I loaned out my Nikon Cool Pix S610 to my foreign exchange students from China. They used it for about 2 weeks and now it will not focus when I press the start up button. Does anyone know a reliable camera store in Southern California that can fix this camera.
An Experiment: I picked up a "new" old knife today and wanted a photo that showed off the blade etch, the tang stamp and the jigging in the dark bone handle. I used the same setup and method throughout, changing only the background. I use a light tent (made from a shower curtain) with overhead fluorescent lights, a Canon A1200 Power Shot ($108 point & shoot) on a tripod. I have 3 choices of exposure method - over all scene, center of scene and what is in the little box. I chose to use what the box was on. I took 3 or 4 shots with each background moving the box around a little and kept the best picture for each backgroung. The box usually had about 1/3 full of dark handle, a little of the shiny bolster and the rest was the blade tang. My first attempt with the white background was disappointing, so I threw some black lace over the white felt and used a large dark marble for a prop. These turned out better. Then I tried a smaller clear marble for a prop, with just a little difference in the pics. The lace pictures gave the better exposure for both blade etch and handle jigging, but the lace itself is a little distracting. Maybe some grey felt would work as well?
Boredom led to more experimenting today. I hid a led flashlight behind a block off to the side in my light box and shone it on objects behind the knife. I think this could produce some exciting effects if a person took the time to play with it.
I discovered how to use exposure lock and focus lock this morning. Then, with those set, I used a colored led flashlight on the background. I secured a piece of shower curtain over the flashlight with a rubberband to make a soft (diffused) light source!
A friend of mine will be with me at my table at a knifeshow this weekend. He was thinking of getting into knifephotography as a service to knifemakers (for a small charge).
He recently cobbled this picture together. Do you guys have any comments/tips for him?
Guys I still have an issue with glare and flash back. If I am doing an outdoor shot I just turn off the flash but I know some of you folks use Lamps to light your indoor pics. Any suggestions?
as i explore this unique area of photography, here are some tips to share and some setup photos:
i use a light tent, the flexibible foldng type,and a couple of powerful photographic tornado lights that put out 155W of consistent colour temperature of 5500K .
i prefer continuous light shooting, as i find it difficult to use strobing (flash) as i cannot predict the direction of reflection.
for the light tent, i found that i need to cover the front opening and just poke the lens into the hole of the front cloth, to prevent unwanted reflections of the image of my face onto the shiny blade.
I'm toocheap for a light tent, so I almost always go outdoors and shoot in subdued light. If I absolutely need to use flash, and want to avoid excessive flare, I cover the flash with a layer of tissue to act as a diffuser.
(Though the light tent set-up that KK uses is the BEST solution, and offers the best pics.)
I am pretty cheap also JJ and did not have much luck using the light box that is set up at GEC last trip there either. I think I will try the tissue idea
I am planning on watching for a lightbox to be onsale come cyber monday though
I prefer outdoor light too, especially good if overcast day, not so good if bright sunny day (you can get the sky blue reflection on your shiny blade) but then it means the timing control when i take photos. I get back from work usually after 8pm, and that means i do not get to see any sunlight. ;-) I prefer to take photos as and when i am in the mood, so, the best choice for me is the indoor light tent, when i can take photos any time of the day, when i feel like taking photo.. ;-)
i have tried using tissue paper too, it works to get diffused light on the flashgun. background is another i would like to try, now i have only tried monochrome colors such as red, black and white... will be fun to i try something like randomised colored textured paper.
Sometimes the background helps to even out the exposure of a shiny blade and a dark handle. I was having trouble showing detail in both the blade and the handle in this pic until I put it on an all white background. Also using a light tent, overhead flourescent and tripod. The camera is on manual and I turn the exposure dial until the screen shows the best I can get.
See...Rusty's is awesome and does get a clean shot displaying the grain in the handle and the lines is the blade well.
KK, I have the same issue with not being able to get home in time for the light to be right.
