How to Take a Good Knife Picture

heatride

heatride

Joined
May 15, 2003
Messages
422
I program in Linux I make multiblade folders I even think I know who shot Kennedy but I CANNOT take a nice pic of a friggin knife.I am the only person I know that can take a fairly good knife and make it look like junk. Ok now that I got that out of my system can someone please look at this folder I made and tell how the heck to take a half way fair pic of it. I need to email to someone but heck look at the pic it looks like well I dunno what. I am using a digital camera outside no flash and btw I hate photograph. Thanks for any info as always


Glen In Louisiana
its hot down here today folks








Knife
 
It's not easy thats for sure. The only luck I have had is shooting outside, very early in the morning on the west side of my house with no flash. A tripod might help a lot.

Ideally you should build a light box and set up a lighting/mirror system to get the right amount of indirect lighting. I think taking pictures of knives is one of the hardest things to do and probably why the guys who do it so well charge (deservedly) what they do.
 
There are many methods and some require special gizmos, but here is a recipe that never fails:

0. Wait for a bright sunny day
1. Find room in the house with a lot of windows - multiple walls if at all possible.
2. Place the knife on something soft, non-reflective. Like a towel, jacket, ...
3. Keep the knife and background out of direct light
4. TURN OFF THE FLASH!!!!
5. Place the camera on a steady surface. (try different angles to the main light.)
6. Use the wide angle setting
7. Click

Looks like this:
campperry.jpg



You can also use outdoors on foggy days. No prep, just turn off that stupid flash, like this:

kitchen1.jpg


Hope that helps.

Steve
 
I'm available...:D :eek:

I have a tutorial in my sig. line for entry-level knife photography that discusses some of the ideas behind photographing knives.

Once you cross the line to making a light box, etc., you're really having to learn a new trade and for some folks, that's not feasible.

Best solution is to be creative and try to find a way to get the lighting you need.

Photography is all about light and the biggest problem with photographing knives is that the blade reflects more light than the handle does.

Try these homegrown tips:
  • 1. Use a tripod
  • 2. Get a flashlight and cover it with a thin handkerchief (holding it on with a rubber-band). Use the flashlight to light just the handle - being carefully to not let any light get on the blade. This will "equalize" the amount of light on the knife and fool the camera into taking a more balanced photo. Just don't hold it too close. ;)
  • 3. Use a timer so you don't have any "camera shake". This allows your hands to be free to add that extra light in tip #2.
  • 4. If you photograph outdoors, do it on a cloudy day, or in the shade.
  • 5. If you photograph indoors, have multiple indirect light sources. (the problem with your pics is that there is only one light source - and it's producing a harsh contrast)
  • 6. Pick a simple, easy-to-forget background to shoot on. A lot of knife photographers get caught up in the fancy backgrounds, but to be 100% honest, any time spent looking at the background, is time lost that could have been spent looking at your knife!
  • 7. Shoot like crazy. You are fortunate to have a digital camera. Try every setting you can possibly image and once you get everything set up, take 20 pics using all the different settings, etc. and then pic the one you like.

Again, this list is not for professionals, or even amateur hobbyists, but for the regular Joe Knifemaker who wants to take good pics without setting up a fancy shop.

I'm sure there's more to add to this list. Just beware anything that sounds like "Go out and buy this fancy ________ ..." Chances are you don't really need it to make good pictures.

By the way, the pics I took in that link in my sig. line were all done in point-n-shoot mode, with a digital camera. Stuff that everybody here ought to be able to go out and do today.

Best-of-luck,

Dan
 
One other note. If you don't have enough light coming from multiple angles (like your picture), use a big piece of white something for a reflector. The idea is to remove as many shadows as possible and never have a direct light source (flash or sun).

Steve

PS Cool folder!
 
Originally posted by heatride
I program in Linux I make multiblade folders I even think I know who shot Kennedy but I CANNOT take a nice pic of a friggin knife.I am the only person I know that can take a fairly good knife and make it look like junk. Ok now that I got that out of my system can someone please look at this folder I made and tell how the heck to take a half way fair pic of it. I need to email to someone but heck look at the pic it looks like well I dunno what. I am using a digital camera outside no flash and btw I hate photograph. Thanks for any info as always

Knife
Click to expand...


