- Joined
- Apr 19, 2005
- Messages
- 5,533
Ok,
Santa is going to bring you a knife, you wish you could take a good photo to show us how proud you are of your new knife. Well, if you can afford to spend less than $20 and are willing to do what I am going to explain to you, you will have no excuse to post a photo that someone has to ask you to tell what is stamped on the tang. With this method and some good ole American ingenuity you can climb the hill to ooh and aah photography or at least good enough for the girl I go with.
The first photo is of the materials used. Three correct color bulbs and a clear plastic tub should cost you under $20 at a mart store the rest of the stuff you have on hand but you don't know it yet.
In the photo is the tub, three lights I collected from around the house and put in the proper bulbs, a inexpensive camera, two sticks, two boxes of bar soap, a old floor tile, coffee cup and a piece of cardboard covered in Al. foil.
I am not using a fancy camera. It is a point and shoot. Notice in the close up it even has a dent on the edge of the lens from some fubar on my part. All knife photos were taken with this camera. All were not enhanced except for the very last one to show you how fancy YOU can get.
Why are you going to the trouble to get this and fix it up. Because the tub acts as both tripod and light blender. Hand held shots are only for UFOs flying by not for knife photography. Take your choice tripod at $39.95 or clear tub at $3.99.......the tub blends the light and keeps the camera steady....steady equals sharp....
Step one: BUY SUPPLIES.
You may want a bigger tub, especially if your new knife is going to be a 119 or bigger. I got this because I like small knives and it was on sale. The proper bulbs are pictured below. They are helical coil florescents rated at Daylight 6500 Kelvin color temperature.....look on the package it will say Daylight and 6500 somewhere. Don't use any other type. These give light that is pretty close to the fancy and $$ photo bulbs. I use the big 26watt. These are common at mart stores.
Step two: CUT HOLE IN BOTTOM OF TUB.
You are going to have to determine the size. I cut mine too small at first and when I raised the camera up a little it was including the hole edges in the photo. So I cut it bigger and used the boxes of soap and pieces of wood strap to support camera. CAUTION: This plastic is brittle if you try to cut it with pressure.
I cracked mine and had to use clear tape for repair. I should have put a piece of wood under bottom while cutting. I ended up using my dremel tool with a cut-off wheel to finish it out and then enlarge it.
I then found an old floor tile from a bathroom remodel, a floor lamp, a trouble light and a living room light with shade removed. Now granted, the last light was out in shed and not from living room. If you are a real king of the house then you can use what you can get away with.........
Knife was positioned on tile a rock was used to raise it slightly to cut down on reflections, the box was placed over top with foil reflector cardboard on side away from lights. Then I positioned camera over hole and checked the scene in the camera screen. Let the lights be on a minute or two to come to full brightness. This is how the two light set-up it looked about ready to go with first photo.
Then I turn on the camera TIMER, I hope yours has one and read instructions on how to use. I centered the knife in the scene and push shutter button and stepped away and let it snap itself. No shaking this way. So here is the first photo I took with just two lights on. Its a little dark but I would normally enhance it in the computer to help brighten it a little.
The bigger knife gave me trouble. I was barely able to fit it into the available space and it was almost off camera screen edges. This is the point I realized I needed to make the hole bigger and raise the camera up a little. Hence, the use of the soap boxes and the two sticks. That kept the edges of the tub out of the photo and gave me some room to zoom or widen a little.
I could easily take photo of little knives thru the small hole but with the big hole in the tub, and camera elevation I was able to zoom easily and avoid having any tub or reflector edge in photo.
This last photo I kicked in the third light. And added the soap boxes and sticks to improve camera zooming.
You can play with lights to get the best look on your knife. You may want to cut hole in the side away from the lights so you can reach in and move things around. I was working only from the top which made me move the camera every time. I used the auto fix feature in the photobucket program I bet whatever you use to post photo will have the same sort of enhancement. If light seems too bright on one side you can tape up a kleenex on that side of the tub.
Well, this is a start. You can get the basics going and grow from there. Everyone OUGHT to be able to make a good photo with this, even if all you have is a cell phone camera. Remember lots of light, if had another lamp and real reflectors on the others the photos would even have been better. If these photos are too dark for you add another one or two bulbs, the more the mary-ur...I use seven bulbs on my fancy photo light box. This is your fall back if you can't always take a photo on a bright cloudy day. Working stiffs need to have a way to do stuff at night after they get home. Mull it over and ask any questions I may have missed talking about. Send it in messages if you don't want to post. Happy Holidays
UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE
Here is copy of a new post I made fruther down in thread.