OK...I am going to start watching the sales for a light box, I will let you know as we get closer to everything goes on sale time LOL. I can even read the etch with no issue.
Instructions 1 Select a cardboard box that will be large enough to place the items you are photographing inside of the box. You can create different size boxes and keep them for future shoots. Choosing a box with thicker cardboard will be sturdier and should last longer.
2 Using a ruler and marker, draw a straight line from top to bottom and side to side, inset two inches from the edge of the box. Do this on all four sides.
3 Remove the top flaps of the box with a utility knife and cut along the lines that were made on the four sides, and remove the flaps from the top of the box. Once done your box will have an opening on the top and on all four sides of it.
4 Cut a piece of white Bristol board to match the width of the box. Attach the board with tape to the bottom front inside of the box and feed the rest of the board into box so it is laying flat on the bottom, but has small curve in back bottom corner of the box. By curving the back corner, you are creating what is referred to as a “seamless backdrop” in your light box. Secure the other end of the board to the back top portion of the box.
5 Cover the two side openings and the opening at the top with wax paper and secure in place with tape. The wax paper will act as a diffuser for the lights you will use.
6 Position three lights, one on either side of the box and the third at the top all pointing toward the paper sides. Place the item you photographing inside the box.
7 Turn the lights on, and you are ready to start taking pictures.
I wonder if I am creative enough to make this one. Seems to me it would give you the ability to exchange the white board for a background
I haven't tried wax paper, but an opaque shower curtain does wonders. Also, shiny bolsters will reflect the image of the inside of the box. I ended up stapeling the shower curtain inside of the framework I was using to block out some of the reflected image. It worked well for a long time, but the store-bought one ( from ebay ) works better plus being collapsible.
Most digital images are stored as Red-Green-Blue info. An image with "24 bit" color is common now, or 16-million colors. If there is a defect in the sensor or the electronics or the file structore or storage what you find is a rare (these little cameras are pretty reliable) but technically common failure. If there is a transient error of some sort, it may correct itself if you first save your images, then reset the camera two or three times. Hold the reset button down for 10-sec or so. Then remove all the batteries, the memory cards and whatever else of an electronic nature you can pluck out, and then let the camera sit thus for a few minutes (10-30). Then plug the stuff back in and test it again. If the color is then in error it is likely time for a new camera. If the camera is so expensive that a trip to the factory shop is worth a grand or two you might yet get a better camera for the repair cost. This technology is evolving faster than fat ribs over an open flame.
I was looking at knives on google for a while tonight. You may or may not be surprised at the number of links that take you back to iKC. With over 37,000 pics here, it's no small wonder.
I'm not entirely sure what it's called. But it's one of the folding/portable variety. With 4 colour backrounds and two halogen lamps and a base for a compact camera.
At the moment I'm not really busy with composition of the photo as I am in trying to figure out what settings to shoot with.
I'm not a photographer, I just want to be able to take some decent pictures of my knives.
I'll be playing around with it a little bit more in the coming weeks. And maybe for some pictures I'll add props in the future. For now I just want to capture as much detail of the knives I'm shooting.
I've been building some high-power white LED lights, and I've run into an interesting function of the power supply for the LEDs and the high-speed shutter of most new cameras.
An unfiltered supply tends to produce 60 or 120 pulses (little "hills") of voltage each second, while the camera lens is open (at, say, a 1/60 sec exposure) for just the duration of one pulse of voltage.
Incandescent lamps have pretty even illumination because the filaments do not cool down much between the 60/120 ㎐ pulses of voltage. However, LEDs have instant response, so their brightness follows the voltage curve quickly and for all purposes, exactly.
Therefore, a well-crafted system might supply almost no voltage during a quick exposure, and the LEDs might be fully-illuminated, or almost dark, during a 1/500 sec exposure. The use of heavy capacitive filters is necessary. I also built a power converter which runs at 20,000 Hz and thus requires no capacitor bank on the final LED supply. It's an AC₆₀-DC-AC₂₀₀₀₀-DC system (no other reference implied...).
