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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2009 23:11:50 GMT
ive only had a camera for a few months. its something i always wanted, so one day i jumped right in at the deep end and got what is in my honest opinion a lovely camera.
in these few months my camera is absolutely become one of my favourite tools. i love photo-ing and i love filming.
granted i am a complete beginner, but, like iaido, this is something i plan on doing for the rest of my life.
obviously i read actual photography guides for the most part, and would look to a photography forum for serious guidence....
but
photographing swords is a what id class as say a specialist catagory, whilst in many ways it is similar to photographing plants, in many ways it is not.
id like to start this thread to hear about any thoughts opinions techniques perferences and the like that you guys might have learnt and picked up.
my preference so far is; to photo outside in natural light i find it better to have the sun off to the side and a bit behind you good 'modes' that have proved effective for me so far include portrait, plant, macro, and super macro moving the camera back a bit. and shooting at the lowest iso possible seems to give the sword its true life colour look, with tons of detail.
im only just starting experimenting with photoing swords inside, but so far i have found that moving a decent lamp around behind the camera works wonders for dodgy hamon.
im looking forward to hearing some experienced opinions.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2009 23:15:34 GMT
my personal preferance for filming is; have a laugh! lol unless its iai or tameshigiri, then its serious.
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Post by randomnobody on Jan 12, 2009 23:22:14 GMT
I'd like some hints and tips from the likes of Marc Ridgeway and James Gall. slav has some good shots, too, on occasion. Me, I just point and shoot until I get something that looks decent.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2009 23:29:19 GMT
I'm certainly no expert at photoing hamon lol. But, I've read a few nice articles on the process that I've yet to implement. Basically, the idea is to build a photo box (or set up a small dedicated photo area). You want the color reflected into the blade to be black. You then set TWO spot lamps up almost in line with the blade centerline, only removed a foot or so towards the camera, and 3'-5' from the ends of the blade. Point them directly at the blade at whatever angle is necessary for full illumination. What this does is illuminates the blade...but eliminates any possibility of the light source reflecting into the lens of the camera. Being as how the color reflected into the blade is black...it should show any and all activity there is to show, without all of the distracting flares and reflections that light sources typically show. Here's a quickly mocked up example: As you can see, the angle of the lighting ensures that the angle of the reflected light will miss the camera. I think, to be honest...that that's the most important part. As for camera settings lol, I'll leave that up to you guys who have a clue...as I, don't =D Cris
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Marc Ridgeway
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Post by Marc Ridgeway on Jan 12, 2009 23:32:36 GMT
Outside is best... overcast ideal... so you should have a lot of good days over in sunny England , Pachi Macro is your friend, as are textures and contrasting colors in your background... Inside is a whole different ball game. Diffused, indirect or reflected light is the ticket, and it can look like a nightmare with blankets thrown about and tin foil on the lights... I just stick to outside...
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2009 23:45:02 GMT
Well, i don't know much... and honestly you don't need to be a professional photographer to get some good quality snaps.
Here's what i do (mostly)
Macro is a must, the extra detail captured can usually make a good picture, a great picture. Take multiple shots of each angle... I often take a dozen shots from just one position (without me or the sword ever moving) and you'd be amazed at the subtle differences in each photo. At the end of shooting for one sword review you should have taken between 120 to 150 photos. of which only about a dozen will get used.
Mega pixels are important, but not too important if you know how to frame your shots. I switch back and forth from a 12 Mega Pixel Nikon to a 5.1 Mega Pixel Sony. I use the Sony the most, its easier to use, and doesn't eat up as much bandwidth on photo sharing sites. Besides there's really no need for pictures that big unless your doing an album which people will be downloading, then bigger is better!
Flash SUCKS.... don't bother with it, the artificial light creates high points of contrast, drowns out the natural hue and color saturation, and sucks down your battery life. Natural light is perfect if you know how to make it work for you.
