# Some Emperors--Critiques please



## limited60 (Apr 7, 2009)

I'm just looking to improve my pens.
I did one Cigar as my "first pen", so techincally, these are number 2 and onward.
Feel free to critique the pen in any way, or the photography. I just got a DSLR and love taking pictures, so, in that respect, I also want to improve.
(I was using a pretty shoddy tripod, so there are some pics that may be a tad out of focus...)
Ambrosia Maple


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## limited60 (Apr 7, 2009)

Bocote


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## limited60 (Apr 7, 2009)

Cocobolo rollerball....a daily user.  Some scuff marks are visible.
I used Shellawax on this one, it was my first Emperor and I didn't know any better.
I now use CA/BLO and really like the results.


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## limited60 (Apr 7, 2009)

Masur Birch.
Not sure if this is a "desirable" wood or not, but I really liked the markings on this piece that I had.  It's very easy to work.


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## markgum (Apr 7, 2009)

WOW. Very impressive!!!


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## limited60 (Apr 7, 2009)

Pink Lady Acrylic
Not a big fan of this one but I wanted to try something like this and, who knows, some women really like pink.


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## limited60 (Apr 7, 2009)

Box Elder Burl
Looks good with the gold I guess.  Not sure I'm a huge fan of the look of this wood.  I like the Masur Birch much better if I'm going to go light.


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## limited60 (Apr 7, 2009)

Kingwood.  The dust off this was purple, like, purpleheart purple, but not quite as dark.
Pretty linear grain.


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## limited60 (Apr 7, 2009)

Macasssar Ebony.
Thanks to all those who advised me on working with Ebony.
I kept it cool, cleaned with acetone before finishing, then did 4 coats of CA/BLO.
LOVE THIS WOOD! (can't believe it's $119/bdf at my local wood supply though)


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## limited60 (Apr 7, 2009)

Redwood burl
I like the red tone to this.  Looking forward to doing some more burls in the future though--hopefully a dark brown with light streaks, if I can find it.


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## limited60 (Apr 7, 2009)

Spalted Maple.
What a surprise this was.  I ordered it thinking it was going to be one thing, and it came out being something entirely different.  Super dark spalting....kinda cool.


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## limited60 (Apr 7, 2009)

Zebrano
Is it just me, or does anyone else find that once this wood is sanded really well, it almost has a digitized look to it, like a "grain within a grain" kind of look?


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## limited60 (Apr 7, 2009)

Bethleham Olivewood (BOW, as I now know it).
This was my first picture and my white balance was not properly adjusted.

Thanks for looking, and thanks in advance for criticisms / advice.
I have some more Emperors, a few Statesmen, and 3 Imperials I need to finish up.  I'll post them when they're done.


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## theartist07 (Apr 7, 2009)

As from my end , i would be happy to have them on my display table. Great choice of woods also. Beautiful pieces..........

jim


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## YORKGUM (Apr 7, 2009)

I think they're beautiful.


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## Dalecamino (Apr 7, 2009)

You've done a good job matchings the Emperors with really nice blanks , which they deserve . Very nice work !


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## Hillbilly (Apr 7, 2009)

WOW!! You stared off at the top.

Maybe one day if you keep practising you'll turn a slimline :biggrin::biggrin:.

Great job....WOW!


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## ldb2000 (Apr 7, 2009)

I think you did a great job with those . Your fit and finish look good and the photos are all good as well . The only criticism I have would be to loose the white prop (it looks out of place with those pens) . JMHO

PS: You really should add at least a first name to your profile . It's nice to have a name when you are replying to someones posts . Again JMHO


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## maxwell_smart007 (Apr 8, 2009)

I'm a big fan of the darker woods with the higher end kits, esp. with the gold accents....

I don't know that many ladies would buy an Emperor pen, as it seems rather large - but that's just a marketing guess...you might do better tailoring the larger pens to men who tend to have larger hands.  

I don't know why, but the lighter woods don't look as 'regal' to me with that kit...maybe that's just personal opinion, however. 

