"Best Knife Photos: 2010"

Outside of white balance, these are excellent photos. Because all the colors in the subject and background are warm it is easy to miss the warm color cast in the steel, especially bottom knife, second photo. Correcting the 'color' or tone of the steel would make these images 'pop.' You have not given permission to edit and re-post to show by example so I'll respectfully refrain from that. But anyone could do it using basic photo editing. Why not ask the photographer who made the images to make and share a comparison. Thanks for posting.
Also - there's a knife photography discussion forum here too: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=847
 
2knife said:
I was wondering to what extent what we see is digital vs. traditional backgrounds-? In other words, is it usually just that obvious?
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David - I see what you're getting at now. I avoid discussing backgrounds from any perspective other than what's best for a specific knife as governed by the image's intended use. Your question/observation is certainly relevant. I use purely digital backgrounds often and for a variety of reasons - one of the main one being that I chose poorly for the original shot and am now forced to make something up! :o As far as I'm concerned though, creating a purely digital background that accomplishes its goal is a necessary pro skill today. So, I hardly ever (maybe never?) try to make a digital background look real ( a la the natural world). I mean I did used to try but it never worked for me unless it evoked some thought or notion in the viewer that was in line with the intent of the image. For me there's no real line there anyway, between photorealism and photo-interpretation, except as governed by the purpose of the image. It's a given that virtually all uses of my knife images require that the knife be clearly and accurately represented.
Here's an example where I knew right off the bat that I was going to create a digital background that had to be almost as strong as the incredibly powerful visage of this fine auto by Bill Coffey. (This is from April, 2009, the Santa Barbara show)

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C'mon... whuduhyagonnado with a knife like this?
But it worked. The image was published in print. Within that narrow definition of success, I feel I have some creative wiggle room but I don't use it to show off my photoshop skills - I use it to hopefully increase viewer face time with the image. In this case I took two of the three dominant colors in this knife and formed a digital background pattern that helped separate the knife (from the background) and that also spoke with the same 'attitude' as the knife. Then the dominant blue in the knife would anchor it to the foreground, creating visual depth. A million other little things were required to finish the photo but this illustrates what for me is the main background driver. What's it gonna take to create that positive connection in the mind of the viewer between Bill's knife and their own thoughts, feelings and fantasies. What will cause the viewer to linger slightly longer over this knife image, then move on but with a positive mental association in place.

This image was created for potential use as a full first page - title page - of a magazine article about 'hunter' style knives. The all digital background (gun is real) is perfect for the intended purpose (accomodating text and graphics on top of it).

orig.jpg


For me all of this rigidity is tempered by a sense of humor, flexibility in work process and a willingness to experiment and break the rules willy-nilly. We photographers shouldn't take ourselves too seriously though because while this may all seem like crazy nonsense, it's actually mind control. ;)
 
Sometimes, if there's enough going on with the knife itself, no background at all is needed - pure white = no color, no pattern. ;)

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Beautiful work and a wealth of informative technical advice here. Thank you to the photographers as well as the knife makers who provided such beautiful subject matter.

Here's one that struck me as extraordinary a year ago and still comes vividly to mind. First posted by Mr. Darom in January, 2010:

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HTMD said:
Outside of white balance, these are excellent photos.
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Thank you, Buddy. Your photos have always been the object of our admiration. Therefore, your opinion is particularly valuable for us. :thumbup:
If you have time and desire to make adjustments in our photos - it would be a wonderful lesson. And not just for us! ;)

Thank you for your comments. Hurry to put pictures and have not checked the white balance. Corrected (both photos for comparison) -



When comparing the difference is obvious.
Buddy, in Russia about you would say "eye - diamond" = "faultless eye"! :thumbup:
 
Thanks Buddy, and Andrey for additional pictures. Nice designs and beautiful colors in the handles.

Any recommendations on best method or technique to photograph using natural light only? ..and any photos to show as example.
David
 
Hi Andrey,

Welcome to Bladeforums. Your images are certainly of the highest calibre. Especially those I admired on your website. (Is this your website?) Fantastic work.

