How to Take the Best Photos of Your Firearms

Social media, web forums, and other types of electronic media have provided firearms enthusiasts with an outlet to share images of their collection more conveniently than ever. But when you toss that new pistol on the kitchen table and snap a quick photo, you’ll get a flat, dull and uninteresting image. Or maybe you want to sell that old rifle online, and all you can get is a lifeless image without detail and depth, especially if you use that dreaded on-camera flash. Believe it or not, taking a decent photo isn’t as hard as you might think. In fact, it’s pretty easy.

Let’s walk through the essential ingredients for better photographs, from gathering the basic tools, setting up an impromptu studio to getting that perfect lighting. When done, you’ll be taking photos like a seasoned pro. Or, at the very least, better than your soon-to-be jealous friends.

Gear Up.

You don't need expensive cameras, lenses, strobe lights, and an army of tripods or light stands to get started. I’m guessing you have everything needed in the room you’re sitting in right now. A cellphone, a desk lamp and a neutral background can work wonders. If you can’t get a desk lamp, use the sun.

All the techniques I’ll discuss here apply with any type of camera, be it an expensive DSLR or an old(ish) cell phone. With today’s technology, anyone can do a great job. The most important thing with a camera is to meticulously clean the lens. So, get a pristine microfiber wipe and do some detail work. Otherwise, it’ll look like you’ve been taking fuzzy photos underwater. If your phone or camera has a built in flash, disable it. Nothing kills a good photo faster than direct light. If you have shaky hands, a tripod with a cellphone cradle will ensure sharper photos, but modern cellphones have internal stabilizers that help with that already.

A basic gooseneck desk lamp will provide decent indirect off-camera lighting. A cheap upgrade to a desk lamp would be a white paper towel, or an old white T-shirt to diffuse the light. Drape it over the light’s hood and secure it with tape or a rubber band. Make sure there’s space between the bulb and the diffuser to avoid heating up the material and for proper light diffusion. By diffusing the light, the shadows will be softer, and the details will look more natural. Make sure there’s no printing on your chosen diffuser, or you’ll get unwanted colors projected on your subject. Make sure the bulb is a low-temperature (most modern bulbs are), and you won’t burn the house down.

If the shadows are too strong, or you want to reveal detail in the shadows, you can build a “tent” with white card stock. Use the broad, flat, white shape to reflect light into the shadows as needed. If you need more light, add a second lamp.

Once you learn the basics, you can continue to grow your kit with more advanced hardware. Small LED panels are cheap and very effective. Since they run on batteries, you can take them anywhere. Strobes are great but take time to master.

Next thing you’ll need is a suitable background. This can be a sidewalk, a range shooting bench, an old shot-up road sign, or a dedicated studio. Your choice of background just needs to be stable. 

Studio Time.

Since guns and their accessories are relatively small items, a “studio” can be set up just about anywhere you can have control over light, wind and weather. For starters, a living room floor is a good place. Simply cover that carpet or wood floor with an old duffle bag, a sheet of weathered plywood, or even posterboard. Anything that extends past your framed shot will do. When shooting outside, wind will knock everything over quicker than you’d think. Dust gets everywhere too, so keep a lint-free shop towel handy.

For rifles, an open gun case on the floor will provide a great backdrop. Just remember not to make it too busy. Keep the main focus on the firearm. A spare bedroom desk can be an ideal space set aside for small creative work, because you can assemble everything while sitting in a chair and be more flexible with camera angles. Even a small desk leaves room for a desk lamp, props and a pistol.

Keep a can of compressed air and a couple soft brushes on hand. Wipe everything down with a lint-free towel, or microfiber cloth. Get all the fingerprints and visible oil off the firearm. The result of this effort can be dramatic. I spend at least 80% of my time prepping the firearm before I turn on a camera. As you can imagine, I have a whole arsenal of brushes, q-tips, cotton gloves and cleaning supplies. 

Master the Light.

The word photography means "drawing with light”. While that’s true in the technical sense, I say it’s more like “playing pool with light”. When playing pool, you strike a cue ball into a numbered ball, hopefully sending it into a chosen pocket. Ricocheting everything on the table with precision to reach a goal. With photography, think of your light source as a cue ball, the subject is the numbered ball and the pocket is the camera’s lens. You want to bank, or more precisely, reflect light off the firearm and into the camera. The challenge is to position those elements in concert, so you get a photo that pops.

The simplest way to do all of this is to place your subject on a desired background. Next, frame the subject with your camera and save that spot. Then, move the light, until it shines off the subject into your framed shot. With a black gun, you’ll see the effects quickly. You may need to adjust your composition slightly, but studio lighting is that simple. Lighting in this manner will provide amazing details that are impossible to capture with an on-camera light source.

Shooting outdoors? The most available form of light is the sun. Since you can’t move the sun, you’ll need to position the subject in a bank-shot between the sun and the camera. Start your initial setup with the sun on your face. Place the firearm at your feet and you’ll notice that sun is reflecting off the firearm. If not, you’ll quickly get there with a little shuffle. Overcast days are best, so you don’t get harsh shadows. A cheap white umbrella, or a bed sheet stretched out make great diffusers in a pinch. Avoid photos in the middle of the day. Mornings and late afternoon light can provide magic.

Remember, play pool with the light.

Composition is Key.

The best camera and lighting is worthless if you don’t understand composition. Good compositions tell a story, and a good story is interesting and memorable. Instead of a static pistol, add a couple spent cartridges and a target with a tight shot group. Maybe even a holster and some other gear in the shadows. Add ammo boxes, earpro, shooting glasses, maybe a range bag. Collect relevant items that illustrate that firearm’s capabilities. Try to envision what the photo will look like before you begin setting up. Don’t overdo the props. Keep it simple and justified as you can. Work sparingly and ensure it all makes sense. Each time before I take a single studio shot, I’ve already built the composition in my head. I have a huge library of props, ammo boxes and hardware to support just about any story. Trust me, the more often you do it, the easier it’ll get.

When aspiring photographers ask me for my number one tip, I simply tell them, “Learn to draw”. I’m a classically trained artist and believe that when you discipline yourself to create depth with shadow with a pencil or brush, doing the same with a camera and light is simple. In any art class, you’ll learn the “Rule of Thirds”. This is a framing principle that creates more balanced and engaging compositions. Sometimes, this off-center placement utilizes negative space effectively, serving to guide the viewer's eye across the scene, resulting in photographs that are more natural and livelier. But it doesn’t always work with “product” photography.

Lastly, try shooting at odd, unconventional angles. Nothing is more boring than a photo taken from eye-level. As a general rule, an image is more interesting if taken higher or lower than the normal line of sight. Get on a step ladder and aim the camera down at a shooter with a rifle. Or place pistol on the ground and take a photo while on your belly. And a centered horizon-line should be avoided. Crop it higher, or lower in the frame. Challenge the viewer to warp their minds a little, and they’ll stay engaged.

Fixing, I mean…Editing. Well, okay Fixing.

Even the best photos usually need a little help. You never see that fingerprint, or dust until the set is torn down. Learn your cellphone’s editing features. At the very least, this is where you can crop an image to be more interesting, or add some contrast. For action shots at the range, you can now remove unwanted items with a clone tool. Every one of my published images visited Photoshop at one point. In fact, I’ve been using Photoshop regularly since 1991, before that, we fixed photos using an airbrush. Editing tools can work wonders. Just don’t overdo it. Try to get as much done in the camera first.

So that’s really it. Hope you’ve gained some insights that’ll help you get better photos and tell your story in a unique way. See you on the web!

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