Getting Better Photos

[Aaron Harris]

Good morning all-I have decided to pull the trigger and retire in a few weeks after 27 years of teaching to pursue my next "career" in wood-turning (or at least to make it a nice side-gig, since I have already made a good deal of money on my work even just turning on weekends and holidays). Anyway, if I am going to do sort of a professional-level re-branding (which a friend is helping me with), I don't think my Samsung Galaxy S10 pics on my back deck are going to cut it anymore, so I mainly need to set up just for photographing my turnings (and maybe the occasional mountain/fishing/landscape photo).

I guess I am asking for advice on getting started with a more semi-pro-level set-up that won't break the bank. I have a very basic knowledge of photography and composition, so I am not looking to get a super-expensive set-up.

1. The camera itself: I really don't think I'm going to need any extra lenses, so something kind of basic (i.e. not that expensive) that ideally has some sort of wi-fi/bluetooth capability where I can upload processed pics to other platforms, Instagram, a possible future website, etc.
2. Lightbox or other staging setup?
3. The light/lights themselves?
4. Various unobtrusive backdrops

Thanks in advance for any advice or helpful links. I see some of your work on here photographed in professional way, and I'd like to step up my game as my work gets more professional too. Aaron

 

[Michael Anderson]

I’ll write a longer response in a bit, but first, what is your camera budget? This is a deep rabbit hole 😀

 

[Alan Weinberg]

lots of photo advice on the WoW site

 

[Aaron Harris]

Michael-As I'm retiring, I'm trying to stay under $500 total here if that is even possible. TIA for your thoughts!

Alan, isn't that the invitation only site? I'm not on it if it is.

 

[Mark Jundanian]

A relative of mine is an advanced amateur photogapher. He gave me one of his old Nikon cameras and a lens or two. I bought a used macro lens for cheap at a camera store, and I use this the most. No bluetooth, etc. I just pop out the memory card and put in the slot on my computer (they make card readers, if your computer doesn't have one). Look around for a camera shop in your area. You can probably pick up something old, but still professional for cheap, and get some advice.

For a background I suggest a gradient grey backdrop. I also think you need a solid tripod.

 

[Mark Jundanian]

isn't that the invitation only site?

I think you have to ask to join, but it's pretty open to new members.

 

[Mark Jundanian]

Oh, and congratulations on your retirement!

 

[Darryl Fective]

What kind of phone are you using? Its built in camera might be good enough. Photography seems to be more about capturing the best angles and lighting than actual camera stuff.

After looking at options, I built a tripod adapter for my phone. It's just a scrap of thin plywood that I cut and glued at a right angle. The phone just rests on it and is held by a rubber band. Simple, but effective.

 

[Aaron Harris]

What kind of phone are you using? Its built in camera might be good enough. Photography seems to be more about capturing the best angles and lighting than actual camera stuff.

After looking at options, I built a tripod adapter for my phone. It's just a scrap of thin plywood that I cut and glued at a right angle. The phone just rests on it and is held by a rubber band. Simple, but effective.

Darryl-It's a Samsung Galaxy S10, about 5 years old. I actually got that exact model for its excellent camera, though it's now way behind the newer models. I might actually go Mark's recommended route. I actually know three serious pro photographers, one of whom, my niece, has been in numerous big magazines and also shoots high-end weddings. I'll probably call her too.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

I have a Cannon EOS T5 and a Tamron 28-200 lens but have discovered for internet use my iPhone 14 has the same resolution 12 meg so it does most of the same capabilities and has good editing software in it. There is a lot of info out there and I wrote a blog on another site:
Lets Talk Photography
Lets Talk Photography 2

One of the links in the Blog is to an article by John Lucas who is a retired pro Photographer.

 

[Aaron Harris]

I have a Cannon EOS T5 and a Tamron 28-200 lens but have discovered for internet use my iPhone 14 has the same resolution 12 meg so it does most of the same capabilities and has good editing software in it. There is a lot of info out there and I wrote a blog on another site:
Lets Talk Photography
Lets Talk Photography 2

One of the links in the Blog is to an article by John Lucas who is a retired pro Photographer.

Thanks, Gerald-This is very useful!

 

[Kurt Manley]

Good lighting, background/set, and composition is far more important than the latest camera. Can you post a current photo of your work so we can see what your skill level with photography is now? And maybe an example of where you'd like to be?

 

[Jaramiah Severns]

Good lighting, background/set, and composition is far more important than the latest camera.

Can’t emphasize this enough.

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

I just bought an adaptor for my I phone that came with a blue tooth remote for about $10.00 on Amazon. I already have 2 tripods that each have the standard male thread that fits the phone holder. The iPhone took the picture for my avatar and other then the glare from my poor lighting the picture is quite good.

