Results from "help me decide"

[Mudder]

Here they are:

For the top one I chose Gold:

Bottom one looked better in Chrome:

And I built a makeshift photo booth much like many here have done.

Now I have to learn to take better pictures.

Comments? Criticisms?

Thanks for looking

 

[Czarcastic]

Looks great! Good choices. Nice pens!

 

[JimGo]

Great color choices, and the pens look very good. I especially like the finish on them; they really sing. My one criticism is that the photos look a little blurry, and I can't tell whether that's a real problem, or whether it's a problem with the resizing of the pic to fit the size limits here.

 

[Fred in NC]

Nice pens, Mudder, and excellent finish.

I have not had good luck using fabric for a background. Maybe someday I will find the right one.

 

[DCBluesman]

Excellent choices and beautiful pens, Mudder. Your shapes and finishing is getting better all the time!

 

[leehljp]

Beauriful pen and great photography!

 

[Mudder]

Originally posted by JimGo
<br />My one criticism is that the photos look a little blurry, and I can't tell whether that's a real problem, or whether it's a problem with the resizing of the pic to fit the size limits here.

I'm no photographer, I did see that the pic did get blurry when I resized it to the 90k limit of the site. I guess I'll have to fiddle with the camera to find just the right balance.

 

[opfoto]

Good looking pens. Good photos. A bit fuzzy but still good.

 

[ctEaglesc]

Both pens look great!
I don't know if it would have made any difference if the components and barrels had been reversed.
In regards to the pictures the set up looks great.
I always take pictures with different settings and try to get the best of what I "capture".
Try using the "micro" mode on the camera with highest resolution.
A tripod and timer option work best and if you have video out that works while the camera is on try framing the picture on a TV screen.I am able to use that feature on my inexpensive 2 year old Kodak.
The image resizer from windows power toys doesn't seem to distort or blur the images and have had no problems uploading pictures since I started using it.
I know my pictures are not "professional quality" but I have not had the need to use any editing software to get a postable picture.
Did you get any more burl?
[]

 

[MDWine]

Nice pens! Very nice!!

 

[JimGo]

Mudder,
The "blurriness" can come in the resizing and downsampling. It is an artifact left over from the fact that there are only a finite number of "points" (i.e. pixels), from which the computer can select to make its approximation of a straight line. I didn't mean to imply that it was your photographic abilities!

 

[Mudder]

Originally posted by JimGo
<br />Mudder,
The "blurriness" can come in the resizing and downsampling. It is an artifact left over from the fact that there are only a finite number of "points" (i.e. pixels), from which the computer can select to make its approximation of a straight line. I didn't mean to imply that it was your photographic abilities!

I meant to imply it.
I suck a photography and I know it. You won't hurt my feelings there. []

 

[Fangar]

The pens look great!

As for the photos, your compression after the shot is too high. That causes them to get distorted. I would also recommend trying to move your lamps more towards the opening in your box. Sometimes a small amount of direct light combined with the diffused is the ticket. I have a very nice 5 meg camera, with LCD. I usually set up the display, and then adjust the light so that it reflects the way I like it when looking at the LCD. MACRO is a must.

Like eagle said, several shots from different lighting vantages is the way I do it. Usually 5-10 shots a pen, then I pick the best one.

I use image expert to resize to 640 x 480 and then compress lightly. My average file size is only 60 to 80 KB and you can;t see any distortion. I am learning too, but getting better.

Cheers,

James