-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Newbie knife photographer
- Thread starter GarageBoy
- Start date
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2004
- Messages
- 325
Not too shabby! I know I am still struggling with learning how to take good pics with a digital camera. The only thing I can say is maybe needs just a little more light? I always have the best results when I take pictures outside, the natural lighting is hard to beat! Keep em' comin'!
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2000
- Messages
- 2,116
The pictures are to busy and look cluttered. I'm still learning about composition and I've been playing around with photography for over 15 years so don't feel bad. 
You don't want anything to take your focus away from your subject (the knife). So things like boxes and papers with detailed print on them that is sharp and in focus will detract from the knife.
I like when people place the knives on slabs of stone, marble, etc. I think you can pick up samples of this stuff from stores that sell that kind of thing.
Lighting is one of the most important things in photography and is an art in itself. You may also want to get a version of Photoshop so you can adjust levels to control your brightness and contrast. If you look at your images you'll see the paper is far from white.
Here is a quick enhancement of your one image with Photoshop:
You don't want anything to take your focus away from your subject (the knife). So things like boxes and papers with detailed print on them that is sharp and in focus will detract from the knife.
I like when people place the knives on slabs of stone, marble, etc. I think you can pick up samples of this stuff from stores that sell that kind of thing.
Lighting is one of the most important things in photography and is an art in itself. You may also want to get a version of Photoshop so you can adjust levels to control your brightness and contrast. If you look at your images you'll see the paper is far from white.
Here is a quick enhancement of your one image with Photoshop:
Thanks Wade. The paper isn't white, btw: it's greyish (poor photocopy) an it's been underexposed intentionally to get rid of that harshness from my light source. I tried to make the shot more technical looking with the physics sheet, but guess that didn't work. BTW: Do I have too many knives for a 16 yr old? (I have another Calpyso and Frosts)
MelancholyMutt
Doggy Style
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2002
- Messages
- 3,906
I'm gonna tell your mom you got knives... now I have proof!
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2003
- Messages
- 15,288
Physics ? do you go to a real school in Brooklyn like BTHS ? After a life time of photography it's very obvious that the best thing is to stick to the basics and keep things simple .That's especially important when you are a newbie. Use photoshop sparingly and don't use it to correct for a poor photo. For a start stay away from special effects and , in fact stay away from photoshop. Learn the basics of lighting - indirect , diffused dealing with shadows etc. Check this forum , especially the knifemakers section for threads and tutorials on photographing knives....Specifics ? the photo with the knife diagonal to the page.The page is too small and crowds the knife.Direct lighting has been used creating harsh reflections and hard shadows. Cure - enlarge the page , use diffused light from at least two directions to eliminate the shadows and reflections.
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2000
- Messages
- 2,116
Garageboy, I probably had over 100 knives when I was 16. To bad most of them were crap and I can say that you have a better set of knives than I had back then.
Also are you shooting film or digital? As far as staying away from Photoshop... If you take a good picture and have a good print, that doesn't mean by the time you scan it into your computer it will look good. It's pretty rare that I see a scan that doesn't need some tweaking. Also when you scan the images tend to get a slight blur to them which can be taken out using a little bit of Unsharpmask in photoshop.
Also are you shooting film or digital? As far as staying away from Photoshop... If you take a good picture and have a good print, that doesn't mean by the time you scan it into your computer it will look good. It's pretty rare that I see a scan that doesn't need some tweaking. Also when you scan the images tend to get a slight blur to them which can be taken out using a little bit of Unsharpmask in photoshop.
I'm gonna work on the Ek photo. Don't know how to balance out that light, but I'll try and I'll use the vellum I have. (Soft greyish industrial white)
Don't have photoshop. (I was always more of a film photographer)
I go to Midwood (real enough for ya? I'm doing stuff most kid's never seen before, including some Tech heads)
Don't have photoshop. (I was always more of a film photographer)
I go to Midwood (real enough for ya? I'm doing stuff most kid's never seen before, including some Tech heads)
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2000
- Messages
- 2,116
GarageBoy said:
What kind of camera are you using? What kind of lights? You could try stretching out some white sheets on either side of the knife and then shine your lights through the sheets. This would help diffuse the light and you could move the lights closer and farther from the knife to get the lighting you want. Just don't set the sheets on fire!
Also keep in mind if you have mirror polished parts of the knife they will reflect whatever is in the background. So you can hang up a solid background if you want it to be a solid reflection, like all white, or whatever.