Regardless, that's a very nice collection - and worth more than my truck!


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## JohnU (Apr 8, 2009)

You've been busy and a Nice Selection to show for it!  Great character in that Birch! Nice selection of woods, and kits.  Great Start!  Can't wait to see how you top that!


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## toolcrazy (Apr 8, 2009)

Beautiful batch of pen. Good work.


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## areaman (Apr 8, 2009)

love the cocbolo and spalted maple ones. they are all great looking pens.


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## Ligget (Apr 8, 2009)

Great work on all the pens, there are a few dollars worth of kits there that is for sure!


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## mrburls (Apr 8, 2009)

You have some great looking pens there. Nice job. 

Keith "mrburls"


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## TurnedAround (Apr 8, 2009)

Gorgeous pens! I agree with the comment about the pink one. Since I'm fairly new to this photo stuff my self, I would be interested in some more feed back. Does the horizontal line behind the pens from the intersection of the the vertical and horizontal backdrop bother anyone else. Maybe it is me but my eyes seem drawn to that line. Oh, what is the material? Again, great pens.

Ed


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## TurnaPen (Apr 8, 2009)

Hello Ltd60, I can see the bug has you bitten.! I love the Spalted Maple, the dark spalting adds to the gentleman's pen taste, they are all fairly good woods you have chosen and deserve a finish that will last, when someone pays top dollar for a quality pen, they may not understand if the Shellawax rubs off!. Some of those woods would look even better if they were Xcut , it would show off the timber in a different and maybe better light. Usually the Emperor is a gentleman's pen, and by the most part most men would avoid the bright and pretty colours. Amos


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## amosfella (Apr 8, 2009)

They are really nice.  Love the masur birch one.


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## limited60 (Apr 8, 2009)

WoodenInk said:


> Hello Ltd60, I can see the bug has you bitten.! I love the Spalted Maple, the dark spalting adds to the gentleman's pen taste, they are all fairly good woods you have chosen and deserve a finish that will last, when someone pays top dollar for a quality pen, they may not understand if the Shellawax rubs off!. Some of those woods would look even better if they were Xcut , it would show off the timber in a different and maybe better light. Usually the Emperor is a gentleman's pen, and by the most part most men would avoid the bright and pretty colours. Amos


 

Thanks Amos.  I did the Cocobolo one as a daily user for myself, so no one invested any money in a bad finish.  Well, except me. :wink:
I used CA / BLO / ren wax on all the others, except the pink one.

My Mom, who has quite small hands, was really taken by the Emperor.  She initially thought, "this is a large pen", until she held it and wrote with it.  She has since "ordered" one with a Calligraphy nib.

I ordered all my wood from CSUSA, and most of them are stabilized, so I don't have much control over the cuts of the blanks, although, once I get some more experience (and time....anyone?  Anyone selling more time???), I'll venture down the cut-my-own-blanks-and-stabilize-them-on-my-own road.


 Chris


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## limited60 (Apr 8, 2009)

TurnedAround said:


> Gorgeous pens! I agree with the comment about the pink one. Since I'm fairly new to this photo stuff my self, I would be interested in some more feed back. Does the horizontal line behind the pens from the intersection of the the vertical and horizontal backdrop bother anyone else. Maybe it is me but my eyes seem drawn to that line. Oh, what is the material? Again, great pens.
> 
> Ed


 

The material is faux leather, and the pieces are the lids from some hard DVD storage cases (a box that holds 100 DVD's in sleeves).  
I agree with the horizontal line, and I tried to make the pen as parallel as I could, and the lid as perpendicular as I could to give the image a bit of structure in spite of the distraction.

I am currently looking for a better set up for my light tent backdrop...

My first run of pics were too yellow and shot with too wide an aperature.  I have the white balance figured out, more or less, and the aperature could stand to be a bit narrower, but I definately want to find a different backdrop--especially for pens like the Macassar Ebony, which gets lost in the sea of darkness.


