and after darkening a greate deal
when it´s time to take pics. of the pipes
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smokepiper
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when it´s time to take pics. of the pipes
I have greate problems when pictures is about the shine destroys the image and i have to bracken the image before i take the shoot. Anyone have any idés how to avoid these things. Show some examples before and after bracken.
and after darkening a greate deal
and after darkening a greate deal
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KurtHuhn
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It looks like you're using direct lighting. Try indirect lighting instead to reduce the highlights and shine. I use this:
These days, however, I ditched the clip-on lights and got a bunch of cheap (8 dollar) desk lamps. I also use 40W Sylvania Daylight bulbs, and have a custom color correction entered into my camera based on a standard white-board image shot under those lights. I have no idea what camera you're using, but I've got my Canon 300D set to ISO 100, fully closed aperture, aperture priority, and I bracket each shot automatically (camera setting) to +/- .1 of 1.3 overexposure. The sheet covering the frame is 100% cotton and is stark white. The background is posterboard and is a silver color (but not reflective).
Some of my exposures last over 10 seconds, so I use a remote that I hacked together myself. My redneck inginuity can be seen here:
The sheet diffuses the light, and softens highlights. Also, the multiple angles of low-wattage light help immensly in removing unwanted shadows and dark spots. Since perfecting the use of the light tent, I haven't had to retouch a single photo.
These days, however, I ditched the clip-on lights and got a bunch of cheap (8 dollar) desk lamps. I also use 40W Sylvania Daylight bulbs, and have a custom color correction entered into my camera based on a standard white-board image shot under those lights. I have no idea what camera you're using, but I've got my Canon 300D set to ISO 100, fully closed aperture, aperture priority, and I bracket each shot automatically (camera setting) to +/- .1 of 1.3 overexposure. The sheet covering the frame is 100% cotton and is stark white. The background is posterboard and is a silver color (but not reflective).
Some of my exposures last over 10 seconds, so I use a remote that I hacked together myself. My redneck inginuity can be seen here:
The sheet diffuses the light, and softens highlights. Also, the multiple angles of low-wattage light help immensly in removing unwanted shadows and dark spots. Since perfecting the use of the light tent, I haven't had to retouch a single photo.
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smokepiper
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Thanks for the hint
It really looks like a greate way to take pics. I use a Konica Monolta Dimage Z6 digital camera and i have all the tecnique i need in that camera, a bit more than i understand... I will try this and i get back when i have got started. Thanks very much!!!!
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alexanderfrese
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Taking pics of shiny items is one way to drive someone learning photography nuts. Only topped by transparent and shiny (glass) sujets. Cousin of mine is a professional photographer, and the apprentice of his studio looked very tired round the eyes after two days of exercise session for some examina.
I do use a similar setup like Kurt posted sometimes. Sometimes I do a different thing:
I setup a flat white base (i.e. paper), bend it as shown below, place the pipe (forgive the detail in my sketch) upon it. Then I vertically arrange some sheets of white cardboard around it. They can be rather slim, but depending on the lines of the bowl have to be rather high. Dams, everytime I do a session, I forget to take some pics of the setting. Let me try to get some Illustration…
The flow of the paper creates the illusion of the pipe standing in a never ending white room, since there is no "corner" in that room which will always show, no matter how soft you arrange the lighting. I let the paper hang (front side) from the table, and arrange something on the table to raise the paper's back edge. Camera will be placed shooting from the lower end. Depending on the height of the camera's viewpoint, the raising of the paper's back edge has to be adjusted, assuring the whole viewfinder is filled with that white paper. I tend to use a rather low viewpoint, "eye to eye" with the pipe.
One can already do some rather good pictures with that setting. I place a very soft light right above it. I use a flash light connected to the cam. The flash fires into a big white plastic bag (rather thin white material), that I attach to the flashlight with some wires I bent to an appropriate shape. Should be possible to do with a lamp instead of a flashlight. Important thing is to keep the white area that is lit by the light source rather wide, otherwise you will have those nasty little spotlights on the pipe, and the light will produce rather harsh shadows. Other important thing is: You should not use available light for such a setting, since it will not be reproducable. One day you have a room flooded with light from outside, then again not, and so on… Take the pics in the evening, or try to subdue ambient available light as far as you can.
