Thorbard

I used to work to this, until I found out the reasoning. With 35mm film, a 50mm lens gives you a 'normal' photograph - that is, the same field of vision as the human eye. Way back when everyone used 35mm film with 50mm lenses and only a select few had any kind of adjustable lenses teaching that 1/60th was required is a simple rule. Nowadays, on the other hand, nearly everyone has a telephoto lens of some kind. I've got an 18-70mm on my SLR, my compact is 8-24mm, my dad has a 20-50mm, a 28-300mm and a 100-300mm. The Nikon P80 mentioned earlier has a built in lens with a 5-84mm focal

Right, this is getting complicated. Basically I was talking about shutter speeds the whole way through. I never thought you were talking about apertures. .25 is only a number which you yourself have discovered through experimentation. However this is not a good guide number for other people unless they are using the same camera as you. The shutter speed at which you can take a stable photograph is dependant on the focal length of the lens being used. If you have a telephoto (variable zoom) lens then the required shutter speed will vary depending on how 'zoomed in' you are. Try

More great advice. Regarding this: "If you do not have a tri-pod, this is definatley a nice one for the price and a recommended buy if you plan on doing longer exposures (anything longer than .25 seconds)." A tripod is definitely a great investment for any number of reasons. The magic number for stable exposures is 1/f where f is the focal length. That is, at 300mm you should shoot at 1/300th (1/250th, normally expressed as just 250, is probably the closest setting). If your camera or lens has image stabilization then you can go two to three stops better than this. From 250

When I first posted pictures of this rifle I was told the paint looked too clean and neat. That was because it was newly painted. Here it is about a month later: I'm tempted to add another colour or two to it at the moment. One that I'm thinking of is a grey-green. The other would be a darker green, probably about the same tone as the brown. Except, well, green. But not sure. I quite like it as it is.

Took some new pics of my CQBR today. Thougts?

Thought this might fit in here:

Find a way to support the rifle. Even get someone else to hold it while you take the photo. Much like trying to look through it to use the rifle, the angle you hold the camera at and eye relief are important for getting a clear picture. If you want the scope in focus as well as the objects downrange you're going to want a high f-stop, high shutter speed, but even then you might struggle to get it to focus on everything and get enough light in. Worth experimenting though.

Single best rule of digital photography. It costs nothing to take extras and delete poor photos.

Its a difficult topic. Most of my photography skill has been learnt over a long period of time, so practice is the thing you'll need most. Lighting wise, you want natural light, or an even artificial source - try not to mix different kinds of artificial lighting as this will effect the white balance, and make the colours look off. If you're forced to use flash then try diffusing it (attach a piece of thin paper to the flash lens) or bouncing it (if its an adjustable flash head). White paper or sheets can be used to reflect light onto the area - doesn't seem like much but it can make a big

The rail kit on the M16 is an SIR. The M4 length is pretty common in airsoft, full length not so much. Loosely based on a blackwater rifle but mainly just coz I liked it. I'm undecided on a 3rd colour. My first thought was that it needed another colour (I've got a grey-green in mind) but I do like it as just two colours. And the paint is actually a satin finish, which makes it look more shiny in the pictures. Its not so much in real life. Its a brand new paintjob though. Give it till after my game tomorrow and see the difference.

Just a couple:

Not the best lighting in the world, but I'm happy enough with the photos to post them. (Clickable thumbnails)

A few posing after the last game.

They're often braided around side release buckles (3/4 inch) to secure them. Easier to get on and off than a button. Oh, and they're commonly used as an easy way to carry a length of paracord for part of a survival kit.

Not quite enough natural light, but didn't want to switch to using flash. Can't see anything particularly wrong with the ones I linked though.