Need some input for making an old Winchester Calendar

[Win 38-55]

Bruce, to get nice lighting, I do not use a flash. Instead I use available lighting. However, daylight tends to be a little too blue and tungsten bulbs tend to be a little to warm or yellow. For the '86 shot, I laid it on the pool table, directly under some tungsten bulbs, but near a window. I then orient the gun so that I do not get reflection off it. For outdoor shots, I prefer overcast days and warm up the digital settings, or I shoot under the shade of a tree and arrange my body so that it blocks most of the reflection. Basically, I mess around with available light until I get a shot with a minimum of reflection.

Here's a couple of revolver examples:

In this first one, it was sunny, but I leaned over the revolver to put it in the shade and block out the blue sky directly over head. The shot is of an original S&W Schofield made in 1876

This shot below was made on the pool table again, but with daylight coming through the window. The revolver is an original S&W 2nd Model American made in 1873:

The next two are of the same sixgun taken under just tungsten light, but with two different settings of 'warmness' on the digital camera.

 

[H4831]

Yes, I have used most of those tricks, but I thought you may be using some type of light box for the closer up shots. I have long been a preacher of natural light. I always say the best lighting for portraits is outdoors on a overcast day. It should be that you can see where the sun is, but can easily look at it.
For detail on small objects I like a day with heavy fog. Here is an example, an old Ham radio taken oustide in the fog, looking west in the morning.
Trouble is in this country we get very little heavy fog, so haven't been able to get a good detailed shot of the S&W. I still think you handle the glare excellently.

 

[Win 38-55]

Another thing I do is to put the gun under a big shade tree.

 

[MauserMike]

For smallish compositions, consider building yourself a light box. Easy to do with white PVC tubing to make the frame, and thick white material to drape over.

The resulting light is open and nearly shadowless. You only need colour balance for your light source. (normally tungsten for me)

 

[Fassteel]

Light box

Booth photographic market 2 portable light boxes 16 x 16x 16 and 28x28x28 with white and grey backdrops, as well as Chroma blue and green. These things retail for $79.00 for the 16 and about $110.00 for the 28. You can buy them in kits with lights and small stands and do some very nice digital close up work at home. FS

 

[josquin]

...
Here's a couple of revolver examples... The shot is of an original S&W Schofield made in 1876...]

Darn- no "drool" icon. I'd love to get one of the good reproductions of these. Beretta does a really nice slightly modernized one with a transfer bar so you can safely load all cylinders. Alas, double the price of the others. (Although likely quite a bit less than your original!)

As to photo resolution, if you've got 245 ppi you should be fine. Printers often request on the high side to be safe. My gf, who is a univ. prof in genetics, says that the publishers of technical journals insist on 600.

That is going to be a very fine calendar indeed. Nice work.

Stuart