The underlying white paper will make sure, that the lines of the pipe under it's widest parts will have some smooth lighting, too. Experiment with the position of that overhead light to give the pic some depth. If the far away side of the underlying paper is lit up a little less than the area 'round the pipe, this adds some depth, too.
This will be smooth pics. No harsh highlights. Depending on the position of the headlight, you will have some lighter parts on top of the bowl and of the mouthpiece, but you will probably not have those sharp lines from light to dark as a reflection on the bowl's sides, that let the finish’ shine jump at you.
Arrange some white cardboard around the pipe. Make sure you can easily push them around, so you can find the right place where they send their reflections onto the pipe so it looks good. Takes some time, I tell you. Must be done again for every pipe, since every bowl has it's own lines. Sometimes the pipe is circumfenced with these, sometimes one is already enough. Sometimes the light reflected over that bouncers coming from the headlight is already sufficient, sometimes I arrange a second flash (lighting of any kind, if you like or don't have those many flashlights) that points directly onto that bouncing card. If arranging a second light, have an eye on what this light does on the pipe directly, without the reflection. Sometimes I have to shade off that second light so it only sends light to the bouncer. Mostly I place this second light behind the pipe, so it's direct light gives the pipe some contours, but that's difficult to handle.
Important thing is: Don't make it white all around the pipe, or you will end up with a smooth lighting again. Most of the time, it is fully sufficient to leave some space between the bouncers. Light just "falls off" between them. The pipe's surface only reflects some dark area for that space, and you have those sharp lines that show the shine. If necessary, I do arrange some smaller, black carboard as "negative" bouncers.
The thing about the bouncers is – you can move them to produce the line on the pipe where you want it. Issues: It is a painstaking slow procedure needing accurate work, even if you have some routine. Control every single pic you take, if possible on the big screen, not only on the small one on the camera.
Some example pic from a restored estate, the pic (and pipe) not perfect to my eye, just to illustrate possible outcome:
Compared to this one, where I build sort of a tent around the pipe made of translucent white paper. The pipe almost looks like having a matte finish (which it has not). It is just that the reflecting material "never ends", so that the reflections on the wood are very soft.
I do use a similar setup like Kurt posted sometimes. Sometimes I do a different thing:
I setup a flat white base (i.e. paper), bend it as shown below, place the pipe (forgive the detail in my sketch) upon it. Then I vertically arrange some sheets of white cardboard around it. They can be rather slim, but depending on the lines of the bowl have to be rather high. Dams, everytime I do a session, I forget to take some pics of the setting. Let me try to get some Illustration…
The flow of the paper creates the illusion of the pipe standing in a never ending white room, since there is no "corner" in that room which will always show, no matter how soft you arrange the lighting. I let the paper hang (front side) from the table, and arrange something on the table to raise the paper's back edge. Camera will be placed shooting from the lower end. Depending on the height of the camera's viewpoint, the raising of the paper's back edge has to be adjusted, assuring the whole viewfinder is filled with that white paper. I tend to use a rather low viewpoint, "eye to eye" with the pipe.
One can already do some rather good pictures with that setting. I place a very soft light right above it. I use a flash light connected to the cam. The flash fires into a big white plastic bag (rather thin white material), that I attach to the flashlight with some wires I bent to an appropriate shape. Should be possible to do with a lamp instead of a flashlight. Important thing is to keep the white area that is lit by the light source rather wide, otherwise you will have those nasty little spotlights on the pipe, and the light will produce rather harsh shadows. Other important thing is: You should not use available light for such a setting, since it will not be reproducable. One day you have a room flooded with light from outside, then again not, and so on… Take the pics in the evening, or try to subdue ambient available light as far as you can.
The underlying white paper will make sure, that the lines of the pipe under it's widest parts will have some smooth lighting, too. Experiment with the position of that overhead light to give the pic some depth. If the far away side of the underlying paper is lit up a little less than the area 'round the pipe, this adds some depth, too.
This will be smooth pics. No harsh highlights. Depending on the position of the headlight, you will have some lighter parts on top of the bowl and of the mouthpiece, but you will probably not have those sharp lines from light to dark as a reflection on the bowl's sides, that let the finish’ shine jump at you.
