SharpByCoop • Gallery of Customs

(Since some of you are enjoying it.)

I mentioned Fred Carter before. I had saved one of his early shots and I found it:


I'm STILL scrambling to get as good as he is in a single shot. Damn him. ;) (I chat with Fred regularly, and he is a friend and supporter of my work these days. He knows what I've been through.)

Another early mentor was our own PhilL. I took a bunch of images of a Sawby knife and chased them to him. Look what he did in 2002:


With a career background in advertising, he knows how to capture the essence of an image with visual interest. I still consider him a mentor. This showed me the endless possibilities of working with Photoshop. I then ordered a copy.

I remember taking this shot and being really excited. Phil shot me straight and said it looked too 'contrived'. He was on the money, of course...


You can see, I was now working with a variation of my $75.00 lightbox.

One of the early contest images I took was of this Koji Hara folder:


I was trying to align all the chrome and shiny stuff, as if it was a working knife. It's better, but.... NOW you can understand why I stray away from props. I simply SUCK at them! :D :eek: :jerkit:

Coop
 
A little later in 2002, the ABS held a hammer-in up here in New York state. I had gotten my stuff together, and brought up my tent, camera, lights and mad skillz for a shoot. I remember asking for a $5.00 contribution for any images I took, and donated back to the ABS for the cause.

Some of these images have endured, and I was *starting* to figure things out....



As you can see, I didn't bring an array of backgrounds. I knew enough now to be dangerous. Color correction was mayhem and random. But, getting the attention of notable members of the ABS was a smart move, in reflection. I am glad for this weekend.

Coop
 
No, not yet. This was digital camera #2. I was still working with my trusty Sony 3.1mp DSC-S75. (Which I still own and love! It's my 'knock around' camera.) I can take images with this camera now that will knock your socks off. It's all about lighting, not about the camera. :thumbup:

That transition to 5mp is coming after thecustomknife.com and other changes. Stay posted.

Coop
 
SharpByCoop said:
A little later in 2002, the ABS held a hammer-in up here in New York state. I had gotten my stuff together, and brought up my tent, camera, lights and mad skillz for a shoot. I remember asking for a $5.00 contribution for any images I took, and donated back to the ABS for the cause.

Some of these images have endured, and I was *starting* to figure things out....

As you can see, I didn't bring an array of backgrounds. I knew enough now to be dangerous. Color correction was mayhem and random. But, getting the attention of notable members of the ABS was a smart move, in reflection. I am glad for this weekend.
Click to expand...

I really like that one... ;)
 
In the winter of 2002, with the exposure of images I posted from the ABS show and my collection photos, I get a call from a local collector who is starting to amass a BIG collection, and is going to create a dealer website called TheCustomKnife.com. ( It is now defunct, sad to say. All the knives have been sold off to other dealers.)

I make a deal with the owner and drive 45 mins to his home where I set up and shoot 20 knives at a clip. He has hundreds. He has seen my images and is impressed enough to be willing to pay me. I am flattered to do the work and charge him a fee of only $15.00 per final image. My work is worth nothing more. My initial shots were miserable and rushed as I was not working at home and had a critic looking over my shoulder. (You all know how well YOU work under pressure this way... :rolleyes:)

Look at these shots to see how I started:



Over the next year and a half I had shot over 300 images for him. I was getting paid to learn, and he was (now) getting decent images for cheap. It was win-win for all. After I found my style we were getting a LOT of compliments, as this style of image was fairly new.

Here are some of the more evolved images I was happy to have produced:



That last folder was a display format that was inspired from Neil Ostroff (True North Knives). Really. He had condensed the four essential views: open view, closed view, opposite side, and filework into one image. It is the basis for 90% of my folder images to this day.

I was a champion of the white outline inset and the Photoshop 'dropped shadow' on the closed view. I worked in this format for years. It is still very viable and the white outline inset gives a clean frame.

Continuing...
 
The following images show the departure from a digital shadow to learning how to leave the original shadow for 'realism'. (If there is anything real about three view of the same knife in a single frame!)

Digital shadow: Real shadow:


It may seem irrelevent to many of you now, but this was the beginning of a big departure for me, one that I continue to employ at present.

Are you bored yet? I thought so. Time for a current teaser before I delve back into the archives and discuss the 2003 AKI show...

Coop
 
I do a notable amount of work for dealers. Many of these images are stored on websites that may never be seen by knife forum members. As long as they sell, I have done my job. :D

Here are a bunch of knives that I liked the unusual styling:




(Knives courtesy of MyKnifeDealer.com)

I liked the opportunity to work on some 'factory' customs: Randall's, William Henry, and Microtech.

Coop
 
Good history Coop, TheCustomKnife.com seems like so long ago, yet it's only been a few years. This is very interesting.
 
Mine. Read about it here.



Photo deserving of this thread, too. :D

Coop
 
In 2003 and earlier, I had aspersions (Like so many of us...) to be a knifemaker as well. So I purchased supplies and started amassing equipment to further this skill. I had grown VERY fond of finishing kit knives , and this was a partial intoduction to the wonderful world of Custom knifemaking.

I was also exploring the usage of collages instead of montages. (the distinction is shown below in the first and second photo)

Collage ........... Montage


Sadly, my knifemaking career never got off the ground (Although I have a fixed-blade and a folder awaiting my completion. Someday.) Not so sadly, my demand to photograph work grew to the point of me needing to manage my careers carefully.

The pivotal moment of success has never been so clearly defined to me as the opportunity to fill-in on late notice as the Show Photographer for the 2003 AKI show. Here is my experience, and here are ALL the photos.

Below are only a few of the 47 images that I shot that evening and morning. When you have work of this calibre, it forces you to 'up your game'. I sure tried.



Here was my working environment that weekend:

And here were the people I was privileged to work with:


Sadly, things changed in two years, and in 2005 I lost the opportunity to return back to Point Seven, who could not make it in 2003. I stand ready.... ;)

This show and the attendant magazine coverage I garnished, along with my own prominent postings really propelled me to the top of the heap, as photographers go. I was now in the Big League.

To be continued...

Coop
 
You guys ALL know that the biggest attraction in Custom knives are the people involved.

I am very liberal in a sense, in that I enjoy the artistry from makers from all corners of the globe.

We have had the privilege of watching the works of Antonio Montejano being constructed from start to finish. His work is almost a 'lost art' that he has recaptured, or at least rekindled.

When I went to Chicago in Sept. to shoot the show, (3) of his pieces were sent here and displayed by Don Cowles. I asked Don if I could, at no charge, have the opportunity to shoot them for Antonio. He has contributed quite a bit on the KNET forum and also around here. And so I did:



Upon seeing the shot and the prints I happily mailed him, Antonio took it upon himself to repay me. He acquired this delightful little Spanish 'Albacete' horn lockback and gave it his special touch:



As you can see, I have been repaid FAR over the cost of an image and print.

I'll be carrying this around today. I would like to openly say thanks to Antonio for such a well-received gift! :thumbup:

Coop
 
Friend Jim

You looked very generous, when the photo did my knives. I appraise the friendship very much and to the generous people. I sent him the personalized pocketknife for this motive.

With this detail as for me, I intended to reciprocate his fine gesture.

Best regards and thank you very much for showing the photos.

Always his friend.

Antonio
 
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