Picture taking
- Thread starter Odinswoodshop
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elyk864
Member
Lots of light and if using a phone, sometimes it's better to slightly zoom and back the phone away. Helps with the focus sometimes.
Kenny Durrant
Member
I'm no expert and I have bad days and not so bad days with pictures. I agree with Kyle with the suggestions made. To add another, which you might have already figured out, I'd keep the background plain. I like using solid colored cloth with a contrasting color.
walshjp17
Member
Check out the library for several good articles on photography by Eric Rasmussen (Sylvanite) and others.
qquake
Member
leehljp
Member Liaison
Black and very dark backgrounds seem nice - as pictures go, but they really don't accentuate pens very well. It is hard to find where the pen edges are and end up preventing a good view of the pen. The shadows under a pen reveal excellent colors, but with dark, the shadows are just sucked out.
On lighter backgrounds, use whiter lights. I use 5000K or 6000K bulbs in my shop. 3500K (soft white) doesn't emphasize the true colors enough and leaves the photo yellowish.
I will add in another suggestion: Busy backgrounds are very very iffy. The purpose is to showcase a pen. Too many background objects draw the eye away from the pen. These types of backgrounds make for nice pictures but when they do, the pen is no long the center of focus. Busy backgrounds do on a few occasion make a good story.
On lighter backgrounds, use whiter lights. I use 5000K or 6000K bulbs in my shop. 3500K (soft white) doesn't emphasize the true colors enough and leaves the photo yellowish.
I will add in another suggestion: Busy backgrounds are very very iffy. The purpose is to showcase a pen. Too many background objects draw the eye away from the pen. These types of backgrounds make for nice pictures but when they do, the pen is no long the center of focus. Busy backgrounds do on a few occasion make a good story.
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leehljp
Member Liaison
I mentioned this above but will be direct on one specific comment: What is the purpose of a picture? Here on IAP, it is to showcase a pen that we make!
Too many times, the photographer seems to be more interested in making a photograph and include a pen in it. IF one wants to show off a pen, it does not need to have lots of beautiful artifacts distracting from the point of the photo. IF one's goal is a beautiful picture and the layout in the picture, then attractive artifacts will help the photograph, but no one item attracts all of the attention, and if the attention is intended to be a pen, the attraction of the eye will be elsewhere other than the pen.
I love the photographs of different natures that people occasionally post on this forum, but when it comes to pens, let the focus be the pens and leave the extra's out. Small Props and uncluttered backgrounds accentuate and focus on the pen.
Too many times, the photographer seems to be more interested in making a photograph and include a pen in it. IF one wants to show off a pen, it does not need to have lots of beautiful artifacts distracting from the point of the photo. IF one's goal is a beautiful picture and the layout in the picture, then attractive artifacts will help the photograph, but no one item attracts all of the attention, and if the attention is intended to be a pen, the attraction of the eye will be elsewhere other than the pen.
I love the photographs of different natures that people occasionally post on this forum, but when it comes to pens, let the focus be the pens and leave the extra's out. Small Props and uncluttered backgrounds accentuate and focus on the pen.
qquake
Member
I totally agree. Some like to make their photographs "artsy fartsy", but to me it's distracting. I want to see the pen and all its design details.