Here is a neat 20" (0.5m) light cube from Westcott, and a video from a pro on how to build a light source. I'm now playing around with that setup. I added a strip of six blocks of 3 bright LEDs each, a total of 18 white LEDs which uses about 0.25A at 12VDC. I added this as my top light. Take a look at the short video in case this neat setup may be of interest:
That was an interesting video, Andy. How are the LED's working? You may have to post a pic of your set-up when you are ready. I'm still using the same old overhead fluorescent set-up.
Okay, Steve. I'll bite. What in the world is that massive ball of pulp? I take it that it's a hive of some sort? But, being a city boy, I haven't got a clue what sort of critter might reside in such a structure?
That appears to be a full-fledged hornet's nest. Probably dormant right now, but the little suckers inside are just sleeping. Wouldn't want to poke it or knock it down by any means...
It is snowing outside and I can't go out and shoot pictures, so I did a little "Year in Review" pic instead. I won the ribbons at a local photography show, found and read a new author, received beautiful hand-made Christmas cards, and (of course), there is my favorite knife found in 2013!
For a "snow day" that's a beautiful retrospective summation that you did!
Congrats on the ribbons! How was the read? Since this was volume 3 I'll presume that you had also read volumes 1 & 2? Assuming that my presumption is correct, Robin Hobb's work must agree with you?
Cheers, my friend! Spring is just around the corner. I'll keep my eyes opened in anticipation of some prize winning "outdoor" photography from you in the days to come. *wink*
My phone's cord isn't long enough to get outside, but then it doesn't have a camera in it. It doesn't have blue teeth or black berries or pea pods either, it's just a phone.
My phone has a very limited range and doesn't work well when the string gets wet or the wind is blowing hard.....
(never tried to take pictures with it - not sure how)
Pretty good, guys. The proliferation of pocket electronic devices has me completely boondoggled. I don't know what to call them, let alone what they do or what the attraction is for them. Personally, I'd rather talk to a tree than to my camera, although the dog is a better listener.
Gus Marsh
I loaned out my Nikon Cool Pix S610 to my foreign exchange students from China. They used it for about 2 weeks and now it will not focus when I press the start up button. Does anyone know a reliable camera store in Southern California that can fix this camera.
Sep 1, 2011
Rusty R Halsey
Oct 1, 2011
Rusty R Halsey
Boredom led to more experimenting today. I hid a led flashlight behind a block off to the side in my light box and shone it on objects behind the knife. I think this could produce some exciting effects if a person took the time to play with it.
Jan 8, 2012
Billy Oneale
It did make some interesting effects. I was going to take some pics today, but I ended up watching Denver win today instead of knife pictures.
Jan 8, 2012
Rusty R Halsey
I discovered how to use exposure lock and focus lock this morning. Then, with those set, I used a colored led flashlight on the background. I secured a piece of shower curtain over the flashlight with a rubberband to make a soft (diffused) light source!
Jan 14, 2012
Alexander Noot
A friend of mine will be with me at my table at a knifeshow this weekend. He was thinking of getting into knifephotography as a service to knifemakers (for a small charge).
He recently cobbled this picture together. Do you guys have any comments/tips for him?
Apr 18, 2012
2021 Calendar
J.J. Smith III
Steve, make sure the locking tab is not locked.
Had a problem reading mineonce and this was it.
Nov 1, 2012
2021 Calendar
J.J. Smith III
Trouble is is that now you're our the cost of a new card reader.
Nov 1, 2012
Jan Carter
Guys I still have an issue with glare and flash back. If I am doing an outdoor shot I just turn off the flash but I know some of you folks use Lamps to light your indoor pics. Any suggestions?
Nov 1, 2012
Ron Cooper
Hey, gang!
