Simple solution to decent photograph

[McKenzie Penworks]

So, I know that to do a proper product photo I need to surround it with diffused lighting, manage reflections, etc. However, since I really haven't found a good spot in the new house to do that I was trying to come up with a way to get a decent photo.

In the past I tried the light boxes and just never fell in love with the look. All one color backgrounds drove me crazy for some reason. Was goofing around on the internet and read about an idea I decided to try.

This photo was taken outside in the early morning before the sun was fully up. That solved most of my diffused lighting needs. For the background I used a $2 piece of wood grained tile. I plan on getting some more woody shades to play with next since I was told this is a bit too stark looking. Camera is a decent Canon T6i and I think I had the little 24mm 2.8 pancake lens on it. On a tripod of course with a bit of a delay to give me time to back away. You can see the reflection of the camera since it's really close. Still, not a terrible photo I don't think.

 

[PenPal]

Like your pic your choices. These will never be mine the time consuming method is completely solved by a simple open box. This is ready to go 24 hrs a day.

Mine takes but a few minute.

Kind regards .....Peter.

 

[magpens]

Peter,

Please post a picture of your simple open box .....


Tim,

I am surprised it turned out so good ... early morning light before sunrise does not have the right color balance

 

[McKenzie Penworks]

You make a good point that I neglected to mention. I did correct the colors in the photo. Color correction is relatively easy, it was the abundance of indirect light I was chasing at the time.

 

[magpens]

OK, thanks for clarifying, Tim. . I forgot that color correction is easy nowadays.

 

[DJBPenmaker]

I must admit that your photo looks really good but would suggest that the results will not be consistent using this method. What about cloudy days, rainy days, seasons, not to mention getting up early!! [emoji16]

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[McKenzie Penworks]

I have a toddler and an infant... Getting up early is nearly guaranteed.

I'm not advocating this as a perfect method, just one that can be used. Cloudy days are actually great but rain or really really cold days will bring you back inside in a hurry :umbrella:

 

[DJBPenmaker]

I have a toddler and an infant... Getting up early is nearly guaranteed.

I'm not advocating this as a perfect method, just one that can be used. Cloudy days are actually great but rain or really really cold days will bring you back inside in a hurry :umbrella:

[emoji1] [emoji106]

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[Woodchipper]

Many custom fishing rod builders take photos outside. Even with clouds, a camera can be set to take good photos.

 

[PenPal]

Peter,

Please post a picture of your simple open box .....


Tim,

I am surprised it turned out so good ... early morning light before sunrise does not have the right color balance

Pics as requested. The last pic the pen in my set up different rest used..

Peter.

 

[McKenzie Penworks]

Many custom fishing rod builders take photos outside. Even with clouds, a camera can be set to take good photos.

Gun guys do the same... If you're taking a picture of an occasional rifle or handgun to sell you're not setting out to build a box to take photos in. Easiest way to get a good photo is to step outside in indirect natural light and use something natural as the background. Wood piles, decking, etc all make good backgrounds.

 

[DJBPenmaker]

I have a toddler and an infant... Getting up early is nearly guaranteed.

I'm not advocating this as a perfect method, just one that can be used. Cloudy days are actually great but rain or really really cold days will bring you back inside in a hurry :umbrella:

[emoji1] [emoji106]

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You might want to take a quick look at the simple setup in the "Collaboration with my hubby" thread.

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[magpens]

Thank you, Peter !!! .... for posting pics of your "light box" and some AWESOME pens !!!!!

 

[Woodchipper]

Reviewing the latest posts and recalled some photo tents in www.rodbuildingforum.com that might be of interest. Some are simple to make.

 

[leehljp]

Thanks for posting a great picture. It is one thing to post a picture of a pen one is proud of, but it is another thing to post a picture that is clear and draws one in to see the object of the photo.

Too many times, photos are unclear or the background is too noisy or too red or the pens blend in with the background and it is hard to see.

I can handle one color background as long as they support the main point or give attention to the main point/pen.

Thanks for bringing this subject up! Well done.

 

[McKenzie Penworks]

Was playing today with a different background... Couple of people said the grey was just too cold/stark. Went outside with a nice piece of spalted maple and shot these two pictures. Absolutely 0 white balance adjustment post processing. Little tweaking for definition and touching up the exposure but that's it.

Again, I'm not saying this is the perfect solution but you CAN get good photos with natural light and a decent camera on a tripod.

 

[sfhipchick]

Holy cow what knock-out pens you posted (both)!
As a hobby photographer, I love artistic shots and the close-up bokeh shot of the fountain pen nib is just wonderful! (good to have another picture which shows the wood better too, though)

 

[McKenzie Penworks]

Thanks! I love working with Koa and that piece was really nice. Nice thing about digital photography is even a putz like me can get decent photos after reading a few online tutorials and buying a half decent lens.

One thing to think about: We spend a lot of money on our lathes, bandsaws, turning tools, etc. If you're going to sell pens, your camera is every bit as important of tool and shouldn't be neglected. I picked this refurb T6i out at Christmas for the wife and thankfully she lets me borrow it when she's not taking 98798375235 photos of our kids. (They admittedly are pretty darn cute)

 

[dogcatcher]

I use basically the same setup, late afternoons I lower the pickup tailgate, throw a cloth or my one of backdrops on the tailgate. It is in the shade, I set the camera on macro with no flash on the tripod and shoot away.

 

[sfhipchick]

Koa is lovely wood...I have yet to get my hands on HAWAIIAN Koa, but I have many board feet of Acacia, which is a type of Koa. That was a surprise to me, but it's certainly pretty wood!

As for the photography end of things, you have is 100% right. What's the point of turning an out-of-this-world pen when you are merely taking a snapshot of it? Every pen is a work of art. They should be photographed as such. Time should be taken to insure that each pen is presented in a way that exhibits their best qualities. Taking pictures outdoors is certainly an option but I am of the school of thought that consistency is important, so a dedicated pen studio is what I prefer. Takes time to get it initially built but then it's always ready!

 

[DJBPenmaker]

No arguing with your last photo, very very nice

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[McKenzie Penworks]

Today I got bored and decided to pull out a granite tile I had purchased a couple months back just for this purpose. Camera was on a tripod with a timer like before. These were actually taken indoors with no extra lighting but I did stick the tile inside one of the pop up photo tents. For a shiny surface like tile you kinda need a tent (could just be a strategically hanging sheet, or just white paper/cardboard) so you don't get any funky reflections. The tent was just placed on top of the kitchen table near the windows to gather what light I could from outside. Regular house lights were on but I didn't do anything special other than that. Took just a little bit of auto color correction and I could tweak the colors a bit more but didn't want to mess with it.

Not my best turning work but these are what I needed to take pictures of. :tongue: