Wally Walrus Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Hello everyone. It's been a while. I changed my user name because it was confusing to have a Guitar Slinger and a guitarslinger in the same forum. So... I know that some people here have got amazing photographic skills. A while ago there was that Gibson Calendar contest where you could see a lot of great guitar pictures. I remermer that Guitar Junkie always had some breathtaking pictures of guitars and amps. On the other day I was trying to capture the 3D nuances of a Les Paul Traditional's maple top and accidentaly I got it made. But since I'm not able to tell why and how those shots were so amazing I can't apply the principles to other situations. I wonder if there are some hints, tips and techniques to improve the quality of our guitar porn. I gave Google a chance and it just seems worthless. Maybe there are no tips, but I had to ask anyway. And, of course, depending on how this thread could develop, we could even stick it. And that would be all. Regards from Brazil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riverside Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 I'd like to know, for sure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitargreg1993 Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 photography is one of my passions, i want to be a professional photographer when i grow up... so i have a few good tips that ive picked up from just photography in general.... 1. look for contrast between the guitar and the background.... maybe a solid cloth background or a black leather couch?? also if its a good day outside and the grass is nice and green, the grass will make a good backdrop and usually natural sunlight is very good at creating a natural light source that makes the color of the photo very close to the actual guitar.... it doesn't "color" it like flourescent or some light bulbs do... 2. always, ALWAYS turn the flash off. that circle of bright light just looks absoulely TERRIBLE on the guitar. try to get good natural lighting. 3. always use a tripod if you have one. then if the lighting sucks you can take a longer exposure without it being blurry. 4. look for unique angles that nobody would normally think of or that show off the curves, finish, etc. of the guitar. *in addition, it always helps to have a high quality camera and lens... ive got a Nikon D60 (which is a D-SLR) that takes very good photos. :) well, thats all i got... hope you can learn something from that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Take them to Tim's house? Just sayin' :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigh Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 The secret is in the lighting. I wish I was able to do better also. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverbursted Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 photography is one of my passions' date=' i want to be a professional photographer when i grow up... so i have a few good tips that ive picked up from just photography in general.... 1. look for contrast between the guitar and the background.... maybe a solid cloth background or a black leather couch?? also if its a good day outside and the grass is nice and green, the grass will make a good backdrop and usually natural sunlight is very good at creating a natural light source that makes the color of the photo very close to the actual guitar.... it doesn't "color" it like flourescent or some light bulbs do... 2. always, ALWAYS turn the flash off. that circle of bright light just looks absoulely TERRIBLE on the guitar. try to get good natural lighting. 3. always use a tripod if you have one. then if the lighting sucks you can take a longer exposure without it being blurry. 4. look for unique angles that nobody would normally think of or that show off the curves, finish, etc. of the guitar. *in addition, it always helps to have a high quality camera and lens... ive got a Nikon D60 (which is a D-SLR) that takes very good photos. :) well, thats all i got... hope you can learn something from that [/quote'] All of this is a great start. Certainly be creative, play with some post processing as well. Sometimes a picture that just looks ok in true color can be amazing if you play with the white balance and colors. Here is example of an R7 that I played around with. I thought that the random leaves would give it a "Sleepy Hollow" kind of look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solacematt Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 I can never shoot a picture properly because my nerves are shot to hell. AXE® however told me how he makes his fiddle pictures look so great; effects in photobucket. Now my pics actually looks kinda cool. Thanks AXE®! :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ledzep59 Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 I think it is really dependent on the camera. Cheap camera=cheap looking pictures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverbursted Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 I think it is really dependent on the camera. Cheap camera=cheap looking pictures Not necessarily a true statement. I recently saw some photos on Flikr that would blow your mind that they were shot on a cheap Russian Lomo camera. These were initially marketed as toys. The amazing thing is, I had to spend a bucket load more money on my Nikon D300 and another couple hundred on lenses and post-processing to get what these toys do naturally. I'm seriously looking at picking one of these up, if I can find one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AXE® Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Cheap camera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverbursted Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 See what I mean? Nice pics AXE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeVeeWee Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 I'd love to see some more arty farty pics from you guys. Creativity is there I'm sure, but to be honest, everyone can put a LP on a stand and shoot a picture.