 

[Gabriel Hoff]

Michael-As I'm retiring, I'm trying to stay under $500 total here if that is even possible. TIA for your thoughts!

Alan, isn't that the invitation only site? I'm not on it if it

PM me with your email and I will try to invite you in. Once in you can look through the old threads and also ask Jamie Donaldson the photo expert on WoW!

 

[john lucas]

I can help with lighting and backgrounds but I can barely turn a computer on. I can take photos with my phone but always have trouble transferring g from there to anything else.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

I can help with lighting and backgrounds but I can barely turn a computer on. I can take photos with my phone but always have trouble transferring g from there to anything else.

I have found for me Dropbox is the easiest way to transfer from phone to computer or to other persons. Airdrop also works well for other people nearby.

 

[Tom Gall]

I can help with lighting and backgrounds but I can barely turn a computer on. I can take photos with my phone but always have trouble transferring g from there to anything else.

I have the same problem! Smart phone ... dumb operator/owner!
Another problem I have is that all the Photos©️ on my computer show up on my iPhone, but none of the photos I take on the phone show up on my computer. Frustrating!!! I assume it is because my computer is too old (no updates available) but don't really know for sure.

 

[john lucas]

None on my phone show up on my computer. I would have to download them from the phone to the computer. I tried going the other way one time. I wanted to put a folder of my top work in a gallery on my phone to be able to show people. I read online how to do it. I made the folder. Then connected my phone to the computer. It said to drag and drop the folder onto tge phone icon that appeared on the screen. I did that. The folder was gone from my computer but I was never able to find it on my phone.

 

[Bob Sheppard]

I have the same problem! Smart phone ... dumb operator/owner!
Another problem I have is that all the Photos©️ on my computer show up on my iPhone, but none of the photos I take on the phone show up on my computer. Frustrating!!! I assume it is because my computer is too old (no updates available) but don't really know for sure.

Tom-
I email the photos I take on my cell phone to myself. I have an Android phone, and just use the share feature that shows up with the pic on my phone. Maybe your IPhone has a similar feature?

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Guess we gonna have to have a class iPhone photos.I did that email trick for a long time. Besides Dropbox there are a number of other apps that allow transfer of photos.
Amazon Photos
Google Photos all photos in one place on the cloud
Cluster private photo sharing
PhotoCircle private sharing
And several more options.

Tom-
I email the photos I take on my cell phone to myself. I have an Android phone, and just use the share feature that shows up with the pic on my phone. Maybe your IPhone has a similar feature?

 

[Tom Gall]

None on my phone show up on my computer. I would have to download them from the phone to the computer. I tried going the other way one time. I wanted to put a folder of my top work in a gallery on my phone to be able to show people. I read online how to do it. I made the folder. Then connected my phone to the computer. It said to drag and drop the folder onto tge phone icon that appeared on the screen. I did that. The folder was gone from my computer but I was never able to find it on my phone.

I feel your pain & frustration, John.

 

[Tom Gall]

Tom-
I email the photos I take on my cell phone to myself. I have an Android phone, and just use the share feature that shows up with the pic on my phone. Maybe your IPhone has a similar feature?

Bob and @Gerald Lawrence ... this is my first "smart" phone and this ol' dog doesn't like to learn new tricks. I didn't set up email on my phone because I didn't want to deal with all the crap email notifications I would get on my phone. The screen is too small for my old eyes. I do have the AAW Forum app(?) installed but I never/rarely use it.

So, you email the photo to yourself ... then what? Don't you then have to move it to some kind of folder (i.e. "Photos") so you can have a file to link to the "Attach files" button when posting? My phone & desktop are both Apple products ... from all I've read and researched everything should automatically be duplicated from one device to the other. Mine only goes one way when it comes to "Photos" ... probably because my desktop is more than 12 years old.

 

[Aaron Harris]

Good lighting, background/set, and composition is far more important than the latest camera. Can you post a current photo of your work so we can see what your skill level with photography is now? And maybe an example of where you'd like to be?

Kurt-Here are a few of my better outdoor photos with sort of natural backgrounds, I guess. I'm always chasing good light situations in my south-facing backyard. All taken with my Samsung Galaxy S10. Mornings and evenings can be great, especially if I take advantage of the diffuse, dappled light under my tall trees:

Without posting anyone else's gallery pics, I supposed I'm looking for more pro-level, controlled photos with maybe the diffuse gray gradient backdrops, and controlled lighting. I may actually start with a lightbox from Amazon and a tripod that I can affix my phone to, and just start changing variables until I like what I'm seeing: Amazon Lightbox

 

[Ed Weingarden]

So, you email the photo to yourself ... then what? Don't you then have to move it to some kind of folder (i.e. "Photos") so you can have a file to link to the "Attach files" button when posting?