This looks like a good place to learn how to take some decent pics of my knives. Just thought I'd say howdy. So, here it is...HOWDY!
Nov 1, 2012
KK Low
Dear all
as i explore this unique area of photography, here are some tips to share and some setup photos:
i use a light tent, the flexibible foldng type,and a couple of powerful photographic tornado lights that put out 155W of consistent colour temperature of 5500K .
i prefer continuous light shooting, as i find it difficult to use strobing (flash) as i cannot predict the direction of reflection.
for the light tent, i found that i need to cover the front opening and just poke the lens into the hole of the front cloth, to prevent unwanted reflections of the image of my face onto the shiny blade.
Nov 1, 2012
2021 Calendar
J.J. Smith III
Jan,
I'm too cheap for a light tent, so I almost always go outdoors and shoot in subdued light. If I absolutely need to use flash, and want to avoid excessive flare, I cover the flash with a layer of tissue to act as a diffuser.
(Though the light tent set-up that KK uses is the BEST solution, and offers the best pics.)
Nov 1, 2012
Jan Carter
I am pretty cheap also JJ and did not have much luck using the light box that is set up at GEC last trip there either. I think I will try the tissue idea
I am planning on watching for a lightbox to be onsale come cyber monday though
Nov 3, 2012
KK Low
I prefer outdoor light too, especially good if overcast day, not so good if bright sunny day (you can get the sky blue reflection on your shiny blade) but then it means the timing control when i take photos. I get back from work usually after 8pm, and that means i do not get to see any sunlight. ;-) I prefer to take photos as and when i am in the mood, so, the best choice for me is the indoor light tent, when i can take photos any time of the day, when i feel like taking photo.. ;-)
i have tried using tissue paper too, it works to get diffused light on the flashgun. background is another i would like to try, now i have only tried monochrome colors such as red, black and white... will be fun to i try something like randomised colored textured paper.
Nov 3, 2012
Rusty R Halsey
Sometimes the background helps to even out the exposure of a shiny blade and a dark handle. I was having trouble showing detail in both the blade and the handle in this pic until I put it on an all white background. Also using a light tent, overhead flourescent and tripod. The camera is on manual and I turn the exposure dial until the screen shows the best I can get.
Nov 3, 2012
Ron Cooper
That's a great shot of a beautiful knife, Rusty!
I admire and envy your photographic talent.
Nov 3, 2012
Jan Carter
See...Rusty's is awesome and does get a clean shot displaying the grain in the handle and the lines is the blade well.
KK, I have the same issue with not being able to get home in time for the light to be right.
OK...I am going to start watching the sales for a light box, I will let you know as we get closer to everything goes on sale time LOL. I can even read the etch with no issue.
Nov 4, 2012
Jan Carter
Instructions
1
Select a cardboard box that will be large enough to place the items you are photographing inside of the box. You can create different size boxes and keep them for future shoots. Choosing a box with thicker cardboard will be sturdier and should last longer.
2
Using a ruler and marker, draw a straight line from top to bottom and side to side, inset two inches from the edge of the box. Do this on all four sides.
3
Remove the top flaps of the box with a utility knife and cut along the lines that were made on the four sides, and remove the flaps from the top of the box. Once done your box will have an opening on the top and on all four sides of it.
4
Cut a piece of white Bristol board to match the width of the box. Attach the board with tape to the bottom front inside of the box and feed the rest of the board into box so it is laying flat on the bottom, but has small curve in back bottom corner of the box. By curving the back corner, you are creating what is referred to as a “seamless backdrop” in your light box. Secure the other end of the board to the back top portion of the box.
5
Cover the two side openings and the opening at the top with wax paper and secure in place with tape. The wax paper will act as a diffuser for the lights you will use.
6
Position three lights, one on either side of the box and the third at the top all pointing toward the paper sides. Place the item you photographing inside the box.
7
Turn the lights on, and you are ready to start taking pictures.