(I'm guilty myself). Can't we give our pics a more personal touch?:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flight959 Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 Take the Guitar outside... Dont take photos in bright sunshine, Cloudy or overcast days are best.. And no Flash... Have fun... Regards.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirstMeasure Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 Tri-Pod, That's my two cents. There's a couple Arty Farties thrown in there, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeVeeWee Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 Tri-Pod' date=' That's my two cents. There's a couple Arty Farties thrown in there, too. I like these a lot FirstMeasure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirstMeasure Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 Thanks DeVeeWee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 Aside from what's been said already, I always shoot in continuious mode. Take a bunch of pictures, some of them are bound to be great. I also use the flash a lot. The key is to take pictures at angles where the light from the flash isn't captured in the picture. Also, use overhead & natural lighting. Overhead lighting. Flash Take them to Tim's house? Just sayin' He may not get them back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 mmmmm an artsy fartsy thread I love it and some real good advise,,Thanks guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wally Walrus Posted October 22, 2009 Author Share Posted October 22, 2009 Well, I'm getting the feeling that we are going to build some knowledge in this thread. Any chances of sticking it? I'm sure that its would be in the best interest of almost everyone here. 1. look for contrast between the guitar and the background.... maybe a solid cloth background or a black leather couch?? also if its a good day outside and the grass is nice and green' date=' the grass will make a good backdrop and usually natural sunlight is very good at creating a natural light source that makes the color of the photo very close to the actual guitar[/quote'] Definitely! Some of the most amazing guitar pictures I have seen was guitar Junkie's outdoor pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twiz Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 Use natural light as often as you can, but avoid direct sunlight if possible. -Direct sun can wash out colors, and cause harsh shadows. Don't get me wrong, I've had some photographs taken in direct sunlight turn out, but most of the time, I'm not pleased with the results. If you photograph outside, wait for an overcast day. If you want to photograph indoors, try using window light (that's all I used for the image below). I'd recommend using a tripod also, because using this kind of light can require a slower shutter speed. Keep in mind, that these are just suggestions; there really aren't rules. Don't be afraid to experiment. The number one thing to keep in mind is make sure your guitar is secure. -There is NOTHING worse than looking through your viewfinder, and seeing your baby fall and hit the ground because it was delicately leaning against a tree or an amplifier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 I don't care for the composition of this one because of the picture frame poking into the frame and the duplex receptacle with cover plate askew looks.. I dunno cluttered. If the axe had been scooted to the right and hid the cover plate, and at once removing the picture frame from the picture it would have been better. Also, a face on, up in the stand pose looks like the Thanksgiving-get-to-gether-lets's-get-pictures-of-all-the-adult-siblings, communal mug shot. Pleghhhh. Also, since this is a monochrome guit tar, maybe a monochrome background that approxmates either the silver or the black so that it almost blends in to highlight the opposite color. Or.. a primary color background. Apartment white does nothing for me. It's too ubiquitous, too ordinary. Surely you have a blanket or bedspread which could be employed to drape the background. Especially if the drape extends down the wall, then onto the floor under the stand with out a sharp corner at the base board. It kind of has the effect of floating the guitar in space. Turn the stand a bit to get a 1/4 profile. Your close-ups of this guit tar are spot on. monochrome background with some texture, except, what is that in the far background? An I-Pod? A Hershey bar? Details, details. Have someone raise the corner of this bedspread / towel so we don't see the back wall or your afternoon snack. This one however has some interesting color contrasts and textures. The rough weathered barn boards, the soft green grass.. I can almost smell it and smooth contoured lines of the LP body. Too, the sun light at the bottom adds to the linearity of the LP Neck and the ship lap barn siding. Not sure if the sun light was planned but sometimes good things