Once the email with the photo is on the computer, you would download the photo. For my Windows based computer, there is a "Download" folder which is the default of where the photo will go. However, you can designate a different folder (e.g., Photos) where you want the photo to go to. You can also create a new Folder to send photos to. All of that is done in the Windows File Explorer.

 

[Darryl Fective]

I can help with lighting and backgrounds but I can barely turn a computer on. I can take photos with my phone but always have trouble transferring g from there to anything else.

I use google. When I take photos with my phone then click on google photos, it does an upload/backup to the cloud. Then I open my computer and click on google photos, and they're all there. Then I can download them to my hardrive, email, or share on social media.

 

[Tom Gall]

Once the email with the photo is on the computer, you would download the photo. For my Windows based computer, there is a "Download" folder which is the default of where the photo will go. However, you can designate a different folder (e.g., Photos) where you want the photo to go to. You can also create a new Folder to send photos to. All of that is done in the Windows File Explorer.

Thanks for the reply, Ed. Just tried a few different ways along the lines you mention - no success. I didn't set up email on my phone (see post #23), so apparently I can't send anything to email on my desktop either. Everything stays on the phone only.

 

[Michael Anderson]

From those photos, it looks like your phone camera is producing fairly fine detail, at least for most purposes. Like some other folks mentioned, I'd focus on your backdrop and lighting setup. Here is a related thread that I started about a year ago (how time flies!):

Photography gradient background

Hi everyone, Following the Louisville symposium, I haven’t done a ton of actual turning; however, I have spent a lot of time cleaning, reorganizing, and planning. Planning for ways to get more serious about the craft. One of these ways is to improve my photography setup. I think it was Emiliano...

www.aawforum.org

There is a lot of good, detailed information in the thread above. I think I spent around $110 for the backdrop, stand, and lights (including the tripods and accessories). I've since modified my setup just a bit from what I've posted there. It's not quite where I want it to be, but I'm learning and getting close. I already had a nice camera (Sony A7-II) as a hangover when I took a lot of nature/wildlife in my photos pre-turning life. But, you don't necessarily need an expensive camera or in-depth photo knowledge. Take a look at @pat miller album. I believe he uses his phone, and his photos are great (and he sells his pieces quickly!).

Now, if you also want to use your camera for landscape/fish photos, then you will likely see a huge benefit in getting a better camera than your phone and/or a point-and-click. There are SO many older pro-level DSLR's on the market that you can get for pennies on the dollar. Prior to my Sony (a mirrorless), I had a Canon 50D. Excellent camera, and you can get it for around $50. If you want to spend a bit more, you can find even better ones. The camera market is kind of like the car market--as soon as the next new thing comes out, the "old" products depreciate like crazy. Lenses are what tend to hold their value more; however, you can find old glass for relatively cheap. Every single one of my lenses is much older than I am, and they're all pretty good quality. That said, going this route does take a bit of doing your homework and learning about the finer points of photography. That is the rabbithole I was talking about.

 

[Emiliano Achaval]

Kurt-Here are a few of my better outdoor photos with sort of natural backgrounds, I guess. I'm always chasing good light situations in my south-facing backyard. All taken with my Samsung Galaxy S10. Mornings and evenings can be great, especially if I take advantage of the diffuse, dappled light under my tall trees:
View attachment 63149View attachment 63150View attachment 63151
Without posting anyone else's gallery pics, I supposed I'm looking for more pro-level, controlled photos with maybe the diffuse gray gradient backdrops, and controlled lighting. I may actually start with a lightbox from Amazon and a tripod that I can affix my phone to, and just start changing variables until I like what I'm seeing: Amazon Lightbox

I would not personally choose any of these pictures for the TOTW honors. The AAW shows the TOTW, good or better pictures than these are a must on social media and their website. A gradient background is a must if you want to be a pro-turner. Alan Zenreich is my go-to guy for photography. Like John Lucas, he was a professional photographer. There are lots of courses out there. I edit all my pictures with Lightroom Classic. I use a Nikon D850 with different lenses. $500 budget, you will have to do some research on that; used, as suggested by @Michael Anderson, might be the way to go.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

@Tom Gall If you choose to email yourself I do not have a MAC but I think it would work similar to the iPhone.
Open the email from iPhone on the MAC
Touch the picture or right click on it and you will see options
One option on iPhone is save to pictures. Another option may be to download in which the pic will go to a file called Downloads.

 

[Phil Hamel]

I have an iphone and a windows laptop. I can sign into my icloud page on my laptop and almost instantly see the photos that are on my phone. If you view the pic you have the option to download it right to the laptop. I just did it to verify.

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

I would not personally choose any of these pictures for the TOTW honors. The AAW shows the TOTW, good or better pictures than these are a must on social media and their website. A gradient background is a must if you want to be a pro-turner. Alan Zenreich is my go-to guy for photography. Like John Lucas, he was a professional photographer. There are lots of courses out there. I edit all my pictures with Lightroom Classic. I use a Nikon D850 with different lenses. $500 budget, you will have to do some research on that; used, as suggested by @Michael Anderson, might be the way to go.

