Knife Photography

[Rookie]

1 more I took today during my lunch break. I liked the way this old moss covered rotted log looked, so I laid a knife on it and took a picture.

[big monk]

Great photos & knives !!!! _________ I like the "green" background* too !!

[TripleF]

Knice pics fellas!! Very knice!!

Just took this one....

[313 Mike]

Very well put together pics guys! I love me some knife pics...

[Ivoryman]

Scott, great looking scales on the Scout, nice main blade too.
The two that rode with me this week

[Sasquach]

As a former Boy Scout and Scoutmaster........I absolutely LOVE that BSA motif, TrippleF!!!!

Some great photos being shown by all

I just shot this one for the fixed knife thread and it turned out so good (IMHO) that I thought I'd post it here too.

[TripleF]

Thank you Charlie..... it's my wallpaper right now.

Dig your BUCK knife.....WOW

[Rookie]

That's a good lookin photo Squatch. I'm always trying to think of new props to put in with knives. You guys give me good ideas.

[Sasquach]

I tried to get artistic with this one. I'm not sure how successful I was.

I call it STAG-O-RAMMA!

[Quick Steel]

I tried to get artistic with this one. I'm not sure how successful I was

I think the knives with the antlers works very well. I found the background painting a bit distracting tho the subject matter is appropriate. Keep in mind that my artistic sensibilities never progressed much past infancy.

[Sasquach]

I tried to get artistic with this one. I'm not sure how successful I was

I think the knives with the antlers works very well. I found the background painting a bit distracting tho the subject matter is appropriate. Keep in mind that my artistic sensibilities never progressed much past infancy.

Think I should've used a plain background? I tend to agree but then I'm still trying to find my artistic sensibilities. I'll make some adjustments for the next experiment. Thanks for the input.

[Quick Steel]

I'm thinking that with the whiteness of the antlers, a black or dark background for contrast might be effective.

I feel increasingly foolish commenting on your photo given that my own photos are consistently poor. I don't think I ever dared place one of mine in the Knife Photography section. If I did it was when I was young and foolish. Or at least foolish. I really admire the quality of so many photos that appear here.

[Sasquach]

I'm thinking that with the whiteness of the antlers, a black or dark background for contrast might be effective.

I feel increasingly foolish commenting on your photo given that my own photos are consistently poor. I don't think I ever dared place one of mine in the Knife Photography section. If I did it was when I was young and foolish. Or at least foolish. I really admire the quality of so many photos that appear here.

Don't feel foolish. How am I supposed to know how others see my photos if others don't tell me? I thought it looked better with the naked eye than it did in the photo but I wasn't sure exactly why. I was thinking it was the lighting. Then you mentioned the picture in the background. That's when I realized that the lighting, while it may have contributed, was not the only reason I didn't get the full effect I was looking for. Not enough contrast between subject and background hadn't occurred to me yet. The picture in the background, by the way, is the lid from a Stetson hat box. Anyway, this whole process is a matter of trial and error for me and I honestly appreciate your input. Thank you!

[terryl308]

you guys have inspired me to try and take some photo's this easter am. took 4 pics and 2 turned out fairly good, I'll let you be the judge. Photo's are of my 2014 AAPK knife with a piece of stag and a big horn sheep horn for a back ground and an old piece of painted wood. Thanks for looking. Terry

[Quick Steel]

Encircling the knife with the sheep horn is very cool.

[Dinadan]

Charlie - I liked the photo with the antlers, though I agree that the painting in the background made the photo a little to busy.

Terry - I like the ram's horn frame! Nice! I think that weathered wood makes a good background, too.

[terryl308]

Mel and Quick steel, thanks for the comments, I appreciate them. I like to use natural background and natural lighting when available. Terry

[LongBlade]

Nice Terry ... I also been playing with indirect natural light outside for some photos... still trying to figure out the best exposures... early morning or late afternoon indirect light seems to bring out the best in color richness as most outdoor photographers would agree... direct sunlight may work but a UV filter would be important - but I haven't played with that for knife photos - only landscape stuff in direct sunlight...

Here's one I didn't use but a white birch came down in the forest (not many of these trees in our area - hardwood forests in our area).... but I stripped the bark and laid it between some plywood for months to get nice flat pieces for various uses.... I opted not to make a canoe like in the old days but it is used for background and custom rustic frames...

--------------

[FRJ]

Nice photo, Lee.

[Rookie]

I like the pics you guys are posting. The best way to get good pictures is to take lots and lots of them, and see which ones come out best, and then realize why they come out better than others.

I was advised by a professional knife photographer that I need to keep my shots simple, the knife should attract 100% of your eyes attention. Props and backgrounds should accentuate that the knife is front and center. Good contrast between the knife and background is important also.

But, I am just a novice, the same as all of you. I don't do this for money, just for my own amusement.

Here is 2 shots of a Tuna Valley Muskrat knife I got, with buffalo horn handles.

[Quick Steel]

Fine photos Rookie. The textures and colors of the wood environment really enhance the presentation of the knife to a remarkable degree.

[terryl308]

I like the white birch background. It has just enough contrast to keep you interested but not too much to distract from what we are interested in , the knife. The pine cones look good also. Nice job and I agree with you that it just takes practice, practice, practice. Take lots of photo's and keep trying different things. I like everyone who comments , we all learn by them. Thanks, Terry

[LongBlade]

Thanks Terry and Joe ... depending on your camera (some have many more options than others for shooting) as you said Terry it is practice and experimenting with different conditions... the great thing about modern photography and the digital age gives one a great advantage - lots of photos at no expense compared to the old days of film photography as Terry alluded to - believe me I have been doing fly (as in fly fishing fly) photos for years and it took me some time to determine the best conditions for shooting (light etc etc) and still I sometimes weed through 100 photos at different angles, light placement etc to get 1 shot I like... knife photos add a different aspect due to the blades and how light can distort them in terms of reflections etc... I'll keep posting some others as I play - like Terry said we can learn from each other

[313 Mike]

Very nice pictures guys, and good commentary as well. My knife shots are usually fairly predictable in their content, and usually consist of elements that I find pleasing to my own eye...knife in nature, on a tree, near a tree, with a tree in the background...in the woods, on or near a lake or river....in the garden, with freshly picked produce...you get the idea! What can I say, I like what I like...

[Dinadan]

Here is a Queen in front of weathered cedar. Getting a good photo of an etch is always a challenge for me. In this case, to get the etch I had to use an angle which messes up the profile of the knife. When I am indoors I use a mirror (or two) to get the best lighting, but this was outside so I just took what I could get. And I usually take a bunch of photos and sort out the best.