How to photograph 10mm miniatures with a phone and lightbox
See earlier miniature photographs beside our current images, with Armoured Trolls, Orc Rabble and the Witch Emperor. Learn how surrounding LEDs, adjustable lightbox brightness and a steady phone help you check shadows and painted detail before preparing the final web image.
Updated 7 min read10mm
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For clearer photographs of 10mm miniatures, start with the lighting. Our V4 photo sessions use a professional lightbox with LEDs around the subject and adjustable brightness. That gives us a repeatable way to light the paintwork, check the small details and photograph the model at several light levels before choosing the final image.
You can test the same approach with the phone you already have. Keep the phone, framing and model position fixed while you change the light. The before-and-after examples below show our photography developing towards the current lightbox setup: Morghei Armoured Trolls, an Orc Rabble command stand and the Witch Emperor on Alpha Arcteroptix.
- Main improvement
- Even light around the model
- Lightbox feature
- Several brightness settings
- Camera
- A phone held steady
- Method
- Repeat the composition at different light levels
The comparisons below show earlier camera photographs beside our current images. Lighting, angle, framing and preparation changed between sessions. These are finished web images. The selected troll group is an AI-assisted composite, and the Orc Rabble image has AI-assisted straightening and preparation. They illustrate our chosen presentation, rather than a controlled lighting comparison. Judge lighting, focus and fine painted detail in the original camera files before editing.
What changed in our V4 photographs?
V4 is our current lightbox photography reference. The useful change is the control it gives us over the light. LEDs around the shooting area illuminate the subject from several directions, helping us avoid a bright front with a dark side, or a face disappearing beneath a helmet.
The aim is an evenly lit model with readable detail. Keep the natural shading that gives a sculpt its shape, while reducing hard cast shadows and large unlit patches. The dark recess beneath an armour plate should still look like a recess; the painted surface beside it should remain visible.
A lightbox also keeps the shooting space consistent. Once the phone and backdrop are in position, we can photograph a model again at another brightness setting, then use the same setup for the next miniature.
Which lightbox features matter for 10mm miniatures?
- Light from several directions. Look for an LED arrangement that lights the model around its sides as well as from above. Check the face, the base and the side facing away from the camera.
- Adjustable brightness. Several levels let you test how much light suits a particular paint scheme. If the box lets you switch separate LED groups on and off, you can test those combinations too.
- Soft, consistent illumination. Use the box's diffuser as intended. Keep the light colour consistent during a series so a change in colour temperature does not become another variable.
- Room for the whole subject. Leave space for raised weapons, banners and wings, plus enough distance for the phone to focus. Keep complete bases inside the composition.
The professional lightbox is the central tool in this setup, but its controls matter more than a brightness number on a specification sheet. Choose the setting from the photograph: are the painted details visible, and do the pale and metallic areas still have texture?
Our repeatable lightbox method
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Step 1: Prepare the lightbox and model
Clean the backdrop and remove loose flock or dust around the base. Set up the surrounding LEDs and diffuser. Place the model where it has light from several directions, with room around its base and tallest details.
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Step 2: Fix the phone and composition
Use a stable phone support. Frame the whole model or stand, then check focus on the painted subject. Keep the phone position and chosen lens setting unchanged for the brightness test. Move back if the phone cannot focus clearly at the distance you have chosen.
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Step 3: Photograph several brightness levels
Take the same composition at a few of the lightbox's available settings. Keep the model in place between shots. If you test different LED groups, note which groups were on, as well as the brightness setting. These are practical test steps, not fixed percentages that every lightbox must use.
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Step 4: Check shadows and highlights
Compare the photographs at the same size. Look beneath helmets and weapons, along the sides of the model and around the base. Then inspect pale paint and metal: if those areas have become featureless white patches, try a lower light level or reduce the camera's exposure.
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Step 5: Choose the clearest photograph
Check the image on a larger screen as well as on the phone. Keep the version that shows the paintwork clearly across the subject. The brightest file does not automatically contain the most useful detail.