Sunlight is excellent, but avoid high noon situations. Usually the sun rising or setting is the best time to get those rich detailed pictures with maximum effectiveness. When the sun is high it can often have the same effects as flash can, and you will end up fighting against the sun to get the right angles.
The only thing a high sun is good for is getting hamon shots.... But this can be done just as easy (perhaps not as vibrant) with overcast skys.
When indoors, use utility lamps if possible... Try to always remember to not point a lamp directly at a flat surface. Try to to light from the sides or below, and (if possible) don't let the bulb make a direct line to the sword. You want the ambient light, not the direct, but sometimes you have no choice in the matter. When that happens use a filter, like a sheet of fabric or paper to break the line of sight the bulb has on the blade. Using reflective materials or fabrics that will toss around shadows and highlights are also a plus...
A lot of times i will point all my lights away from the target shot,... and people who watched me doing this thought i was crazy, but when the photos came out they couldn't believe the rich detail and overall consistent lighting.
Having a steady hand or tripod is a must when using Macro. If you don't have a tripod, look around for anything you can use to rest the camera on (like a broom stick, railing, pool cue). You can buy a mono pod leg for like $10 bucks too. Its good enough unless your really shaky.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2009 0:11:18 GMT
For basic photography, you don't get a better How-To guide than the merit badge book for the BSA Photography Merit Badge.
Master the basics, then worry about the finer points.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2009 1:02:46 GMT
nobody; this was my plan cris; +1 for the idea im trying right now... thanks! marc; outside 100% agreed. dont even get me started on sunny days here grrrrr....lol jim; i too have never produced any good results using flash damn that great shot of that great target you have staring me in the face.... taran; i'll have a look and see if i can download it thanks for the suggestion. so far the internet is teaching me the basics well, it truely is an amazing tool.
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SlayerofDarkness
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Post by SlayerofDarkness on Jan 13, 2009 1:25:44 GMT
Great thread! ;D I have nothing to add, as I'm a complete newb when it comes to photography , but still...like I said, great thread! In fact, I personally think it worthy of being stickied. Mods? -Slayer (spelling edit: how could I possibly have misspelled 'personally'? )
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Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2009 2:55:17 GMT
This thread on SFI had some very interesting reading on sword photography (including western swords). One post there talks about the set up Cris described. I have also heard of people using lightboxes for backlighting. I am pretty sure there was info on this in a similar thread on photographing nihonto on the nihonto message board. What kind of camera did you get?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2009 3:42:18 GMT
What kind of camera do you have? Is is a point and shoot model with a built in flash or an SLR type with removable flash? As most of you know, the direct flash on most point and shoot models suck because they are too harsh. One way to reduce this harsh flash is to tape a thick piece of white paper over the flash as a diffuser. Something like a piece of an index card. Can you use a point and shoot indoors without a flash you might ask. Of course you can. All you need is a tripod and a camera with a timer setting which most have. Turn off the flash so it does not fire. You will most likely get some sort of SHAKE warning. Turn on the timer function and set the camera on the tripod. Frame your shot, and hit the shutter button. Then... just ... wait... for... the... timer... to... count... down... and... take... the... photo... The camera should adjust the shutter speed to the amount of light available. If this is much less than 1/60th of a second, the image will look blurry if there is any movement. This is the purpose of the tripod and the timer function. There won't be and human hands to shake the camera. The photo should look fine as long as the cat wasn't rubbing against the leg of the tripod. You can use a small table lamp to control some of the lighting. Have someone move the lamp around until you can see the hamon (in the camera) or whatever