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​Master custom knife photographer Eric Eggly (PointSeven Studios) has good news for anybody wanting to create custom knife photos that will, per Eric, "reflect the dynamic nature of this art form."
In this review I will begin with Eric's description of the video series, then offer my observations upon purchasing and watching both DVDs, The Art of Knife Photography Volumes I and II.
Eric says, "In this series you will learn the basics of knife photography and the foundation from which to create your own imagery. I offer hours of instruction covering simple solutions for capturing your images in Vol. I, and then I guide you through the process for creating ready to print digital images in Vol. II, perfect for your website and promotional materials."
Before I begin it is necessary to say that this is not a commercial post. I have no incentive to offer this review other than a desire to share important information with my fellow custom knife enthusiasts, knife makers and knife photographers - professional and aspiring. Anyone, from photography novices to professional shooters, can learn a lot by taking in what Eric has to offer.
Volume I
By way of introduction, Eric directly addresses knife makers by acknowledging that it's not feasible for a maker to send every knife made for professional photographs. And, since makers have loyally supported him over the years, Eric's primary intent is to help makers learn to effectively document and promote their knives. This strikes me as both appropriate and generous.
Likewise, thinking about it from a professional knife photographer's point of view, Eric's desire to show everybody how to do it is a good thing because he is emphasizing the real importance and value of good knife photography. It actually helps other knife photographers in the same way that 'a rising tide floats all boats.'
Knowing Eric for the gentleman he is, I doubt he'd ever say what I'm about to say, so remember, he didn't say this - it's on me. A bad knife photograph is worse than no photograph when it comes to the maker's business. Like a very successful and well-known maker said to me recently, "If the knife photo is no good, then the knife sales are no good."
In volume I Eric begins with a description of the camera types currently available, their strengths/weaknesses and the features one should consider necessary or useful for knife photography.
Using excellent visuals Eric goes over how to set white balance first - a critical ingredient for good knife photos. He then describes the 3 most important variables - ISO, shutter speed and aperture and walks the viewer through the correct settings.
If, like so many of us, you have never really truly figured out what ISO, shutter speed and aperture are all about and how they interact with each other, Erics neat triangle graphic will suddenly make it all clear. IMHO, its worth the price of Vol. I just to get that mystery solved once and for all!
Next, Eric goes over a number of issues that quickly confront the casual photographer who wants to make decent knife fotos file formats, compression, color and depth of field (dof) using relevant knife photo examples.
I appreciated, as Im sure many will, the nice summary he provides at the end of each section along with buying advice.
After the basics mentioned above, Eric tackles in detail the following key concepts using great visuals to illustrate as before, and again giving specific Brand purchasing advice:
- Table-top set-up including light diffusion materials
- Lighting options and use
- Knife placement and composition
- Background selection based on type of blade
- Effective use of props
- Pitfalls and trouble-shooting
Thus concludes Vol. 1 and I swear on a stack of 64gig CF memory cards that teaching knife photography does not get any better than this. Phrases like home run, gold mine and treasure trove come to mind.
Volume II
Software and digital post-processing (editing) is a big obstacle for most makers (anyone really) because the learning curve seems much steeper than that associated with the material covered in Vol. I, especially since makers are already wrestling with another steep learning curve as they seek to master knife craft. (This is why professional knife photographers will always be busy!)
So, get a fresh cup of coffee and prepare to be schooled as you begin disc 1 of Vol. II. Erics laid-back teaching style is perfect for the material. Plus, his use of on-screen prompts helps keep one from getting lost and then more lost. He begins with the important subjects of monitor color calibration and computer set-up. Correct color is essential and one of the unfortunate errors of omission by makers who post their own knife pics. Correct computer set-up for image editing will keep the system from bogging down and even crashing. Eric uses screen shots to illustrate key settings and techniques.
There would be no way to cover all the post-processing software out there so Eric sticks with the most common and best, made by Adobe. Disc 1 details the use of Adobe Elements (basic and affordable) and Adobe Lightroom (a do-it-all program that excels at importing, naming, organizing, batch processing and out-putting lots of images for print, web and slideshows). Disc 2 contains 2.5 hours of instruction in Adobe Photoshop (professional level software).
Many makers, collectors and knife enthusiasts will opt for Adobe Elements while more professionally oriented knife photographers might gravitate toward Adobe Lightroom and/or Photoshop. The beauty of Vol. II is that you can pick and choose accordingly. Elements is not so different from all the other basic image editing programs available. So, even if you desire to use another Brand of software, going through Elements with Eric is well worth the price of Vol. II.
In summary, Eric lays it all out for us and specifically focuses on photographing knives. Many people pay big bucks (as I have done) to attend photography seminars that are not as good as this. I am not aware of anything else out there, be it book or seminar, that can compete with The Art of Knife Photography by Eric Eggly.
