Macro Warfare: Photographing 6mm Units with a Samsung Phone

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Macro Warfare: Photographing 6mm Units with a Samsung Phone

Macro Warfare: Photographing 6mm Units with a Samsung Phone

One of the biggest challenges with 6mm wargaming isn't painting the figures—it's proving to the world how good they look! When you are dealing with a 24-figure infantry battalion or a tiny 3-gun artillery battery, a standard "point and shoot" approach often results in a blurry mess.

I use a Samsung smartphone for all my project photos. While professional DSLRs are great, most modern Samsung Galaxy phones have incredible "Pro" features that are perfect for macro photography if you know how to unlock them.

1. Use "Pro Mode" - Not Photo Mode

The standard 'Photo' mode on Samsung tries to be too smart; it often uses artificial bokeh (background blur) that eats the edges of your 6mm bayonets.

  • Open your Camera app and tap More > Pro.
  • Manual Focus: Tap the 'Focus' icon (the square) and move the slider. This allows you to lock the focus exactly on the front rank of your Baccus figures rather than the grass tufts in front of them.

2. The "Optical Zoom" Trick

Don't get too close! If you put your phone 2 inches away from a 12-figure cavalry unit, you will create a shadow and distort the image.

Instead, stand back about 12 inches and use your 2x or 3x Optical Zoom. This flattens the image, making your battle lines look straight and heroic, just like the maps in Christopher Duffy’s books.

3. Lighting is Your Overall Commander

Shadows are the enemy of 6mm detail. Because the figures are so small, deep shadows make them look like unpainted blobs.

  • Avoid the Flash: It will wash out the colours and create harsh glints on metallic bayonets.
  • Side Lighting: Use two desk lamps from the sides to "cross-light" the unit. This highlights the raised detail on the Baccus sculpts.

A side-by-side comparison of a Baccus Cavalry block taken with Auto-mode vs Pro-mode

Macro Warfare: Photographing 6mm Units with a Samsung Phone Pro-mode

Pro-mode

 Macro Warfare: Photographing 6mm Units with a Samsung Phone Auto-mode

Auto-mode

4. Stable Platforms

Even a tiny hand tremor looks like an earthquake at this scale. If you don't have a tripod, prop your Samsung up against a stack of wargaming books. Use the 2-second timer so the phone has stopped shaking from your touch before the shutter clicks.

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