Thread: Photography and Straight Razors

Originally Posted by Chrisl

I can't do without my macro function on my digital camera. I just recently got a light box and I find the pics are much better than I could have done before. Here are a few examples of unaltered photos in the light box:
Chris L

Awesome pictures of awesome razors.

Wow!



Bart.

I'm guessing that this thread will need to be made sticky before it's done. There are way too many times people need to show images in these forums.

Originally Posted by Bart

Awesome pictures of awesome razors.

Wow!



Bart.

Thanks Bart, I hadn't mentioned it until now, they're all up for auction now on the Bay along with some other so so razors. I'm paring down the razors that have been sitting too long in my resto drawer. None are in mint condition and all in need of restoration.

Chris L

Here are a few experiments with razor photography, Here is the initial photo, with no enhancements or special setup:

Here is the same setup with the white balance preset to 'incandescent light.'

Here are a few shots within the lightbox while using a shroud. Basically I used a white sheet to block the open part of the box, so that only the camera was peeking through.

This was to minimize or at least homogenize the reflection from the shiny blade.

Phew boy, where to start, where to start....

Well, I'm a part-time photographer. I work for a small nationally circulated paper on occasion and am diving into the wedding photography business as well. Just getting started there, but should have a better website coming. Right now, you can see *some* of my stuff at...
True Beauty Photography

and

dhatcher's Photo Galleries at pbase.com


(this way you guys can judge for yourself if you want to take my advice or not ...don't worry, my feelings won't be hurt if you decide not to follow what information I provide here).


So... onto razor photography, or more widely and categorically known as product or even possibly "jewelery" photography. Not in the sense that it IS jewelry, but because you should photograph razors (especially when that nice SHINY blade is open) as if it were jewelry. I made mention in someone else's post about all the photos I see on ebay with a big shiny spot on the blade (making it a lot harder if not impossible to see any detail), but I didn't want to hijack his current post and instead requested if anyone ever has any questions to feel free to PM or start a thread about photography for razors... well lookee what we got here... A THREAD!

I say to photograph razors as if it was jewelry because there is a certain technique to photographing jewelery that always produces those wonderfully magic magazine type images. The majority of this deals with lighting and the way the light reflects (or doesn't reflect) off the razor. You want to use what's called diffuse lighting (I know some people here may or may not know what that means, so I'm not trying to offend anyone if it sounds a bit elementary). What is diffuse lighting? Look at a light bulb in a lamp with no lamp shade... that is NOT diffuse. Now look at it with the lamp shade, that is diffused (somewhat). Basically you diffuse light when you put something directly in front the light that is going to change the pattern of light after it goes through whatever material. Now generally pro photographers will use all kinds of fancy specially made diffusers and crap they buy because hey, they need tools and equipment that will serve them and last them a long time just like anybody else who does a regular job or a furiously good hobbyist.

So how do you diffuse lighting at home without buying a bunch of photography stuff? Use whatever you can find. Some old white t-shirts, thin white pillow cases (please don't use your SO's good shirts and pillow cases... lord have mercy I'll have 20 people lined up at my door tomorrow fuming at me).

I'll try not to repeat a lot of photography advice you can find by quickly googling but I did want to mention the diffuse lighting. It is probably the single biggest thing I see that people can improve on. A quick google turned up this link to jewelry photography techniques...

Jewelry photography tips - how to photograph jewelry

Now if you ask me (or if you don't even) I'm gonna tell ya that looks like an ad for the photography equipment you see them using. I will admit, that EZcube thing is a nice tool to have to take photos of products. But in all honesty you can have nearly the same thing by buying one of these...

Bed Bath & Beyond Product

in white from your local flea market or walmart or wherever you can find it dirt cheap and not pay that ungodly $15 bed bath and beyond is asking for it. I think last time I checked the local flea market here sells those for about $1-$2. Cut a hole out of one side (look how the EZcube is setup for reference) and take a couple/few OLD white t-shirts, cut them down to size and drape them over or use some small spring loaded clamps to keep them in place (whatever works for you).

As for lighting, no need to get fancy, if you want to add a little cheap lighting to the deal get yourself 1 or 2 of these...

2.5 Million Candlelight Power Cordless Spotlight

And set them to the outsides of your homemade EZcube. Play with distance of the lights to the cubes, different angles (up, down, front, back... etc).

And lastly but not leastly (because I'm tired and it's bedtime right now) try if you can to use a tripod (even for the digital point and shoots). The more still your camera is, the more likely you'll get a nice crisply focused picture (assuming you got your focus right ).

Those are probably the best things anyone here (save for the pro's here who are probably giggling themselves silly at my advice) can do to improve their razor photography and get good to great photos of razors without all the frustrating glare and yuckyness.

Again, feel free to ask questions, I love to share advice on photography as well as learn! If people have questions that might be more advanced, don't be afraid to ask them! I wanted to try to keep this post a little on the simpler side (although a bit lengthy) as most folks here probably haven't gotten into the whole DSLR world and they just want to know what they can do to improve the photos they take with their point and shoots.

Oh and one more thing, definitely play with the settings on your own camera and really LEARN how it works. That will save you a lot of post processing frustration. Ok ok I promise... good night now.

Nice post, dhatcher. You put a lot more effort into responding than I did. Very nicely done!