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vaquero57

Joined
Nov 12, 2000
Messages
131
Just reviewed my link. These photos suck!! I appologize. I wish I could get good photos like the ones I see by you guys on this forum. Any suggestions to capture the shine in the blade and the clarity.

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" I am a shootist."
Clay Allison
" Does this mean we are bladists?"
Vaquero57
McAlpin Bladesmithing
 
I've read where taking pictures of knives outside on an overcast day works. Get a piece of plate glass and some blocks. Stack the blocks up on the drive way and lay the glass on top of it and set the knife on the glass. Tha grayish background and the the diffused light should help alot.

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Take care!! Michael

Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!
http://www.nebsnow.com/L6steel
Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms!!!
 
Michael, What about those really pretty photos where the knife is sitting on a wooden fencepost or a picnic table? I like photos where nature can be seen in the background. What if there is not an overcast day in sight? Does it matter about the expense of your digital camera? We have a JamCam from Gateway to match our system and it only cost $100. Could it be that this camera is not as fancy and does not do as good a job as a more expensive camera? Cory

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" I am a shootist."
Clay Allison
" Does this mean we are bladists?"
Vaquero57
McAlpin Bladesmithing
 
Cory,I have the cheapest Polaroid digital camera that Wal-Mart has so it isn't the camera,I used to use mt web cam.
Alex Daniels showed me a trick and it works great and is inexpensive to set up....
I have a 2 foot by 3 foot frame made from 1X2's and then I stretched some white satin material over this like a artist canvas is done.Then you take this and set one edge on the ground and lean it back towards yourself until the shadows in the blade are gone and all you see is a nice Blade,I set my knife on a piece of white poster board but you can put anything under the knife as long as it isn't distracting from the knife.You just don't want any reflections in the blade and this set up will only reflect white in the blade so you don't notice it.This is how I took the picture of the knife that Blade Magazine put in the magazine....If you want I will take a picture of the set up and post it for you to see.
Bruce

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Bruce Evans Handcrafted Knives
The soul of the Knife begins in the Fire!!!!!
Member of,AKTI#A000223 and The American Bladesmith Society
asmallpicofbruceforforums.jpg
 
Cory I almost forgot,When using this set up "DON'T USE A FLASH"
And take your pictures with the highest resolution possiable by your camera..
Bruce

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Bruce Evans Handcrafted Knives
The soul of the Knife begins in the Fire!!!!!
Member of,AKTI#A000223 and The American Bladesmith Society
asmallpicofbruceforforums.jpg
 
Bruce,

I'd like to see what it looks like. I've seen a diagram of this set-up, and would like to see yours in a photo if possible.

I made one in about 5 minutes that almost worked, but I just have paper as the filter. What kind of satin material did you stretch over the frame???

Also, what kind of light do you use?

Nick
 
I will get one taken asap and get it posted up for you.
The material I bought was just thick enogh that it didn't let a far off shadow through but light enough for the sun to come through,I'm sorry I don't know how to explain it any better than that.
Bruce

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Bruce Evans Handcrafted Knives
The soul of the Knife begins in the Fire!!!!!
Member of,AKTI#A000223 and The American Bladesmith Society
asmallpicofbruceforforums.jpg
 
I just love the search function in this place. I knew I had read a post with directions for making a "soft box" in which to photograph knives and here it is:
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum51/HTML/002092.html
I might have to try this one, as soon as I get my digital camera back from Nikon-just went dead, maybee it overheated
biggrin.gif
?
Regards,
DHall

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"sharks and dogs" he muttered, "sharks and dogs...."
 
Thanks guys but what about scenes where the knife has a natural background, say in front of a tree or something. I have seen photos like this and there was no white background.

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" I am a shootist."
Clay Allison
" Does this mean we are bladists?"
Vaquero57
McAlpin Bladesmithing
 
Vaquero-
(disclaimer-I am not a professional photographer-I am an amateur B&W photographer who has lapsed into occasional point and shoot photography with a digital camera
smile.gif
).....
Still the same concept. The light needs to be diffused-enough light but no direct source. Any slightly opaque material like Parachute material, thin silk (not your wife's negligee
biggrin.gif
), a white sheet, etc can be used over the area in which you want to shoot, so that direct sun light is blocked, but diffused sun light comes through. If there is not enough light (slightly overcast day) then a portable light source may be necessary (again place the fabric material between the light and the knife. The nice thing about the frame I mention in the previous post is that it can go outdoors. Set it perpendicular to the tree base, cover the bottom with pine needles, pine cones leaves-etc. Use the side with the material to diffuse the sun light and shoot at a slight angle to get the tree in the background.
The real pro's at this type of photography are those that work in the Jewelry industry-just you try to get a good picture of a diamond with emeralds on a platinum band! ( I did and it didn't work-that's why I stick with black and white!)
Regards,
DHall

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"sharks and dogs" he muttered, "sharks and dogs...."
 
Here are some pictures of what I use.You just have to adjust the angle that you have the frame setting at to get the shadows out..
Bruce
View

View

Don't mind the stain on the material as I had some water get spilled on it,but it still works fine.And please forgive the dead grass and dirty Carport,it's winter and I don't mess with the yard much.
Bruce

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Bruce Evans Handcrafted Knives
The soul of the Knife begins in the Fire!!!!!
Member of,AKTI#A000223 and The American Bladesmith Society
asmallpicofbruceforforums.jpg
 
I use basically the same setup as Bruce,w/the exception that I made the frame out of 3/4"pvc then stretched ripstop nylon over it,put an eye screw top center.I use 2,500w photo floods behind it,about 1 foot up from the bottom,I attach a length of jack chain to the eye screw & attach it to a light fixture above the dining table,to keep it at a 45%.I'm not using a digital but it should work either way.On 35mm slr I set at f16 & 1sec.,exsposure w/isa100 film,no flash.

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MJH
 
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