All About Pocket Knives

Thanks for posting that article Tom ... I had a pdf but not a link to post... I made my light box as Mark described for the budget model - $14 including a spray adhesive ... As to the new photo and only posting this comment to be helpful and honest in my critique (which is just my opinion but also based on looking at many well photographed knives:from books etc - the blades no doubt look better BUT see the reflections on the bolsters - if you are shooting perpendicular to knife that may be an issue - try moving the angle of the knife and the way the lighting bounces in the box - or maybe the reflection is from light outside the box .. either way you want to try and get the bolsters not to reflect light and act as mirrors that show distracting images on the bolsters... hope I am explaining that right - All I do know is that good knife photography is not easy !!! I will say the mistake I made in shooting knives prior to the light box was that I was trying to shoot them as I do fishing flies - but the attributes of a fly vs a knife are so different that 2 different photographic approaches are needed... Knives reflect light and fishing flies absorb light so direct lighting in the latter case is not an issue...

bestgear wrote:Better?

I think that is quite bit better. Well done. Now, as Longblade said, the next thing to work on is making sure the bolsters aren't reflecting anything that is distracting to the eye. You don't want to see yourself, or a camera lens, etc. in the bolster reflections. I think that 2 of the hardest things about photographing knives are 1.) getting mother-of-pearl to show depth, and 2.) getting bolsters to show correctly without causing problems.

You're on the right track, keep working at it.

Thanks guys - good to have affirmation that I'm on the right track - your constructive and kind feedback is greatly appreciated plus we are keeping Scotty from future headaches!

TripleF wrote:

bestgear wrote:I'm learning how to be a better knife photographer to sell some knives on a website that I'm building. I'm looking for sharp images without any ephemera or background accoutrements. I have a shadow box with lighting and a decent digital SLR camera so I think I'm prepared to take some images that will display well on my website. This is my first attempt, your honest feedback and critique would be most welcome as well as any suggestions you have for setting, lighting, backgrounds, etc. Thanks in advance fellow AAPK'ers and photographer wannabees.

Tommy...buddy....there's something about that pic that gives me a headache. Not being negative, just something about it....
Maybe it's the background....it's too loud from the knife, completely overpowers it.....
Try a different background......this one is too much for me.

Red's never been a good background color for taking photos where colors and metal hue were important, IMO.

And that's not just because our sporty friend is fond of using it...

I've had the best success with a lighter beige/sand color for more muted or darker-colored knives and for the best contrast with brass or copper. With dark (basically all-black) backgrounds I get good results for MOP and stag knives, and lighter-tinted woods. I'd probably plan on trying a few kinds of backgrounds until getting a feel for which exact colors and features are best represented with a particular background color or material. But, for me, red doesn't do the trick. Orange really seems to mess with polished metals, too, I've found.

gmichael wrote:

Now there's a near perfect knife! Love it!

bestgear wrote:Better?

Tom, I like the gray background better and think it enables reading the blade much better. Is the color of the handle being accurately portrayed in the image? The red background was probably tricking the camera into making the handle too blue and maybe the gray background is causing the camera to make the handle too dark.

bestgear wrote:Better?

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better IMO!

TripleF wrote:Just snapped this.....love the bone scales

That robeson is really great!

Very good effort, Tom.

KnifeSlinger#81 wrote:

TripleF wrote:Just snapped this.....love the bone scales

That robeson is really great!

Thank you sir......should be delivered to you by Tuesday!!

Lots of great pics..and knives. Tried something a little different with the lighting on this bone. wish it came out a little lighter for the scales.

gmichael wrote:Lots of great pics..and knives. Tried something a little different with the lighting on this bone. wish it came out a little lighter for the scales.

Michael - try playing with the contrast. I do that a lot to get the right visibility for the scales. Here is your photo with a little less contrast.

gmichael wrote:Lots of great pics..and knives. Tried something a little different with the lighting on this bone. wish it came out a little lighter for the scales.

Two bone 8ot's in a row! You have fine taste in knives Sir.

Dinadan-I like using the contrast as well, seems when I did contrast, I lost some clarity to the pic? Not sure...but Will play with this and try pic again. I rushed things a bit, so I should prob slow down.

Knifeslinger-Thank you, love the 8OT,s, they are my weakness. I sent a NOS Primble 8OT out a couple months ago for some new sawcut amber scales....Im sure this will be my new EDC. Everything is right about that knife..super strong snaps, no wobble, cant wait to get back.

I posted this pic in the Early Bökers thread but thought it should go here too. My early Bökers to date.

10 beautiful knives, Yehuda. Very nice.

FRJ wrote:10 beautiful knives, Yehuda. Very nice.

Thank you sir!!

A favorite of mine, given to me by friend because I watched his dog while he was on vacation. A 50s-60s mint Yellow Celluloid Ka-Bar Fishing Jack. He got it in Tennessee for $10 at a yard sale, he asked me if it was a good knife and did I think he got ripped off for $10?

I've asked this on other forums, now I do know what it's for it took me a minute to figure it out but does anyone know what the hole in the rear bolter is for? If you know for sure don't post it, I like to see how many guesses there are and how many people, including fishermen who don't know the purpose of the hole.

Surprise snow today...low light made for a less then ideal photo op, but I still like the contrast of the bright yellow bone and the white snowy surroundings...

Calender shot Mike. Eeeeeexcelleeeeeeeeeeeeeeent.

MH, my first guess would be a bail. Second guess, to bend straightened hooks.

Monte

313 Mike wrote:Surprise snow today...low light made for a less then ideal photo op, but I still like the contrast of the bright yellow bone and the white snowy surroundings...

I think it actually works to your advantage, Mike. The lovely yellow knife being something like a sunburst in the center of a bleak snowy landscape.

It's really rather artistic.

I believe the hole in the bolster of the fish knife is a hook disgorger.

Ivoryman wrote:Calender shot Mike. Eeeeeexcelleeeeeeeeeeeeeeent.

Ditto what he said!

2014 BFC Traditional Forum's Annual knife, a GEC Wharncliffe Trapper.

Thanks for the kind words gents! Madhungarian that is a fine shot you put together there as well