Any Busse Daisho Out There?

Havoc550

Havoc550

Joined
Oct 9, 2011
Messages
758
Oh wait, I found one :D

PKN5mfq.jpg


I am about to use this camera for tamishigiri (my Japanese is so awesome, right?) if I can't get it to take better pics!! I was hoping to have more, but I either get washed out garbage or some spotlight effect like you see here. If anyone has any tips, let me know. I can do decent closeups, but if I am a few feet back, its total crap.
 
I have been known to take a pic or two, though not as often of knives as some of the Buses Ansel Adams artists.
Let me know what kind of camera you are using, and if you need help with indoor still life as above or if you are primarily concerned with a moving tamishgiri event. I also need to know if the tamishigiri is inside or outside.
For starters, not a bad effort. First issue is the lighting, it looks like you used a small flash which as you mention creates a harsh spotlight in the center and does not bring out the texture in the black blades toward the periphery; more even light will make the biggest difference. I would probably shoot the swords at eye/camera level. The blanket backdrop is not a bad ideal, but a color that will contrast the black blades would be better. I would also pull the blanket down to cover the floor and place the daisho stand on the blanket.
For the tamishigiri, if your camera has manual controls, a fast shutter speed is key if you want to avoid the motion blur. Instant cameras will have a hard time doing this well in dim light typical of stadium settings.
 
I should have been more specific. What I meant was that I wanted to use this camera as a tamishigiri target instead of tatami. :D Granted, I would like to be able to have pics of target cutting later on, so that advice is noted.

I found a few articles online that deal with generic camera settings. The camera I have is a Fuji FinePix HS20 EXR, but I can't find anything specific with that camera to use. It was a cheap deal on Amazon, but I know it is capable of better pics than I am taking right now. Going to mess with it more tomorrow. Thanks!!
 
Always use bright, indirect natural lighting when possible. Flashes are difficult to work with, especially the less than ideal ones that sit atop cameras. If you must use a flash, you really need a means of softening/blending it to avoid washing out the subject.
 
Cool swords Bro. Cant help you with the rest though. Like you are speaking a foriegn language or something.

Garth
 
That is a pretty nice little camera, and I would not recommend using it for tamishigiri :roll eyes: .
Red Angel is right about the diffuse lighting. The built in flash on that camera won't cut it for really great photos. In studios whether for people or product photography, the best results are achieved not only diffuse lighting, but usually with 3 or so separate sources of diffuse light. The simplest and cheapest option for you is to find a nice place outdoors and use the "golden hours"; one hour before sunset and 1 hr after sunrise will give great diffuse flattering light. Using the lowest possible aperture setting for a given focal length will help blur the background which makes the subject stand out. If you are outside, setting things up so the background is distant from the daisho stand will also create pleasing background separation.
 
If you want to take indoor photos, and don't want to spring for multiple flashes and soft boxes, try to find 3 lamps/lights etc with similar colored light and diffuse it by shining the light through a bed sheet or thin paper, then experiment with different locations for each light until the shadow and light coverage are pleasing. As you noted these larger subjects are a bit harder to light well than the smaller knives.
Your photo above also shows some motion blur from camera shake; which since you used the flash means that your "flash sync speed" (probably between 1/100th sec and 1/200ths sec for that camera) was to slow for you focal length. If you turn off your flash (which I recommend) the shutter speed rather than the flash determines the amount of blur from camera shake. As a general rule the shutter speed should be needs to be faster than 1/focal length in seconds for a nonstabilized camera to get the sharpest pics. A tripod or brighter ambient light will help the shake blur.

Just a few thoughts, but there is no substitute for experimentation. Good luck and post your masterpiece when you get it!
 
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