Chris


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## GouletPens (Apr 8, 2009)

Chris, pretty impressive! Boy when I first started I couldn't even think of buying an emperor....even now it's tough to cough up the dough!! I would be proud of your pens, for your first pens they are not bad at all. The pictures need work, but you'll get that over time. I would say the biggest thing is to choose more exceptional pieces of wood. I know you're probably excited just to make 'something' out of the woods you get, but most of the advantage of having a large pen is to show off exceptional woods. For example, I have ordered close to 100 stabilized box elder burl blanks and have noticed that some are okay, most are great and a few have been 'out of this world'. Those are the ones I use for the emperors and majestics. But hey, if you have the cash, make nothing but emperors!! I know I would!! 

And by the way....I hope that Mac. Ebony won't crack on you, but I'd hang on to it for a little while before letting it go just to make sure. That's one to watch out for.


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## limited60 (Apr 8, 2009)

ldb2000 said:


> I think you did a great job with those . Your fit and finish look good and the photos are all good as well . The only criticism I have would be to loose the white prop (it looks out of place with those pens) . JMHO
> 
> PS: You really should add at least a first name to your profile . It's nice to have a name when you are replying to someones posts . Again JMHO


 
The prop is a chopstick holder.  You're right, it's "whiteness" really draws the eyes in, especially when the backdrop is dark.  It's a bit of an eyesore.  I'll figure a new setup with my next round of pens.


Chris


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## limited60 (Apr 8, 2009)

GouletPens said:


> Chris, pretty impressive! Boy when I first started I couldn't even think of buying an emperor....even now it's tough to cough up the dough!! I would be proud of your pens, for your first pens they are not bad at all. The pictures need work, but you'll get that over time. I would say the biggest thing is to choose more exceptional pieces of wood. I know you're probably excited just to make 'something' out of the woods you get, but most of the advantage of having a large pen is to show off exceptional woods. For example, I have ordered close to 100 stabilized box elder burl blanks and have noticed that some are okay, most are great and a few have been 'out of this world'. Those are the ones I use for the emperors and majestics. But hey, if you have the cash, make nothing but emperors!! I know I would!!
> 
> And by the way....I hope that Mac. Ebony won't crack on you, but I'd hang on to it for a little while before letting it go just to make sure. That's one to watch out for.


 
I think the Mac will stay with me for at least one year....being in Calgary, Canada, we'll have enough seasonal temp and humidity changes that the pen will have a chance to do what it wants to do within that time frame.

What can I do to improve the pictures?  I took 3 shots of the pens in different "poses" but showed only the one perspective.  Some have commented on the display/background/prop....anything else?  I do need to buy a better tripod, and close my aperature a bit for greater depth of field.  Any other advice would be much appreciated.

Right now I am feeling out the woods used on pens.  Given that these are my first ones, I have learned what works and what does not.  I honestly can't look at an unturned blank and say, "that will be a nice pen".  I pretty much have to turn it down first to establish it's appeal.

Finding "exceptional" woods, like nice burls and other character woods in 7/8" sizes, or burls that have been stabilized, has been a bit of a task.  Would you say that most burls, and spalted blanks, on average, reveal the some of the most desirable qualities?  I know I was disappointed with my Box Elder Burl.  Not very Burly....kinda like melted butter, dried up.


Thanks
Chris


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## txcwboy (Apr 8, 2009)

Nice pens. Photography needs more light.IMHO

Dave


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## jskeen (Apr 8, 2009)

Very nice work, I can see the progression of the finish and the later ones are top notch.  I can offer you this bit of advise.  When you order kits, especially high end kits order plenty of spare tubes.  That way you can turn lots of wood and only use the standouts for the high end kits.  If you are looking for a different kit, I would suggest getting some statesmen, and some Gents, they are completely interchangeable so you have to option of turning the blanks, then picking the kit to match.  You may want to invest in a set of transfer punches as well, so that you can disassemble a pen that you decide you're not crazy about and use it again with different tubes.  I find the kits like the emperor and imperial tend to limit you to straight or nearly straight blanks, where other kits give you more latitude to turn different profiles.  Not necessarily a bad thing, but you might want to give both a whirl.  All in all you are well on your way, and i look forward to seeing your next project.  

