Photographing knives - looking for tips

[danno50]

I can't seem to get good knife pics to post. When I look at some of the photos posted I am amazed at the quality. I use a small Pentax digital camera and have tried all the settings but just have not been fully satisfied with my photos. If I try to post a photo larger than 3 megapixels I get an error message that the file is invalid?
Philco posted a very good tutorial on how to get photos onto the forum but I am looking for tips on how to take better pictures. ie. cameras used, flash or no flash, extra lighting etc. I know some people use a scanner, which I don't have. I may sneak into work on the weekend and try the scanner there but if the secretary catches me putting anything scratchy on the glass I will be in trouble.

Dan

[orvet]

Dan,
I use a light box and a scanner, but not all scanners work well.
Epson seem to work good for me.
Document scanners don't seem to have any depth of field so everything not touching the glass is out of focus.
My old Epson (complete with scratches) does better than my camera.

With a camera, be sure to turn off the flash.
Also watch your back ground color.
Do a lot of experimenting with background colors, lighting & camera settings.
That is how I learn, but I am far from great with my pics.

Dale

[Owd Wullie]

Here's one thing that helped me. Get a photobucket account. It's free. Upload your pictures to photobucket and it will resize them down to a manageable level for posting in forums and such.

Does your camera have a MACRO setting? It might be nothing more than a picture of a flower. If so, use that setting to photograph your knives. As Orvet said turn off the flash. Try to take your pictures in a shaded area on a bright day. Direct sunlight doesn't work so pretty good. Keep messing with it and you'll find the best setting for your camera. The great thing about the digital revolution is the DELETE button and NOT having to spend a fortune to get pictures developed that are crap. LOL

I use a Canon Powershot Pro 1. It is an older camera but has more bells and whistles than I can comprehend. All I can say is, keep trying.

[lenny357]

WOW nice knife

My best advice is just as Owd Wullie said get outside

My # 1 mistake was getting to close to the knife when shooting. I've found backing up a bit and zooming in gets some tang stamp sharp images

Good luck

[wellington03]

I'm no expert on these things, and blunder along with a 1 MP phone/camera. Great suggestions so far.

My thoughts..good and bad.

Good flat, clean, natural colour back ground.

Good light, I prefer to photograph outside on an overcast day.

Camera in not that important, owt will do.

Angle the shots to reflect blade surface.


I like to take the odd "arty" pic, to add interest, try to find the odd prop, catalogues, box labels, horse shoes, stirrups, coins, old picture, whips etc..it does work, I think ?.


Experiment with light angles and close up shots.


Mick

[Owd Wullie]

Personally, I don't think Mick has any knives that photograph poorly.

[wishful]

Danno, I have gotten pretty good results by photographing in a room well lit by natural daylight. Don't do it close to a window because you will get a lot of reflection from the knife blades. Also, you should concentrate on where your focal point is. Most cameras show the focal point in the view finder. e.g. If you want to show the tang stamp clearly, make sure that is where your focal point is. When you're taking closeups, an eighth of an inch in depth will make a considerable difference in the clarity of what you're trying to show. Use your camera's close up mode, and of course, don't use the flash or you will get a lot of blade reflection.

[peanut740]

Try getting a light tent.I have a kit I got on ebay that has 2 sizes plus different backgrounds and lights.I just use the smaller one which is about 16" square.It rolls into a ball for storage and into a pouch.It has a slit in it that lets you stick your lens thru so you don`t have reflections.You can use it outside even on a sunny day.I can`t get good photos inside.

[danno50]

Thanks to everyone for all the great tips. I will try them all.

Dan

[knifeaholic]

Try getting a light tent.I have a kit I got on ebay that has 2 sizes plus different backgrounds and lights.I just use the smaller one which is about 16" square.It rolls into a ball for storage and into a pouch.It has a slit in it that lets you stick your lens thru so you don`t have reflections.You can use it outside even on a sunny day.I can`t get good photos inside.

Hi Peanut;

Can you (or anyone else feel free to weigh in) give me a link as to the light tent that worked for you? I did an ebay search and hundreds of light tents came up...wondering if anyone can hale me narrowing it down as to the one that would work best for pocketknives.

Thanks!!

[Owd Wullie]

DITTO to all of the above.

I don't have a "tent", but I do have a fantastic camera. It is a few years old and I wouldn't have bought it had it not been for that fact. New it was over 900 bucks. I got one nearly new for 225. It has several built in features such as white balancing and super macro. Learning to use it has been an adventure and I'm only about halfway proficient with what it can do.

My camera is a Canon Powershot Pro1.
It will get up close and personal. This was taken with indoor lighting only at night on my dining room table.


And here's what it can do at night with nothing more than natural lighting.


I use one at work and that is what prompted me to buy one.

A GREAT free photo editing program is PAINT.NET. It has some very nice bells and whistles and the price is right. Google it and it will lead you to the free download.

[peanut740]

Steve,I bought mine on ebay a couple years ago as a kit.Name on it is StillShot2.2 tents,large and small,4 different color backgrounds,camera stand, 2 lights and a nice nylon zip up carrying case.I think it was around $40.I only use the small tent outside for knives.Roger

[Paul M]

Here is a link to a small tent from a supplier I use for photo equipment
http://www.calumetphoto.com/item/RM1007/
hope it works!

[justold52]

Here is what you can do to make a light box.