These above are a familiar style. ;) VERY effective displays. :thumbup: I hope you will continue to join us and possibly share some tips.

I am VERY fortunate to have at least six Calendars and Catalogs from the Russian Knife Guild. The quality of those knives is matched by the quality of the photography. A very distinct style.

I will tell you I have a love/hate relationship with some of my Russian comrades. By all means I am in admiration of the photography generated. And at the same time my own website is a constant source of hits from the Russian forum community, through links. I see this on my statistics page. I am glad that my work is admired worldwide.

What has disappointed me is a consistant pirating of my images through hacking private access on my website to display them without asking for permission. I don't even link to the photos on my website here, I use a photo host. Secondly, I have seen two solid sources remove all my photo credits and then supplant mine with their own website (www.Eurosport.ru was one). The only source of infringement problems I have ever encountered has come from Russian sources.

Now, this is a complete disservice to YOU, as you have come here with nothing but good intentions and completely unique work. I mention this as I hope you would be influential enough to make it known that this type of behavior is unnacceptable to a professional. As you are.

I needed to say this, so it's behind me. Now that I've gotten THAT off my chest I heartily congratulate you. Again.

Thank you.

Coop
 
Hi, Jim!

Thank you for appreciating our work. Get it from you especially nice, since it is your style of photography has been taken by us as a basis.
Because it is such a method allows us to represent the knife in all its beauty and functionality, using minimal screen space. :thumbup:

Your photographs are very well known not only throughout the world, but ... in Russia :) and enjoy high popularity in the Russian knife forums. It is connected not only with the highest quality of your photos, but also to the fact that the works of famous knifemakers often are unique and are in private collections, so your pictures are often unique (and beautiful :thumbup:) opportunity to get acquainted with their creativity.

I'm sorry about the problems on your site, linked with Russian hackers. God be their judge!
Russia, like America, - a big country and they found the place as very good and very bad people.
I think I need to frequently communicate, meet and make friends, discuss and implement joint projects and then the good people around you will be more than the bad. :)

Inspired by your high marks lay out some more of our work -



P.S. These works - the result of joint creative work of two amateurs and collectors of knives from St. Petersburg, engineer-physicist by education.
I am a moderator of several Russian knife forums (rusknife.com, knifelife.ru).
My friend Andrey Kuzminov (AiK) - a talented amateur photographer with a highly professional attitude. On the site of Andrey Kuzminov - http://www.knifefoto.com/ can see a lot and its other interesting works. Soon he will join our discussion.
 
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Hi Andrey,

Well done. Again. You have good control over lighting.

Our world, and this world are alike and are diverse. Good people, good intentions, sometimes bad methods. But, enough of that....

I've also photographed that second skeleton Williams knife with the dual clips. An unusual piece by every measure. Nice capture.

Best,

Coop
 
Hi All,
a little "lively" topic. :)

I would like to offer you some more new works.
Two in the "Jim Cooper style" :) :



and two more in the "nature morte" style:

nm_Arhangelskiy-BulatHunter_b.jpg


nm_Fischer,Todd-Hawk&Classic_b.jpg


Thanks in advance for your comments. We will be very interesting and ... helpful to hear your opinion ... :)
 
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We use the following photo equipment:

Camera - CANON EOS 5D Mark II
Lens - CANON EF 100 f/2.8 Macro USM

... and a good eye and hand, as well as lots and lots of patience and a desire ... :)
 
Andrey: Really, REALLY well done. A pleasure to view. :D

I'm loving your attention to highlighting the blade edge. Duane Weikum taught me some tricks using a small thin reflector. I've also used Photoshop. Got any secrets? :)

Coop
 
Thank you, Jim, for appreciating our work. We all learned in your photos ... :)

We specifically affectedly cutting edge (thanks to that notice ;) ). We think that this gives the knife extra beauty, perfection, ... the severity and danger! :)
And we really use the extra long reflectors for this purpose and only in extreme cases Photoshop.
 
Hi, all, Andrew today told me about your tender, I didn't know about it, all the time at Bernard Levin. Here are a couple of pictures of the same photographer, Andrew Kuzminov,
for calendar of our forum.
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