On the photo in question, the background color is wrong for the subject. The steel almost blends with it. Something more contrasty would be better. The lighting needs help, and a reflector would take the shadow out.

A photographer told me that photographing knives was harder than doing gemstones. I didn't believe him, at first. He was right though.
One of the best ways is a light box, or a good diffuser with the proper lighting.
I made a 50"X 40" diffuser from 1/2" PVC and 4, 1/2" PVC 90 degree elbows, plus PVC glue. Over that I stretched white ripstop nylon from a fabric store. I just stapled the opposite end, and the sides.
Get a couple of 500 watt photo floods, and reflectors that are the correct color for the film, or digital, if that's your type of format.

I use the tabletop, with the diffuser at an aprox 45 degree angle. I have a piece of jack chain on mine that I can tie to a hanging light fixture above it. I place the photo floods behind it, wide apart, but inside the edges of the diffuser, the lights about one foot above the bottom, and both angeled inwards towards the subject.
make sure to block off as much outside as you can, and don't have any inside lights on that are near the setup. You get gold colored blades this way.
I use a 35mm camera and 100ASA film. With that, I use a 1 second shutter speed at f16, and it works for me.
Dont use the flash on the camera. And use a tripod with a remote shutter release, or timer when you make the shots.

This might sound complicated, but it's not.

I hope you don't think I was criticizing you above, I wasn't. :D
 
Light boxes are defintiely a plus, but learning photography from my dad, I'm old fashioned.

So i'll put another vote for outdoors on a cloudy day, or in the shade. Always going to be brighter outside than inside(well, in any normal house. :) ) You also already have theatmosphere doing the light scattering for you so you don't have any single point source(if you make sure it's overcast day)
 
I have soft boxes, umbrellas, light diffusers (scrims), reflectors and multible electronic flash units, but I have to go with etp777. Mother nature can provide you with all you need. Bright overcast sky provides great light. It is nice to have some control, so think about where that BIG piece of sky is relative to your knife. So use a tree behind you, or slightly to the side, or the house to provide some directionality. Wrape a white sheet around a window screen to act as a reflector and bounce light in to remove shadows. Maybe use two reflectors. You don't have to buy anything. You do need a tripod or a way to hold the camera absolutely still, however.
Best of Luck!
 
I found a bright, overcast day to be the world's greates bank light.
Use a nice, plain background and get the right light on the metallic surfaces.
NO FLASH!
With a digital camera you have the advantage that you can immediately see if the pic is good.

Trying to like photography will also help you in getting a good picture. It's hard to get good results out of something you loathe. Try to look at it's bright sides. ;)
 
Well Tom, If all of these guys are going to start taking photographs, I guess you will have to teach me how to make knives.
 
I found that the best photo's I've had, were taken by Terrill. So I agree with Tom, hire a professional. Its actually a lot cheaper in the long run and he'll send 1 to 5 different knife magazines. Who knows, he might make you famous. :)

Bill
 
Jesus, as if things weren't overwhelming enough. lol

Thanks for the information gents, I appreciate it.

Not to derail, but does anyone have a recommendation as to a useable DSLR? Something that will work but doesn't break the bank?
 
Epic Time Lord has the right nickname ... resurrection of an 11 plus year old thread ... epic.

For photo questions recommend the Photography Discussion forum under Community forums.
 
Glen, wait until the last 15 minutes before dark and position your camera so as to not reflect anything weird and take 8 or 9 photos up close but at slightly different angles. Photographers have always loved those few minutes before the sun goes down. Turn off the flash . Use a piece of gray felt and put a pebble under your knife to tilt it a little.IHIZhAM.jpg
 
A neat trick I saw was a guy that used colored Christmas lights to add splashes of different colors- this was in addition to regular lighting from different sources. The colors reflected in the steel produced a lot of detail and added an almost iridescent look. Added some sparkle without misrepresenting anything.
 
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