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Step 6: Record the setup and repeat it
Note the phone position, framing, lightbox setting and LED arrangement. Photograph the next model from that starting point, then adjust the brightness if its paintwork needs a different level. Keeping a short setup note makes the next session easier to reproduce.
Before and after: Morghei Armoured Trolls
The Morghei Armoured Trolls combine pale skin with dark armour and metallic edges. Check that the light reaches the face and the body around the armour, while the metal retains its painted highlights.
A single overall brightness judgement can miss part of a sculpt. Inspect the areas beneath raised arms and the darker armour separately from the lighter skin. The lighting should make both surfaces readable without making them look like the same material.
Before and after: Orc Rabble
The Morghei Orc Rabble command stand puts several small figures close together. Frame the whole stand and inspect each figure, including the ones beside the banner and at the back. A well-lit front figure can hide the fact that another part of the stand needs more light.
Keep the stand in the same place while testing brightness. Moving it between photographs changes which figures shade one another, making the light settings harder to compare.
Before and after: the Witch Emperor
The Morghei Witch Emperor on Alpha Arcteroptix has a much wider silhouette. Give the wings enough space inside the lightbox and check the rider, mount and base as well as the broad wing surfaces.
A larger model may need another brightness setting or a different position within the box. Use the recorded setup as a starting point, then judge the photograph against the actual paintwork.
What should you check before keeping the final photograph?
| Check | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Fine detail | Faces, armour edges, rope, weapons and painted marks remain distinct. |
| Light coverage | The sides and base remain visible, with no large unlit patch hiding the work. |
| Pale and metallic paint | Highlights retain detail instead of becoming blank white areas. |
| Framing | The intended subject, base and important weapons or wings fit inside the picture. |
| Repeatability | The light level and setup are recorded so you can use them again. |
Use a modest crop to present the photograph clearly. Keep colour and exposure adjustments consistent with the real model. A web export should preserve the paintwork and surface finish shown in the camera photograph.
Keep improving the setup
We will keep this guide current as our studio photography develops. V4 is the present lightbox reference. A future update should bring a clearer final photograph or a useful change to the method, with the source shot and setup recorded so the improvement can be explained.
For your next session, start with the phone you already use, light the miniature from around the subject, then repeat the shot at several brightness levels. Pick the result by the detail you can see.
Exclusive Discord invite: chat with the two of us behind Scale Command and give feedback on the guide.
Questions and answers
- How do you take clear photos of 10mm miniatures with a phone?
- Start with even light around the model and hold the phone steady. A lightbox with surrounding LEDs and adjustable brightness gives you a repeatable setup. Keep the same composition while trying several light levels, then compare the photographs for visible detail, dark patches and overexposed highlights.
- Why does the lightbox need several brightness settings?
- Different paint schemes and model shapes can suit different light levels. Adjustable brightness lets you repeat the same photograph with more or less light, then choose the version that keeps the details visible. Check pale skin, dark armour and metallic paint separately before settling on one setting.
- Where should the LEDs be inside a miniature photography lightbox?
- Use an arrangement that lights the subject from several directions, including its sides and upper surfaces. Check for large unlit patches around faces, equipment and bases. Use the lightbox diffuser as intended, and keep enough natural shading for the sculpt to retain its shape in the photograph.
- What should you record so you can repeat the setup?
- Record the lightbox brightness setting, which LED groups were on, the phone position and the framing or lens setting. Keep a reference photograph with those notes. Use that setup as a starting point next time, then check whether a different paint scheme needs another light level.
- Do you need a new phone to improve miniature photographs?
- Test the lighting and camera position with the phone you already have first. Hold it steady, check focus and repeat the same composition at several lightbox brightness levels. Keeping those variables controlled helps you judge the lighting before deciding whether a different camera would solve a remaining problem.
- What does V4 mean in this photography guide?
- V4 is the version name for our current lightbox photography reference. The guide uses armoured trolls, Orc Rabble and the Witch Emperor as examples, with edited web images labelled. Future updates will keep the method and selected images current as the studio setup develops.
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