feature you are trying to show. I have found that shooting with the light source slightly behind and off to the side(shooting somewhat into the light) of the sword shows the hamon quit well. If you are using a type of camera that has some sort of adjustable flash where you can move the head, that allows more control of the light. I usually have the flash pointing up toward the ceiling. Many rooms have white ceilings and this works quite well as producing a nice even light. It is like using a reflective umbrella in a professional setup. If your ceiling isn't white, you will need to be aware of the color of the reflected light. It might look nice. The setup I am using is a Canon 20D. I have two hot shoe flashes, the 580EX II and the the 430EX. I have the 580EX on the camera and it can wirelessly trigger the 430EX. I can control the level of each flash. It is pretty sweet and I am still learning how to use them. I have a lot to learn. The lens I am using is an EOS 28-135mm with Image Stabilizer (IS). The IS series of lenses have some type of gyroscopes built into the lens to correct for small movements to assist with low light photos. As I mention above, handheld shots with shutter speeds less than 1/60th of a second can be blurry. With the Image Stabilizer on, I can shoot to speed down to about 1/15 of a second hand held and produce good images due the the lens correcting for my moving hands. Keep track of you background. We don't want to see the peanut butter jar on the table or you hair spray and soft soap on the bathroom counter. And keep your damned toes out of the shot. These are all photos I have seen here in the past. Go raid the closet for a flat sheet that you can drape over the mess on the table or on the couch. If you use the couch, drape the sheet over the back and the seat. This allows more angle options. Fill the frame with the object. Skinny swords don't fit in big rectangular photos well. Go diagonal. Crop out the stuff you don't need to see. Want to show a tsuba or hand guard? Crop out the blade. Use the macro setting for close up, detail shots. On point and shoot cameras, the macro setting is usually depicted with this icon: . Macro adjusts the camera to focus on close objects. Finding the correct distance can be tricky depending on the level of zoom you are using. Most cameras have some type of auto focus that is activated by pressing the shutter button half way. With the camera's macro turned on, frame your shot and try the auto focus. If the camera doesn't focus, you will need to move closer or farther away from the subject. Keep moving and trying the auto focus until the camera will focus. This get easier the more you use is because you will have an idea of how far away you need to be. If you zoom the lens, you will most likely need to move farther way to focus using macro (I think). I think photos look better if you are on the same level of your subject. Have you ever noticed the photos of pets or little kids that most people take are always looking down at them on the floor. It is amazing how much better a photo is if you get down on the floor, level with your subject, to take a photo. This works the same for sword too. Sure, you can put the sword on the floor and take the photo (WATCH THOSE TOES!!!) but it will probably look better if elevate the subject on a table and you get down on it's level. The above photo also illustrates depth of field, a shallow depth of field to be more accurate. This means that only part of the photo is in focus and the rest is blurred. Most close up shots or macro shots will have a shallow depth of field. The method I use is to use the auto focus to focus the camera on what I want to be clear. Once focused, hold the shutter half way to recompose the shot if the object to be "sharp" is off centered. If your camera allows you to choose your focus points, you may not need this method.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2009 23:45:07 GMT
thanks for the thread link debbie
i got a canon s5, from all the reviews i read, it was, and is, perfect. i rate my camera 5/5 so far, it'll do me for years.
it has a pull up flash on it, but it has a hotshoe link up on to as well. i honestly havent used it to its full photo capability yet. i think ive tried flash twice lol
but i love the video abilities, and ive put them to the test, for sure. it can film at 60fps for slow motion. various qualities and i can zoom and take photos while filming
not to try and sell it or owt but i got a panasonic tz5 first, but i sent it back the same day. totally useless for videos. canon s5 all the way!
what cameras do you peeps have?
