TIPS on Photographing a WIP process

[ddd]

Hello Everyone,

Work In Progress Threads are always exciting to follow even if one
is not a knifemaker. But for knifemakers, especially those at the beginning
of the road, these threads can supply a wealth of PRICELESS information.

This is specially true if the photography is planned carefully, stage by stage,
beginning with a good and clear display of all the raw materials that will
be a part of the knife.

Having already created and published two very detailed knifemaking WIPs
in my first two books on "Knifemakers of The World", that of Edmund Davidson
and that of Tim Hancock, I think I can share a little of what I have learned
and explored along the way...

The best way would be to display some of the stages here, as visual examples
and let them speak for themselves...

Stage #1 THE RAW MATERIALS

Here are the two opening pages displaying the raw materials used
in making Edmund's Full Integral and Tim Hancock's Dogbone Dagger.
It is quite obvious whose is what...

These pictures should include ONLY the raw materials, set on an
uncluttered surface and arranged so that the different materials
can easily be identified

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)

 

[ddd]

It can be a very good idea to prepare a roughly sketched
"Story Board", ON PAPER.
This will usually help with planning the visually valuable as well
as technically important stages worth documenting.

Here is the actual first page of the story board I sketched out
while discussing and planning the the 8 days of photography that
lay ahead of us....

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)

 

[ddd]

STAGE #2 The BEGINNING

Here one should show the actual first steps taken to begin the
process of making the knife.

This can be a picture of the general setup/machine/tools as one
is beginning to work on the knife (like in Edmund's case),
or a close-up picture, as in the full page illustration of the tacked
billet that will eventually become Tim's blade...

NOTICE how using only the ambient lighting (available lighting) in the
shop preserves the natural atmosphere. Of course correctly exposed
pictures like these need longer exposures and therefore the use of a
tripod or relatively high ISO settings.

NOTE: NO MATTER HOW LOW THE LEVEL OF ILLUMINATION,
A CORRECTLY EXPOSED PICTURE WILL PENETRATE THE
SEMI-DARKNESS AND SHOW NEARLY EVERYTHING BRIGHT
AND CLEAR!!

TRY THIS AND SEE FOR YOURSELF!


Adding close-up details of the tools/bits Edmund used in the first stages
is worth many words...

In Tim's case, a good picture of the first billet, allows easy
layer count giving some added value to the picture...

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)

 

[ddd]

Stage #3: The WORK IN PROGRESS

I think that the secret of displaying a complicated process and yet
making it visually exciting, is to show the action while constantly
switching between general pictures of the working space and the
knifemaker at work and detailed close-ups of what is
actually taking place or of the resulting pieces being made.

Here are some examples, First from Edmund Davidson's book:

And from Tim Hancock's book:

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)

 

[ddd]

The WORK in PROGRESS series of pictures can be made even
more exciting by looking for those special shots that will add
"drama" to the unfolding story of making a knife.

HERE ONE HAS TO USE IMAGINATION AND VISUALIZE SUCH
PHOTOGRAPHIC OPPORTUNITIES AS THEY ARE HAPPENING!!!

Here is one such full page illustration from my book-in-the-works
"The Art Knives of Van Barnett & Dellana".

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)

 

[Lorien]

that's some great stuff there, David!
Thanks

 

[ddd]

Here is one more true "action" shot of Dellana heat treating
her Damascus blade in total darkness.
This is one of nearly 40 pictures my son Nir shot of this
very short and critical process. It was the only one that was
good enough for the book, but one was all I needed...

Lesson learned: Shoot fast and stop only when the process ends.
Choose the best picture later, on the computer screen.

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)

 

[Allen Newberry]

That is very interesting! Thanks for sharing the thoughts and reasons behind the different shots.

 

[John M Cohea]

Very interesting, a WIP on Wip'S.Thanks David:thumbup:!

 

[NickWheeler]

Thank you for taking the time to post this David I'm very familiar with the books, so your take on this is much appreciated! :thumbup:

 

[ddd]

Thanks Guys!

Actually I was thinking of finishing the WIP on WIPs, as John C. called
it, leading with some tips all the way to the finished knives....

But I'll leave the rest for tomorrow..

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)

 

[Mark Behnke]

Thanks for this WIP.

I like doing Wip but fumble through them...This gives me hope and motivation

Mark Behnke

 

[Murray White]

always enjoy seeing a good photographer display his talents

 

[GTCknives]

Very nice thread, thanks!

 

[ddd]

CAPTURING THE ACTION

There is movement involved in many workshop processes.
Making the knifemaker "pause" and taking a shot while all
movement has ceased is relatively easy, but also relatively
less interesting...
Depicting movement in a well planned "action picture" tells
the viewer the whole story. No words are needed...

THE SECRET LIES IN USING LONG EXPOSURES and A GOOD TRIPOD.

With the camera stabilized on the tripod one can shoot great long
exposure pictures that display selective movement while all stationary
objects are sharp and clear!

Here is one such example of Tim Hancock TWISTING the bar of Damascus:

From my book: "Tim Hancock The Western Bladesmith" (2009)

And here is one picture I shot recently at Van and Dellana's place
showing the movement of the jeweler's saw in action while Dellana
was cutting a slab of MOP for the handle of her folder...

From my next book: "The Art Knives of Van Barnett & Dellana" (2011)

 

[Kevin Jones]

David, you have really been generous in offering this very informative and educational thread.

 

[Bruce Bump]

Thanks for this thread David. Its nice to hear from the pro on this subject. I took some notes for my next one. :thumbup:

 

[ddd]

Thanks for this thread David. Its nice to hear from the pro on this subject. I took some notes for my next one. :thumbup:

Even just to hear this, Bruce, was worth it all!

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)

 

[Edmund D.]

Hello All: It was a real treat having David here in the shop for 8 days and watching him set up for every shot that i could see was a real learning experience in how a Professional Photographer views his subject.....There was one shot i Remember well that took him almost one Hour to create and that was of the drill press and the bit nearing the Integral. Apparently he was not getting the results he wanted and like Many Professionals persisted with out complaint, and when it finally happened and he was satisfied with the results said, Yes, then moved onto the next subject. The difference between between David's works and other books is his exacting details in Photography that show the best of an Image. We are All blessed with his presence in our Knife World. Edmund.

 

[ddd]

Thanks Edmund,
Photographing a process I had never seen before, looking at the
whole setup with a different eye backed with over 40 years of
serious professional photography, WAS a truly thrilling experience
for me as it was with Tim Hancock a year later and this past
June with Van and Dellana!!

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)