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  #1  
Old 07-19-2009, 12:14 PM
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Buddy Thomason Buddy Thomason is offline
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Three of a kind - backgrounds

My "Shining Edge" muse brought a vision of plain backgrounds...







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Avatar ~ custom crank case cover from 1969 Harley shovelhead chopper

Last edited by Buddy Thomason; 07-22-2009 at 10:30 AM.
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  #2  
Old 07-19-2009, 06:35 PM
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Question

Quote:
Originally Posted by Buddy Thomason
My "Shining Edge" muse brought a vision of plain backgrounds...
I have no idea what you mean, but I sure like the images.

Sometimes it's good to let the knives do ALL the talking.

Coop


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  #3  
Old 07-19-2009, 07:29 PM
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Buddy Thomason Buddy Thomason is offline
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Coop - The color and fine pattern of the semi-skinner in the middle were the biggest challenges. The extra large palm swell was a wrinkle too - creating both shadow and highlight in the middle of what is otherwise a flowing line. When I lit the handle evenly all over, the handle's soft and subtle qualities diminished as the linen micarta pattern became more prominent. The version shown looks most like the knife in person. The version below emphasizes more of the blade and handle detail but sacrifices some of the soft organic quality that is the knife's real appeal.



$250 knife by John Perry, BTW - amazing value (not my knife). I'm not so sure about the large palm swell but the more I handle the knife the more I think I see some advantages - 'in the field' type advantages where grip can be compromised by conditions - like gloves/no gloves, wet & cold/dry & dusty. Retrieval from the sheath is made easier and more secure by virtue of the terminal handle treatment. That kind of thing. I'll ask John about it.

Re my "Shining Edge" muse... Don't you have a muse that inspires your creativity?


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Avatar ~ custom crank case cover from 1969 Harley shovelhead chopper

Last edited by Buddy Thomason; 07-21-2009 at 02:55 PM.
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Old 07-19-2009, 10:39 PM
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Those are some beautiful knives and some great photography.


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  #5  
Old 07-19-2009, 11:45 PM
Barbara Turner Barbara Turner is offline
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Buddy, nice job on the photography. You have captured all the detail beautifully. On the second knife (the one with the swell) maybe place a small reflector lower left, to send a little soft light back to the swell area. I don't know if it will enhance or detract from the swell, but it might be worth a try.


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Old 07-20-2009, 01:13 AM
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Thanks for the feedback. Now it's time to figure out how to deal with the bowie. Here's another attempt.



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Avatar ~ custom crank case cover from 1969 Harley shovelhead chopper

Last edited by Buddy Thomason; 07-20-2009 at 08:44 PM.
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  #7  
Old 07-21-2009, 01:15 PM
Barbara Turner Barbara Turner is offline
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Buddy, the inset picture detracts from the main knife due to the fact it is too large, too close (first thing you see) and the handle isn't as sharp. Did you upsize the image at all? If you upsized the image it may account for it not being as sharp. Maybe try to re shoot the knife detail pic with a slight rotation clockwise. If possible I might also try to bring the main knife photo forward and the inset detail pic a little further back into the photo or at least move the inset a little further back and also slightly reduce the overall size.

I do like the fact that you photographed the knife in portrait mode as I think it suits the knife very well. The backround also works well for the knife.


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Last edited by Barbara Turner; 07-21-2009 at 01:21 PM.
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Old 07-23-2009, 12:13 PM
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Barbara, please note my responses below, in blue:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Barbara Turner
Buddy, the inset picture detracts from the main knife due to the fact it is too large, too close (first thing you see)
Thanks for taking the time to respond, Barbara. I'm not sure I agree about the inset. Let me explain. When I look at the image my eye is first drawn (and this fits with the general rule) to the area of greatest contrast (light against dark) - the clipped portion of the blade, LL (lower left). In fact, initially I'm hardly aware of the inset. From the clip my eye runs up the blade, guard and handle, then around clockwise to the acorn finial and pommel cap, UR, down the stag detail to the guard and around again to the the clip. This type of 'flow' is as desirable in a photograph as it is in the design of a knife. Flow makes for easy viewing and can lengthen the viewer's interaction with the image. So that was the intent here. While it works for me, I know it may not work for everyone - partly because in this case there are other forces at work (see part three of my response below).


