knife photography (pic heavy)

**bushblade** · 14-03-2010, 00:29

Hi all, would very much like to know your thoughts on the following photos of knives I have recently completed.

My girlfriend is already an accomplished nature photographer and has recently taken an interest in studio work, and fortunately for me she is trying the tricky subject of my knives, much to her initial frustrations and obviously to my benefit.

**Shewie** · 14-03-2010, 00:40

Very nice Will, lovely work on the knife and great pics by Louise

**Cap'n Badger** · 14-03-2010, 00:46

....wow!

**g4ghb** · 14-03-2010, 08:16

The photos are stunning - the knife isn't that shabby either

**GeoffWood** · 14-03-2010, 10:33

Great photos - your girlfriend knows her stuff.

Are you prepared to share any details of the setup used?

Cheers,
GeoffW

**bushblade** · 14-03-2010, 10:59

Thanks for the compliments

Just having a look at her gadgets she is using:

Canon 40D
Canon 100mm Macro
Elinchrom BXRi 500/500 kit with softboxes
Sekonic flashmate light meter
Diffusing tent
Black acrylic sheet for background
Blutack
& finally...a happy little helper called Bushblade!

**cwillson** · 14-03-2010, 11:03

wow! Well done mate!

Something I aspire to be able to do (but I bet it takes a lot of practise huh?

What kind of leather did you use for the sheath? I want to have a bash at making a replacement for my current one.

Chris

**bushblade** · 14-03-2010, 11:14

Originally Posted by cwillson

wow! Well done mate!

Something I aspire to be able to do (but I bet it takes a lot of practise huh?

What kind of leather did you use for the sheath? I want to have a bash at making a replacement for my current one.

Chris

Thankyou.

Its fairly new stuff for her, but she has researched it a fair bit.

The leather is just vedge tanned 3mm shoulder, natural colour, wet formed, dyed and oiled.

**pwb** · 14-03-2010, 12:21

Look perfect , both the pics and the work on the knife

**armie** · 14-03-2010, 13:14

Originally Posted by cwillson

wow! Well done mate!

Something I aspire to be able to do

Yes, these pictures definitely set a standard!

**robin wood** · 14-03-2010, 14:40

Good pics, the 100mm macro is a great lens and the lighting is spot on. I prefer non reflective dark paper roll for background, I find the strong reflections take the attention away from the knife slightly.

Whilst the 45 degree shots show the knife really nicely I would prefer more variety, I always want to see one profile shot that clearly shows the line down the back of the knife as that is one of the lines that most affects how a knife looks, you don't see it properly at this angle. We only see one side as well, always good to show both sides. Hope this is constructive, they are great shots already.

**bushblade** · 14-03-2010, 15:23

Cheers Robin, usefull info, thanks for the advice

Lou has just been admiring the pics on your site, did you take them?

**Driftwoodwalker** · 14-03-2010, 15:33

Excellent pictures, knife is nice too.

regards,
Lance.

**robin wood** · 14-03-2010, 16:15

Originally Posted by bushblade

Cheers Robin, usefull info, thanks for the advice

Lou has just been admiring the pics on your site, did you take them?

Yes, I am far from a photographer though, I just snap. I do have a mix of skills, involving making stuff and knowing a bit about what is needed to sell it. I guess that is what commercial photography is about, you need to create a desire but also present enough information for folk to decide to buy. I do most of the knife photos for Grace Horne http://www.gracehorne.co.uk/ (the ones with gray paper background) I just have one cheapo portaflash with a softbox and a reflector. Most photos taken on my ancient 300d with sigma 50EX macro though have recently upgraded to 40d.

**bushblade** · 14-03-2010, 18:31

Just a couple more pics from trying on a white backgound, she even had me modeling

And one for fun of an old/used knife, I tried to clean it up a bit for the photo, but it still looks a bit dirty at this level.

All comments/critisism gratefully received.

**g4ghb** · 14-03-2010, 19:34

Originally Posted by bushblade

Just a couple more pics from trying on a white backgound, she even had me modeling

And one for fun of an old/used knife, I tried to clean it up a bit for the photo, but it still looks a bit dirty at this level.

All comments/critisism gratefully received.

equally good pics!

how long did you have to hold your breath for?

**robin wood** · 14-03-2010, 19:39

Not a fan of the white background. Very difficult to get the right amount of light on the knife on a white background, blade is appearing bleached out, always easiest when background is similar or darker.

**malente** · 14-03-2010, 19:47

fantastic! could you let us in on details about set-up? post-processing?

In any case, I like the pictures a lot!

Maybe add some outdoorsy props like animal-skins as background?

ATB

Mike

**Adze** · 14-03-2010, 19:56

Your firesteel is upsidedown... other than that it's a helluva lot better than I could do

**Danzo** · 14-03-2010, 20:10

They are very good pics, but I don't like the mirror reflection used in the first set. It detracts from the image and obscures the clarity.

Danzo

**g4ghb** · 14-03-2010, 20:27

Originally Posted by Danzo

They are very good pics, but I don't like the mirror reflection used in the first set. It detracts from the image and obscures the clarity.