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2004
- Messages
- 380
Photo Tools
1) Sony Mavica CD350 3.3MP digicam with 3x Optical Zoom and Macro features. This is probably least important ingrediant. Any camera of tolerable Point-Shoot-on-up quality can work ok .
2) to Avoid "bowing" of image (fat at the middle) pull the camera back and use optical zoom, rather than getting really close and using plain macro.
3) Get a Copy stand. Camera points straight downward. I got one on eBay for $15
4) lightbox to backlight knives - not a necessity but a nice touch especially if they are going on eBay
5) Foam Core (posterboard) plus black and white paper for "mask" cut thin track into the foam about the size of the knife - but more narrow. Put this on the lightbox. Thus, light shines through and around the knife area. Cover whole thing with white paper (or leave cut-out open. No prob either way). Put knife so it runs along the cut-out in the foam. Put black paper to a couple mm. from edge of the knife on either size, and use "triangle" cut out black paper to get near the ends of the knife. This gives a dark cast to the edges of the knife, avoiding the white glare that seems to plague many pics at edge of the blade. Also makes it much easier to later digitally delete the white backdrop to isolate the knife. If the knife is left hazy at the edges, the "magic color wand" on photoshop tends to delete the bright parts of the knife. With dark edges, it does better at avoiding this problem.
6) lighting- couple 500 what photoblue bulbs. Hot Hot bulbs. Depending on mood- either direct lighting (rare), indirect lighting (tilt the lites away from the knife(s) and bounce light off ceiling or walls or white foam board.), or diffused light (put a white lampshade around the knife) - each has real plus and minus. Use trial and error.
7) once picture is on computer in Photoshop- fairly easy to select the white outline around knife to make cut out and deletion, leaving pure knife on empty backdrop. Use a bit of "feathering" (maybe 0.8 pixels) to take the rough edges out of the knife cutout. Then you can put whatever (if any) backdrop around the knife from other digital images. Despite all of the above nastiness, at this point i can usually shoot a knife, engraving, tang stamps / imprints and handle for a given knife in about 10 minutes- suitable for webbing. Generally target the "big closed knife pic" on the left of the page for around 1000-1250 pixels tall. Hope this helps.
Some great tips and tricks on line at: http://www.shortcourses.com/
Andrew J. Gnoza, III
Explosive Safety & HazMat Consultant
Explosive Ordnance Disposal Consultant
Hazardous Materials Consultant / Instructor
Weapons of Mass Destruction Instructor
1) Sony Mavica CD350 3.3MP digicam with 3x Optical Zoom and Macro features. This is probably least important ingrediant. Any camera of tolerable Point-Shoot-on-up quality can work ok .
2) to Avoid "bowing" of image (fat at the middle) pull the camera back and use optical zoom, rather than getting really close and using plain macro.
3) Get a Copy stand. Camera points straight downward. I got one on eBay for $15
4) lightbox to backlight knives - not a necessity but a nice touch especially if they are going on eBay
5) Foam Core (posterboard) plus black and white paper for "mask" cut thin track into the foam about the size of the knife - but more narrow. Put this on the lightbox. Thus, light shines through and around the knife area. Cover whole thing with white paper (or leave cut-out open. No prob either way). Put knife so it runs along the cut-out in the foam. Put black paper to a couple mm. from edge of the knife on either size, and use "triangle" cut out black paper to get near the ends of the knife. This gives a dark cast to the edges of the knife, avoiding the white glare that seems to plague many pics at edge of the blade. Also makes it much easier to later digitally delete the white backdrop to isolate the knife. If the knife is left hazy at the edges, the "magic color wand" on photoshop tends to delete the bright parts of the knife. With dark edges, it does better at avoiding this problem.
6) lighting- couple 500 what photoblue bulbs. Hot Hot bulbs. Depending on mood- either direct lighting (rare), indirect lighting (tilt the lites away from the knife(s) and bounce light off ceiling or walls or white foam board.), or diffused light (put a white lampshade around the knife) - each has real plus and minus. Use trial and error.
7) once picture is on computer in Photoshop- fairly easy to select the white outline around knife to make cut out and deletion, leaving pure knife on empty backdrop. Use a bit of "feathering" (maybe 0.8 pixels) to take the rough edges out of the knife cutout. Then you can put whatever (if any) backdrop around the knife from other digital images. Despite all of the above nastiness, at this point i can usually shoot a knife, engraving, tang stamps / imprints and handle for a given knife in about 10 minutes- suitable for webbing. Generally target the "big closed knife pic" on the left of the page for around 1000-1250 pixels tall. Hope this helps.