Check out a video preview on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzevXeUTJjY
Also:
www.knifephoto.com
In this review I will begin with Eric's description of the video series, then offer my observations upon purchasing and watching both DVDs, The Art of Knife Photography Volumes I and II.
Eric says, "In this series you will learn the basics of knife photography and the foundation from which to create your own imagery. I offer hours of instruction covering simple solutions for capturing your images in Vol. I, and then I guide you through the process for creating ready to print digital images in Vol. II, perfect for your website and promotional materials."
Before I begin it is necessary to say that this is not a commercial post. I have no incentive to offer this review other than a desire to share important information with my fellow custom knife enthusiasts, knife makers and knife photographers - professional and aspiring. Anyone, from photography novices to professional shooters, can learn a lot by taking in what Eric has to offer.
Volume I
By way of introduction, Eric directly addresses knife makers by acknowledging that it's not feasible for a maker to send every knife made for professional photographs. And, since makers have loyally supported him over the years, Eric's primary intent is to help makers learn to effectively document and promote their knives. This strikes me as both appropriate and generous.
Likewise, thinking about it from a professional knife photographer's point of view, Eric's desire to show everybody how to do it is a good thing because he is emphasizing the real importance and value of good knife photography. It actually helps other knife photographers in the same way that 'a rising tide floats all boats.'
Knowing Eric for the gentleman he is, I doubt he'd ever say what I'm about to say, so remember, he didn't say this - it's on me. A bad knife photograph is worse than no photograph when it comes to the maker's business. Like a very successful and well-known maker said to me recently, "If the knife photo is no good, then the knife sales are no good."
In volume I Eric begins with a description of the camera types currently available, their strengths/weaknesses and the features one should consider necessary or useful for knife photography.
Using excellent visuals Eric goes over how to set white balance first - a critical ingredient for good knife photos. He then describes the 3 most important variables - ISO, shutter speed and aperture and walks the viewer through the correct settings.
If, like so many of us, you have never really truly figured out what ISO, shutter speed and aperture are all about and how they interact with each other, Erics neat triangle graphic will suddenly make it all clear. IMHO, its worth the price of Vol. I just to get that mystery solved once and for all!
Next, Eric goes over a number of issues that quickly confront the casual photographer who wants to make decent knife fotos file formats, compression, color and depth of field (dof) using relevant knife photo examples.
I appreciated, as Im sure many will, the nice summary he provides at the end of each section along with buying advice.
After the basics mentioned above, Eric tackles in detail the following key concepts using great visuals to illustrate as before, and again giving specific Brand purchasing advice:
- Table-top set-up including light diffusion materials
- Lighting options and use
- Knife placement and composition
- Background selection based on type of blade
- Effective use of props
- Pitfalls and trouble-shooting
Thus concludes Vol. 1 and I swear on a stack of 64gig CF memory cards that teaching knife photography does not get any better than this. Phrases like home run, gold mine and treasure trove come to mind.
Volume II
Software and digital post-processing (editing) is a big obstacle for most makers (anyone really) because the learning curve seems much steeper than that associated with the material covered in Vol. I, especially since makers are already wrestling with another steep learning curve as they seek to master knife craft. (This is why professional knife photographers will always be busy!)
So, get a fresh cup of coffee and prepare to be schooled as you begin disc 1 of Vol. II. Erics laid-back teaching style is perfect for the material. Plus, his use of on-screen prompts helps keep one from getting lost and then more lost. He begins with the important subjects of monitor color calibration and computer set-up. Correct color is essential and one of the unfortunate errors of omission by makers who post their own knife pics. Correct computer set-up for image editing will keep the system from bogging down and even crashing. Eric uses screen shots to illustrate key settings and techniques.
There would be no way to cover all the post-processing software out there so Eric sticks with the most common and best, made by Adobe. Disc 1 details the use of Adobe Elements (basic and affordable) and Adobe Lightroom (a do-it-all program that excels at importing, naming, organizing, batch processing and out-putting lots of images for print, web and slideshows). Disc 2 contains 2.5 hours of instruction in Adobe Photoshop (professional level software).
Many makers, collectors and knife enthusiasts will opt for Adobe Elements while more professionally oriented knife photographers might gravitate toward Adobe Lightroom and/or Photoshop. The beauty of Vol. II is that you can pick and choose accordingly. Elements is not so different from all the other basic image editing programs available. So, even if you desire to use another Brand of software, going through Elements with Eric is well worth the price of Vol. II.
In summary, Eric lays it all out for us and specifically focuses on photographing knives. Many people pay big bucks (as I have done) to attend photography seminars that are not as good as this. I am not aware of anything else out there, be it book or seminar, that can compete with The Art of Knife Photography by Eric Eggly.
Check out a video preview on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzevXeUTJjY
Also:
www.knifephoto.com
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