Danzo

I can see what you (and Robin) mean Dan but oddly if you look at the pic as a whole I think it adds to it and looks good. But conversely if you just look at the knife / firesteel etc it does seem to distract.... odd huh!?

or is it just me.......

**bushblade** · 14-03-2010, 20:31

Originally Posted by g4ghb

equally good pics!

how long did you have to hold your breath for?

I didn't, her camera and lights shoot real fast, she didn't even need to use a tripod.

Originally Posted by robin wood

Not a fan of the white background. Very difficult to get the right amount of light on the knife on a white background, blade is appearing bleached out, always easiest when background is similar or darker.

Noted. The wood looks real nice on white though, maybe we'll try a matt dark surface next. Though we also posted this on the RPS forums too and they seem to like the black acyrlic, probably more from an art perspective.

Originally Posted by malente

fantastic! could you let us in on details about set-up? post-processing?

In any case, I like the pictures a lot!

Maybe add some outdoorsy props like animal-skins as background?

ATB

Mike

She used:

Canon 40D
Canon 100mm Macro
Elinchrom BXRi 500/500 kit with softboxes
Sekonic flashmate light meter
Diffusing tent
Black acrylic sheet for background
Blutack

She had to use photoshop to remove the dust that seams magicaly atracted to black acrylic, then cropped/resized, her name added and thats it I think.

She did get this one, that I may use for a low opacity background on my site, similar to what I have now but better.

**malente** · 14-03-2010, 20:43

Cheers!

I like this last one very much!

**GeoffWood** · 15-03-2010, 08:23

Originally Posted by bushblade

I didn't, her camera and lights shoot real fast, she didn't even need to use a tripod.

Noted. The wood looks real nice on white though, maybe we'll try a matt dark surface next. Though we also posted this on the RPS forums too and they seem to like the black acyrlic, probably more from an art perspective.

She used:

Canon 40D
Canon 100mm Macro
Elinchrom BXRi 500/500 kit with softboxes
Sekonic flashmate light meter
Diffusing tent
Black acrylic sheet for background
Blutack

She had to use photoshop to remove the dust that seams magicaly atracted to black acrylic, then cropped/resized, her name added and thats it I think.

She did get this one, that I may use for a low opacity background on my site, similar to what I have now but better.

An excellent piece of work. I had a look at your own website - impressive.

How do you make those low opacity backgrounds? Yours is very nice indeed.
Thanks for sharing the photos so far.

**Klenchblaize** · 15-03-2010, 08:29

The knife scales look unfinsihed and at deaths door from a lack of 'feed'.

Assuming this is not a trick of the light the pics are great if lacking a certain 'mood'?

Cheers

**Tadpole** · 15-03-2010, 08:43

I like both sets of photographs, but for differing reasons. Taking ‘good’ pictures depends on your end market. (not necessary just selling) if you are looking at the photographs as art, and aiming for that market, then you take pictures one way, if you are aiming at selling the object in the picture, then you need to photograph them a different way.

The knives on a black shiny background look to me to be aimed at the “art market”, and the knives on the white back ground look more for selling on eBay. Somewhere in the middle is a place for selling to a knife buyer, most of whom have certain requirement as to what the images should look like so they can judge the quality and desirability of a knife.

**bushblade** · 15-03-2010, 09:42

Originally Posted by GeoffW

An excellent piece of work. I had a look at your own website - impressive.

How do you make those low opacity backgrounds? Yours is very nice indeed.
Thanks for sharing the photos so far.

Thankyou. I made them low opacity in photoshop, if you would like more specific details/instructions feel free to pm me.

Originally Posted by Klenchblaize

The knife scales look unfinsihed and at deaths door from a lack of 'feed'.

Cheers

Not sure I follow you

Originally Posted by Tadpole

I like both sets of photographs, but for differing reasons. Taking ‘good’ pictures depends on your end market. (not necessary just selling) if you are looking at the photographs as art, and aiming for that market, then you take pictures one way, if you are aiming at selling the object in the picture, then you need to photograph them a different way.

The knives on a black shiny background look to me to be aimed at the “art market”, and the knives on the white back ground look more for selling on eBay. Somewhere in the middle is a place for selling to a knife buyer, most of whom have certain requirement as to what the images should look like so they can judge the quality and desirability of a knife.

That confirms pretty much what we are discovering, over on the photography forums they like the reflective black background and Lou is coming to this from a artistic background. The knife users want to see more of the knife and less art. With the next ones we'll try some dark none reflective backgrounds and more user friendly angles.

Thanks all for your input its been very useful and much appreciated.

**malente** · 15-03-2010, 13:47

Don't you know that you have to please *everyone*, *every* time

I had a look at your website, awesome!

Bookmarked!

ATB

Mike

**bushblade** · 15-03-2010, 19:00

Thanks for that

Glad you like it, its getting a bit old fashioned now I'm doing a one day a week web design course at the moment with a view to updating it.
I took all the images on it (except the ones of me of course!) but mine pale in comparison to Lou's first go so I may be persuading her to take more

I posted those two knives to their new owners today so the photgraphy experiments will have to wait til I make more.

**steve007** · 24-03-2010, 19:51

wow that is a stunning knife well done

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