Arrange some white cardboard around the pipe. Make sure you can easily push them around, so you can find the right place where they send their reflections onto the pipe so it looks good. Takes some time, I tell you. Must be done again for every pipe, since every bowl has it's own lines. Sometimes the pipe is circumfenced with these, sometimes one is already enough. Sometimes the light reflected over that bouncers coming from the headlight is already sufficient, sometimes I arrange a second flash (lighting of any kind, if you like or don't have those many flashlights) that points directly onto that bouncing card. If arranging a second light, have an eye on what this light does on the pipe directly, without the reflection. Sometimes I have to shade off that second light so it only sends light to the bouncer. Mostly I place this second light behind the pipe, so it's direct light gives the pipe some contours, but that's difficult to handle.
Important thing is: Don't make it white all around the pipe, or you will end up with a smooth lighting again. Most of the time, it is fully sufficient to leave some space between the bouncers. Light just "falls off" between them. The pipe's surface only reflects some dark area for that space, and you have those sharp lines that show the shine. If necessary, I do arrange some smaller, black carboard as "negative" bouncers.
The thing about the bouncers is – you can move them to produce the line on the pipe where you want it. Issues: It is a painstaking slow procedure needing accurate work, even if you have some routine. Control every single pic you take, if possible on the big screen, not only on the small one on the camera.
Some example pic from a restored estate, the pic (and pipe) not perfect to my eye, just to illustrate possible outcome:
Compared to this one, where I build sort of a tent around the pipe made of translucent white paper. The pipe almost looks like having a matte finish (which it has not). It is just that the reflecting material "never ends", so that the reflections on the wood are very soft.
Last edited by alexanderfrese on Thu Jun 22, 2006 7:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
Alexander Frese
www.quarum.de
www.quarum.de
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smokepiper
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That´s a way to do it
I must print this out cause it takes a life time for me to get this straight in my head. But the result is stunning, very professional! Thanks! I will try this bit by bit and if i get the head spinn i use Kurt´s way and try again later when it´s not a case for the psyciatrics to put me back together again... Very detailed info. i´m impressed!!!
Hats off for you my friend!
Hats off for you my friend!
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alexanderfrese
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Alex, Ronny, and Kurt, this is good strong stuff. So many sides to "pipemaking" that we don't consider when we get our first kit and start carving. What's "good" is to see the sharing, the willingness to teach as well as the sense that we can ask and strengthen our weaknesses in ALL the areas of knowledge that impinge on this fine craft. Thanks.
-- john
http://justapipe.com
http://justapipe.com
This is something I've noticed, too. Pipe makers in general are all very, very willing to share techniques, so long as they're not compromising something that's strictly proprietary. It's refreshing that this is the case. Recentlly I got into playing handball, which in my area is a dying sport, maybe 19 people in the whole area. When I started, and to this day, the "old timers" don't want to help me or even play with me... they're not willing to share their experience despite the fact that their sport is dying locally with each passing day. If pipe makers thought in such terms, it would be a sad state in the pipe world, I think.mahaffy wrote:What's "good" is to see the sharing, the willingness to teach as well as the sense that we can ask and strengthen our weaknesses in ALL the areas of knowledge that impinge on this fine craft. Thanks.
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smokepiper
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willing to share
I if anyone can verify the fact that pipemakers are more than greateful to share their experienses. I started out the first predrilled block christmas -04 and it just took 2 months till i got the adress to Sören Refbjerg for better quality wood and the adresses to the pipemakers of Sweden for advice. It was the pipeclub of Sweden that gave me all the info i needed. when i had made pipes for 6 months i attendsed at a meeting with the pipeclub and met Bengt Carlson, Tom Eltang, Tokutomi, Love Geiger, Dura, Vollmer-Nilsson and the master himself Bo Nordh. At the meeting the makers made a deal that they should share what they had to share each and every one of them to me, i have visited Love,Bengt,Sören and Vollmer-Nilsson´s workshops since then and i have graduated as a pipemaker now. Nothing has been secrets, all i needed to know was given to me all for free. A week at each workshop, Vollmer several times and i have Tom and Bo in my thoughts for visits in the nearby future. Wonderful people all of them, and this forum shares the same spirit of friendship. I give all i have been given and the things i have thought out myself... That Björn Bengtsson called me about staining and finish was a big thing cause he doesn´t attend at any meetings or mix with other makers at all, he just called me cause he knew i needed his expertise. Tom Eltang has a point when he says "It´s good to be a pipemaker". Thanks for this forum and all the members in it, hope we can share the experienses for a long time and bans ain´t killing the "smokers heaven"
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alexanderfrese
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John,
I don't know if I would spend such effort on taking these pics if photography hadn't been some other hobby of mine and if I hadn't spend so much time together with my pro-foto-cousin. So starting with a block not necessarily leads you to high end photography.
