Scouts, bases and (bad) pictures

Ok, first thing first. I still don't know how to use my camera. The first picture is a lot more closer to what the figures look like than the second. As for anyone who has being following my blog probably knows, I like to paint with high contrast and the second picture is a bit too much washed out for my taste. I will have to play a bit more with the settings.

But here is the question, which one of the two bases looks better? The initial version that is quite shiny -I like the wet mud look, it really set out of the figures in my humble opinion- or the second version with the tufts?

What have we learned:

What worked well:

• hmm, sometimes less is more. Do we really need all worked out, pumped up bases?
• Put the focal of the lens at the highest (here it was F8, it works wonder to have all the figures in focus and not just the helmet of the first guy and all the rest blurred

What didn't work:

• Light, for Pete' sake, I need to make a effort to have light from everywhere. Easier said than done
• Iso settings. Word is to set it at the highest with the slowest shutter. Well, I have news for myself: it did not work! It just washes out the pics.