Taking your own reference photos!- Tips and sharing?

animesock52 2017-04-20 20:45:38 UTC #1

Photo References for Creators?

I wasn't sure as to what category to put this is in. It's kind of a question, but more of a future topic idea.

My thoughts-
I don't know if you do, but I like taking and using my own reference photos. I often indirectly reference, trace, or make effects out of my photos. I went through all my vacation photos, and put together a collection of photos ranging from landscapes to objects. I may use stock photos, but I never feel comfortable even thinking of tracing those, free or not. I just get the idea of something from those.

So, what I am I suggesting?
Well, I know, even though I know I can do a background on my own no problem, its incredibly time consuming, and I just don't enjoy it. However, going through all the terms of conditions of every photo online is crazy. And not all of us can travel to get a better variety of photos.

So, what if we had a thread where people shared their own reference photos {ones they too}? Ones you are willing to share. Perhaps, noteing on each, whether you are or are not ok for commercial use. As well as- indirect reference, or tracing allowed. Credit? no Credit. Not sure about exactly the set up. This would mean making our own stock photo section, with a library put together by the community here.

If this already exsists I'm so sorry. I'm new here O_O....

Heck 2017-04-20 23:54:19 UTC #2

Same here, backgrounds are so time-consuming that makes my life much easier just to have a skeleton.
For house interiors I like to just make them myself in Sims 2, but I also use reference photos for color and lighting ideas.
For outdoor stuff I use sketchup, but I'm currently looking for something better. I live in Chicago so I can get some shots myself, but for things like grass and flowers I have to look elsewhere. For lanscapes I just lightly reference a random stock photo, but without making it look like a copy.

I personally don't care if someone uses a reference photo I made, but as an artist I would love a resource of free references we could share with each other for our projects!

jiany0u 2017-04-21 01:04:33 UTC #3

Making interiors in Sims, what a brilliant idea! Definitely stealing that one.

miesmud 2017-04-21 10:48:37 UTC #4

I too use sims for some interiors, and use google maps for outside scenes in the city. I don't live in nor near a big city, so it's not possible to take my own pictures. And I kinda like to have places that really exist. Maybe someone will recognize where my characters are

animesock52 2017-04-21 12:20:36 UTC #5

@Heck I'd love city shots. I only go up to the city once every couple of years. It's all pine trees for me down here in the heart of Georiga. -_- pines trees then more pine trees and even more....at least we have cherry blossom trees here.
Yeah, I think a stock photo collection here would be so cool ^-^ people could share and we could build our reference collections.

@miesmud Do lots of people use Sims? Oh! I never thought of using google maps/earth. May try that!
Yeah people reconizing places would be cool esspecially for a real world setting. You have to manipulate references so much when doing fantasy -_-