Though I am sometimes irritated about some rather mediocre pipe pics on websites that want to sell those pipes. Mediocre compared to the quality of the pipes and their price tags…
The thing about the things I do: I tend to try to make the best of it. If I have reached a certain level (some pros still will laugh about it) I cannot step back. I do take pics of restored estate pipes in that time conuming fashion, and they go there for 4 or 5 EUR. But for me something would be wrong in doing it more simple…
Since almost everything I learned in my life since school came from learning by doing and this learning often involved other people I could ask, I would be the last not to share any tiny bit of knowledge I have gathered.
After all, twenty years ago I wanted to be a teacher. Back then studied teachers flooded German streets driving taxi or servicing in some restaurants. Nowadays they are seeking them with magnifying glasses. I guess it's too late to think of antcyclic strategies…
I only wish some more clients of my business would appreciate my ways.
:dunno:
I don't know if I would spend such effort on taking these pics if photography hadn't been some other hobby of mine and if I hadn't spend so much time together with my pro-foto-cousin. So starting with a block not necessarily leads you to high end photography.
Though I am sometimes irritated about some rather mediocre pipe pics on websites that want to sell those pipes. Mediocre compared to the quality of the pipes and their price tags…
The thing about the things I do: I tend to try to make the best of it. If I have reached a certain level (some pros still will laugh about it) I cannot step back. I do take pics of restored estate pipes in that time conuming fashion, and they go there for 4 or 5 EUR. But for me something would be wrong in doing it more simple…
Since almost everything I learned in my life since school came from learning by doing and this learning often involved other people I could ask, I would be the last not to share any tiny bit of knowledge I have gathered.
After all, twenty years ago I wanted to be a teacher. Back then studied teachers flooded German streets driving taxi or servicing in some restaurants. Nowadays they are seeking them with magnifying glasses. I guess it's too late to think of antcyclic strategies…
I only wish some more clients of my business would appreciate my ways.
:dunno:
Alexander Frese
www.quarum.de
www.quarum.de
Alex, as I've probably said a hundred times or more, when I got my digital camera I realized my lifetime accumulation of photo/darkroom gear was obsolete and gave it to a local photography school. Like parting with a loved one, so much of me was tied up in it! But today's technological advances --- the "auto" everything! button on the camera --- plus that insidious idea that we are no longer capable of doing whatever we put our minds to seem to be primary reasons for the lack of quality in so many web sites. (Probbly mine as well; I keep telling myself "I'll get around to cleaning it up when I start trying to sell my pipes.") But as I said, it's ALL part of becoming a pipemaker, and as you suggest, we're not being true craftsmen if we don't learn the basics of presenting our work as professionally as possible.
-- john
http://justapipe.com
http://justapipe.com
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smokepiper
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I really don´t regret posting this question...
This question opened up a lot of thoughts and feelings for the choise of craft. Being maker of pipes and not just the pipe you through away after a fishingtrip, maker of pipes that lasts for a lifetime and that brings the need of several other skills for the presentation and other things around the PR thing. Learning Photoshop for example, a whole new world of learning the way we see things. Thank you all for answering this topic and hope this woun´t be the end of a unite learning for this craft that is in danger of it´s own survival, it´s not only a tool for smokers it´s a creation of human hands and a expression of thoughts and beauty.
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alexanderfrese
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John,
it's just that "auto button" you mentioned, that lets us do things, we simply cannot do. And we all are blinded by the illusion, that the auto thing will make something acceptable for us and the rest of the world. Besides the fact, that no automatic will ever produce something individual, I strongly feel, no automatic device will ever produce something good.
