ToneTW wrote:... I just keep taking pictures and hope that the auto-focus hits the right part....
Maybe I can help a little. For me it was always very bad to take photos of my work. I had bought a new camera about 1 year ago. The first pictures were bad - light bad, autofocus has worked and then again not. Principle 'hope'!
Then I decided to buy a book about the camera. I have learned a lot. Today, I only work with manual focus. There are guide lines for nearly every camaras for the manual focus. These lines - at my camera red or yellow - are placed around the objects, which are currently 100% in focus. Just great. Thus, a sharp image no longer random.
Just look, if your camera also offers these help lines.
ToneTW wrote:The bit I'm most having trouble with is light,....
About light. Sunlight is of course the best. But when does that fit? So only artificial light remains. In the last pictures I learned that more light is better than too little. So spotlight on!
I have tried various artificial light sources. Today I do the photos exactly with the light, with which I also paint. Flare-free white light. With the lump lamp you can switch from 2 fluorescent tubes to 3 tubes. On 3 tubes I change when I take pictures. Light very close to the diorama. The distance is not 25 cm.
I'm still practicing.
But I think it's getting better with the photos. In any case, it is now more fun to take pictures!
I'm not sure if I could explain everything right, or whether the information somehow helps you. I hope, however.
Very nice to see everything! 
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