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Asmodeus
22nd of June 2005 (Wed), 21:40
I've been taking pictures of a lot of antique and collector firearms for myself and friends, primarily for insurance purposes, and would like to figure out how to take better pictures of these handcrafted items. Older antiques that have a heavy patina or those that are heavily engraved aren't too difficult to get very good pictures of; newer collectibiles, such as the 50 year old match target pistol pictured here, are my nightmare to light.

The fluting on the barrel, sights, and flat sides of the trigger guard are matte, the rest of the metal parts are highly polished. The lettering is gold filled. The bluing is a deep rich blue, leaning towards black. Friends who have seen this picture think its great; I think it's horrible. Every little flaw or dust speck, most of which aren't visible to the naked eye, are significantly magnified in every picture. And I don't even remeber what I did to get this picture; I think I was fed up and using my Olympus C5050 P&S

I could really use some technique advice on a reliable, repeatable way to photograph these.

http://www.supercharger.net/private/hs106.jpg

lostdoggy
22nd of June 2005 (Wed), 21:56
Aaah, the problem is you're shooting with an Olympus and not a Canon!!!

Asmodeus
22nd of June 2005 (Wed), 22:01
Aaah, the problem is you're shooting with an Olympus and not a Canon!!!

I can show you bad pictures taken with the Canon, too :confused:

lostdoggy
22nd of June 2005 (Wed), 22:07
Light needs to be more diffuse. I Can see the flash on the surface from over center top. Light should be from either side but very diffused without casting any shadows.

Asmodeus
22nd of June 2005 (Wed), 22:23
So hot lights off of light colored umbrellas on either side should do it? I'll set some stuff up tomorrow and try.

jfrancho
22nd of June 2005 (Wed), 22:34
Try the sticky in the lighting section: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=66140

tckadventures
23rd of June 2005 (Thu), 04:10
try shooting from an unusual angle not the obvious, it makes for more of a piece of art to match the uniqueness of the firearm.

Jon, The Elder
23rd of June 2005 (Thu), 06:38
Asmodeus - I shot machine cutting tools for catalogs for many years. Shiney, high polished surfaces are tricky. Reflected lighting helps a lot. I sometimes resorted to a Krylon product - surprisingly called "Dulling Spray". Available at some art or photo supply stores. It is a form of paraffin in spray form. It is non toxic, chemically inert, and wipes off cleanly. I would either run the can under hot water or immerse it in a container of hot water. This helps in developing a finer mist. LIGHT COATS is the key.
Chrome looks great - still shiney but no 'hits' from hot spots. "Old Dogs...Old Tricks"