Tracy invited me to participate in the contest and share some of what I've learned about knife photography. IMHO, contests are the best way to learn. Like making knives, putting your work out there for others to judge lets you know where you are relative to where you want to be.
I submitted 27 times on another knife photography forum before I finally won. Along the way I got my feelings hurt, I got pissed off and it really irritated me that pros were submitting in the same contests as rank beginners like me back in 2002. I had to go through all of that and more before I finally got humble and learned to listen. What I found out is that every piece of feedback, every criticism and every random comment - even if it came from someone who knew nothing about photography or shooting knives - contained something important I needed to understand, something that would help me make better knife images.
It's easy to buy great gear and develop the skills necessary to use that gear. It just takes money and practice. But skills and gear alone won't make images that actually move people and stir their emotions. Capturing the passion behind the knife is where it's at. Learn to do that and your knife images will sell knives. If your goals are less ambitious and you just want to learn how to document your work, that's fine but you might want to consider paying a pro if you want to see your knives in magazines, books and choice on-line locations. The hard truth is that a bad knife image is worse for your business than no knife image at all.
I have also learned the importance of acknowledging my mentors, encouragers and worthy competitors - pro knife photographers who have become my friends over the years; Terrill Hoffman, Eric Eggly, Jim Cooper and Chuck Ward. Much respect and thanks from me.
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My entry for this first week is a simple but strong image. Nothing fancy - no insets or detail views. It has the features I consider essential:
- a pleasing arrangement on an interesting background that doesn't distract from the knife
- optimal angle and perspective that captures the lines and 'flow' of a powerful and beautiful design, showing all the important features
- even lighting with no detail lost to shadows or over-exposed areas
- clear grind lines, bevel, clip, plunge cut etc.
- maker's mark easily seen
- good handle detail
- correct color with no color cast on the blade (when the blade picks up and reflects color from surrounding areas)
- knife 'pops' (meaning the main subject separates from the background giving depth to the image and drawing the viewer's attention to the knife)
I used two lights that I can easily move for best effect, white board reflectors to bounce light into areas that would otherwise have too much shadow and a tripod so I can shoot multiple exposures without movement and then blend those exposures to balance the different areas of the image along the light-dark spectrum. Editing is done in Photoshop.