Knife Photography

[Ivoryman]

This today

[Dinadan]

Cools photos, fellows! I took advantage of the slanting sun this afternoon to snap a couple of photos of this Schrade.

[gsmith7158]

Lee could you show a pic of your light box or give a link to that post?

Greg - Here's the link to the article : http://ep.yimg.com/ty/cdn/knifeworld/photoarticle.pdf .. no doubt better than just seeing a photo of mine..

No doubt worth reading - my light box is the same shown in the article with Mark standing in front of it with camera (the home budget variety ) - he showed only one flood light clipped to bottom but I have one on each bottom side (8" floods from home depot that take 150 watt incandescent light bulbs) - though he does note 2 flood lights in the article side note for how to build it... Basically I just took a 20"x30" heavy cardboard box and glued the white poster paper on all sides - cheap ($14 with glue ) and easy to make - makes a big difference in my view... maybe not exactly professional but so much better than my previous pics which originally I thought were not bad but reflections etc became a distraction.. hope this helps!! (PS - I learned the hard way that fishing flies with feathers and fur absorb light while knives reflect it.... so while direct lighting worked well in my past I had to take the new approach for knives)...

Thanks for the link Lee . I am working on one that may be simpler and more compact . If it works out I will post my results.

[gsmith7158]

Here are some shots from my simply made light box. Still got a couple of problems to work out , but if it works I will document it here.

[LongBlade]

The first 2 photos are not bad Greg... maybe the second abit out of focus... but the 3rd and 4th photos show the blades as "black" - I now understand that this indicates you are shooting perpendicular to the knife - you need to get some angle off the knife or it will show too dark... in the light box the knives need to be laying at a small angle... keep it at my friend as it only takes some playing around to get it right ... (PS - I may have some photos if I can find them that show the huge difference between shooting perpendicular in contrast to off on an angle)... I should add that a camera that has a macro setting where you can also adjust speed and f-stop helps a great deal - point and shoot cameras are tough...

[gsmith7158]

The first 2 photos are not bad Greg... maybe the second abit out of focus... but the 3rd and 4th photos show the blades as "black" - I now understand that this indicates you are shooting perpendicular to the knife - you need to get some angle off the knife or it will show too dark... in the light box the knives need to be laying at a small angle... keep it at my friend as it only takes some playing around to get it right ... (PS - I may have some photos if I can find them that show the huge difference between shooting perpendicular in contrast to off on an angle)... I should add that a camera that has a macro setting where you can also adjust speed and f-stop helps a great deal - point and shoot cameras are tough...

It is a work in progress Lee. I am using led light so I haven't quite got enough I don't think but you are right the angle makes all the difference in the world.

[LongBlade]

It is a work in progress Lee.

Understood my friend ... you are no doubt on the right track.. as I said keep playing... once you figure it out I found knife photos go so much more smoothly - no more playing with the lights - just deciding on background and angle of the knife ....

[Dinadan]

Greg - I think the photos of your favorite old Cases are better than the photos from your light box. I suggest a different background in the light box, something with some texture, like old leather or canvas or weathered wood. Just my thought, and I am no expert.

[gsmith7158]

It is a work in progress Lee.

Understood my friend ... you are no doubt on the right track.. as I said keep playing... once you figure it out I found knife photos go so much more smoothly - no more playing with the lights - just deciding on background and angle of the knife ....

Thanks Lee I'll keep working at it.

Greg - I think the photos of your favorite old Cases are better than the photos from your light box. I suggest a different background in the light box, something with some texture, like old leather or canvas or weathered wood. Just my thought, and I am no expert.

Mel when I change the back ground it seems to throw the lighting off . Still got a lot to learn.

[TheMadHungarian]

I'll second the use of a light box. I made mine for free right around the holidays. I took a 24" square box skeletonized it so it was a box frame. then I took the paper that comes in the boxes you get shirts in on xmas, it's a very light but sturdy tissue paper and I used it to cover over the cut outs in the box. Then I used 3 incandescent work lights, the kind that sit on a stand and comes with a trumpet bell reflector. The pics were astounding, no shadow unless I wanted them and I had complete control of my lighting. Best thing was it was free, worst thing was they only lasted a few months and were not very portable so I just wound up building a lot of them over the years. Now I use a quality flash units and usually tweak the camera settings till I see what I like and if it needs any more adjusting take it to a photo editor. I've gotten lazy taking pictures and don't take as many as I used to. I loved the set up, using different backdrops and props and playing with the lighting.

Try using white LEDs they're great for macro shots and provide a soft light depending on how far away it is and how focused the beam is.

This is a great thread and I post in several forums that have similar threads, Jim Cooper if you know who he is hangs on the one site with us, he's a regular guy and takes awesome knife photos. He makes his living going to the big shows and blade smith shops taking pics of the best custom makers in the world. Jim's one of those guys who loves to talk shop. Look him up, IIRC he has his own BF page, a website and he has his own sub forum on BFC where he posts his pics and offers tons of advice to hobby photographers like us.

