# Critiques - new pen pic style



## JimGo (Jun 26, 2005)

I purchased a few small lights from Target (small, 50W halogen desk lamps) and used them to illuminate the pen while it sat inside the well-known "white photo box".  I think this came out pretty good, but I'd like to get some other opinions.


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## melogic (Jun 26, 2005)

WOW Jim! That is awesome! [] I like the photo and the pen is awesome as well. Can you tell much of a difference in the photo if you use incandescent lamps as opposed to halogen?


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## timdaleiden (Jun 26, 2005)

Jim the pic looks great! What "well known photo box" are we talking about??? Translucent garbage bin?


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## wdcav1952 (Jun 27, 2005)

Tim, that sounds like what he is talking about.


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## timdaleiden (Jun 27, 2005)

> _Originally posted by wdcav1952_
> <br />Tim, that sounds like what he is talking about.



 I hope so, my comment was certainly not a critique of the pen, which is very nice. I don't follow every thread, but I know that Don used a trash can some time ago to diffuse lighting, and he produced some very nice pictures. 

 Jim, I hope you didn't misunderstand my comment, it was not a jab at your pen.


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## JimGo (Jun 27, 2005)

LOL...no offense taken Tim!  Yes, it's the white garbage can.  Never really thought of that as "trashing" my pens, but I guess in a manner of speaking, it is! []

I typically like halogen lights more than incandescents because the light tends to be a more true white, IMHO.  So, for some low-wattage bulbs and cheap lamps (they are $10 a piece), they did a nice job providing side lighting, which helped reduce the shadows from my flash.

Tim and Mark, thanks for the comments on the pen, too; it's an "older" pen (I've only been turning pens since January, so that's a relative term!), but still one of my favorites.  The pic is going to be used on a color business card.


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## Leather Man (Jun 27, 2005)

Jim,
I think your pen and picture look great. What did you use for a background?
Ben


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## timdaleiden (Jun 27, 2005)

> _Originally posted by JimGo_
> <br />LOL...no offense taken Tim!  Yes, it's the white garbage can.  Never really thought of that as "trashing" my pens, but I guess in a manner of speaking, it is! []



Whew!!! After I went back and re-read my post, I realized that it could be interpreted in a number of ways. [:I]


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## JimGo (Jun 27, 2005)

Ben, the background is some tissue paper.  I have a box behind the tissue paper to hold it up.


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## Ron in Drums PA (Jun 27, 2005)

Ed
Good looking pen and photo setup.
Since you are asking for a critique, I never cared much for wrinkled backgrounds. In this case, it does seems to work.

I wonder where the shell idea came from? [][^]


Mark 
Incandescent lamps give a different color than halogen, which seems more white. Keep away from fluorescent unless you like a green overcast.


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## Ligget (Jun 27, 2005)

Jim was the picture taken with the camera set to "macro" mode?
Great pen and picture also!![]


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## JimGo (Jun 27, 2005)

Mark, to be honest, I can't recall whether this particular pic was taken in macro mode or not.  I was JUST far enough away that I wasn't sure which was going to produce the best results, so I switched back and forth as I took different pictures.  Thanks for the kind words regarding the pic and pen.

Ron, yep, I borrowed your shell idea!  I was trying to find something small that I could use in the pic and that wouldn't distract from the pen too much, and then I spied my seashell collection, and thought of your cool pics.  I had that nice, tiny whelk, and thought it would be just about perfect.  Hey, at least I didn't borrow the background, too! []


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## Daniel (Jun 27, 2005)

Really nice picture. The white box idea seems to working well on a consistant basis. I do have one question, the highlights look as if you aimed the lights into the box rather than through the side of it. is that so? whatever you did the picture is very clear and sharp.


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## JimGo (Jun 27, 2005)

Daniel,
Yep, I shot the lights directly in.  They weren't quite bright enough to cast enough light into the box through the side

Thanks for the feedback on the pic!


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## swm6500 (Jun 27, 2005)

That made a nice picture Jim.


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