Decal sheets

[Scipio]

Just because the game is played on a tabletop doesn't mean you have to take the photos there. Given that you have a nice starfield playing surface, and assuming that it isn't the actual surface of the table, could you put the starfield on the floor while you take your photos?

I could place boxes and stuff under the camera to elevate it but I think my hand is steady enough...it's the focus problem that is the main reason I think.

What type of camera do you have? There's probably a limit to how close its macro setting can focus. Set the camera a bit further back and to highest resolution, take a photo which extends a lot further round than the ships and asteroids, then use your choice of photo editing software to crop it down to the interesting bit.

And ithe camera may have "intelligent focus", meaning it will try to pick focus from a range of positions around the frame. You should be able to disable this to force the camera to focus on the centre.

I have disabled it and set it to focus on the center, however it still seems like it is still not focusing on the center object but instead always on the upper left instead.
I take the pictures in 3264x2448 dpi.

I have a Canon Digital IXUS 860 IS

 

[AdrianH]

IMG_0252.jpg looks most sharp on the engines of the left Nova; IMG_0253.jpg looks sharpest on the asteroid behind the Nova. Both are 1024x768 resolution - did you crop them or just shrink them from the original 3264x2448?

How far away from the lens is the Nova in each shot? I've found reviews of the Ixus 860IS (known on the other side of the Atlantic as the SD 870IS, wouldn't it be nice if Canon at least kept the same number ) which indicate that it won't focus below 1.2".

The other thing about macro photography is that depth of field is extremely limited - you may very well be able to focus on one end of the Nova and have the other end out of focus!

And have you switched on the camera's image stabilisation?

 

[Scipio]

I have resized the images to 1024.
The distance were around 6-8 inches I guess.

Well if I didn't find any setting for stabilisation but if I find it I will.

 

[AdrianH]

Strange - 6" to 8" should be well within the camera's macro range, provided you didn't try to zoom in.

The setting for image stabilisation (IS) should be in the same menu as the one for disabling "intelligent" focus.

 

[Scipio]

No zoom.
I will search the menus when I get home.

 

[Scipio]

Anyone with an idea of a good spot to place the ship name on the Avenger?

 

[l33tpenguin]

Thats a good question... I'm not so sure myself I have a single avenger (my fleet is very lacking in carrier support...) and am probably going to modify it so it looks better. Its a dumb little ship, IMO. I plan on building at least a tower on top the hull similar to the ones on the Sags. I will probably build up a section to put the name tag on with that. otherwise I'd say put it along the hangers toward the front, maybe either file out a section or lay down a strip of green stuff to make a 'name plate'

 

[Scipio]

Yeah, I were thinking the same. On the front next to the door.
Good idea about green stuffing a nameplate place, I will steal it as the spot is not useable as it is.