Good outdoor photos are tough! 5160 8" Bowie

[Frank Hunter]

Just went outside and took a shot of one of the knives I've got left to sell. The specifics on these are in my other thread.

I am really gaining an appreciation for some of the excellent outdoor shots I've seen from other makers. Trying to get the grinds, logo and other details highlighted is tougher than I had imagined without being indoors. Color balance and things trying to wash out too brightly is something I really am going to work on.

 

[exitium]

Bright direct light is never great for photos(unless you specifically are looking for that). It creates hot spots due to the central light source (ie sun) which in turn can create a lot of harsh shadows. Days where there is a nice even cloud cover is usually best for shinny objects. When the sun hits the clouds the light is dispersed and instead of one hot point of light (ie sun) the whole sky of clouds acts as a light source giving you nice soft shadows. Personally I find shooting at dawn and dusk when sun is low to have a nice natural color, often referred to as the "golden hour" and then use diffusion material like white ripstop nylon. There are a lot of places that sell premade sheets of ripstop with corner elastic so you can just slap together a pvc frame to hold the sheet, it nicely diffuses the light removing shadows and hotspots on your blade.

 

[Frank Hunter]

Thank you for the advice! This particular photo was taken during a very overcast day here in Montana. It was so dark inside I wasn't able to get any good shots with my standard setup. I need to get a proper lightbox.

 

[Bush Monkey]

Nice work. Nothing compares to natural light. Stick to early morning, late afternoon and overcast days. I have never taken a photograph of anything in a lightbox.

It looks authentic because it is authentic. Again, there is no trick, magic box or other artificial substitute for natural (preferably morning) light.

ps Keep it simple.
.

 

[jkf96a]

I've shot 98% of my pictures outdoors. A few small things made the biggest difference for me. One, get a tripod. Even a cheap one is better than nothing. Two, don't shoot in direct light, as said above. My two best spots are on the shady side of trees. Bright enough to shoot, but diffused enough to keep hot spots away. Three, learn your camera. My 4 year old point-n-shoot has a macro setting and will allow for exposure adjustment. I shoot everything in macro, and shoot each shot at -.3, 0, and + .3 exposure. Generally one of them is better, but you never know which one. Here are a few of my natural light photos. They'd be even better if I could figure out a way to catch a uniform reflection in my bolsters.

 

[Rudy Joly]

Frustrating, isn't it.
This is the result of shuffleing around the yard after about 30 shots. No matter where I move to, the high polish of the blade or bolsters reflect everything higher than a blade of grass. The back of the house and gutter made for the best composition shot instead of every doodad in my yard. I haven't had much luck wth the light box either. I was a lot happier before I let someone convince me that pictures were essential to my knifemaking. I keep trying but get to a point where I just throw my hands up and go hide in the shop. I'd be better off with a piece of paper and a crayon.



Rudy

 

[Frank Hunter]

One of my favorite colors is the grey/blue reflection of the sky on a blade. I'm going to take the idea of using a shade to heart and experiment some more with the outdoor work soon.

 

[Bush Monkey]

Never used a tripod either. Good light and a steady hold - tripod optional. Light is the crux of photography. Keep it simple.