum results, but the lightbox does seem to diffuse and distribute available light much better than without it.

Some quick fooling around with a new (very inexpensive) lightbox, cobbled together from several pieces of foamcore board, and my Sony Cybershot TX20 this afternoon.  You will have seen the figures pictured in previous posts, but they were handy.  I think I need a third light, or a reflector/diffuser of some sort, in the foreground because I keep casting a faint but discernible shadow with the camera.  The focus is a bit iffy in other photos that I haven't shared here, but that would be solved by pulling out the Gun of Naverone that I mentioned in a post a day or two ago. . .  The Sony Alpha100 Digital SLR camera.  Anyway, the pictures shared here in this post are the best of this latest crop.  They seem to be brighter and much more uniformly illuminated than earlier ones.  Say goodbye to Stollenian Noir!  What do you think?

Here is our Saxon Major General once more along surrounded by his small retinue of officers.  I really like this bunch of figures although I was a bit too heavy-handed with the turf.  Ground effects always look better if the dirt and tiny rocks are allowed to show through  somewhat more than is the case here.  What can I say?  I caught and was carried away by the Woodland Scenics-itis.  Maybe that can be treated with a shot in the tookus?  You know?  The wonders of modern medicine and all.

Here, these officers remind me of the Magnificent Seven -3 riding into town here.  Can't you just imagine Steve McQueen, Horst Bucholz, Charles Bronson, and Yul Brenner in mid-18th century officers' uniforms?

This shot would be really nice with some cropping and enlargement.

You get a slightly better view of the grey steed here.  I attempted some limited and subtle dappling on the horse's hindquarters, neck, and tummy.

And finally, another photograph of the most recently finished two-figure vignette.  Can you spot the tiny detail that I missed?  And don't you just hate it when that happens?  Funny what you notice after reviewing a few photographs.  As I always say to my writing students, (better) proofreading, editing, and revision are more than half the battle.  In any case, the groundwork is, I hope you will agree, much more nuanced and effective with this particular vignette.

These figures are not perfect by any stretch, but at "wargames distance," they look pretty darn good to my eyes.