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Marc Ridgeway
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Post by Marc Ridgeway on Jan 13, 2009 23:59:29 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2009 0:17:24 GMT
thanks for the thread link debbie i got a canon s5, from all the reviews i read, it was, and is, perfect. i rate my camera 5/5 so far, it'll do me for years. it has a pull up flash on it, but it has a hotshoe link up on to as well. i honestly havent used it to its full photo capability yet. i think ive tried flash twice lol but i love the video abilities, and ive put them to the test, for sure. it can film at 60fps for slow motion. various qualities and i can zoom and take photos while filming not to try and sell it or owt but i got a panasonic tz5 first, but i sent it back the same day. totally useless for videos. canon s5 all the way! what cameras do you peeps have? Oh wow, I didn't know about the S5. I was actually looking into buying a canon G10, shown here www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=144&modelid=17624But it doesn't have 60fps or the ability to take pics while video taping. I think those would be useful features for me since I do take videos often. And the S5 is cheaper. I'll have to read up more on the S5. If anyone else is into photography and knows some sub 500 cameras that are good for video as well (60 fps or more) let me know. I don't want a dedicated SLR, but I like canon's SLR-like ones, so I'm looking along those lines. Currently I have a canon SD 650, nice camera and I'm happy with it. Takes good pictures if you look in my reviews, but I think I want to upgrade and give my old one to my little brother. Maybe I should ask this on a photography forum instead of SBG, but hey it will help me get clearer pictures of the 2 dynasty forges coming in this friday ;D
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2009 3:39:05 GMT
Kenpachi, you are welcome, I gave a quick look over at NMB for the other one, but no dice sorry. I have an older version of the SONY cybershot - 7.2 Megapixel 3X optical zoom. It is a little point and shoot, but does a decent enough job on pics, the video is a little sketchy. I am a microscope geek, so I was sold with the Zeiss lens . Some day I would love to get a digital SLR and a few nice lenses so I can go bird hunting I can't wait to see some pics...there was a photography thread in the cafe a while back, maybe you could bring it back from the dead? Or show us your town in Ric's thread?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2009 22:38:59 GMT
Samsung Digimax S600 And my wife has my other Digimax. Not sure what model. It came out a couple years after the one I have with me and I got it when I thought I lost this one...
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2009 22:18:26 GMT
msmalik- i totally dig this camera, i read like 50 reviews on it before i got it, everyone else was impressed too. the only one single neg point is that it eats batterys way too fast, and it doesnt come with a rechargeable pack.
marc- i was strongly considering the sx110, i had a look in a shop at one too, very nice camera! hands down better than the panasonic tz5.
debbie- i havent read much about sonys, i think i have read a few good points actually. taran- same goes for me with samsung too, ive heard good things but im mostly uninformed. my only legit advice is avoid kodak&panasonic lol
debbie i'll have a look for some of these photo threads! im guessing theyre in the cafe.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2009 22:23:37 GMT
By the way...since no one said anything about Mark's how to...TOP NOTCH JOB man =). All good points, and well taken.
I'm going to be taking pictures of the tanto today before I send it out...definately some advice I'll be able to use =)
+1 for sure
Cris
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2009 13:54:42 GMT
Hey how you doing. Im new to this forum and sword collecting but I can help in this one as i am a professional photographer.
In regards to the photographing outside natural light with a nice overcast NOT sunny will let the true colours of the blade come out if it is too sunny there will be too much strong light and you will find it is brighter than 5600 Kelvin which is the true temperature of daylight. If there is any slight sun ensure it is over your LEFT shoulder as this allows for shadow.
Also use your flash when there is sun out as this will fill in any shadows that may be there but ensure the flash is not pointed directly at the sword however this depends whether your using a compact or DSLR.
With taking photographs in doors ensure your white balance is adjusted to the particular light source thats in the room DO NOT use auto as it cannot properly distinguish properly between the light sources. Preferably for taking the photos in doors you would want to use a proper light source that is set to the temperature of daylight of 5600 Kelvin this will give you natural lighting but dont point any lighting directly at the subject it should be at either a 90 degree angle or 45 degree angle and you should use the camera flash to fill in any shadows.
For close up shots if using a DSLR you will really eed a macro lens or a telephoto lens with a macro setting (these are cheaper than a prime macro lens) If using a compact you need to use the macro setting as this allows you to get closer to the subject alowing the camera to autofocus.
Overall the best setting to have your camera on for macro shots (again depends whether its a compact or DSLR) is to use it on a manual setting.
This is the very basics if you need anymore help give me a shout.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2009 13:55:21 GMT
excuse the spelling mistakes I forgot to spell check it. Sorry
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