Forgot to post some knife pics.

Sharp by Coop, http://www.sharpbycoop.com/jalbum/index.html click on the link if you want to see some gorgeous knife photos of beautiful custom knives.

[kamagong]

Ted, is that you?

[TheMadHungarian]

Ted, is that you?

Uh huh...

[TripleF]

Trying to show the depth of the stag.....

[dcgm4]

Nicely done, Scott.

[TripleF]

Nicely done, Scott.

Thanks Dave!!

[roofsc]

The last shot of the Chris Reeves in outstanding !!

[Ivoryman]

Nice shots Scott and Hungarian.

[LongBlade]

Nice shots TMHungarian (Ted) and Scott

Scott - cool angle to show the depth of the stag

Ted - I noticed from when you first started posting photos you must be using a light box based on the quality of your knife shots - the photos were sharp and little "distractions" of direct lighting!! As you know & stated, and I found out more recently, a light box is cheap & easy to make (much better than buying some light box for $100) and makes knife shooting so much better & easier - easier because once it is setup basically for me there was no more playing with lights and the only thing I change up is the background and props... Jim Cooper no doubt is a pro and takes great photos - seen lots of his shots in Knife Magazine... nice to hear that he is so willing to help out and share his knowledge

[TheMadHungarian]

Nice shots TMHungarian (Ted) and Scott

Scott - cool angle to show the depth of the stag

Ted - I noticed from when you first started posting photos you must be using a light box based on the quality of your knife shots - the photos were sharp and little "distractions" of direct lighting!! As you know & stated, and I found out more recently, a light box is cheap & easy to make (much better than buying some light box for $100) and makes knife shooting so much better & easier - easier because once it is setup basically for me there was no more playing with lights and the only thing I change up is the background and props... Jim Cooper no doubt is a pro and takes great photos - seen lots of his shots in Knife Magazine... nice to hear that he is so willing to help out and share his knowledge

I need to make a new light box, I just wrote up a quick list of directions for a makeshift light boxes on the other site, here's how I made my last one.

Folks any amount of light control will improve your photos substantially, direct lighting especially by flash can be harsh and result in unwanted shadows, you can quickly build a small light box out of stuff everyone has around the house.

Items you'll need,

(1) sturdy cardboard box, approximately 30"X20"X20" microwave and computer monitor boxes work best for making cheap lightboxes. They're the perfect size and sturdy.

(1) roll of packing tape

(1) Sharpie/black marker

(?) sheets of packing tissue, the kind you put clothes in when you put them in a box for a gift, you need enough to cover 5 side of a box. An old white bed sheet works too.

(1-3) Work lights. I've used and moved table lamps, outdoor light and flash/LED lights around to get the right light.

(1-32) sharp knife/knives to cut the box and tissue paper or white bed sheet. I know, why so many knives? C'mone folks, it's a knife site. Do you really need a reason.

Backdrops and props help with the picture as you'll have to create a composed photo entirely in the box

Make sure your box is of sturdy consrtuction , empty it out removing any packing Styrofoam and cardboard inserts. Next use the tape to secure the flaps on the box so that when you're done you'll have a sturdy sealed box. If you have extra cardboard you can cut extra strips and tape them inside for increased stiffness.

Next take a Sharpie/marker and approximately 1"-2" from the edge draw a line around that side of the box marking the panel for removal, (this is where a sturdy box comes in handy, the better the box the thinner the frame and the more light and thinner the frame's shadows). After you're satisfied use one or all of your knives to remove the panels, at this point you can add pieces of cardboard to stiffen the frame if it feels flimsy and as you add the paper it'll stiffen up too.

When you're satisfied with the frame drape the tissue/bed sheet over the frame and again use 1 or all of your knives to cut the sheet/paper to size and secure it with the tape. The nice thing about this light boxes is you can easily repair, rebuild or modify (use different colored paper like a filter to change the color of light entering the box, you can add backdrops right to the rear of the box using everything from magazine pictures to album covers.

When you're done arrange your lighting till you're happy wit the results and snap away. Now this isn't nowhere as sturdy as Coop's light box and beverage was meant to be. It was meant to be a makeshift lightbox although I had one last me all year.

Here's a poor rendition of what I'm talkin' about. I hope it helps to illustrate what I'm describing. Hope this helps some of you amateur photographers, if you have any questions feel free to contact me by PM, Email or if Coop doesn't mind here on this thread. Hey if you build one please take a pic and post you're WIP and show the results your new homemade light boxes produce.