I wonder if I am creative enough to make this one. Seems to me it would give you the ability to exchange the white board for a background
Nov 6, 2012
Jan Carter
Anyone else want to try?
Nov 7, 2012
2021 Calendar
J.J. Smith III
IDK, Jan. Sounds like work to me. LOL
Nov 8, 2012
Rusty R Halsey
I haven't tried wax paper, but an opaque shower curtain does wonders. Also, shiny bolsters will reflect the image of the inside of the box. I ended up stapeling the shower curtain inside of the framework I was using to block out some of the reflected image. It worked well for a long time, but the store-bought one ( from ebay ) works better plus being collapsible.
Nov 8, 2012
Jan Carter
Rusty, what brand did you choose?
JJ, ROFL!!
Nov 11, 2012
Jan Carter
That seems very strange Hog. I dont think I have ever had one just choose a color and stick with it
Nov 18, 2012
Gerald Hines
Steve did you try to reprogram(refresh,reset whatever yours called it) the old one?
Nov 18, 2012
Andy Voelkle "AxeMan"
Most digital images are stored as Red-Green-Blue info. An image with "24 bit" color is common now, or 16-million colors. If there is a defect in the sensor or the electronics or the file structore or storage what you find is a rare (these little cameras are pretty reliable) but technically common failure. If there is a transient error of some sort, it may correct itself if you first save your images, then reset the camera two or three times. Hold the reset button down for 10-sec or so. Then remove all the batteries, the memory cards and whatever else of an electronic nature you can pluck out, and then let the camera sit thus for a few minutes (10-30). Then plug the stuff back in and test it again. If the color is then in error it is likely time for a new camera. If the camera is so expensive that a trip to the factory shop is worth a grand or two you might yet get a better camera for the repair cost. This technology is evolving faster than fat ribs over an open flame.
Nov 18, 2012
2021 Calendar
J.J. Smith III
Just a stray comment here...
I was looking at knives on google for a while tonight. You may or may not be surprised at the number of links that take you back to iKC. With over 37,000 pics here, it's no small wonder.
(Insomnia at its best...)
Nov 21, 2012
Le Coutographe
very happy to join this group of discussions. I'm sure I will learn a lot from you and get some new ideas to magnify knives !
Nov 21, 2012
Alexander Noot
Last wednesday I was gifted a lightbox by my wife. So I set about playing around with my compactcamera. And the lightbox.
Learned a lot from playing around with the ISO and lightvalues on the thing.
Finally shot a decent shot of this knife in a position where I think I could repeat the result the way I wanted it to.
Dec 7, 2012
Le Coutographe
@Alexander,
picture is nice but a little bit empty (except of course for this wonderful knife).
- What kind of light box did you get ??
Dec 7, 2012
Alexander Noot
Hey Le Coutographe,
I'm not entirely sure what it's called. But it's one of the folding/portable variety. With 4 colour backrounds and two halogen lamps and a base for a compact camera.
At the moment I'm not really busy with composition of the photo as I am in trying to figure out what settings to shoot with.
I'm not a photographer, I just want to be able to take some decent pictures of my knives.
I'll be playing around with it a little bit more in the coming weeks. And maybe for some pictures I'll add props in the future. For now I just want to capture as much detail of the knives I'm shooting.
Dec 7, 2012
Jan Carter
Very Good Alexander. Any settings that surprised you, how well they worked?
Dec 8, 2012
Andy Voelkle "AxeMan"
I've been building some high-power white LED lights, and I've run into an interesting function of the power supply for the LEDs and the high-speed shutter of most new cameras.
An unfiltered supply tends to produce 60 or 120 pulses (little "hills") of voltage each second, while the camera lens is open (at, say, a 1/60 sec exposure) for just the duration of one pulse of voltage.