On blanks, while there is nothing wrong with the selection of stabilized blanks offered by the big companies, My experience, however, is that if you want a really outstanding piece, go for something handpicked by an experienced pen turner.  There are more world class pen blanks and potential blanks in the hands of the membership here at IAP than anywhere else in the world, and the vast majority sell for the same as or less than the ones randomly picked from a bin by a stock clerk at a dealer. Don't be nervous about the blanks not being stabilized either.  At the exceptional level of wood quality that most of the sellers deal with here, almost any blank will be solid, hard and tight enough to be turned and finished as well or even better than a stabilized blank.  

Just an opinion, but I would be willing that after ordering some blanks from our preferred vendors here, you will not order another off the shelf blank again, and the quality, and price of your pens will improve greatly.


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## limited60 (Apr 8, 2009)

jskeen said:


> Very nice work, I can see the progression of the finish and the later ones are top notch. I can offer you this bit of advise. When you order kits, especially high end kits order plenty of spare tubes. That way you can turn lots of wood and only use the standouts for the high end kits. If you are looking for a different kit, I would suggest getting some statesmen, and some Gents, they are completely interchangeable so you have to option of turning the blanks, then picking the kit to match. You may want to invest in a set of transfer punches as well, so that you can disassemble a pen that you decide you're not crazy about and use it again with different tubes. I find the kits like the emperor and imperial tend to limit you to straight or nearly straight blanks, where other kits give you more latitude to turn different profiles. Not necessarily a bad thing, but you might want to give both a whirl. All in all you are well on your way, and i look forward to seeing your next project.
> 
> On blanks, while there is nothing wrong with the selection of stabilized blanks offered by the big companies, My experience, however, is that if you want a really outstanding piece, go for something handpicked by an experienced pen turner. There are more world class pen blanks and potential blanks in the hands of the membership here at IAP than anywhere else in the world, and the vast majority sell for the same as or less than the ones randomly picked from a bin by a stock clerk at a dealer. Don't be nervous about the blanks not being stabilized either. At the exceptional level of wood quality that most of the sellers deal with here, almost any blank will be solid, hard and tight enough to be turned and finished as well or even better than a stabilized blank.
> 
> Just an opinion, but I would be willing that after ordering some blanks from our preferred vendors here, you will not order another off the shelf blank again, and the quality, and price of your pens will improve greatly.


 
Thanks for such a lengthy response.
Can anyone tell me the names of some of the vendors on IAP who I can contact for some larger, more ornate, rare, or burled, blanks?
I have contacted Dawn at exoticblanks and ordered some snakeskin blanks. I am happier buying from individuals or small companies rather than large bulk operations like CSUSA, even if it means waiting for a blank to get made.

I also ordered 20 extra tube sets for the Emperors for that very reason.  I'm going to get experimental and don't want to commit to the entire pen if I don't like the result.

I also don't mind the linear restrictions posed by using the Emperor.  Personally, I really dislike the aesthetic of a pen that deviates from that look.  I will likely do a few with the bulbous center, but I have a few done at home that I just think look odd.  The only bulb out 1/16 of an inch or so, but again, the aesthetic isn't appealing to me--but then again, it's not me buying the pen.  I'll have to gauge the tastes of pen buyers.


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## Stick Rounder (Apr 8, 2009)

Chris,

They are all great looking pens.  I like the Cocobolo the best.


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## Texatdurango (Apr 8, 2009)

limited60 said:


> .....I also don't mind the linear restrictions posed by using the Emperor. Personally, I really dislike the aesthetic of a pen that deviates from that look. I will likely do a few with the bulbous center, but I have a few done at home that I just think look odd. The only bulb out 1/16 of an inch or so, but again, the aesthetic isn't appealing to me--but then again, it's not me buying the pen. I'll have to gauge the tastes of pen buyers.


