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- Jan 10, 2010
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Great stuff. Nice compositions too....
-
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EXCITING WORKSHOP PHOTOGRAPHY using SLOW SHUTTER SPEEDS
- Thread starter ddd
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2003
- Messages
- 2,498
The relatively low lighting available in an average workshop
usually demands longer exposures, so using a tripod is a must.
Wide apertures can help control the shutter speed but will
generally blur background and foreground sections in the picture.
SO, why not take advantage of this fact and plan a shooting angle
that will include a totally out-of-focus subject of interest in the picture?
The picture below tell the story of Van Barnett and Dellana sharing
the same workshop. Focussing close up on Van blurs Dellana's image
in the background even more - but nevertheless tell the whole story...
Planing the angle and checking the subject relative to the foreground
AND the background can produce more interesting pictures...
All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
usually demands longer exposures, so using a tripod is a must.
Wide apertures can help control the shutter speed but will
generally blur background and foreground sections in the picture.
SO, why not take advantage of this fact and plan a shooting angle
that will include a totally out-of-focus subject of interest in the picture?
The picture below tell the story of Van Barnett and Dellana sharing
the same workshop. Focussing close up on Van blurs Dellana's image
in the background even more - but nevertheless tell the whole story...
Planing the angle and checking the subject relative to the foreground
AND the background can produce more interesting pictures...
All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
Last edited:
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2003
- Messages
- 2,498
It is not often that a large part of the foreground in a
photograph is blurred out of focus and yet greatly
adds to the basic concept of a picture.
The picture below, photographed by my son Nir, focusses
on me while I was waiting for the right moment to capture
Dellana at work.
It was meant as a portrait of me at work and is ever so much
more dramatic because Dellana, in the foreground, is deliberately
completely blurred out of focus.
I eventually chose to use this shot as a full page illustration for
the Epilogue in the book.
Experience and carefully planing the selective focus can from
time to time come up with extraordinary pictures. Many times,
though, the result can be a disaster....
All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
photograph is blurred out of focus and yet greatly
adds to the basic concept of a picture.
The picture below, photographed by my son Nir, focusses
on me while I was waiting for the right moment to capture
Dellana at work.
It was meant as a portrait of me at work and is ever so much
more dramatic because Dellana, in the foreground, is deliberately
completely blurred out of focus.
I eventually chose to use this shot as a full page illustration for
the Epilogue in the book.
Experience and carefully planing the selective focus can from
time to time come up with extraordinary pictures. Many times,
though, the result can be a disaster....
All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
Last edited:
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2003
- Messages
- 2,498
In order to isolate the main subject from any distracting surrounding
elements one should use a large (open) aperture, getting a shallow
depth of focus. This creates the effect that objects before and behind
the main subject are blurred, isolating the main subject.
In this picture of the first stage in Edmund Davidson's WIP
of making a Full Integral, I decided to show the "raw" bar of steel
with the plexiglass template but also moved the edge of the
magnifying glass into the focused zone for "design" purposes.
Bringing the magnifier into the picture added nice color in contrast
to the edge of an out-of-focus cabinet, giving it a touch of contrasting
cool & warm shades.
It is always worth the few seconds of beforehand planning - like
moving the camera position and angle of view, or clearing unwanted
"stuff" out of the way, until a satisfying result is achieved.
One should watch out in particular for out of focus background objects
that may appear as blurred elements sticking out of the main subject...
All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
In this picture I cropped most of the blurred foreground
as I later preferred to get closer to the subject for a full page illustration.
elements one should use a large (open) aperture, getting a shallow
depth of focus. This creates the effect that objects before and behind
the main subject are blurred, isolating the main subject.
In this picture of the first stage in Edmund Davidson's WIP
of making a Full Integral, I decided to show the "raw" bar of steel
with the plexiglass template but also moved the edge of the
magnifying glass into the focused zone for "design" purposes.
Bringing the magnifier into the picture added nice color in contrast
to the edge of an out-of-focus cabinet, giving it a touch of contrasting
cool & warm shades.
It is always worth the few seconds of beforehand planning - like
moving the camera position and angle of view, or clearing unwanted
"stuff" out of the way, until a satisfying result is achieved.
One should watch out in particular for out of focus background objects
that may appear as blurred elements sticking out of the main subject...
All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
In this picture I cropped most of the blurred foreground
as I later preferred to get closer to the subject for a full page illustration.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2003
- Messages
- 2,498
I am posting these PHOTOGRAPHIC TIPS on the CUSTOM KNIFE SPECIFIC
Forum to illuminate some of the basic techniques of AVAILABLE LIGHT
Workshop Photography, and to help knifemakers improve their presentations
without wasting too much time doing so.
