Kevin,
Thanks for the nice comments. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
A lot of the secret of taking these types of pictures is with the lighting.
I use the following :-
Canon 1DMKII Digital SLR with EF 50mm Compact Macro Lens
Used with two Speedlight 550EX Flash units off camera with a ST-E2 unit to trigger them.
But and this is a big but.
Look closely at the light box. It's a spring out laundry basket from the pound shop :rotfl:
covered in a white sheet.
This setup with ANY digital camera and two fixed light sources. I.E. a couple of halogen desk lights will give similar results for very low cost. Just don't get them too near to anything flammable.
A pro light box looks better and may be larger but costs £80 or more.
This is a good way to start. You can also use it with daylight.
Use a tripod. You can then set very small apertures to give good depth of field.
This will make everything sharp from front to back. Then you can play with the setting to blur the backgrounds and stuff. Hours of fun.
Also use the self timer to avoid camera shake when you press the shutter button.
I started with film and moved to digital.
My other camera is a Canon G3 and this is great for product type still shots. Not so hot for moving aircraft though.
Try to get the best picture you can using the lighting and camera. You can play all day in photoshop but why bother if you get it spot on out of the camera.
I hope this helps?
Mark