...and the handle isn't as sharp. Did you upsize the image at all? If you upsized the image it may account for it not being as sharp.
The inset image is very sharp, but you are accurately perceiving something I did in post-processing. When I selected out the inset and placed it in the main frame, the edges were too sharp, creating an unpleasant (to my eye) abrupt transition zone. To remedy the problem, and by way of experimenting, I did two things. First I added a 2 pixel dark medium grey 'stroke' to the outer edge of the inset all the way around. I reduced the opacity of the stroke to 80%. It did what I wanted it to do except it was 1 pixel too wide and where the inset tones were lighter than the stroke, it was too visible. Right then I should've backed up and thought through the stroke approach, but, as I said - I was experimenting - SO... I then used the blur brush set at something like 6 pixels and 100% opacity to attack those areas where the stroke was too visible. The blur brush, if used correctly, can eliminate certain types of subtle problems. However, I over-blurred the edges, most obviously the finial/pommel cap, the top back edges of the guard as it widens toward the handle, and the spine edge of the blade. It would've worked much better if I'd remembered to use a 2-3 pixel wide blur brush set somewhere between 40-60% opacity. The end result is a perception that the inset is not as sharp as the main image.

While I think this technique has a lot of potential, I didn't get it quite right in this, my first attempt. I came up with this approach as an alternative to my main technique for integrating an inset into the main image - a combination of burning (darkening) the edges and the use of a very very subtle drop shadow around the inset. I've got that technique down after lots of use, but it's just my nature to explore and experiment, sometimes at the cost of the end result. And finally, no, I didn't change the inset image size at all. If I ever do that, and I don't like to, I just convert the inset layer to a 'smart object' then it can be re-sized with no (or not much) loss of resolution.




Maybe try to re shoot the knife detail pic with a slight rotation clockwise. If possible I might also try to bring the main knife photo forward and the inset detail pic a little further back into the photo or at least move the inset a little further back and also slightly reduce the overall size.
If I had done it the way you describe here, I think the result would've been a pretty standard knife photo - great for many applications, celebrated by those who like to see "just the knife" etc. In this case, since I was in an experimenting mood, I chose orientations and angles that, again to my eye, fit easily into the frame, yet also created an unusual sense of space between the handle inset and main blade view. And that space is not equal top to bottom, it is greater at the top. (Lighting makes a contribution as well.) That effect is something I've not consciously tried to do before, but thought was worth attempting. Everything I've mentioned in this reply attempts to serve what for me is the holy grail in representational (realistic - as the eye sees it) photography - and that is convincing the viewer they are seeing the object in three dimensions (3D). To that end, I'm always overjoyed when someone says, "It looks like you could just reach out and pick that knife up off the page" or comments to that effect.

I laid all of this out, not to rebut your observations, which are as valid as my own or anybody else's, but rather in the spirit of discussion and learning. I didn't achieve all all I wanted to with this experiment and thus did not want to submit it for publication. I deleted all versions, leaving only this one here for purposes of our discussion. Tag, you're it. I'm listening.


I do like the fact that you photographed the knife in portrait mode as I think it suits the knife very well. The backround also works well for the knife.


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Avatar ~ custom crank case cover from 1969 Harley shovelhead chopper

Last edited by Buddy Thomason; 07-24-2009 at 12:02 AM.
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  #9  
Old 07-23-2009, 01:36 PM
Barbara Turner Barbara Turner is offline
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Buddy, I see what you saying about the knife. Yes, it would be the same old image if the inset were smaller and I am glad that you pointed it out. It is exceedingly difficult to create a fresh spin on knife images. I am glad you experiment with different possibilities so we can see your creative attempts, keep up the good work. I guess I just need to branch out a little more out of my box LOL!


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