WriteON
Member
I'd like to get quality shots just for the fun of good close up table top photography. Is it macro or micro. Suggest a decent camera (whatever you like) and lens. Thanks, Frank
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- Thread starter WriteON
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its_virgil
Member
With my cell phone
Hippie3180
Member
I take all of mine with a cell phone as well, key is good lighting.
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WriteON
Member
I can use my IPhone 14 … just looking to experiment/play around. I do have a photo tent. Interesting that the iPhone Pro models have a macro setting.
Woodchipper
Member
Macro is only for reeeaaal close; think of bugs and worms. Experiment with different settings or Auto setting which will do all the work for you. A photo tent will be good. Main thing is to position the pens so there is no glare off the finish or components.
My current profile photo notwithstanding... Nearly all of my "good" photos are taken on a black tablecloth that was purchased to be a photo background. We (mostly my wife) set the table cloth up on a kitchen chair where there is great ambient light and use a pen stand to take photos that way. All our photos are taken with one of our cell phones. She has an iPhone that's less than 2-3 years old (newest model when she got it) and I have a Samsung S22. We have a really nice DSLR but have not found the need to use that for the pens yet.
The biggest trick is learning where in the house to take the photos. I have seriously bright lighting in the shop and it washes things out for photos.
The biggest trick is learning where in the house to take the photos. I have seriously bright lighting in the shop and it washes things out for photos.
its_virgil
Member
I'm not a fan of busy backgrounds or props that moves one's focus from the pen to backgrounds or props.
Photoroom is a good photo editor. Check it out.
Do a good turn daily!
Don
Photoroom is a good photo editor. Check it out.
Do a good turn daily!
Don
RunnerVince
Member
Someone who has posted really good photos: Would you mind sharing a photo of your lighting setup as well?
WriteON
Member
How do you store photos/videos? The iPhone has a lot of storage but it keeps filling up.
Mojave Green
Member
Exactly. Don't use a macro for pens. Here is a deer fly I smacked after it bit me and took a pic. You can see the color dots in the background of the book it was on. I've found that natural light is the best for pics in my opinion. I prefer using a light background. I try to always use a tripod. But in the end, it comes down to experimenting with your equipment and seeing what you like the results of best. I took photography class through Udemy for like 20 bucks and it really helped me with my photography which I brought over to my pens.
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Woodchipper
Member
Love to experiment with photography and pen turning. Nice about digital, one never runs out of film.
Mojave Green
Member
I love that aspect of digital media. I remember how with 35mm you had to be so selective of your shots. Now I go to a rugby match and shoot like 500 images and delete half. Now its just shoot all you like it wont run out. I wish ammo was the sme way.
its_virgil
Member
Google Photos. Auto upload as I take pictures. There may be other similar services.
Woodchipper
Member
I download mine to separate files on my laptop. However, dated files are a hodge-podge of photos, mixed subjects. Now that baseball is almost over, evenings will be devoted to sorting photos, marking family photos (hundreds!) and catching up on my woodworking in the shop. All is dependent on what SWMBO comes up with on her list.
WriteON
Member
For now I upgraded the iCloud storage.
WriteON
Member
Products Photography Apps..... any recommendations?
WriteON
Member
Product app.... Snapseed for now....
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WriteON
Member
WriteON
Member
Thanks. I appreciate that.
GFHWoodWerks
Member
Looks clean to me.
Woodchipper
Member
I believe I have posted this before. The setup was originally photographing trout flies. Quite simple: clamp on lights from Harbor Freight, curly
Q bulbs and diffusers made by the wife from scrap material. The diffusers cut the glare. The lights clamp on the cabinet frame or doors which can then be positioned for the best lighting.
Q bulbs and diffusers made by the wife from scrap material. The diffusers cut the glare. The lights clamp on the cabinet frame or doors which can then be positioned for the best lighting.
Todd in PA
Member
I don't try to eliminate reflections in my photos (is that even possible?), but control them.
When I photograph my pens, I try to show off the finish using a reflection, while taking care not to obscure the material. I don't use a light tent or take any white background product photos.
randyrls
Member
Todd; That is a great photo. Crisp, clear, no blur.
randyrls
Member
To join the thread; I have an OLD light tent that folds and has 2 lights (Photo Studio - in a box). I have several different color cloths to act as a background, and a plywood scrap with a nail sticking up thru. For ball points and roller balls remove the ink and insert the nail into the nib.
Your modern cell phone will take great photos if put in manual mode for focus and exposure. I have a wireless remote for my cell phone and a mount to hold the phone on a tripod.
Your modern cell phone will take great photos if put in manual mode for focus and exposure. I have a wireless remote for my cell phone and a mount to hold the phone on a tripod.