Incandescent lamps have pretty even illumination because the filaments do not cool down much between the 60/120 ㎐ pulses of voltage. However, LEDs have instant response, so their brightness follows the voltage curve quickly and for all purposes, exactly.
Therefore, a well-crafted system might supply almost no voltage during a quick exposure, and the LEDs might be fully-illuminated, or almost dark, during a 1/500 sec exposure. The use of heavy capacitive filters is necessary. I also built a power converter which runs at 20,000 Hz and thus requires no capacitor bank on the final LED supply. It's an AC₆₀-DC-AC₂₀₀₀₀-DC system (no other reference implied...).
Dec 8, 2012
Andy Voelkle "AxeMan"
Here is a neat 20" (0.5m) light cube from Westcott, and a video from a pro on how to build a light source. I'm now playing around with that setup. I added a strip of six blocks of 3 bright LEDs each, a total of 18 white LEDs which uses about 0.25A at 12VDC. I added this as my top light. Take a look at the short video in case this neat setup may be of interest:
http://fjwestcott.com/?s=digitent&submit.x=0&submit.y=0
I have this equipment now, have built an LED top light, and will be trying to use it to improve my really mediocre photography this weekend.
Dec 16, 2012
Rusty R Halsey
That was an interesting video, Andy. How are the LED's working? You may have to post a pic of your set-up when you are ready. I'm still using the same old overhead fluorescent set-up.
Feb 7, 2013
Jan Carter
That video Andy had shows a great way to use the light box!
Rusty..I always love your pics, the knives come out very clear
Hog, Thats the same camera we bought
Feb 17, 2013
In Memoriam
Terry Ray
The cat always tried to sleep in the photo shoot , before we moved to shop LOL
Dec 12, 2013
Ron Cooper
Okay, Steve. I'll bite. What in the world is that massive ball of pulp? I take it that it's a hive of some sort? But, being a city boy, I haven't got a clue what sort of critter might reside in such a structure?
Jan 17, 2014
Pat Kennedy
Jan 17, 2014
Jan Carter
so tell me what you think about pics on the ipad? I have much better luck with my tablet than I ever had with a camera
Jan 17, 2014
Rusty R Halsey
Feb 1, 2014
Ron Cooper
For a "snow day" that's a beautiful retrospective summation that you did!
Congrats on the ribbons! How was the read? Since this was volume 3 I'll presume that you had also read volumes 1 & 2? Assuming that my presumption is correct, Robin Hobb's work must agree with you?
Cheers, my friend! Spring is just around the corner. I'll keep my eyes opened in anticipation of some prize winning "outdoor" photography from you in the days to come. *wink*
Feb 1, 2014
In Memoriam
Terry Ray
ive been using iPad, but would like a nice dedicated camera, ipad is so convienent
Mar 22, 2014
Alexander Noot
My dedicated camera had a water incident.....and it died. Which sucks because I was getting excellent pictures out of it.
My phone doesn't take nearly as nice pictures....so I guess I'll have to get a new camera sometime.
Jan 19, 2015
Alexander Noot
The phone cameras are great for outdoor photos. They don't do very well indoor though. And they're kind of limited in my portable photo studio.
Jan 19, 2015
Jan Carter
My phone takes horrid pictures!
Jan 19, 2015
Rusty R Halsey
My phone's cord isn't long enough to get outside, but then it doesn't have a camera in it. It doesn't have blue teeth or black berries or pea pods either, it's just a phone.
Jan 19, 2015
KnifeMaker
Carl Rechsteiner
(never tried to take pictures with it - not sure how)
Jan 20, 2015
Alexander Noot
Rusty:
Jan 20, 2015
Rusty R Halsey
Pretty good, guys. The proliferation of pocket electronic devices has me completely boondoggled. I don't know what to call them, let alone what they do or what the attraction is for them. Personally, I'd rather talk to a tree than to my camera, although the dog is a better listener.
Jan 21, 2015
Jan Carter
That is hysterical!!!!
Jan 23, 2015