I too dislike the middle bulge.  If you decide to do a slight bulge on the cap be very careful since there isn't much room under the clip as it is.  

Nice looking pens... except for the pink one which is gross!


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## gerryr (Apr 9, 2009)

If you are truly looking for a a critique, just post one or two, not a dozen.  My attention span isn't long enough to study each one enough to do a critique on each.  

That said, the horizontal background line in the photos is pretty distracting but that pink thing is even worse.  If you want to present the best image possible of your work, then the work has to be the main feature without distracting elements like background seams or things that just don't belong in a photo of a pen.


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## ldb2000 (Apr 9, 2009)

limited60 said:


> Can anyone tell me the names of some of the vendors on IAP who I can contact for some larger, more ornate, rare, or burled, blanks?


 
Just look in the Classified section of the forum . People like Nolan and Big Rob and Wolfdancer have some of the most beautiful blanks I have ever seen and their prices are excellent and they will go out of their way to get you exactly what you are looking for .


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## GouletPens (Apr 9, 2009)

There is a whole subforum here on pen photography which is a great place to start reading up on how to take better pictures. You mentioned you take pictures at 3 different angles....that's all good and well but it you're only taking on picture of each angle, it's not going to turn out that great.

I would say to start you need to build yourself a simple photo tent (pvc pipe and plastic sheathing with a couple of lights will do it). Take many, MANY pictures by doing what's called 'bracketing', which is where you take several pictures, change the aperature slightly, take several more, adjust it more, take several more, and so on. I use basically the same background on every one of my pens but the pictures can look way different even with the same settings because of the color of the wood or amount of light that shines off the hardware. There are many factors to taking a really great picture. 

The simplest thing you can do though, is to get yourself some simple photo editing software. Photoshop would OBVIOUSLY be the best but is expensive....a cheaper option is something like Microsoft Digital Image. It won't fix a shaky hand, but it will have adjustments for light and color balance, have contrast adjustments, give you the ability to crop, frame, overlay text, etc. For less than half the price of one of the pen kits you're showing us here, you can take really good pictures (assuming you have a decent camera to start!).


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## babyblues (Apr 9, 2009)

limited60 said:


> I also don't mind the linear restrictions posed by using the Emperor.  Personally, I really dislike the aesthetic of a pen that deviates from that look.  I will likely do a few with the bulbous center, but I have a few done at home that I just think look odd.



I think you're right when it comes to the Emperor.  The hardware for that kit has alot of right angles so a bulge, even a slight one, doesn't fit with the kit.  Barons, jr gents, jr statesmans, etc actually look better with a slight bulge.

And like Butch said, Nolan, Big Rob and Wolfdancer are the first places I would look for spectacular pen blanks.


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## jttheclockman (Apr 9, 2009)

Being you asked for critique let us start with the amount of pens. I agree way too many and if you are going to do that then do them all in one post. Can't remember what I looked at 2 seconds ago. Second that is alot of money tied up in pen kits. Good luck in selling them but I sure do like the kit. I agree that a kit like that deserves the best of the best not only wood choice which needs to be very figured or absolutly none at all such as been done with a pure black and pure white.

Photgraphy, is something I am still learning but have noticed a few things from other photos. If you are going to use props which I hate, they take away from the pen, use something like a glass stone but not wood and especially not wood that the pen is made from. The first few photos and some others the depth of field needs work. Take the camera off macro if you are going to do a object behind the pen. I found that one out with my last photo of cigars. 

Next when showing a two part pen I always like to see it both open and closed. When a pen is closed it gives it a different perspective and you really can see the and appreciate the wood. Next if you are going to use a dark background go all the way and use black not dark brown. But if you use black you need good lighting because the black will absorb the light and steal from the pen. That is why alot of people use white or grey. Some people here have mastered the black background and it looks great. I myself want to learn that technique too. 

Well that is all I have but must say good job on all the pens. The fit and finish is well done. I am not a fan of a bulge with expensive kits like that but that gets subjective. Good luck with your sales.


