Knife Photography.

[just_a_hunter]

Is a pain in the butt!!!

I have always tried to take good photos of my knives but a friend recently sent me pictures he took of one of my knives and when comparing it to my photos, it was a slap in the face at how bad I suck at taking pictures of them.

My photo...

   

Compared to his...

     

After seeing some of your great professional photos, I have developed a strong desire to learn how to step it up a bit. I'm finding its an art in its own right and I have learned to greatly appreciate guys like Royer and SharpbyCoop.

It was SharpbyCoop in another forum that went out of his way and made an awesome thread on how to make a photo booth for your knives.

Well I made one and learned that it takes just as much effort to learn how to professionally shoot a knife as it does to build one. And then there's that BASTAGE child "Photoshop" and the frustrations there.

Just like with my knives, I am not even close to the same league as the real pros with photographs but I hope to learn. Experience is the best teacher.

Here are the two un-edited pictures I used to create the Photoshop image.

   

   

And then the Photoshop image..

   

Everything is a bit yellow still.. I have so much to learn about my camera and Photoshop as well as broadening my craft but man what a fun journey.

If you have any photographing discussion/tips you would like to share, I am all ears!

Todd

[kbaknife]

My father - RIP - was a professional portrait photographer from high school until he died.
I don't illustrate that because I do great pictures, but to give substance to two things he told me.
1.) You're not buying a camera. You're buying a lens.
2.) Photography is lighting.

[tomsm44]

I've tried taking good pictures of my knives inside.  That typically results in failure.  Partly because my camera is pretty crappy, and partly because I haven't figured out how to get the lighting right.  I actually have my best results outdoors with my iPhone.  I find that it typically turns out best when it's slightly overcast outside, or if there's a thick canopy overhead to filter out most of the direct sunlight.  Here's a couple of my overcast iPhone pictures:

 
 
 
 
 

[SKITCH]

Bought my wife something like this when she wanted to take pics of smaller items and get the light right.  Takes a little playing with but you might try it. You can get these for around $50. Find a real photography shop in your area.  Just an idea.

 https://www.google.com/search?q=light+box+photography&client=safari&sa=X&hl=en-us&biw=568&bih=320&tbs=vw:l&tbm=shop&prmd=sivn&srpd=8588811582370340222&prds=num:1,of:1,paur:ClkAsKra X5R4GvTySVeIBIzyYQz8Qsw_BR-MfPYMmK9BBNtwh-lJAO9POZxHZm1F8k5xangJHKE7A4iADGlEp_whI4Vttk4rqhNufhfZpUoA0-CzZxmM41kfERIZAFPVH73oLFV7L_VRzIRPYGJlQRa7NEy3Ug&ved=0ahUKEwikreGrv7XMAhUHymMK HeSZAnUQgjYI1wMwCg&ei=hzAkV-TNAYeUjwPks4qoBw

(She didn't get the Scotch!! )

[Sam Harper]

I suck at photography, too, but I take my best pictures early in the morning or late in the evening when the sun hasn't quite gone down, but there's still a shadow cast over everything.  These pictures turn out even better than pictures taken on overcast days.

[kbaknife]

I'm going to share something here.
Keep in mind I spent the majority of my life building houses. My most used language is "concrete", "2X4" and "ouch, that hurts".
So if I can figure out how to do this, you whiz kids certainly can.
I can not emphasize enough the importance of getting a really simple photo editing program.
I am still using the photo editing program that came with my first Gateway computer 15 years ago.
The very same program. No longer made - but really simple.

Those light tents mentioned above are really nice for getting some pictures of the knife as they diffuse the lighting and eliminate shadows. Just a few small lights around the tent and all the shadows are gone.
With my editing program, I take that knife and make a cut-out of it and with the click of a button place it on top of any photo I want. Anything.
Then, I add a shadow - or not.
This first photo is a picture of a ditch in the woods by my house.
I placed a cut-out of a knife on top of it with no other editing.
 

The pictures of these knives were taken with a little cannon point-and-shoot that cost maybe 100 bucks.

Now, this next picture is one I stole off the internet by doing a search for 'photo background'.
 

Then, I placed a cutout on it with no other editing:

 

Then, with the click of a button I add a shadow:

 

And then, with a little "slider" control I soften the edge of the shadow:

 

That's how I did this knife on a picture of a piece of birch bark. It shows both sides of the knife - right? So, it can't ACTUALLY be laying on the birch bark.
 

That's how I do some of my photography.

All that said, I do like the appearance of natural lighting, but when I live where the temp might be sub-zero for 2-3 months, outside photography is not an option.

[just_a_hunter]

Thanks for the help, advise and input!

Todd