I know there is lots of time and talk to spend on that subject all night long. I wish we could on some mild summer evening… I am the last to condemn technology, so please don't start that "back to the Stone Age" discussion. As for phtography, I used the exposure automatics on my Nikons (I just sold it all a few weeks ago) widely, but I learned about DOF before, so I still could (and do with my small digicam) manage picture quality and mood by putting the sharpness and softness where I wanted it. And I never touched those full auto modes.
So the thing is: Automatics lead us away from making decisions. That's fine in many situations, where our own decisions are made by some spinal cord in our back and not by the frontal lobes of our magnificent brain. Here in Germany, almost everyone still shifts gear in his car by hand. Those with the automatic gear are even considered to be some "dumb, non sportive, Grandpa sort of guy". What a crap. There is no humanistic dignity in choosing the right gear every few seconds. It is no decision, since there are no real alternatives.
But what for those decisions that decide between way A) and way B)? Automatics nowadays even lead us so far as to present things we would otherwise have buried in our backyard in a new moon night at 3 am. So there always should be some decision process in our minds before using any automatic: Will the outcome fulfill our needs in technical and every other means of quality? It is A) and B)! If yes: Go for it. If not: Bury that idea. You won't even need a spade… Search for a better way to go.
it's just that "auto button" you mentioned, that lets us do things, we simply cannot do. And we all are blinded by the illusion, that the auto thing will make something acceptable for us and the rest of the world. Besides the fact, that no automatic will ever produce something individual, I strongly feel, no automatic device will ever produce something good.
I know there is lots of time and talk to spend on that subject all night long. I wish we could on some mild summer evening… I am the last to condemn technology, so please don't start that "back to the Stone Age" discussion. As for phtography, I used the exposure automatics on my Nikons (I just sold it all a few weeks ago) widely, but I learned about DOF before, so I still could (and do with my small digicam) manage picture quality and mood by putting the sharpness and softness where I wanted it. And I never touched those full auto modes.
So the thing is: Automatics lead us away from making decisions. That's fine in many situations, where our own decisions are made by some spinal cord in our back and not by the frontal lobes of our magnificent brain. Here in Germany, almost everyone still shifts gear in his car by hand. Those with the automatic gear are even considered to be some "dumb, non sportive, Grandpa sort of guy". What a crap. There is no humanistic dignity in choosing the right gear every few seconds. It is no decision, since there are no real alternatives.
But what for those decisions that decide between way A) and way B)? Automatics nowadays even lead us so far as to present things we would otherwise have buried in our backyard in a new moon night at 3 am. So there always should be some decision process in our minds before using any automatic: Will the outcome fulfill our needs in technical and every other means of quality? It is A) and B)! If yes: Go for it. If not: Bury that idea. You won't even need a spade… Search for a better way to go.
Alexander Frese
www.quarum.de
www.quarum.de
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smokepiper
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couldn´t agree more about auto buttons
I never had any relie on auto buttons and i rather do things myself for my eyes to fit or focus a picture. In Sweden there are mostley Taxi, Police and such vehicles that drives automaticley shift geer. In wintertimes when ice covers most of the roads the automatic geers is a hasard and manual shift makes the car run smooth.
Here in Vermont we run to Saabs or 4-wheel drives. I run a Geo Tracker, which red-lines at 6500! I keep wondering what that little engine would do in a restored MGA. Ah, youth! But you'vve got me thinking, looking back over some of the things I've learned --- as you learned, Alex; by having to do them --- and one of those was making posterizations from B&W negatives (using litho film). I'm not about to start doing silkscreen prints again, but the posterizing process should be quite simple. . . . Well, of course it wouldn't represent the product, but damn, it'd make a really eye-catching graphic.
-- john
http://justapipe.com
http://justapipe.com
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archaggelosmichail
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Re: when it´s time to take pics. of the pipes
I've been trying to take some decent photos over the past few months, but only when I visit a photgrapher friend of mine I get good results.... 
When I'm trying to take photos I have the problem of aperture on high ISO, so the camera can't focus.
I use a 40cm*40cm photo studio on Greek daylight, so I can't get more light without having bad shadows.
Is there any non-DSLR camera that can take good pics?
When I'm trying to take photos I have the problem of aperture on high ISO, so the camera can't focus.
I use a 40cm*40cm photo studio on Greek daylight, so I can't get more light without having bad shadows.
Is there any non-DSLR camera that can take good pics?