Hello, its me Marekz. Im going to slowly start using my new user name.
I know there is alot of info about taking photographs but I wanted to know what kind of set ups you all have and maybe pick up a pointer or two. I have seen many of our members come a long way in their photo taking abilities. I have tried many different ways and im starting to think maybe I need to use a different camera.lol. Thank you-Marekz
It's hard to say if you need a new camera or not without seeing what you've done with your current camera. So lets talk about lighting. I don't think there is much doubt that a light tent will give you very pleasing light to photograph a knife, especially if it is highly polished. I keep threatening to build one, but until then when I want to photograph a knife I wait until my back deck is no longer in direct sun. Like a light box the light is coming from everywhere, (so to speak) that's why you don't see shadows when you're in the shade. The picture below was taken that way.
But there is more than just posing everything the way you want it and snapping the picture. Sometimes when everything is set up the way you want it the blade may be completely washed out because it’s reflecting the sky back at the camera. I hold something above it, usually my hat or magazine, so that it has something other than the bright sky to reflect. This is usually somewhere between 18” and 2 ft above the knife. While watching the camera’s screen I move my hat (or whatever) around, back and forth, up and down, until I get what I want and then take the picture.
By doing this with this tiny knife I was able to make the flat part of the blade gray while leaving the bevel shiny. Had I not controlled the reflection it would have been all shiny and you would not have seen the bevel.
There are other things that can be done to improve an image even if it was shot in a light tent. Using a reasonable photo editing package can correct some of the lighting problems, and if your camera allows it, shoot your pictures in RAW format and then mess around with them with the editing software. But this is way beyond the scope of this tread.
I taught photography for 10 years and learned a few things along the way
- Paul Meske, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
