Build Your Own Texturing Tool

[Gerald]

Here is a piece on making your own texturing tool, a handy item to have in your arsenal of turning tools .Shop Built Texturing / Spiraling tool

[lew]

Thanks, Gerald!

 

I noticed the link- in the article- no longer works. Here's a link to one of the texturing wheels at Kingspore Woodworking-

https://www.woodworkingshop.com/product/sz00027/

Edited May 26, 2019 by lew

[John Morris]

Gerald, as an aside from the topic of texturing tool, you have some of the nicest images of your work, I know you have discussed photography before here. But I have a couple main questions, after reading this article at Woodcraft (a very good article) there a couple choices for lighting etc and backgrounds. I am on a tight budget, I have a decent camera, what would be the next thing to get, as far as backgrounds go, a big poster board or fabric? And in addition, what would be the lighting of choice, or I should just simply ask, what are you using specifically that gives those wonderful images?

Photographing Your Projects

WWW.WOODCRAFT.COM

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Part of the satisfaction of working wood is showing off your projects. And in this Internet age of social media, that often...

 

[John Morris]

Your blog actually answers a lot of questions, but for this particular shot, what did you use?

 

[Gerald]

The background is a gradient gray printed on plastic. This gives a flat surface.This is supported by a work stand and since it curls at the bottom I use clamps to clamp it to the tabletop. I only have two small windows in my shop and I cover one to reduce extra lighting. To the side of the subject (about 45 degrees) I have a double head halogen worklight aimed at the ceiling . If that is too bright it can be aimed at the wall. I use the zoom on my camera and it is placed about 5 feet from the subject but farther is better I just do not have the room. To take the shot I use the timer setting on camera.

     There are several places to get the background . This one is a Varitone Graduated background from ww.phototechinc.com/graduate.htm. Just pick one as I do not remember which this is. Plan to switch to LED light sometime in the future. And one more thing that helps is to bracket your shots . Most cameras now can do that to make a over exposure, correct exposure and under exposed below exposure in a burst or one at a time. You can pick the amount of exposure to either side and the pick the photo you like the best.

[Cal]

8 hours ago, Gerald said:

I use the zoom on my camera and it is placed about 5 feet from the subject but farther is better

Thanks for the tips you have provided Gerald.  Making good use of your "down time" for us... much appreciated!

 

Can you explain the quote above?  Why would a zoom at 5 feet be a better pic than a non-zoom at maybe 3 feet?  If we are talking about the same amount of content in the frame?

Thanks, and do hope you get to feeling better...

[John Morris]

Thank you Gerald very much for the tips you gave, again, in addition to your blog. I guess one of the great take aways from it all is we don't have to invest in a small fortune of equipment do we?

[Gerald]

1 hour ago, Cal said:

Thanks for the tips you have provided Gerald.  Making good use of your "down time" for us... much appreciated!

 

Can you explain the quote above?  Why would a zoom at 5 feet be a better pic than a non-zoom at maybe 3 feet?  If we are talking about the same amount of content in the frame?

Thanks, and do hope you get to feeling better...

It is a matter of proximity. When you see in a movie someone is in front of a burning object and the object explodes it "looks" like the person is directly in front of the object but is really a good distance away. Use of a zoom lens will cause the background to look closer than it really is and change the depth of the picture. I have oversimplified this and there are many more things to making good pictures which I do not do. A distance of 6 to 9 feet with a good zoom is probably the best orientation on this .

[John Morris]

You may have oversimplified it here Gerald, but you cover a pretty good portion of it all in your blogs.

And it's a good read I may add.

@Cal if you do not know, there is a good blog by Gerald at:

 

 

[lew]

16 hours ago, John Morris said:

as far as backgrounds go, a big poster board or fabric? And in addition, what would be the lighting of choice

I have been considering one of these light boxes from Amazon. Folds up and has built in LEDs. Most of my stuff is pretty small.

[John Morris]

I have seen those Lew, looks to be like a pretty neat thing to have, nice and quick set up, portable, perfect for your turnings and such.

[Gerald]

I have looked at those too but it does have to be very small items to get that shot and then you will have to watch the lighting.

[HandyDan]

1 hour ago, lew said:

I have been considering one of these light boxes from Amazon.

 

I have one.  The only drawback it the background fabric.   It has creases in it from being folded up.  I had thought of removing it and storing it separately but have not done so yet.

[lew]

11 minutes ago, Gerald said:

you will have to watch the lighting.

That was the part I was curious about. Looks like the light comes from one direction

[HandyDan]

Mine has external lights.

 

https://www.efavormart.com/products/16-x-16-table-top-photo-photography-studio-lighting-light-tent-kit-in-a-box?variant=35135947218&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIy8q1yYu84gIVV-DICh3h3wakEAQYAyABEgK9l_D_BwE

 

[Gerald]

Lighting from one side is better. Then you do not have the two eyes in that glossy finish and the light from one direction adds depth to the picture.

[HandyDan]

4 hours ago, Gerald said:

Lighting from one side is better. Then you do not have the two eyes in that glossy finish and the light from one direction adds depth to the picture.

 

Learn something new everyday.  I thought a light from each side was used to get rid of the shadows.  Need to try this.

[Gerald]

56 minutes ago, HandyDan said:

 

Learn something new everyday.  I thought a light from each side was used to get rid of the shadows.  Need to try this.

Dan it does reduce shadows but a reflector toward the dark areas would be better. You can use a white card to do this . One of the problem spots is the underside of a wide hollowform. Harsh direct light produces those shadows you referred to and use of a fabric filter such as in the light box you and Lew referred to will also filter the light to reduce harsh lights. I see some of these light boxes are now coming with LED lights built in but if they are not diffused there are more points of light you do not want to reflect.