Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Gordon on February 01, 2009, 11:55:33 am
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Several folks have asked me to post some tips on photographing bows. First let me say I am not an accomplished photographer – I’m a novice at best. That said, with today’s equipment it has never been easier to create decent photographs. So here are a few dos and don’ts that I have picked up over the last few years. And please feel free to add any that you have learned.
1. Do prepare your subject to be photographed. You wouldn’t go in for a family portrait uncombed, unshaven and wearing dirty clothes. Then give the same consideration to your work. Remove unsightly tool marks and raised grain, round hard edges, put a nice finish on the bow and smooth it, trim leather and overlays nicely.
2. Avoid taking your photographs in the harsh mid-day sun. This kind of light will wash out colors, creates harsh contrast and shadows, and will generally make your subject appear flat. You want soft diffuse natural light – early morning and evening light is ideal. A light cloud cover will moderate the effects of a high sun.
3. Do keep your subject in focus. There is nothing more frustrating that trying to discern detail from an out of focus shot of an otherwise nice tip. The autofocus feature of most modern point and shoot cameras works pretty well for most shots, but not close-ups. For close-up shots of your tips switch to manual focus.
4. Do pay attention to exposure. Photographing a light colored bow against a darker background with auto-exposure will almost always result in the bow being overexposed and detail being washed out. Most point and shoot cameras today give you the ability to lighten or darken the exposure by simply pressing a button. When photographing a light subject, ratchet the exposure back a few notches so we will be able to enjoy the fine details of your bow.
5. Don’t use cluttered or complex backgrounds. Generally you want people to focus on your bow and not the messy tool bench or the untrimmed brush in the background. Avoid complex textured backgrounds like grass and bark dust – they may look good to your naked eye, but they generally do not complement your bow well in a photograph.
6. Do pick background colors that complement your bow and provide a pleasing contrast. Generally that means earth-tone colors. Avoid brightly colored backgrounds.
7. Do pay attention to composition. You want your subject to be the primary focus of the photograph, and not the house that it is leaning against. Crop the photograph if necessary.
8. Do take LOTS of pictures. Digital photos are cheap. The more pictures you take the more likely you will end up with photos that you will be pleased with.
Remember, when you post a photo of your bow on the Internet you are presenting your work for the rest of the world to see. Make it as presentable as you can - it really isn't that hard.
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Excellent tutorial, Gordon. When considering Bow of the Month fun, its a shame to have a finely crafted bow go unnoticed because of poor pictures.
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Thanks Gordon, very helpful.
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Thanks Gordon! I guess if I ever hope to make bows that are as nice as yours, I should also learn how to take proper picutres of them ;D!
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Good advice, thanx!
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Great counsel Gordon. Very well stated and thought out. And you have exampled these things very well in all your postings ;)
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Can I add "Get a good camera"? I don't regret for one minute the investment I made in my camera. ;D
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Great advice Gordon and thanks for the help. If I might add one little thing. I think the true tiller shows much better if the bow isn't canted in the full draw photo.
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3. ... The autofocus feature of most modern point and shoot cameras works pretty well for most shots, but not close-ups. For close-up shots of your tips switch to manual focus.
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well said, gordon, you are a good teacher!
i do my close-ups in the MAKRO mode, that works really wel, tool.
also i use the highest possible quality and do cut-outs sometimes (see example below).
...and yes, i always take A LOT of pictures, sometimes 10 to 20 if i want to make sure!
f.
ps: my camera is not fancy at all!
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Thanks Gordon,I sure need help in this area. :) I get in a hurry,kind of like finishing a bow,I love making them and getting them to shoot ,but then I get in a hurry to get a finish on it and be done and start another. :)
Pappy
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Thank you Gordon, I agree that quality bows ought to have quality pictures taken of them...why stop your attention to detail with the last coat of finish? :)
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Now that's what I'm talking about Frank. Nice tips!
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Thanks Gordon! I've also found that if your pics aren't that great, that even after you put them on your computer, you can play with the brightness and contrast and help them out some....at least that's what I do with the program I have.
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I've also found that if your pics aren't that great, that even after you put them on your computer, you can play with the brightness and contrast and help them out some....at least that's what I do with the program I have.
There is a certain amount of improvement you can make with software. But if the subject is out of focus or badly over/under exposed, or the background, colors, or composition are wrong there is not much you can do to improve it.
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You're right Gordon. I was just talking about making minor improvements to decent pics.
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My wife and I are both professional photographers. She is the one who does a lot of studio work-everything from firearms, jewelry, meat (as in animal flesh), sculpture, etc. etc. In other words things like bows. You would be blown away by the care and attention to detail that goes into this type of photography. MANY shots of a single item are taken over hours of adjusting lights, etc. So don't feel bad if your shots aren't perfect. You make great bows, and if your pictures are as nice as your bows, you're messing in the wrong hobby. Gordon and others' advice is good and solid. The only thing I would quibble with is Gordon's assertion that good photographs are easy to take. If that were true they would all be great. Get to know your camera's capabilities, then experiment like a mad person. It's not like you need to take the film in for developing. Fill the cards then refill them until you get what you want. You will learn quickly what appeals to you and what doesn't. One other thing-if you can take anything out of a picture (including shadows) and not lose important content, take it out. You will be pleased with the result and I think Gordon is correct, they are worth it. Dave
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my youngest son is into photography big time,wants to do it for living after he gets out of the Navy.
the wife and i bought him a $900 camera a year ago and the pics that kid can take are unbelievable.
he knows exactly how to work the camera and about lighting and all that other photo stuff.
me i have a $150 point and shoot and if i can identify the subject i am happy ;D
when he gets done serving i am going to have him take all my bow pics for me.
he put his high buck photo edit program on my laptop and i dont have a clue how to use it lol.
i have figured out that the macro feature on my camera is great for close up shots and the anti shake feature is a good friend of mine too.
peace,
tim
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Good for your son Tim! Put the guy to work while you make him bows ;) Dave
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The only thing I would quibble with is Gordon's assertion that good photographs are easy to take. If that were true they would all be great.
David, I've looked at some of your work and you and I are in competely different universes when it comes to photograhy. "Good" to me means a good enough photo for the folks on this site (and others like it) to appreciate the craftsmanship, skill and artistry that is manifested in something we create by hand. What you do goes way beyond that :P