WriteON
Member
bliorg
Member
I don't totally agree. Haven't gotten deep in the weeds with pen/woodworking photography yet, but spent a long time doing freelance photography. While macro/micro definitely includes very high reproduction ratios, I've shot some of my best portraiture using a 105 macro lens (on 35mm and/or cropped digital). Macro lenses generally are optimized for flat field reproduction; they also usually include built-in extension to get to higher magnification/closer focus. Does NOT mean you HAVE to use that extension or higher magnification. My macro is one of my most highly optimized lenses.
Woodchipper
Member
bliorg, I know of one fellow who photographs trout flies with a zoom lens, set away from the object. Many ways to do it.
I'll start another thread on my setup...as I've had some other people ask about it. I've been on a journey for a while, to find a way to do better pen photography. Its taken a while for me to find an approach I like, and I'm sure I'll find something wrong with it and tweak it again in the near future.
In any case, I've watched a lot of product photography videos over the last year. Personally, I was quite attracted to setups that used natural light, at least to some degree, but usually as the primary off-scene ambient light source. Some people, including myself, will then use other lights to fill in on the darker side of the item, or offer backlighting for backgrounds, etc. You can get more fancy, and take greater control over light, by using reflecting panels, small fill lights, etc. if you really want to maximize your lighting potential.
To start, a window that is NOT directly lit by the sun can be a great, large scale light source with roughly neutral lighting (it can vary, but often it will be around 4700-5500K). This light will provide a nice wash over your pen, offer diffuse and soft shadows, and is usually bright enough that you don't need any other lights. If you find that shadows are a problem, then you can do what I do, which is use one (or more) large diffuse box lights to add fill light (and you can find lights with adjustable color temp to control what kind of fill color you have...cool vs. warm, etc.)
Then just a table or something, to set your pen on, and adjust so it captures the light you have well. I'll share a thread with more details of my setup, which I've been using for most of the year now for product photography. I've added things such as backdrop setups, recently added some reclaimed deck wood from my old deck as a more rustic "tabletop" which I think better suits my style right now, and I've got a number of different reflectors in play now to add and control light when I feel I'm getting wonky shadows in bad places, or when I need to control a highlight line, etc.
For the most part, with a natural primary light, you could buy say one diffuse box light, and maybe one small portable light. I thinkj I spent about $50 or so on my box light, and I just picked up this small portable RGB LED light for $20. I'll share more details in my thread. In any case, you don't have to start expensive.
Regarding camera...I've been a photographer since around 2008, and I primarily use Canon and Sony cameras. I mostly use a Canon EOS R5 today, which is a more expensive camera than is necessary for this kind of photography. If you can afford one, it does a phenomenal job, but its not "necessary." I'm partial to the Canon DSLR-style bodies, even for mirrorless cameras, I just like how the grip works, but a lot of pen photography will be done on a tripod. Any entry level Canon EOS or Sony or Nikon camera will take phenomenal quality photos. The rest is up to you, to put together a scene that is well lit, shows off the pen, and optionally puts the pen in an interesting environment.
Oh, FWIW, I primarily use a Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro lens. I occasionally will use another lens, most often a 50mm, but primarily I use the 100mm macro lens. It is NOT because its macro, or that I do actual macro shots much. I occasionally do, but most of the time, its just because this particular lens is just PHENOMENAL. It produces some of the best quality photos I've ever seen. I have over half a dozen lenses, and only one other, my 600mm f/4 for birds and wildlife, produces the same quality. If you get a Canon camera, IMO this lens is second to none for small item photography. It also does wonderful for even smaller items, for actual macro shots (phenomenal), etc. The other staple lens is the 50mm, which produces a fairly "natural" human-like perspective...from field of view and all that. Another option might be a 24-70, but there are a few more compromises with a zoom lens and IQ won't be quite as nice as with the fixed focal length macro or "nifty fifty".
Here are some shots with the Canon EOS R5 + EF 100mm f/2.8 IS Macro lens:
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egnald
Member
I simply lay my pens on some nice cotton material (t-shirt rags) and use my old iPhone 8 to snap the pictures. Fortunately I have a couple of 4 foot tube lights right above my computer / reloading desk that provide a nice, single reflection line. Of course I don't sell pens, so my pictures are more for recordkeeping and showing them in the IAP forums. I use an old version of Adobe Photoshop Elements to crop and resize, but that's about all.
Dave
Dave
bliorg
Member
Exactly my point - macro is not "only for reeeaaal close". Bunch of ways to skin that one.
Sylvanite
Member
For pen photography, whether or not a lens is labeled "macro" is largely irrelevant.
Some macro lenses have excellent image quality and work well for small product photos, but so do many non-macro lenses. Neither is necessarily better than the other.
Some macro lenses have excellent image quality and work well for small product photos, but so do many non-macro lenses. Neither is necessarily better than the other.