Photography Tutorial

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Andy

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Hi Forum people!
I haven't posted in a long time. But I still swing by now and then to see what's going on. I have been wanting to make this tutorial for a couple years now. I finally found some free time to create it. I know a lot of folks without a photography background struggle getting good photos of their work. Hence this tutorial. It utilizes a technique called light painting and it's pretty easy and inexpensive to do as opposed to all the light tent contraptions we usually end up with. Keep in mind that I'm really not a fluent teacher like Sam, but I struggled through this making it as clean as I could. Let me know what you think.



[video=youtube;-uT6tmYqFcQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uT6tmYqFcQ&list=FL6bwu7louzwZK-rodfYh-yQ&index=1[/video]
 
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Sam

Sam

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Andy, that is absolutely BRILLIANT!! What a fantastic tutorial and refreshing and innovative way to photography for engravers and knifemakers. I can't wait to try this. Your photos are beautiful, dramatic, and among the best I've seen. Bravo!!
 
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fred carter

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Andy - well done - much easier than my method and I thought mine was about as simple as it could get. Thank goodness for Photoshop! Fred
 
DakotaDocMartin

DakotaDocMartin

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That's the method they use for the images in the Track of the Wolf catalog. They started doing that years ago using photo flood bulbs with a diffuser... and, old fashioned film cameras. :)
 
Artemiss

Artemiss

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Andy, absolutely, fantastic, jaw dropping tutorial! :eek:

Thank you so very much for taking the time to produce it.

One thing that constantly frustrates me is taking photos of my work. This has just become my favourite 'movie'! ;) Can't wait to try it out.

Thanks again, Jo :thumbsup:
 
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fred carter

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Andy – I am patiently waiting for you to unleash your great talents on the knife and engraving world. I once mentioned your name to Dave Darom, when he was beginning his first knife book, his reply was he had not yet heard or seen your work – my response was - “YOU WILL” – I hope to soon see the day! Fred
 
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Lee

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Outstanding Andy, this is an area that I know too little about. Now I need to learn what manual mode is on my camera as well as F stops, exposure time not to mention photoshop. Back to school.

For those of you unfamiliar with Andy's work it is stunning. His engraving designs are wonderfully artistic and elegant.
 
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Andy

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Hi Fred. You are always too kind. Things were starting to pick up a few years back but then I started engraving for Brannen Bros. Flute Co. The work is steady and far more lucrative than knives ever were. I am hoping to possibly retire from my nine to five job in the near future and then go back to knives. Life is short though. I'm happy with the choices I've made. Design has always been a stumbling block for me. I spend way more time trying to come up with a decent design than I do cutting. And I'm paranoid that some day everyone is going to find out that I have no idea what I 'm doing..... Hahahaha :shock:
 
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RDP

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Outstanding Andy, this is an area that I know too little about. Now I need to learn what manual mode is on my camera as well as F stops, exposure time not to mention photoshop. Back to school.
Click to expand...
I am with Lee on this one but certainly worth a try, thank you Andy, at the moment my photos are as bad as my work, :eek:, but will keep this for future reference, :thinking: thanks for sharing,

Richard.
 
Sam

Sam

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al_mar_knife-sm.jpg

Andy: Last night I gave a quickie attempt at your photography technique and am really pleased with the results. I laid a leather sandbag on my turntable, grabbed a knife and some tools and didn't pay much attention to composition. I got the iPad app and used that, along with a keychain LED that I have. I need to do some experimentation with white balance because the iPad and LED were two different temperatures, and despite my attempts to eyeball them I never got the same color on both. I was able to fix the white balance in the raw file in photoshop, but that was one extra step.

So I'm really impressed with this! The only downside I can see is that you have to shoot at night or in a dark room during the day, and of course the necessary editing in Photoshop, but I love that part :)
 
dlilazteca

dlilazteca

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Sam

Looks good!

I talked to a photographer friend of mine says he might have an app that has similar controls as a camera we're going to try it on the phone to see we can replicate something similar I'll keep you guys posted.

Carlos De La O III
 
A

Aventuraal

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There is an old product photography trick that may be of help here. You place a light in front of the camera lens, then walk around the subject; wherever you see the "lens light" reflected, you put your light, and the highlight you saw will be placed there in your photograph. "Angle of incidence = Angle of reflectance".
 
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zmankay

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Andy, at 67 it takes more and more each day to impress me, perhaps age has diluted my senses. :) But I just wanted to say that I admire your talent very much. As a proud owner of a folder that you made I see that that your talent extends beyond knife making, into engraving and now photography. I would have to consider you a true renaissance man. That probably sounds much better than "a Jack of all trades." :)
Thank you for the video and the introduction to Harold Ross. His work is truly stunning.
 
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