Red Bud Vase .......Pic

**Dario** · 12-15-2004, 04:22 PM

Dave T and Tom M (to name a few) can probably help you with the pic issue. I can't get decent pics of my turnings myself and can use the tips too!

Dario :)
[h4][font color = "blue"] Innovate or Stagnate[/font]
[font color = "red"]"I count my blessings more than my misfortunes"[/font][/h4]

**dubdrvrkev** · 12-15-2004, 05:03 PM

Very nice bud vase.

As far as the pics go, with out filtered light is gets to be a pain. Sometimes you can add alot of light then under expose the image or use low indirect light and keep the shutter open extra (need tripod for that one). If you dont have a polarized lens you can usually add a polarizer that screws on the end of the lens.

BTW I blame all of you guys for getting me caught up in this nasty vortex. After santa makes his stop here I will be asking many newbie questions and posting pics of the destruction I have caused.

**Cody Colston** · 12-15-2004, 07:56 PM

OK Dick,

I replied to your train-wreck post before I saw the pic of the vase. That is certainly beautiful. You've really got a knack for making lemonade when you get a lemon. ;)

Glad you could find something wonderful in that chunk.

Edit In: That Bealle System finish looks great, too.

Cody

[ol]
An amateur built the Ark
PROFESSIONALS built the Titanic[/ol]

**Jim Boyd** · 12-19-2004, 02:20 AM

I was wondering what redbud looked like. I like your vase but you got some spots on it :)

**WoodMangler** · 12-19-2004, 11:45 AM

That looks great Dick!

Beautiful shape and color and finish!

The pic looks fine to me... I'm just happy I bought this Ebay el-cheapo monitor so I can see anything at all!

**RustyBrooks** · 12-19-2004, 08:13 PM

I'll give the same advice to you regarding taking pictures that I give everyone, and then I'll give a little advice about shiny surfaces in particular.

First, when possible, taking pictures without a flash is the ideal. Direct on camera flash is the worst kind of lighting, bar none. It bounces the light directly back into the camera, putting a glare right in the middle of the picture.

How to solve it? Well, there are various off-camera flash options but for most people this probably isn't an option unless your camera has a PC-cable (PC here does not mean personal computer, I don't know what it stands for) or a flash shoe. Shooting in natural light is a good way to get good pictures. Again you want to avoid light that is harsh so shooting at noon in direct sunlight is not advised. Shooting directly inside your garage might be good. You can use white posterboard or sort of a special silver reflector placed outside the garage to reflect light into the garage and onto the object. This sounds silly but actually works amazingly well.

You also want the light to be relatively diffuse. That is, there is a difference between "hard" light, which comes from a single point source, that makes a hard-edged shadow and has hard-edged lines between lit and unlit sections of the item, and "soft" light, which is diffuse, has fuzzy shadows, and fuzzy light transitions. This is another reason on-camera flashes suck, the light is VERY hard.

Taking a picture inside is a good option. What you want ideally is a north-facing window. You place the object so that the window is on one side of it. This picture was taken this way, as an example:
http://www.rustybrooks.com/Photos/DB...ausage1&id=217
Nothing at all but light from a north window at morning time, maybe 10am. Not the best example but it's what I had on hand.

I used to do a LOT more photography than I do now. Haven't had regular access to a darkroom in a while and haven't really gone digital. I do photography like I do WW; big. The camera I use has a 8"x10" negative (compared to 35mm which is 1" x 1.5"). Anyway, I used to shoot a lot of art shots for people. By which I mean, people needed to have slides to show in their portfolio, pictures of their work. So I took a lot of pics of sculptures, paintings, etc.

Now, getting light from the side, particularly soft light, is going to treat your shiny surfaces better. Depending on placement of the light source relative to the camera, you can get anything from a high gloss look to almost a matte look. The key here involves a little math. Light reflects at a 90 degree angle to the surface it hits. For a round object like yours, this means it shoots outward from the center of the object, along the radius. For maximum glossiness, then, draw a line between the light source and the object. Then figure out the direction the light will reflect. If it lands near the camera, the surface will look glossy. If most of the direct light is reflected away from the camera it will look more matte. In the case of a round object like yours, the light is going to bounce back mostly in the direction in comes from. So for more gloss, you want the light behind you (the camera). For no gloss, you want it directly to the side of the object. For medium gloss, behind you but to your right or left. If you're using a window for light, obviously you can't move the light. But you can move the camera and the object. I could probably sketch up some diagrams if anyone is interested.

It's less complicated than it sounds. There is a book on this that was really, ahem, illuminating for me. It's called "Light: Science and Magic" and it will improve your "still life" photography immensely (technically speaking that's what we're talking about here). More than anything else I learned how to light metal and glass from this book.

Sonny Edmonds · 12-19-2004, 09:29 PM

Nice looking vazze, Dick.
Really pleasing to the eye.

Try and not "shoot" your pictures. Look through the viewer, or at the screen, and move around your subject finding what you are seeking.
Like Rusty sez, the flash can do ca-ca to the shot. But sometimes it can have good effects too.
I take pictures from different angles and lighting, then sort them on the computer. Sometimes trying the automatic adjustment thingys in my photo program to see if it makes the picture better or not.
Often, it's or not. So I just use them as taken.
Mostly, you need to play with it and experiment to see what you like with your photos. Sometimes a glancing picture appears better than a head-on.

Anyway, nice vazze! ;)

Oh, and about color changes. Seems to happen a lot, doesn't it? But when you think about it, stuff like sea shells tend to loose something as they dry, too. :P

:D

[link:www.sonnyedmonds.com | Sonny Edmonds] http://home.earthlink.net/~sonnypie/vortex_smiley.gif
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**DaveZ** · 12-21-2004, 06:32 AM

Nice shape!

DickLaxt 2 · 06-02-2010, 09:15 AM

Cody the Red Bud loses color as it dries,started out as rusty red. That whole big piece was full of fractures. I salvage about 10 smaller pieces similar to this vase 6" tall. I will get small turnuings from it so not a total loss. It really turns well kinda like Mesquite.

Sure am having a lot of trouble with pics loading lately,hang on I'll get the motor scooter }>

Now I'm open as to what to do with my picture taking,this really has a hard glossy finish,who's got the answer?

Dickie
A joker in the deck of life