My PhotoShop Portfolio

Joined
Oct 1, 1999
Messages
6,490
Some of you may not know it, but I’ve been called by a few prominent makers, “Pic-Makin’ Bastid” for some of the pics I’ve done as jokes, and I like the name. I spend time playing around in PhotoShop like some guys spend time playing video games. Only my playing around has made me a few friends and even earned me a few knives for my collection. I don’t have a website, but I’ve had a PhotoPoint site for some time and I’ve had over 25,000 hits. Not too shabby for somebody just playing around. My newest album is a portfolio of the work I’m most proud of and I’d like to show it off.

My Portfolio

I was a photographer for many years, but you won’t see any of my photographs here. My knives that were used in these illustrations were all done with an inexpensive flatbed scanner. I do use other people’s photographs of knives and add backgrounds and type. My goal is to make the viewer look at the knives. I want my illustrations to have depth and to come off the page. If I can make you feel like you can or want to pick them up I’ve succeeded.

I’ve tried to share what I know about photography and image editing with everyone who has asked. There’s nothing I like better than to see great pics of great knives, and I don’t see it as being hard to learn or expensive to get started. So, I hope you’ll take a look and I encourage your comments and questions here.

While you’re visiting my album page if you could click on the link Add Comment To Guest Book (upper left corner) and say something there I would appreciate it.
 
Phil, I really enjoyed the photo albums. Great work, you are a true arteest! Especially the TM album and those things you did to DDR really got my day off to a rollicking start.
I've been playing with my scanner some on my knives and thru trial and error have gotten better results with it, I just wish I had seen the turorial page before I spent all that time trying to do the complete job with the scanner. The turorial with the 2 Barlows really caught my eye as well as some of the logos. I see that you have fallen so far as to be willing to work for knives so I'd like to shoot a little proposition your way. I'll email you offline if that's okay with you. Great work. LarryD
 
Larry, thanks for looking and your comments in my Guest Book. The thread Larry is referring to is here.
http://pub42.ezboard.com/fcustomknifedirectoryforumfrm25.showMessage?topicID=186.topic
I wish BFC had a forum where we could discuss improving the images we post of our knives. The Gallery Forum here has turned out to be just that a place to view images without much exchange of ideas. That's why I go to CKD Photo Forum and if you're looking to get some help with your pics you may want to pay them a visit. I do have to thank BFC for getting me started.
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum32/HTML/000239.html
My thanks to, James Mattis, Al AKA Blackdogg, Kisu, Bernard Levine and several others for helping me learn the basics. There's a lot of information on BFC you just have to search it out.

Part of why I started this thread was get this Forum more attention and to encourage more discussion. The other reason is just plain showing off. :D
 
I really enjoyed your photo albums, Phil. I am amazed at how far your collection has come in such a short time. Your illustrations show a great deal of talent.
 
Beautiful Work Phill! You make the knives and thoughts behind the knives all come together. Your work is as good as it gets. It seems to me that you could certainly do both makers and clients a great favor by displaying the knives and the thouights behind them. You need to get paid for this kind of work, it would be money well spent.
 
...and Phil has shared his knowledge with many. I'm one.

AS Phil has mentioned, with the influence of the internet in Custom and knives in general, a forum dedicated to photo work is a real need. We have been discussing and learning on the CKD Photo Tips forum lately, and invite you to look there if interested.

Phil has recognized my desire to learn and produce better pics, and has spent some time coaching me along. He's a great teacher and a real asset as a friend. Plus he has some awful nice knives!

Here's a shot that isn't going to win any awards, but he's got me working and thinking to improve for the next one:

cr76233.jpg


(Koji Hara stainless interframe with 27 abalone inserts)

Coop
 
Thanks to all of you that have looked at my PhotoPoint site and especially those that have left comments.

Ed, it's an honour just to know you. My goal with this thread was not to get business, but to share some of my work and to offer help to anyone that might need it. I wouldn't think of asking payment for help or information no more than would the makers on Shop Talk Forum.

Most of the time my illustration starts with a pic of a knife that inspires me, and I look for a way to present it a little different. Some may have noticed that I've been influenced by the work from AG Russell's pics, they do a really great job. When I do something I like the first thing I do is contact the maker (or photographer) and ask if they mind me messing with their work. So far nobody has complained, so either I'm doing okay or they're just being nice. I never sign my work or use a watermark, I just put it out there for people to see.

Did this face get in the pic on purpose or by accident?
View

No Mike, that wasn't an accident, that illustration started with some pics that Max Burnett sent me, some star pics that you sent me and that face in the stars is Bob Ogg looking down and smiling on Max. Bob Ogg was Max's stepfather and I think the first person that saw Bob's face up in the heavens was Max's Mom. I was touched that she thought so much of my pic that she requested a copy of it and it now hangs in the Ogg house.
 
PhilL,
PhilL,
PhilL...
Nice work!
I really like the juxtapositions, they are just plain fun.
& thanx for the encouragement you've given me :)
-Wally
 
Great work Phil. Like Ed said, you need to be gettin paid. I have had the pleasure of seeing your work for a while now and it just keeps getting better and better.

You are one CREATIVE PIC MAKIN BASTID! :D
 
Phil,

you are the pic bastid man! great work and you make the knives look even better the way you do the background with thought that really goes with the knife you are working with. your illustrations are stories as well as just great pics.

one of your pics would highlight any makers photo album. you have done some great ones for me.

the one of max with bob ogg in the background is very cool!!! great job tying in history in a magical way:)
 
For shame (on me) not visiting Phil's Photopoint pictures in a month or two.

Fantastic job ya pic makin' bastid. Great immagination too!
 
After visiting the Phil's albums on photopoint I just had to find out how he do that voodoo he do. Here's the results of the first turotial he put had me do. Now it's time for "Fun With Ken and Larry"
No one is safe now......bwahahahhahahhahah!!
 
And this is Phil's handiwork. A true master at the art of manipulation, digital that is. :)
 
Larry, did mention that when he can do one like the last one of Larry Chew he's going to give up knife making and just Blackmail people for a living.

Darn it! Why didn't I think of that? :eek:
 
Full of good cheer and nifes thru out the coming year!:D
Phil, this is more fun than, than, well...it's a lot fun after a day of grinding steel. ld

Well, I got busted trying to post an image twice. See the Christmas
Challenge thread for the pic I wanted to also post here, but you can only attach it once. Bummer!:(
 
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