I also chose to post these samples and tips here and not on a photography
dedicated Forum because I felt that most knifemakers DO NOT FREQUENT
such Forums....
I hope that I am doing the right thing... It is the "teacher" in me that makes
me enjoy to share my acquired knowledge and experience...
All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
Forum to illuminate some of the basic techniques of AVAILABLE LIGHT
Workshop Photography, and to help knifemakers improve their presentations
without wasting too much time doing so.
I also chose to post these samples and tips here and not on a photography
dedicated Forum because I felt that most knifemakers DO NOT FREQUENT
such Forums....
I hope that I am doing the right thing... It is the "teacher" in me that makes
me enjoy to share my acquired knowledge and experience...
All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
- Joined
- May 14, 2010
- Messages
- 109
Thank you very much David for your tips to improve wip presentation,it is very interesting !
Marcello Garau
www.knifecreator.com
Marcello Garau
www.knifecreator.com
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2003
- Messages
- 2,498
When fucusing very close to the subject looking for a picture
of a small detail or of a very small object, one is entering the MACRO ZONE.
Cameras with Macro capabilities or those using specialized Macro lenses
offer a whole new world of exciting design and detail often missed
in a general view of the subject.
Depth of Field is very shallow when focusing close up - blurring everything
before and behind the focusing zone, beautifully isolating small details.
Here are a few examples shot on one of Dellana's "Dripping Gold" folders.
They were all shot in my living room which explains the cluttered reflection
in the end of the polished dripping gold "tentacle"...
Please, TRY IT AT HOME as you are about to discover a whole new world
at your finger tips...
All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
A blurred hint of the opening-assist "Dellana Dots" indicates a detail
from one of her folder blades.
of a small detail or of a very small object, one is entering the MACRO ZONE.
Cameras with Macro capabilities or those using specialized Macro lenses
offer a whole new world of exciting design and detail often missed
in a general view of the subject.
Depth of Field is very shallow when focusing close up - blurring everything
before and behind the focusing zone, beautifully isolating small details.
Here are a few examples shot on one of Dellana's "Dripping Gold" folders.
They were all shot in my living room which explains the cluttered reflection
in the end of the polished dripping gold "tentacle"...
Please, TRY IT AT HOME as you are about to discover a whole new world
at your finger tips...
All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
A blurred hint of the opening-assist "Dellana Dots" indicates a detail
from one of her folder blades.
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2001
- Messages
- 7,353
David, do you have any experience with tilt/shift lenses? They also allow some really interesting shots, especially when combined with shallow depth of field. I have 0 experience with them myself, but I like the idea of using them to change the orientation of the focus zone.
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2003
- Messages
- 2,498
Joss,
As you probably know, it is relatively easy today to use Photoshop to
simulate the "Tilt" lens effect allowing one to choose just one focusing area
to remain sharp in a digital picture - after it has been taken.
So here, in this case, digital photography does away with this specific lens...
As for the "Shift" correction:
Parallel lines do not remain parallel in an image (like a tall building)
when photographed not-parallel to the image plane of the camera (when
a camera is tilted upwards or downwards).
Here too, the converging parallel lines in a picture where the camera was
tilted upwards to include the whole structure can be corrected in Photoshop,
simulating the effect of using a "Shift" lens...
A nice article that helps understand the principles of Shift & Tilt Photography
including clear explanations about both techniques and the resulting
photographs can be found in Wikipedia at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilt-shift_photography
Bottom line:
Those knowledgeable in Photoshop do not need to spend good $$
on Tilt or Shift lenses...
All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
As you probably know, it is relatively easy today to use Photoshop to
simulate the "Tilt" lens effect allowing one to choose just one focusing area
to remain sharp in a digital picture - after it has been taken.
So here, in this case, digital photography does away with this specific lens...
As for the "Shift" correction:
Parallel lines do not remain parallel in an image (like a tall building)
when photographed not-parallel to the image plane of the camera (when
a camera is tilted upwards or downwards).
Here too, the converging parallel lines in a picture where the camera was
tilted upwards to include the whole structure can be corrected in Photoshop,
simulating the effect of using a "Shift" lens...
A nice article that helps understand the principles of Shift & Tilt Photography
including clear explanations about both techniques and the resulting
photographs can be found in Wikipedia at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilt-shift_photography
Bottom line:
Those knowledgeable in Photoshop do not need to spend good $$
on Tilt or Shift lenses...
