knife pictures

[idahoguy]

I can't understand why many people show pictures of their knives in the closed and half stop positions, and don't show the knife open, where it's used. The proportions of the handle/blade and the angle of the blade when open let you imagine what it feels like to hold and use the knife. Even many knives for sale are shown this way. Just my 2 cents.

 

[BigBiscuit]

When you zoom in really close and are using the macro mode, it's easier and more appealing to capture and focus on the knife in those positions. Fully open requires backing away or one end of the knife goes out of focus. Just my 2 cents.

 

[edbeau]

I do that because the knife fits better in the picture. If the blade is in the "as used" position I have to move away from the knife and loose detail. Also when the picture is cropped it comes out as a long rectangle.

 

[Old Engineer]

I agree with Bob and Ed .

Harry

 

[Campbellclanman]

When I have the time I like to start with my photos of the knife closed Mark side, then Pile side then half stop - repeated views - and then open - most often I like the on a slant with the tip downwards.
I always try to get the light to highlight the Swedges.

Bob and Ed are correct.

 

[Jack Black]

When I have the time I like to start with my photos of the knife closed Mark side, then Pile side then half stop - repeated views - and then open - most often I like the on a slant with the tip downwards.
I always try to get the light to highlight the Swedges.

And don't forget the 'in hand' shot (popularised most famously by Duane I think! ) :thumbup:

Bob and Ed are correct.

Yes indeed :thumbup:

 

[Ryouchijtx]

As Bob and Ed said..it's a matter of photography.

If you look at many of my photos my knives are open but in a slant to hit all "degrees of thirds" in a photo making it more aesthetically appealing.

You generally have to have a bird's eye shot if you want all parts of the knife to be in focus and sharp

Also, the design and shape of the knife matters just as much as it flows closed as it does open for me.

Bird's eye view (fully in focus)

Slanted view open with blurred front blade/bokeh

Half Open

Closed - the silhouette and shape closed is very appealing

 

[supratentorial]

Imagining how a knife fits in the hand is something that folks might do when they are new to knives or unfamiliar with a pattern or manufacturer.

When a 2nd hand production knife is being sold, I'm mostly interested in seeing the condition of the blades. I generally have a pretty good idea of what the pattern is like. I find it irritating when there isn't a photo showing all of the blades at the same time. A photo showing all the blades gives me a quick look at the condition.

Showing each blade separately can be helpful... it would reveal a problem like an overextended blade. But for the most part, you are at the mercy of the seller to describe the mechanics accurately and unfortunately not everyone does (I can give lots of examples from eBay).

With multi-blade knives, taking a photo of each blade separately would require several more photos. I think that whether it's necessary would depend on the context. I've taken separate photos of each blade on sowbelly knives from Case, Queen, and Rough Rider to compare the height of the sheepfoot blade when using the main blade.

You don't mention what I consider to be one of the most important photos... a photo of the well with the blades closed. That can reveal some (not all) mechanical problems as well as reveal any short blades.

 

[btb01]

I always take the same two photos whenever I get a new knife, one closed and one open. Part of the reason I take them is for a spreadsheet that I use to catalog my knife collection, but one or both are usually the photos I'll share here as well. Like Tim said, I think it's good to photograph the knives at an angle (especially when open) to get the best use of the real estate in your photo. As far as closed pictures vs. open, as other's have said, you can see better detail in a closed photo of a knife because you can get much closer, but I also agree that open photos are great so you can see what a particular knife looks like open. Both have their merits. Here's an example of the two photos I took of a #47 Viper I got recently:

 

[kamagong]

Take pictures the way you want to. Let others do the same.

 

[supratentorial]

I think it's a reasonable topic for discussion. There's always the back button if a topic isn't of interest. Telling folks what to do is another thing and I don't think it was his intention. I suspect the OP now has a better understanding of why folks do what they do. I do think context is an important consideration. "Reading the knife" requires good photos and some new folks might not know what to look for. Of course, when it comes to posting eye candy photos... people will have different tastes.

 

[idahoguy]

Ryouchijtx... I agree about the closed position pictures being important, gotta have the closed position. What is the red bone swell center in your first picture? It's a looker.

 

[ConBon]

With multiple blades on an end, I fully open the main, half open secondary. Otherwise they're hidden.

Connor

 

[Ryouchijtx]

Ryouchijtx... I agree about the closed position pictures being important, gotta have the closed position. What is the red bone swell center in your first picture? It's a looker.

It's a custom Eugene Shadley 3.75" coke bottle, definitely is a looker.

 

[roseskunk]

I'm more interested in the photograph than the knife. In other words, the light, composition and "narrative" are all equally important when I'm making the image. If I were trying to sell the knife, then sure, I'd photograph it open and closed from both sides with soft, uncomplicated light. Mostly I'm just having fun taking pictures!

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[T. Erdelyi]

I try not to stress the back springs which happens when you're opening all the blades and the blade are opened to any other position other than open, closed or half stop. Now with that said I believe most folks like mentioned by Jack ant the others, it's for aesthetics or in Jake's case for "eye candy". I like my pics to look good and I take different style pics for showin' off vs identification.

It really is a matter of personal choice, a lot of members use props for size reference or as clues to what the purpose of the knife is. Inventory pics are much different than art pics, if you really want a feel for the knife the pic should be taken in hand with about a 50mm lens to give you the best perspective and proportions but the downside is the amount of the knife you can fit without having to move back and losing detail.

The last consideration is who the target audience is, here in traditional we like the well composed, exposed pics and a lot of members take pride in the quality and style of their pictures because they take them to please themselves first and share with others.

To me this is more appealing...

Than this...

 

[Ratbert]

Exactly...it's all about composition in the art shots. To me it's a lot of fun getting the shot set up and having props in the photo. My challenge is getting the angle right so that the camera reflection isn't seen in the blades, or more usually, the bolsters. I'm rarely successful.

Now if you're selling the knife, then I think a buyer would expect more clinical photos that show all sides, blade positions, tang stamps, etc.

 

[black mamba]

Most of the time I just try to get the clearest picture of the knife from both sides; after all, it's a knife forum, not a photography forum. Occasionally I'll take art pictures for different threads, but I'm not the most creative guy, so that's not my forte.

 

[idahoguy]

What led me to ask the question was looking at some knives for sale, and one of the things I look for in the aesthetics and function of a knife is the angle of the cutting edge to the centerline of the handle. It's also a little bit easier to see the blade/handle length relationship when open.

Sure are some creative and artistic photos shown here. Makes the eye candy that much better. Thanks for the explanations guys.

 

[glocktenman]

Most of my pics are open. Although I do have some closed and on half stop. Seems to mainly get two or more knives in the same pic.