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  #1  
Old 04-05-2009, 11:18 PM
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Buddy Thomason Buddy Thomason is offline
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Critique this picture

Here's one we can kick around. Simple side view in portrait mode. Comments and observations welcome.



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  #2  
Old 04-06-2009, 01:14 AM
Barbara Turner Barbara Turner is offline
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Buddy,

Nice photograph. The knife is perfectly lit and the placement draws your eye right in. I am just having a little trouble with the backround. I think it's more the pinwheel circles, than the color. I am drawn to the knife but then I find my eye going from the knife to the backround and back again. Just my 2 cents.


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Last edited by Barbara Turner; 04-06-2009 at 01:18 AM.
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  #3  
Old 04-06-2009, 07:33 AM
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Stunning knife. A 'groovy' background. I don't find it too overwhelming, and the swirls are in concert with the curves in this blade. Great colors. That's not what gives me pause...

Now, I would not have let this pass without doing something about the loss of reflection in the LH guard. I would have placed a mirror strategically to gather some light onto that area.

And.... the face of the guard is dark to the point of black. Just a bit too dark for my tastes. Somehow another set of lights to brighten that area. Other than those two areas, it's perfect.

All-in-all it is great. Others would say that dark and mysterious shadows give it emotion. I can't dispel that notion.

Coop


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  #4  
Old 04-06-2009, 09:44 AM
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Lots of good eyes on this forum! That's what makes critiques fun.

First, Coop, you are absolutely right about the lack of light on the front of the guard and I've addressed that in the second run through on this knife. Also, the guard, as you allude to, is reciprocally curved on the bottom left. Can't see that in this photo. This is the one I've always complained about my not finding a good way to really shoot it.

Barbara - You said, "I am just having a little trouble with the backround." Try looking at it longer, then see what happens. Actually, I thought it would be cool to have "rotating galaxy things" spinning in the directions of the feather damascus on either side of the blade. I understand that my backgrounds can be a challenge, but how can I not do what I've been doing all my life? Still, you may be right. I could tone it down some and get the same effect. Good call.

I have another round coming in which I do another stupid thing that I've done many times and it has never worked before, but... that is shoot this knife on a light background


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  #5  
Old 04-06-2009, 06:19 PM
Barbara Turner Barbara Turner is offline
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Buddy,

Thanks for posting knives for critique and comments. I think that as each of has our own ideas, we also learn how others feel and why. It helps us to notice things that we may miss. Please keep posting these so we can continue to expand our knowledge. I think it benefits everyone who tries hard to photograph knives.


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  #6  
Old 04-06-2009, 08:23 PM
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Buddy Buddy Buddy, thanks for using your Dunn "feather" damascus knife! It's still my all time favorite. Your photo really makes it stand out, as it should. I like all the colors, and lighting. I guess I don't have anything negative to say this time! Excellant job!


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  #7  
Old 04-07-2009, 12:29 AM
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Thanks folks. Here's another take on this knife. In spite of the fact that I don't think a light background will work with this knife, some of the problems with the first image are addressed in this photo. Not done yet, though.


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  #8  
Old 04-07-2009, 12:55 AM
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Awesome knife Buddy.

Im not a photographer or a photo connoisseur by any means, so take my comments with a grain of salt. I really like the way you floated the knife and I think the shadowing on the right side of the knife is perfect. The front of the guard needs more light as has already been mentioned.

I would choose a different back ground, that one it too hard on my eyes and in my opinion, the swirls detract my eyes away from the subject. There seems to be alot of detail lost on the engraving in the guard as well as the mosaic pin in the center of the handle, perhaps a focus or depth of field issue.

Brad
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  #9  
Old 04-07-2009, 01:18 AM
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Wow! That 2nd photo is starting to pop!

The details are much more evident in the engraving and the mosaic pin. I dont know if its my eyes but I think there are more details in the engraving and handle that could be brought out. I think the back ground may not be ideal, but it is much preferred over the swirls. A tad more light in the lower left corner to brighten the guard would help as well.

Keep goin Buddy, I want to see this sweet knife in all its glory and I know you are the guy to make it happen.

Brad
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  #10  
Old 04-07-2009, 02:06 PM
Barbara Turner Barbara Turner is offline
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Buddy, I like the second picture much better except for the lighting on the guard on the left side. I do agree that a darker backround may be a better choice. Maybe something in between the first and second backround. I also seem the like the composition on the first with the tip of the blade pointing downward. Great Job.


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  #11  
Old 04-07-2009, 03:49 PM
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Buddy, I like the second picture a lot better. The swirls on the first one distract from the blade.
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  #12  
Old 04-08-2009, 01:35 PM
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I appreciate everybody's suggestions. I keep fooling around with this knife and still don't have the results I'm looking for. This image is a re-shoot of the composite above that addresses some of the issues in that picture:



And this next one is a re-shoot of the single side-view at the top of the page that offers a different (though still somewhat out of the ordinary) background and hopefully fixes some of the other issues in that initial shot.



I'm not done shooting this knife yet but I think I'll put it aside and come back to it later - maybe with some fresh ideas.

Appreciate your comments!


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Old 04-08-2009, 11:24 PM
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I really like the latest composite Buddy. If I owned the knife and was paying to have it photographed, I'd be quite happy with that one. The addition of the spine shot was a good choice too. Still a tad dark at the guard, but I know getting a good shot on polished steel can be a challenge in itself. Cool thread by the way, its nice to see how a pro addresses some of these problems.

Brad
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  #14  
Old 04-09-2009, 12:01 AM
Barbara Turner Barbara Turner is offline
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Buddy,

Very unique backround on that last shot. Even the vignetting adds a lot to the image drawing the eye toward the knife. The front of the guard is now better lit than the first image but still slightly dark. I am just wondering how it would look if the backround only was a little brighter? Great job!


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  #15  
Old 04-10-2009, 02:05 AM
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A darker background is the way to go. I marked the main flaw in this image with a red dot. No detail in that area - an oversight I missed until it was too late.


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