All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2003
- Messages
- 2,498
Enlarged close-up views reveal details not immediately obvious when
looking at a finished knife.
Enlargements are usually "wow" pictures but with a little thought
they can become truly exciting.
One way is to capture reflections of the tiny objects or feature
the objects and their reflections.
Here is one such example: Two tiny gold screws made by Van Barnett,
and created to hold the pearl slabs in the handle of one of his folders.
Their reflections add depth and interest to this shot taken last year
in Van and Dellana's new workshop... I liked the result so much
that I decided - for its dramatic effect - to display it on a full page,
showing the tiny screws many, many times their actual size...
All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
looking at a finished knife.
Enlargements are usually "wow" pictures but with a little thought
they can become truly exciting.
One way is to capture reflections of the tiny objects or feature
the objects and their reflections.
Here is one such example: Two tiny gold screws made by Van Barnett,
and created to hold the pearl slabs in the handle of one of his folders.
Their reflections add depth and interest to this shot taken last year
in Van and Dellana's new workshop... I liked the result so much
that I decided - for its dramatic effect - to display it on a full page,
showing the tiny screws many, many times their actual size...
All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
Last edited:
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2003
- Messages
- 2,498
Moving in very close to enlarge relatively small sections
in a finished knife can sometimes reveal amazing details.
Here is an extreme close-up picture of a finished and etched Finial that
secures the handle in place and is internally threaded to the tang extension.
It belongs to the Dogbone Dagger that Tim Hancock made for his book
and was photographed in his workshop during my visit in 2008.
Knife people will immediately recognize it for what it is, but can
you imagine the semi-abstract display such a picture will create
when enlarged to a poster size of 1 meter or more?
All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
in a finished knife can sometimes reveal amazing details.
Here is an extreme close-up picture of a finished and etched Finial that
secures the handle in place and is internally threaded to the tang extension.
It belongs to the Dogbone Dagger that Tim Hancock made for his book
and was photographed in his workshop during my visit in 2008.
Knife people will immediately recognize it for what it is, but can
you imagine the semi-abstract display such a picture will create
when enlarged to a poster size of 1 meter or more?
All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
Last edited:
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2003
- Messages
- 2,498
I received two emails regarding the super macro of the Finial
in the previous post (#33).
So, for those wondering what it looks like in a "life size" view, here is
a "normal" view of the finished handle of Tim Hancock's Dogbone Dagger,
with the "tiny" Finial at its end...
All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
in the previous post (#33).
So, for those wondering what it looks like in a "life size" view, here is
a "normal" view of the finished handle of Tim Hancock's Dogbone Dagger,
with the "tiny" Finial at its end...
All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
Last edited:
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2003
- Messages
- 2,498
FORGING PICTURES - PENETRATING the DARKNESS
The average forge-workshop is relatively dark but has several
"Hot Spots" of bright light, mainly the fire-lit forge and the
bright-hot steel emerging from it.
Such a situation includes a combination of the darkest and brightest shades
of light making it nearly impossible to document well in one exposure.
Shooting for a correct exposure of the bright flames will capture
nothing of the darkened room, while shooting for a correct exposure
of the lowly illuminated room will overexpose the forge and the glowing
steel, showing them as white glowing blobs...
Here is one important rule to keep in mind:
In digital photography the darkened (shadowed) portions of
a picture usually retain almost all of the details in the scene!!!
Knowing this, I shot the following picture of Tim Hancock, while
exposing it correctly to capture the flames, the glowing bar of steel
and the red hot reflections from Tim himself.
Experience taught me that the darkly underexposed sections all around,
hold all the digital information, just waiting to be "opened up".
And that is exactly what I did!
Using a simple MASKING technique in Photoshop, I retained the correct
exposures of fire and hot steel while "opening-up" the darkened sections
of the room.
All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
The average forge-workshop is relatively dark but has several
"Hot Spots" of bright light, mainly the fire-lit forge and the
bright-hot steel emerging from it.
Such a situation includes a combination of the darkest and brightest shades
of light making it nearly impossible to document well in one exposure.
Shooting for a correct exposure of the bright flames will capture
nothing of the darkened room, while shooting for a correct exposure
of the lowly illuminated room will overexpose the forge and the glowing
steel, showing them as white glowing blobs...
Here is one important rule to keep in mind:
In digital photography the darkened (shadowed) portions of
a picture usually retain almost all of the details in the scene!!!
Knowing this, I shot the following picture of Tim Hancock, while
exposing it correctly to capture the flames, the glowing bar of steel
and the red hot reflections from Tim himself.