happen when you take a picture. Also, a technique used by pros is to bracket the shutter speed and aperture opening. Take it the way you 'think' the camera should be set, then open the aperture one stop, then go one stop the other direction from what you 'think' is best. Then do the same with shutter speeds. Then camera might take a better picture with a different setting than you 'thought' was best. Some aspects of photography are happenstance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solacematt Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 If the axe had been scooted to the right and hid the cover plate' date=' and at once removing the picture frame from the picture it would have been better. Surely you have a blanket or bedspread which could be employed to drape the background. [/quote'] I actually wanted the electrical socket to be in the picture. It's total grit and I like that effect. Drape the background, yea, I'd get funny looks for doing that, haha. Your close-ups of this guitar are spot on. monochrome background with some texture' date=' except, what is that in the far background? An I-Pod? A Hershey bar? Details, details. Have someone raise the corner of this bedspread / towel so we don't see the back wall or your afternoon snack.[img']http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii84/scatteredlight_matt/RD/DSC01163-1.jpg[/img] It's my old desk. You just made me hungry mentioning candy though. I had my guitar sitting inside the case on my bed. Raise the corner of the bedspread, you're making it sound like I'm shooting porn here One of these days I'll probably take more pics of my guitars, but I enjoy playing them and making loud music more than I do taking pictures of them. I have six photographers who take enough pics of fiddles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wally Walrus Posted October 23, 2009 Author Share Posted October 23, 2009 So, does anyone know any book about photographing guitars? And there is the camera. What are the most important features on the camera? There has to be a special camera? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 So' date=' does anyone know any book about photographing guitars? And there is the camera. What are the most important features on the camera? There has to be a special camera? [/quote'] As long as it has a macro setting and you can turn off the flash, you should be able to take reasonably good pictures with any digital under $200.00. Book? Any guit tar mag. When a picture strikes you as, "Boy that sure looks nice." Study it and figure out what it is that caught YOUR attention and try to figure out how the photographer took it. How did he compose it? What did he use for a background. Figure out how you could recreate it. Solacematt took a pic that had a duplex receptacle in the background. I didn't think much of it. He says it planned it that way. It's his picture. He likes it. That's all that matters. He had his reasons and it looked good to him. Good enough for me. Use the macro setting for those hyper close-ups. I've had my best luck selecting the macro setting, on mine it is identifed as a little flower icon. Back up a bit, then zoom in. You need a steady hand for this or a tripod. It sometimes helps if you can shut off the auto focus. Sometimes the camera 'thinks' it knows what you want to focus on. Usually it is wrong. Example, when taking a picture of an acoustic's inside the body label the camera 'thinks' you want to focus on the rosette or strings, not what's behind it. You also need to shut the flash off as the flash will hit the sound board, bounce back, then overload the light sensor and you will be left with big white spot on the sound board and a dark black hole. Try to get some natural light or room lighting on the label, the snap the shot without flash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Okay, here's my take... although I'm more into "action" or "photojournalism" type stuff. A "good" photo is like any "good" art in that much is in the eye of the beholder. Technically a "bounce flash" or equivalent will get rid of most of the nasty glare. Where do you want the light, and where the shadow? Do you want contrast or a flatter pix? What "color" do you want? All lighting has slightly different color from other lighting and, although Photoshop can cover a bit, it can't really put something there that isn't. In terms of guitars, a lot depends on what you want to show . There are varying aspects of depth of field vs. shutter speed, vs... In photography the statement that you get what you pay for is only partly correct. Put it this way, for every technical advantage you can get, there is a cost of technical disadvantage in some other aspect of your shot. It's kinda like pickin'. Try different stuff, read a bit, and try to do what you thing others are doing so you can add that particular "trick" to your photographic vocabulary. In the digital age, a decent bit of photo software is reeeeally nice to have to mess with pix a bit - and I don't mean cut and paste, just the same sorta stuff you could do in a "wet" darkroom. Unfortunately I'm in photography as I am as a picker: I worked hard to develop skill, ain't got any real talent. The most important thing to have in a camera? Something that records an image. A good photographer can do something regardless. A $25,000 rig is no better than a $100 rig in the hands of a snapshooter and a $100 camera will inevitably result in a pro shot by a pro shooter. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.