Archive for category General
Finally, New Photos!
Posted by NockerGeek in General on March 8, 2010
I finally got a chance to play around with both my new camera and the lightbox I recently purchased. One of my delays was completely accidental; when I first set up the lightbox for a test, one of the lights tumbled to the floor, breaking the 50W bulb inside. Fortunately, it was a standard size, so I was able to order an inexpensive replacement. I would’ve been a bit upset if I’d just ruined my new investment. I’m happy with the results, though. It’s leaps and bounds beyond what I could do with my old camera and a desk lamp.
I did have to do some color correction, as the images came out with a distinct yellow hue. Whether that’s due to the lights, the white balance I had set on the camera, the blue backdrop throwing off the image, or all three combined, I’m not sure. This is a higher level of photography than what I’m used to, so there’s a bit of a learning curve. Still, once the colors were adjusted, everything was true to life.
If anything, the one downside of these images is that they’re so good. Every imperfection becomes visible, especially on the earlier minis and models I assembled. Unfiled mold lines and overgluing spots that aren’t as prominent in lower-quality images jump out in the new pictures, and painting errors become readily apparent. It’s not frustrating, though; it’s just encouragement to do better the next time around.
So, expect more photos in the coming weeks, as I get more of my Tau army photographed, as well as more WIP pictures of my Khorne CSMs!
Testing out our new camera
Posted by NockerGeek in General on February 11, 2010
Lately, I’ve been doing all my photography with my iPhone’s camera. It does a fair job, but it’s not a huge improvement over the old HP camera we have, a relic of the days when a 2-megapixel camera was luxurious. Thanks to a fortuitous deal on Woot, though, we were able to upgrade to a nice 10-megapixel Polaroid. The above picture is a sample of what it can put out. I’m very happy – and a bit embarassed. A good camera can highlight all the flaws in a miniature: the unfiled moldlines, the imprecise edging, and so on. If anything, though, it’s incentive to up my game and do better on the next minis.
One thing I’m still working out is my lighting situation. I’ve got a desk lamp and a shop light that I use, and it does an alright job. I’m still playing around with the right white balance settings, and I have photo editing software to play with the color levels. I’d really like to set up a lightbox, whether purchased or put together on the cheap, because I think even, diffuse light would really help. In the meantime, though, I think I’ll be taking some new army pictures over the next week or so.
Taking a week off
Posted by NockerGeek in General on February 3, 2010
After the flurry of activity to get ready for the tournament, and the impromptu repair work that followed, I’m enjoying a week off from assembling and painting minis. The week is starting to wind up, though, so it’s time to plot out what I’ll be painting in February. Since it’s a short month, and there’s a lot going on, I think I might keep it simple. Since I have 1500 points of Chaos Marines primed and ready to go, I’ll be starting off with my first squad of Khorne Berzerkers. There’s only eight to a squad in my list, so I should be able to polish them off relatively quickly. I’m looking forward to this – I haven’t painted power armor in almost a dozen years, and I’ve never painted any Chaos figs, so this will really be something new. Hopefully, the results will look halfway-decent! I’m used to painting smooth, clean Tau, not gothic-style Chaos with all their arrows and spikes and other pointy bits.
At the same time, I’ll probably be working on assembling my other Chaos army. There’s no timetable on that, so it’ll be bits and pieces here and there. I’m still torn between going Black Legion – an easy choice with what I have – and going with a Tzeentch-themed army. I don’t know if I have enough minis to do both (and I’ll definitely need more Rhinos for either). Decisions, decisions…
40k Resolutions for 2k10
Posted by NockerGeek in General, Warhammer 40K on December 31, 2009
A new year (and depending on when you start counting them, a new decade) is almost upon us, which means it’s New Year Resolution time. Like any good gamer/hobbyist, I have a few that cover my hobby of choice. What are my plans for 2010?
- Get in at least two games a month. Right now, I’m averaging around a game every two months. I need to flip that around. Part of it will be clearing out blocks of my own time (such as putting down the Xbox controller from time to time), part of it will be trying to get games in with friends, and part of it will be going out and seeking games with other local playgroups. Sadly, KC doesn’t have a Battle Bunker, or even a GW store, but there are plenty of Friendly Local Game Stores where games of 40k can be had.
- Paint at least 3000 points of minis. I’ve got around 1000-1500 points of Tau minis remaining to paint in various stages of completion. Beyond that, I have my 1500-point Khorne CSM army. I’d like to get both completely painted by year’s end. I figure I can do 300 points a month, with two months off to cover some slacking time. I’m also considering keeping a tally of minis painted, similar to lone pilgrim‘s painting points. I think it’ll help keep me accountable and motivated.
- Get a second Chaos Space Marine army together. I’ve only assembled less than half of my Chaos collection. I still have more than enough minis (minus a few Rhinos) to make a second solid Chaos Marine force. I’m thinking Black Legion, since I have Abaddon, some Terminators, 3 Obliterators, and a bunch of generic CSMs that would look great in black and gold.
- Set up my own gaming table. Right now, I have no space to play at home. I have to play at shops, or at my friend Dennis’s house. I’d like to have my own playspace, with my own table and terrain. Of course, that ties into one of my non-40k resolutions: move into a new, bigger house. We aimed for 2009 and failed, but 2010 looks to be the year we make it happen.
- Make blog posts more frequently. If I can do the four things above, this one should work itself out.
- Be more active in the online 40k community. I have accounts on various 40k-related forums, but I rarely post on any of them. I might not be able to keep track of all of them equally, but I’d like to at least become a regular poster on a couple of them. Just like with the blog posts, if I can keep active in the hobby, I should have no lack of subject for posting.
So, there’s my plans for 2010. When the end of the year comes around again, we’ll see how I did!
Two weeks of fewer distractions
Posted by NockerGeek in General on October 20, 2009
My laptop stopped being able to recognize its own power supply last week, so this weekend it was shipped back to Dell for repairs. This leaves me with an empty desk and fewer distractions to keep me from getting miniature work done. I actually managed to finish my Defiler over the weekend, so I’ve got a good start on things. Tonight I may work on my Raptors, although I’m hoping I can get them together without pinning them – I don’t currently have a drill bit fine enough to pin small pieces.
I’d like to get the Raptors done, as well as getting the rest of my 1000-point Khorne army based, by the weekend. It’s fall now, and before long it will be too cold outside to prime minis. I have to prime soon, or otherwise I’ll be left with bare metal and plastic until spring. Priming inside is a no-go; my wife is too sensitive to the fumes from spray paint to even use the garage. I’ve heard good things about priming with gesso, though, so that’s a possibility for the winter. I think that for my Chaos armies, I’m going to go with grey rubble with the occasional shard of blood-red crystal poking out. I’ve wanted to do some crystals on a base ever since I saw this beautiful Eldar jetbike, and my Chaos Space Marines give me a perfect opportunity to try it out.
I’m also hoping to get back onto my painting schedule this week or next; I have a Hammerhead waiting for some fresh paint!
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