Thread: Learn how to photograph your razor - small tutorial

I like photography. I also know that some people hate it. They don’t hate great pictures, they believe that they are not so good to make them. This is not true!

There are at least 2 threads in this forum about “how to” photograph razors. Why do I write another one? Simple – other two are absolutely correct, but difficult for the average user to repeat.

My idea was to give people a tool how to make a great photo with minimum skills and simplest set up possible. Anyone who have photo camera, have window at home. That’s all you need to make GREAT picture of your razor. Seriously – that’s it. However, there are few rules to it.

1. Light from the window have to be soft (opposite to it – hard light which direct sun giving), that’s means that you should use window in which you can’t see the sun.
2. Make sure that you switch off internal flash. Flash, that is something that spoils your photo. Anything pictured with direct flash - looks bad.
3. Get yourself something like light disk. White piece of paper, white plastic bag – anything that can reflect light back.
4. Use minimum ISO possible to avoid grain and noise.
5. Use Aperture not less that 3,2 if you want your razor to be sharp.
That’s it. Now, look at the pictures. Tripod with the camera – this is you holding the camera. Tripod with the light disk – that what you can (if you want of course) hold in your hand.

Take a look at these 3 set up’s with the actual results. You can easily repeat it.

Set up #1 -This is the best one



Set up #2 Just ok



Set up #3 - Better not to use it



Here you can see the difeerence between Set up 1 and 2



Good luck. BTW this is original photos without any processing. I just decreased the size of them.

Many thanks. If you would like to add it to Photographing Razors - Straight Razor Place Wiki, we'd be more than happy to help.

That is a REALLY nice Wester Brothers razor. I like it.

Thank you so much, Traskrom! really useful.

Thank you, sometimes it seems almost impossible to get a good shot with average equipment.

Pretty much impossible free hand. Are Tripods Camera specific, or are they universal, or both? I actually have the need to take many pics, so for me, it'd be worth the money...

Originally Posted by zib

PAre Tripods Camera specific, or are they universal, or both?

Tripods are not camera specific. You can use it with any photo or video camera. I am typically holding camera in my hands, and not on tripod. You would need tripod only of you are shooting in low light or don’t have image stabilizer.

Originally Posted by zib

Pretty much impossible free hand. Are Tripods Camera specific, or are they universal, or both? I actually have the need to take many pics, so for me, it'd be worth the money...

I believe they're universal. Your camera should have some threading on its bottom. Tripods will usually have a removable platform with the screw to be attached to the camera, and then the platform snaps into the tripod (at least with mine).

You can also use a lamp as a cheap tripod. On most lamps, the threading to attach the lamp shade is the same as what's on your camera.