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## limited60 (Apr 9, 2009)

GouletPens said:


> There is a whole subforum here on pen photography which is a great place to start reading up on how to take better pictures. You mentioned you take pictures at 3 different angles....that's all good and well but it you're only taking on picture of each angle, it's not going to turn out that great.
> 
> I would say to start you need to build yourself a simple photo tent (pvc pipe and plastic sheathing with a couple of lights will do it). Take many, MANY pictures by doing what's called 'bracketing', which is where you take several pictures, change the aperature slightly, take several more, adjust it more, take several more, and so on. I use basically the same background on every one of my pens but the pictures can look way different even with the same settings because of the color of the wood or amount of light that shines off the hardware. There are many factors to taking a really great picture.
> 
> The simplest thing you can do though, is to get yourself some simple photo editing software. Photoshop would OBVIOUSLY be the best but is expensive....a cheaper option is something like Microsoft Digital Image. It won't fix a shaky hand, but it will have adjustments for light and color balance, have contrast adjustments, give you the ability to crop, frame, overlay text, etc. For less than half the price of one of the pen kits you're showing us here, you can take really good pictures (assuming you have a decent camera to start!).


 

This was done in a light tent, but I didn't plug any images into any software.  I have Nikon Capture NX 2, Adobe Lightroom 2, Photoshop CS3, and Elements 7, so I just have to get in there to make the adjustments.  I guess the criticism of "too many pens" was also something I felt when taking the pictures.  I didn't take the time to do any post-production of the images....because there were so many.

I bracketed some shots and actually thought these looked the best, although the lighting could have been a bit brighter.  I was having difficulty getting brighter ambiant light, without too much glow off the metal parts.

I am also using fluoroscent light bulbs, which might not give the best light.  I'll see if I can re-work my light tent, get different bulbs and then try some more.

Thanks,
Chris


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## limited60 (Apr 9, 2009)

jttheclockman said:


> Being you asked for critique let us start with the amount of pens. I agree way too many and if you are going to do that then do them all in one post. Can't remember what I looked at 2 seconds ago. Second that is alot of money tied up in pen kits. Good luck in selling them but I sure do like the kit. I agree that a kit like that deserves the best of the best not only wood choice which needs to be very figured or absolutly none at all such as been done with a pure black and pure white.
> 
> Photgraphy, is something I am still learning but have noticed a few things from other photos. If you are going to use props which I hate, they take away from the pen, use something like a glass stone but not wood and especially not wood that the pen is made from. The first few photos and some others the depth of field needs work. Take the camera off macro if you are going to do a object behind the pen. I found that one out with my last photo of cigars.
> 
> ...


 
OK, fewer pens.  Got it.
White prop.  Gone.
Background, seamless and not black.  Check.
Depth of field.  Thought it was ok, but will stop the aperature a few more stops next time.

Thanks.  This is a tremendous help.

I have actually sold 11 of them already.  I doubt it will always be that easy, but I'll take it when it happens like that.
I have donated the "pink thing" that everyone is such a big fan of, to a breast cancer fundraiser.  They actually liked it (must be a chick thing), but I share the views of most here.  

I'll look for better wood choices, and work on the photography a bit.

Chris


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## GouletPens (Apr 9, 2009)

More light is good...sounds like you have all the right tools otherwise. When it comes to taking a really good picture, plan on having it take at least 15 minutes per pen, more if you're trying to get different angles and whatnot. That's one of the things that most people let slip...but a good way to put it is that the photography is much like putting a finish on your pen...if you rush through the last part of the process you'll end up with a normal or worse a bad looking product. I'm of the opinion a $50 or $60 kit deserves nothing but the best wood and pictures possible. Plan on spending at least as much time taking pictures as you did making the pens, maybe more.

Yeah flourescent bulbs are the worst for pictures too...they show all the flaws. My wife can't stand that I have flourescent bulbs in our bathroom because she says she can see all her flaws....but I say "isn't it better to see your flaws at home to be able to cover them up for when you go out?" I use only flourescents in my shop so I can see the flaws, and I use halogens for my pictures.