Experience taught me that the darkly underexposed sections all around,
hold all the digital information, just waiting to be "opened up".
And that is exactly what I did!
Using a simple MASKING technique in Photoshop, I retained the correct
exposures of fire and hot steel while "opening-up" the darkened sections
of the room.
All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2003
- Messages
- 2,498
SPOT METERING for accurate exposure
Photographing the full tonal range of an object with
a variety of tones from the darkest to the brightest
can be tricky.
It usually ends up with the brightest "hot" section dominating
the exposure leaving the rest of the details in the picture
dark and underexposed.
Of course, as shown above, one can "open up" the darker sections
using Photoshop, but a reasonable straightforward picture can
also be obtained if, using the SPOT METERING option, the exposure
is determined from outside the brightest area.
Here is an example showing such an exposure. The spot metering took
the reading from the red-orange section...
All the best,
David Darom
The picture taken in Tim Hancock's forge shows the very precisely notched
bar being forged down on the 25-ton press, pushing the triangular cuts
outwards to the surface.
Photographing the full tonal range of an object with
a variety of tones from the darkest to the brightest
can be tricky.
It usually ends up with the brightest "hot" section dominating
the exposure leaving the rest of the details in the picture
dark and underexposed.
Of course, as shown above, one can "open up" the darker sections
using Photoshop, but a reasonable straightforward picture can
also be obtained if, using the SPOT METERING option, the exposure
is determined from outside the brightest area.
Here is an example showing such an exposure. The spot metering took
the reading from the red-orange section...
All the best,
David Darom
The picture taken in Tim Hancock's forge shows the very precisely notched
bar being forged down on the 25-ton press, pushing the triangular cuts
outwards to the surface.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2003
- Messages
- 2,498
Taking a shot of the steel inside a forge may be dangerous
for the camera if it is held too close to the fire and blowing heat...
Careful!! Plastic and glueing elements in the camera or its lens
may melt down in seconds!!!
USE THE TELEPHOTO option and ZOOM IN through the opening
from a safe distance.
Aim the SPOT METER somewhere on the edge of the hot steel
to get a good exposure of both fire and steel.
All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
The picture was taken in Tim Hancock's forge.
for the camera if it is held too close to the fire and blowing heat...
Careful!! Plastic and glueing elements in the camera or its lens
may melt down in seconds!!!
USE THE TELEPHOTO option and ZOOM IN through the opening
from a safe distance.
Aim the SPOT METER somewhere on the edge of the hot steel
to get a good exposure of both fire and steel.
All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
The picture was taken in Tim Hancock's forge.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2005
- Messages
- 1,239
David, being a photography nut myself I am loving your photos here. I really like seeing what other artists see through the viewfinder. I hope you keep this thread going as I find your photos inspirational.
Thanks
Mike
Thanks
Mike
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2003
- Messages
- 2,498
There are some processes that take place in total darkness
while part of the process itself is light emitting.
Heat treating small handheld blades using a torch is one such process.
It is a short process, the heated handheld blade is not steady at all
and the whole thing, done in total darkness, lasts a very short time.
There is no way one can use a tripod to capture this event as the
blade and the torch are constantly moving around.
The only way to do this is to follow the blade in the view finder and
shoot as rapidly as possible throughout the process - hoping to get at
least one well composed shot that will also be well exposed AND sharp...
The two pictures shown below were shot in Van Barnett and Dellana's
workshop in total darkness. These were the only ones that came out
good enough for a full page illustration in their book... All the rest of the
pictures (more than 40 for each blade) were either blurred (the lens did
not focus in time) or had the blade half cut off...
But all I needed WAS THAT ONE PERFECT SHOT and considering the fact
that the process could not be repeated, I was very pleased....
All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
while part of the process itself is light emitting.
Heat treating small handheld blades using a torch is one such process.
It is a short process, the heated handheld blade is not steady at all
and the whole thing, done in total darkness, lasts a very short time.
There is no way one can use a tripod to capture this event as the
blade and the torch are constantly moving around.
The only way to do this is to follow the blade in the view finder and
shoot as rapidly as possible throughout the process - hoping to get at
least one well composed shot that will also be well exposed AND sharp...
The two pictures shown below were shot in Van Barnett and Dellana's
workshop in total darkness. These were the only ones that came out
good enough for a full page illustration in their book... All the rest of the
pictures (more than 40 for each blade) were either blurred (the lens did
not focus in time) or had the blade half cut off...
But all I needed WAS THAT ONE PERFECT SHOT and considering the fact
that the process could not be repeated, I was very pleased....
All the best,
David Darom (ddd)