This
is my basic indoor set up for shooting knives. My "magic" box
which bounces and softens the light produced by my
White Lightning Ultra 600 strobe light. To further
soften the light I use a 20 inch reflector covered
with a diffusing material. The box allows me access
to my knives and props. The back of the box is curved
and can be used in a number of positions. The camera
I have been using since being a moderator with CKD
is a Canon G1. Talk about instant gratification,
go digital. Shoot 10 or 12 shots, go to your computer
download the pictures and away you go. If they don't
meet with your approval delete them and start again.
If you have Photoshop or some other graphics program
you can do some interesting things. You can't make
a great picture out of a dud so always try to get
your best exposures, sharp focus, and as little glare
as possible. Shooting indoors gives you the greatest
control of all, but shooting outdoors can be done
especially under overcast conditions. A sunny day
can be very tough on knife photographers. The following
pictures and text should illustrate the above.
The box that
you see is one of two or three that I've tried. It
is constructed of foam- core 1\4 inch thick which
can be obtained at an art supply store and white
Formica that I got at Home Depot. The reason I liked
the Formica is it allowed me to bend the back. The
whole reason for the box is to soften light as it
bounces around the inside of the box. This particular
box can be used on any side and the curved back allows
placement of knives at the angle that you prefer.
You can also set it on the curved back and shoot
down at a slight angle. You only need white duct
tape to put it together and either material can be
used. I used both because I had some of each. You
don't need the curve in the back, but I like it.
This a side
view of the box. You can see different types of tape
because Formica is slippery and I tried gaffer's
tape (black) packing tape from moving, but white
duct tape is the best. Try to make the seams light
tight so you don't get unwanted light leak or flare.
This
picture shows a 20" reflector with a white diffuser
that is a shiny material. The light source is a White
Lightning Ultra 600 strobe-light at 400WS Don't ask
what that means because its too technical. By the
way I didn't buy this equipment for this tutorial
I did portraits and head shots in my previous incarnation.
You can have the light at any height or in any
position that you like. You can also see in the box a knife and sheath as an
illustration. To the right is a camera mounted on a tripod. That's not my Canon
G1 , but a Canon EOS1N, a film camera. Like the light you can move your camera
at will as long as you can find your subject.
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