[danno50]

Very nice pics, everyone. Scott, that Case fixed blade pic is great! I bought a commercial light box sometime ago and have not been able to get good pictures with it. Bought the light box as there are many days here in the winter when it is not conducive to taking knife pictures outdoors. With the light box I have a very hard time getting the light right, blades either look black or show too much reflection. Just put the light box away yesterday, next time I have it out I will post a pic of it. Below are a few sample photos I took last week that I am not really happy with. Would welcome any suggestions.
Dan

[313 Mike]

While all of this talk of light boxes is very interesting and informative, some of those pics seem to me to be somewhat lacking in soul, maybe a bit lifeless. I certainly mean no offense, and I know there are certain instances where the main purpose of the pic is to present an absolutely accurate image of "just the knife" as it actually looks in hand. It seems as though a light box is a great way to do that. As far as knife pics for pure viewing pleasure though, "knife porn" if you will, I much prefer the look of natural light, outdoors, with some nice color contrasts and textural contrasts as well. It is of course a challenge to get the conditions just right, and to find just the right backdrop that isn't too "busy" or distracting, but that just makes a good shot all the more special in my humble non professional opinion.

[Quick Steel]

I definitely appreciate any and all information from all of you fine photographers. May I ask you to consider including some information on the camera and settings, especially when one of your shots turns out extra fine? Thanks.

[LongBlade]

Some interesting points in the last 3 posts... I'll try to address some but maybe Ted can help as well...

Dan - I agree with you in terms of being able to shoot outdoors in indirect light (or cloudy) year round (most of us don't have that option) - it was for that reason that I also finally had to go to a light box along with a few other reasons... the photos you show with the light box are not bad - one of the things I find useful is to fill the frame as much as possible with the knife... perhaps it also the light source for the light box or your camera settings... (BTW - when the blades look black or dark it is usually the angle in which you are shooting your knives - when shooting perpendicular to them that is the result)

313Mike - I can understand your point and it all depends on what you are looking for in your photos... The difference to me is whether you are looking for artistic shots or trying to show the knife as the main focal point - all depends on what you like or the aim of your photos ... I like artistic shots or "knife porn" as well...

Quick Steel - I am shooting right now with a fairly old Nikon 5700 which is not a point and shoot but basically like an SLR where I can't change lenses but have the ability to use filters for the lenses (UV etc) - I think I bought it right before digital SLRs started to be produced... nonetheless I bought it for the macro setting - right now I am shooting at slow shutter speeds and basically always use a tripod (+/_ 1/15 sec - so sometimes 1/8 sec - sometimes 1/30 sec) but that is all dependent upon my current light source for the light box - and I use a large f-stop which gives a greater depth of field for knives... so really I would be glad to provide that with photos but shooting speed and f-stop will all be dependent upon your camera's capabilities along with lighting etc... (As an aside - point and shoot cameras can be tough as they may not have all the settings needed - though I understand many do these days...)..

Now keeping in mind that my photos did not focus (no pun intended) on knives for years as I was shooting fur and feathers on hooks I really needed to change my setup for knives more recently... my knife shots from a few months ago and back were not bad and my neighbor who is a professional photographer liked them from the perspective of certain reflections on the blades or bolsters as highlights that added to the photos but a project I have been working on motivated me to start using a light box - this required complete focus on the knives and little to make them artistic as to props etc...

I think Ted (TheMadHungarian) should weigh in on all this as I think he is more of a knife photography expert than me when it comes to certain of the questions etc above ...

[Quick Steel]

LongBlade, Thank you for your thoughtful answer. Much to consider. I think I did much better years ago in the days of multiple lenses, SLRs, etc.
To this day I prefer looking thru a viewfinder rather than looking at a screen. Currently, I use a Panasonic Lumix which is certainly capable of taking decent photos. I just have to make up my mind to master it before moving on to something more flexible. I may have to go with a tripod as recent pictures are getting blurry. Not the cameras fault of course, just my hands getting a bit unsteady.

Thanks again, and I hope others will chime in

[Dinadan]

While all of this talk of light boxes is very interesting and informative, some of those pics seem to me to be somewhat lacking in soul, maybe a bit lifeless. I certainly mean no offense, and I know there are certain instances where the main purpose of the pic is to present an absolutely accurate image of "just the knife" as it actually looks in hand. It seems as though a light box is a great way to do that. As far as knife pics for pure viewing pleasure though, "knife porn" if you will, I much prefer the look of natural light, outdoors, with some nice color contrasts and textural contrasts as well. It is of course a challenge to get the conditions just right, and to find just the right backdrop that isn't too "busy" or distracting, but that just makes a good shot all the more special in my humble non professional opinion.

Mike - you pretty well summed up my feelings with your comment. I have not tried a light box myself, so I have no experience with one. I also think that the background is very important to the quality of the photo. A featureless background is good for an absolutely accurate image, but it does not, in my opinion, make for a superb photograph. Personally, I think that textured background like rock, wood, leather (or moss) can add a lot to the knife image. On the other hand, overly busy backgrounds can be a distraction from the central subject, so there is a balance point between busy and bland background and I am guessing that the balance point differs between folks.