I knew you guys would start coming up with some good ideas in support.
Outside???, haven't tried it but it should work. You can tape a thin kleenex sheet to the tubs side if either outside or inside light is too brite and causing reflections.
Someone suggested using a small cardboard box or a large empty butter tub to raise camera up to get it into better focus range or for large knives and guns. Use your own creativity on this. But remember you go too high and you will start seeing edges of box or tub. Visualize the camera seeing like a funnel. If you raise it up your tub hole will have to be bigger because the funnel of vision is wider as you go down.
Some cameras have MACRO setting which lets you focus close, that is usually for really close shots, such as a honey bee on a flower, but read you camera directions and see how it works. Read your cameras manual, if you can find it, see how close your regular focus works. You will need to elevate camera a least that distance. If you have a camera with adjustments then you will have to experiment on you own. I started this out for folks with point and shoot camera so don't want to talk speed of lens and f stops here. But, check out the manual for a shutter timer. You turn this on and push the shutter button the camera starts beeping and counting down then takes its own picture.
By doing this you are cutting down shake, which is one of the purposes of the tub. Even just slightly pushing the shutter button imparts shake and reduces sharpness.
My little camera has a screen on back so I can see scene if yours doesn't you will just have to twist around and look thru viewfinder, maybe upside down or side ways to get your face close enough.
Rmember more lights the mary-ur, think about eventually using three or four. One on each side, one in front and one above a front corner slighty from above. My sweety, as she glanced in the door, said I could use the piece of cardboard with foil to cover hole in tub and store everything , when I took it out into garage......
Keep the good ideas coming. This isn't gonna make you look like a pro, but they will be good, shameless, quality photos that will make your knife look good. And we the viewing public appreciate that.
300
UPDATE 10/28/2011 Thread was attached to a current thread but one item needs updated. The proper light bulbs can easily be had in 45 watts at the Mart stores currently. If you go to the online site that sounds like a South American river they have the same style bulb in 65 to 105 watt that fit regular screw in mounts. BUT, they are big honkin' bulbs, 4 inches by 12 inches. But believe me from experience, they make you almost need sunglasses to look at the scene, but the camera is happy........300
Santa is going to bring you a knife, you wish you could take a good photo to show us how proud you are of your new knife. Well, if you can afford to spend less than $20 and are willing to do what I am going to explain to you, you will have no excuse to post a photo that someone has to ask you to tell what is stamped on the tang. With this method and some good ole American ingenuity you can climb the hill to ooh and aah photography or at least good enough for the girl I go with.
The first photo is of the materials used. Three correct color bulbs and a clear plastic tub should cost you under $20 at a mart store the rest of the stuff you have on hand but you don't know it yet.
In the photo is the tub, three lights I collected from around the house and put in the proper bulbs, a inexpensive camera, two sticks, two boxes of bar soap, a old floor tile, coffee cup and a piece of cardboard covered in Al. foil.
I am not using a fancy camera. It is a point and shoot. Notice in the close up it even has a dent on the edge of the lens from some fubar on my part. All knife photos were taken with this camera. All were not enhanced except for the very last one to show you how fancy YOU can get.
Why are you going to the trouble to get this and fix it up. Because the tub acts as both tripod and light blender. Hand held shots are only for UFOs flying by not for knife photography. Take your choice tripod at $39.95 or clear tub at $3.99.......the tub blends the light and keeps the camera steady....steady equals sharp....
Step one: BUY SUPPLIES.
You may want a bigger tub, especially if your new knife is going to be a 119 or bigger. I got this because I like small knives and it was on sale. The proper bulbs are pictured below. They are helical coil florescents rated at Daylight 6500 Kelvin color temperature.....look on the package it will say Daylight and 6500 somewhere. Don't use any other type. These give light that is pretty close to the fancy and $$ photo bulbs. I use the big 26watt. These are common at mart stores.
Step two: CUT HOLE IN BOTTOM OF TUB.
You are going to have to determine the size. I cut mine too small at first and when I raised the camera up a little it was including the hole edges in the photo. So I cut it bigger and used the boxes of soap and pieces of wood strap to support camera. CAUTION: This plastic is brittle if you try to cut it with pressure.
I cracked mine and had to use clear tape for repair. I should have put a piece of wood under bottom while cutting. I ended up using my dremel tool with a cut-off wheel to finish it out and then enlarge it.