I have to agree with this point. The turning looks out of place on the deck railing or in amongst some flowers especially with a hand holding it. The seamless background is best from my point of view .

 

[Gabriel Hoff]

I don't use a gradient background but just a white one which highlights my smaller pieces better.
If you want a good gradient example I think @Heather Marusiak photos are really good and she uses the gradient background well.

 

[Michael Anderson]

Something else to consider is your target audience. Emiliano mentioned the context of TOTW. If your goal is produce photos for turning forums, juries show, exhibitions, etc… you definitely want a plain or gradient background. If you’re trying to photo your work to sell on social media, Etsy, etc… less sterile backgrounds might be best (ex the settings in your photos above). Still focus on lighting, composition, etc…

 

[Paul May]

Opinions are like, well you know..., and everyone has one but there are some rules when it comes to product photography and subject isolation. The subject should be what the eye draws in and should not be distracted by the surroundings. I have been doing photography for quite a few years and have settled on some rules for capturing my turnings.
1) I always use focus stacking. This isn't important for everyone but it makes the most sense for me since I want every detail, front to back, to be noticed.
2) Colors and white balance need to be accurate. The colors are what they are and should be displayed as such.
3) The subject should be the majority of the frame. I am not telling a story with the photo, I just want the object to be seen.
4) The image should be sharp. Blurry photos aren't helping anyone.
5) The background should be out of focus. Some folks eschew the use of darker backgrounds but I tend to like them as they highlight the foreground more. I have been chastised for using black or dark blue backgrounds in the past. I have since decided to do it my own way.
6) Lighting is critically important. Full on lighting or side lighting works just as well. The subject need to draw the eye in. There are several YouTube videos on this.
7) Camera phones are fine if you have the ability to do everything above. Phones are so good at static objects that the camera shouldn't be an impediment to anyone taking a competent photo.

Hope this gives you some ideas...

 

[Bill Alston]

I have a Fuji MILC and a few lenses but I take most of my pictures at home with an iPad. The quality is normally more than good enough and simple edits are easily done on the device itself. I take pictures outdoors on an overcast day and use a plain grey or graduated back cloth. The lighting in my shed is also pretty good though so I sometimes take pictures in there.

 

[John Vaeth]

There are some very good suggestions in this thread already. Just an fyi, now retired, I spent a large portion of my career as a professional studio and location photographer as well as a photographic instructor for Kodak. Since retirement and the development of this additional passion called woodturning, I recognized the interest in having a photo class specifically for woodturners. During covid, I developed an online class for my local club (Woodturner's Guild of NC) and, through word of mouth, about 15 other clubs have since asked me to present. I also post regular tips on my Instagram page. I love this topic and really enjoy helping other woodturners get better pictures. It's interesting to me to see how many other turners are experienced photographers. I think the creative outlet is similar. Relative to tips: the most important thing to learn is how to control the quality and the direction of light. I would rate this even more important than the camera, although a DSLR is a big advantage and there are bargains to be had on the used market. Beyond that, for less than $200 you can create a great setup.

 

[Aaron Harris]

WOW, be careful what you ask for. So much great advice here! Michael-It's so interesting that you mention your target audience. I have been advising high-school writers to do that for 27 years now; it only makes sense that it is the same in photography. I am just absorbing all of this and considering my options, but it seems like I can make a dramatic improvement almost immediately just by controlling lighting, using a neutral background gradient, using a tripod, etc.

When I'm "in progress" as we say in education, I'll post a couple of pics and see what tips the experts have for getting better. Great thread that I hope will be useful for others too!

 

[Bill Blasic]

Late to the conversation but years ago did photography professionally. Back then used all Nikons but with the advent of digital moved to Canon. Knowing the need for good photos of the work I bought an outfit from Cowboy Studios. This is the equivalent of what I bought a lot of years ago (CowboyStudio Photography & Video Portrait Umbrella Continuous Triple Lighting Kit comes in at $85). I've added a few triggers and such but this is a good system at a very good price. That along with gradient backrounds work very well. Also I had a couple extra Canon lenses and started to look around for good bargains on EOS cameras. On EBAY I found Roberts Cameras where I purchased to lower end EOS (digital Rebel) cameras that were marked as in good condition. An XTi 10.1MP for $48 and a Rebel 6.3MP for $30, both these cameras looked new and both function flawlessly. I would not hesitate to use either with my studio stuff. They have tons of cameras so you can easily put together a good system in your price range.

 

[Michael Anderson]

@Paul May what software do you use for your focus stacking? I dabbled when I used to do macro stuff, but it’s been years.