Taking photos of knives, swords and guns

JParanee

JParanee

Joined
Dec 23, 2006
Messages
15,019
Hello everyone I am new to this forum and would like to know the best way to take quality pics of knives, swords and guns. Awhile back i saw a post on using natural light from a window. I am not home much during the day and would like to construct something that i could light and work at night. Have a large collection and three daughters that probale won't care about my stuff so i want to document them so they know what they have if something happens to me. I travel alot and things happen. Heading to Tajikistan this year and you never know. Setup has to accomadate swords and rifles. My sword collection is alot of antique katana and modern work from Hartsfield, Bell, Clark, slobodian, Champagne, Mills and Barret and others. I would like to show the details of these and others. I have a good camera just need tips on lighting and set up. I would like to make this fun and maybe my girls will join in. THanks for any and all of your help
 
When I take close ups and work indoors, I have a setup that works pretty good using full spectrum bulbs. (150-200 watt) I got them online and they make clearer, brighter, better color shots. I made my own lighting stands from simple tripods I had.

If you have a good camera, your half way there. A good tripod for your camera helps (try amvona.com) With digital you can take many shots and experiment with different angles for shooting, lighting and heights; and let me tell you, it is a lot of fun, so don't be afraid to try new things and use what you got also, it doesn't have to be expensive, and you'll be coming out with some nice shots that you'll be proud of.

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I start some thread about this:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=456452

Right now it is just generic suggestions i first post, but this week I think I'll add some indoor exersise. In general to have acceptable result with ony build in flash in your Canon XTI you need wight screen out of foam board available in any office supply store which you put on the back ander some angle - it will bounce light to make softer shadows and will play most important role in knife photoes - make wight reflection in the blade. So with this you may have acceptable pictures, however you need more flashes to make really good.

I'll cover it with examples later this week.

Desk lamp also will work if you have tripoid.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
another member compiled a grouping of the MANY threads related to this subject

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=330909

Coop, myself, and many others have contributed to this thread with examples of the images taken.

for specifics of what I do, take a look at this thread

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3358160

all the info you will need has been presented in these threads.

Keep in mind, that for doing images of swords, you will just need a much larger background and diffuser and possible more lights.

I can work in the daytime or at 3 am in the dark. In another thread I'll be posting knives just recently acquired and a couple of them were photographed in about less than 10 min in the ads during watching a tv program.

Doing the collages takes more time though. I'm not as fast as Coop nor as good.
 
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