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## limited60 (Apr 9, 2009)

GouletPens said:


> More light is good...sounds like you have all the right tools otherwise. When it comes to taking a really good picture, plan on having it take at least 15 minutes per pen, more if you're trying to get different angles and whatnot. That's one of the things that most people let slip...but a good way to put it is that the photography is much like putting a finish on your pen...if you rush through the last part of the process you'll end up with a normal or worse a bad looking product. I'm of the opinion a $50 or $60 kit deserves nothing but the best wood and pictures possible. Plan on spending at least as much time taking pictures as you did making the pens, maybe more.
> 
> Yeah flourescent bulbs are the worst for pictures too...they show all the flaws. My wife can't stand that I have flourescent bulbs in our bathroom because she says she can see all her flaws....but I say "isn't it better to see your flaws at home to be able to cover them up for when you go out?" I use only flourescents in my shop so I can see the flaws, and I use halogens for my pictures.


 
Whoops....that's what they are, halogens.  I have my camera set up for fluorescents.
I will have to make that change asap and see what changes that makes.


15 min per pen huh?  OK, I'm maybe doing 5.  

Thanks again.


C


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## GouletPens (Apr 9, 2009)

Chris, that's no steadfast rule. By all means, if you can get a nice looking picture faster than that, good for you! I'm just going off of what it takes me. But I'm taking the 'fancy' shots with the all black backgrounds and EVERY speck of dust shows up on those things (esp. in macro!). No doubt taking a picture like mine will take longer to make look good than a more picture-friendly background. I just think the black looks SLICK!:wink::biggrin:


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## babyblues (Apr 9, 2009)

GouletPens said:


> My wife can't stand that I have flourescent bulbs in our bathroom because she says she can see all her flaws....but I say "isn't it better to see your flaws at home to be able to cover them up for when you go out?"


Um, I believe the appropriate response would be, "What flaws?  I don't know what you're talking about."  :biggrin:


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## babyblues (Apr 9, 2009)

limited60 said:


> Whoops....that's what they are, halogens.  I have my camera set up for fluorescents.
> I will have to make that change asap and see what changes that makes.
> 
> 
> ...



Does your camera let you adjust the white balance?  That way, instead of relying on a predetermined setting, your camera can adjust itself to the amount and quality of light.  Not that I really know what I'm talking about, lol, I just know my pics come out better that way.


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## limited60 (Apr 10, 2009)

babyblues said:


> Does your camera let you adjust the white balance? That way, instead of relying on a predetermined setting, your camera can adjust itself to the amount and quality of light. Not that I really know what I'm talking about, lol, I just know my pics come out better that way.


 
I shoot in full manual mode, so I can choose from a half dozen or so light sources as a sort of pre-set, but I still set my WB manually.  In these pictures, I was in Fluorescent mode(whoops!) and WB was up at +1.

I'll mess around with some different presets, and see if I can't flood a bit more light in there, while also preventing too much reflection.
NOt super concerned with this run of pens, since they're sold, but for future pens, I want a better system, and definately a "standard" by which I follow.


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## limited60 (Apr 10, 2009)

GouletPens said:


> Chris, that's no steadfast rule. By all means, if you can get a nice looking picture faster than that, good for you! I'm just going off of what it takes me. But I'm taking the 'fancy' shots with the all black backgrounds and EVERY speck of dust shows up on those things (esp. in macro!). No doubt taking a picture like mine will take longer to make look good than a more picture-friendly background. I just think the black looks SLICK!:wink::biggrin:


 

No, I know there are no rules, but I'm not spending a fraction of that time on one pen...I think I may have exaggerated the time spent on these ones....I think I spent about 15 minutes getting the tripod set up, the "props" in place, the WB set proper, the light tent flooded with light, and all the screwing around running back and forth checking the tests shots in "real life" on my PC, then maybe each pen took a minute to get out the 3 shots I wanted.

I really need a better background.  I'll have a look at yours again, and around the site at what others are doing, then come up with my own idea.


Thanks.


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