2023 Traditional Resolutions

OldHercDude said:
Lighting for photos is a deep enough subject there are books dedicated to the task. I still have a huge amount to learn about lighting, especially controlling unwanted light & reflections. And I'm still a piker compared to some here on the board. Keeping it as simple as possible...

Your older camera has a limited dynamic range and poor low-light performance compared to current cameras. Doesn't mean you can't get decent photos. 9mp is great for web use IMHO. Good light and learning to get proper exposures will allow you to get the best images out of that camera. A tripod will also help. And learning how to set and use the release timer so vibrations from pressing the shutter have time to settle before the photo is snapped will help quite a bit with sharpness. Learning how to match your camera's white balance to the lighting you're using will ensure more correct colors. Learning when to use evaluative, center-weighted or spot metering and being able to adjust the exposure can give better results than auto.

Point lights like a bare bulb cast harsher shadows than a broader light source. They also cause strong specular reflections on shiny objects.

Distance between light source and subject affects brightness, lighting from the side can cause one side of the image to look dimmer (inverse square law applies to lighting).

Natural light is good. Taking a photo by a window on an overcast day and using a reflector to bounce light back to the subject can make for some nice even lighting. Opaque window coverings can cut harshness of window light. Blinds can be used to create creative lighting.

Bounce light is much less harsh than direct light from a bare bulb. Bouncing light off a white ceiling down onto your subject for tabletop stuff works, but it takes quite a bit of light.

You can spend little or no cash and get better lighting. Poster board and foam core board can be used as back drops, sweeps, reflectors and light blocks to help control unwanted reflections. Simple and inexpensive light boxes can be built using a cardboard box and tissue paper/ opaque materials, lit by 2 or 3 desk lamps and using a strip of poster board for a sweep. These can produce decent product shots. Plenty of photos and 'tube vids on making a DIY light box. Here's one:

Don't be afraid to use everyday stuff as light, backdrops, surfaces, and props. I've taken shots of things on a glossy white paint washing machine, crinkle black paint microwave, floor tiles.... Also taken shots with a black poster board sweep and an LCD computer monitor as the only light source in the room at night. Until I splurged for a couple of proper lights, stands and softboxes a few years ago I used everything from natural light to flashlights, desk lamps and aluminum dish work lights with some cheap light modifiers. Currently have a way too cluttered space and am limited to one light and a small surface for photos.

Probably already a bit much for this thread. Some good advise over in Photo Discussion, especially the Quick Setup Tips thread: https://www.bladeforums.com/forums/photography-discussion.847/
Click to expand...
Gordon, I apologize for my much-belated reply to your fantastically detailed post containing photo tips! I really appreciate the time and effort you must have invested in that post! :thumbsup::cool::cool::thumbsup:

Some of your suggestions are currently "way over my head", but most of them are things that I think I understand and can experiment with (and maybe do some research on to get a better understanding). You mentioned eliminating vibrations from pressing the shutter button, and I can attest that my photo quality made a quantum increase when I started using a 2-second delay between pressing shutter button and actual shutter release. I must be some kind of spastic, whole-body button pusher because my photos were never in focus until I started using the delay that gave me a chance to get myself still between button push and shutter release.

My daughter gave me a gift (Jelly Comb Video Conference Lighting Kit) last month for Christmas/birthday that has 112 LEDs (half white, half orange??) in 8 rows of 14 LEDs in a panel that's about 7" x 12" and has a translucent mask/diffuser I can snap on over the LED array. It's obviously designed for lighting video conferencing etc. But I want to try it for some of the lighting methods you mentioned. The display is also adjustable in terms of both brightness and "temperature" (I don't understand that yet).

My wife also has numerous Ott lights, which are a brand of light that is supposed to provide a light that replicates daylight/sunlight. She uses them when she's working on various crafts. I want to try using them as illumination for a DIY light box.

Anyway, thanks for expanding my horizons related to indoor knife photos. I hope you have a splendid 2023!

- GT
 
5K Qs said:
Gordon, I apologize for my much-belated reply to your fantastically detailed post containing photo tips! I really appreciate the time and effort you must have invested in that post! :thumbsup::cool::cool::thumbsup:

Some of your suggestions are currently "way over my head", but most of them are things that I think I understand and can experiment with (and maybe do some research on to get a better understanding). You mentioned eliminating vibrations from pressing the shutter button, and I can attest that my photo quality made a quantum increase when I started using a 2-second delay between pressing shutter button and actual shutter release. I must be some kind of spastic, whole-body button pusher because my photos were never in focus until I started using the delay that gave me a chance to get myself still between button push and shutter release.

My daughter gave me a gift (Jelly Comb Video Conference Lighting Kit) last month for Christmas/birthday that has 112 LEDs (half white, half orange??) in 8 rows of 14 LEDs in a panel that's about 7" x 12" and has a translucent mask/diffuser I can snap on over the LED array. It's obviously designed for lighting video conferencing etc. But I want to try it for some of the lighting methods you mentioned. The display is also adjustable in terms of both brightness and "temperature" (I don't understand that yet).

My wife also has numerous Ott lights, which are a brand of light that is supposed to provide a light that replicates daylight/sunlight. She uses them when she's working on various crafts. I want to try using them as illumination for a DIY light box.

Anyway, thanks for expanding my horizons related to indoor knife photos. I hope you have a splendid 2023!

- GT
Click to expand...

No worries.

As for camera movement, it doesn't take much movement at all to cause an image to lose sharpness, slightly more to be really fuzzy.

Light type has a color temp, expressed in degrees Kelvin. A couple of examples - tungsten (incandescent) is approximately 3000K, daylight approximately 5500K, twilight approximately 10000K. Sometimes the auto feature on the camera does a decent job match the light. Sometimes... not so much. Mismatched color temps can cause weird colorations, or can be used for special effect. Photos of the moon are normally taken at daylight settings (reflected sunlight), but if you use the tungsten setting you get a blue moon. Making sure the camera is set to the same type of light as the color temp of the lights will get more accurate color.

As I mentioned, lighting can be a deep subject. There's a book called Light - Science and Magic that does a deep dive into lighting for photography. If you're bored or really interested, your local library might (maybe) have a copy.

Thanks for the well-wishes, and may you and your family have a most wonderful year.
 
Well, de-cluttering is still on-going. Hopefully to be mostly done by June.

Have already made some changes to my list of keep/ trade/ gift/ sell knives. 🤣
 
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