Some great tips and tricks on line at: http://www.shortcourses.com/
Andrew J. Gnoza, III
Explosive Safety & HazMat Consultant
Explosive Ordnance Disposal Consultant
Hazardous Materials Consultant / Instructor
Weapons of Mass Destruction Instructor
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2004
- Messages
- 380
"You can effectively use a common flatbed scanner to make photographic images of pens or other small items for inclusion on web pages & auction sites, for printing out in hard copy, sending on e-mail, etc. This note describes how to do it."
I find in some cases using a flatbed scanner is a lot easier and quicker to do "photos" of knives. The referenced article was mainly written on how to photogtaph fountain pens ( which is mainly what I sell on eBay ), however the basic can also be applied to knives.
Here's a step-by-step bare bones procedure you can use to scan an image.
Get a preview scan
Crop the preview down to the area of interest
Choose 72dpi resolution
Choose RGB or True Color or Color Photograph setting
Choose 100% scale (for "actual" size) or higher (for details).
Capture the scan to your image editor.
Increase contrast
Sharpen image
Crop picture to smallest possible size.
Save as a JPEG at "medium" quality
Complete information at: http://www.io.com/~tyrbiter/scan.html
Due to the uneven surface when the knife is placed on the scanner bed the cover will not lay flat.
Cover the knife with a clean towel or piece of cloth instead of lowering the cover.
EXAMPLE: http://www.gulftel.com/gnoza/coltpolice.jpg
Have fun ......
Andrew J. Gnoza, III
Explosive Safety & HazMat Consultant
Explosive Ordnance Disposal Consultant
Hazardous Materials Consultant / Instructor
Weapons of Mass Destruction Instructor
I find in some cases using a flatbed scanner is a lot easier and quicker to do "photos" of knives. The referenced article was mainly written on how to photogtaph fountain pens ( which is mainly what I sell on eBay ), however the basic can also be applied to knives.
Here's a step-by-step bare bones procedure you can use to scan an image.
Get a preview scan
Crop the preview down to the area of interest
Choose 72dpi resolution
Choose RGB or True Color or Color Photograph setting
Choose 100% scale (for "actual" size) or higher (for details).
Capture the scan to your image editor.
Increase contrast
Sharpen image
Crop picture to smallest possible size.
Save as a JPEG at "medium" quality
Complete information at: http://www.io.com/~tyrbiter/scan.html
Due to the uneven surface when the knife is placed on the scanner bed the cover will not lay flat.
Cover the knife with a clean towel or piece of cloth instead of lowering the cover.
EXAMPLE: http://www.gulftel.com/gnoza/coltpolice.jpg
Have fun ......
Andrew J. Gnoza, III
Explosive Safety & HazMat Consultant
Explosive Ordnance Disposal Consultant
Hazardous Materials Consultant / Instructor
Weapons of Mass Destruction Instructor
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2000
- Messages
- 2,116
GarageBoy said:
Are you doing a manual white balance with the camera? This should help a lot. Read up on that feature if you're not using it.
You'll want to lay a piece of white paper (make sure it's white) under your lighting where you would be placing your subject and then taking a manual white balance reading and locking that in. This way the camera will be accurately adjusted to the lighting you are using.
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2002
- Messages
- 400
Slightly off topic, but I think I have the same physics book you're reading. That bastard Serway's name is on every physics textbook I've had since high school.
Back on topic:
I'd love to say that they're nice photos, but that would be like a man with no tongue telling you your cooking tastes good. So I'll limit my comments to: Nice knives!
Oh, and on your comment on having too many knives - when I was 16, my friendly neighborhood knife dealer convinced me that what I needed was a custom san-mai damascus hawkbill by Wally Hayes. I'm not going to tell you what I paid, but I will say that I was very grateful to Stuyvesant High School's free lunch program for many months afterwards. I'd say your current collection shows an alarming lack of fanatical devotion to expensive knives you don't need.
Back on topic:
I'd love to say that they're nice photos, but that would be like a man with no tongue telling you your cooking tastes good. So I'll limit my comments to: Nice knives!
Oh, and on your comment on having too many knives - when I was 16, my friendly neighborhood knife dealer convinced me that what I needed was a custom san-mai damascus hawkbill by Wally Hayes. I'm not going to tell you what I paid, but I will say that I was very grateful to Stuyvesant High School's free lunch program for many months afterwards. I'd say your current collection shows an alarming lack of fanatical devotion to expensive knives you don't need.