I then found an old floor tile from a bathroom remodel, a floor lamp, a trouble light and a living room light with shade removed. Now granted, the last light was out in shed and not from living room. If you are a real king of the house then you can use what you can get away with.........
Knife was positioned on tile a rock was used to raise it slightly to cut down on reflections, the box was placed over top with foil reflector cardboard on side away from lights. Then I positioned camera over hole and checked the scene in the camera screen. Let the lights be on a minute or two to come to full brightness. This is how the two light set-up it looked about ready to go with first photo.
Then I turn on the camera TIMER, I hope yours has one and read instructions on how to use. I centered the knife in the scene and push shutter button and stepped away and let it snap itself. No shaking this way. So here is the first photo I took with just two lights on. Its a little dark but I would normally enhance it in the computer to help brighten it a little.
The bigger knife gave me trouble. I was barely able to fit it into the available space and it was almost off camera screen edges. This is the point I realized I needed to make the hole bigger and raise the camera up a little. Hence, the use of the soap boxes and the two sticks. That kept the edges of the tub out of the photo and gave me some room to zoom or widen a little.
I could easily take photo of little knives thru the small hole but with the big hole in the tub, and camera elevation I was able to zoom easily and avoid having any tub or reflector edge in photo.
This last photo I kicked in the third light. And added the soap boxes and sticks to improve camera zooming.
You can play with lights to get the best look on your knife. You may want to cut hole in the side away from the lights so you can reach in and move things around. I was working only from the top which made me move the camera every time. I used the auto fix feature in the photobucket program I bet whatever you use to post photo will have the same sort of enhancement. If light seems too bright on one side you can tape up a kleenex on that side of the tub.
Well, this is a start. You can get the basics going and grow from there. Everyone OUGHT to be able to make a good photo with this, even if all you have is a cell phone camera. Remember lots of light, if had another lamp and real reflectors on the others the photos would even have been better. If these photos are too dark for you add another one or two bulbs, the more the mary-ur...I use seven bulbs on my fancy photo light box. This is your fall back if you can't always take a photo on a bright cloudy day. Working stiffs need to have a way to do stuff at night after they get home. Mull it over and ask any questions I may have missed talking about. Send it in messages if you don't want to post. Happy Holidays
UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE
Here is copy of a new post I made fruther down in thread.
I knew you guys would start coming up with some good ideas in support.
Outside???, haven't tried it but it should work. You can tape a thin kleenex sheet to the tubs side if either outside or inside light is too brite and causing reflections.
Someone suggested using a small cardboard box or a large empty butter tub to raise camera up to get it into better focus range or for large knives and guns. Use your own creativity on this. But remember you go too high and you will start seeing edges of box or tub. Visualize the camera seeing like a funnel. If you raise it up your tub hole will have to be bigger because the funnel of vision is wider as you go down.
Some cameras have MACRO setting which lets you focus close, that is usually for really close shots, such as a honey bee on a flower, but read you camera directions and see how it works. Read your cameras manual, if you can find it, see how close your regular focus works. You will need to elevate camera a least that distance. If you have a camera with adjustments then you will have to experiment on you own. I started this out for folks with point and shoot camera so don't want to talk speed of lens and f stops here. But, check out the manual for a shutter timer. You turn this on and push the shutter button the camera starts beeping and counting down then takes its own picture.
By doing this you are cutting down shake, which is one of the purposes of the tub. Even just slightly pushing the shutter button imparts shake and reduces sharpness.
My little camera has a screen on back so I can see scene if yours doesn't you will just have to twist around and look thru viewfinder, maybe upside down or side ways to get your face close enough.
Rmember more lights the mary-ur, think about eventually using three or four. One on each side, one in front and one above a front corner slighty from above. My sweety, as she glanced in the door, said I could use the piece of cardboard with foil to cover hole in tub and store everything , when I took it out into garage......
Keep the good ideas coming. This isn't gonna make you look like a pro, but they will be good, shameless, quality photos that will make your knife look good. And we the viewing public appreciate that.
300
UPDATE 10/28/2011 Thread was attached to a current thread but one item needs updated. The proper light bulbs can easily be had in 45 watts at the Mart stores currently. If you go to the online site that sounds like a South American river they have the same style bulb in 65 to 105 watt that fit regular screw in mounts. BUT, they are big honkin' bulbs, 4 inches by 12 inches. But believe me from experience, they make you almost need sunglasses to look at the scene, but the camera is happy........300
Last edited:
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