Picture apology

[phil dade]

The more cues i posted, the madder I got. i apologize for the fact that the pictures look dead and do not do the cues justice. I am furious and just let the photographer have it.

I am terrible with a camera. I hired a photographer and provided an example of 5 shots from a fellow member who I think has good pictures. Saturday, I paid this guy $500 for 4.5 hours doing the shoot. I went to the studio today and loaded them on to my Apple.

I started posting and have 30 cues to share but stopped when my Barenbrugges looked dead as a doornail. I bought them because of the great modeled wood.

Sorry to have wasted everyone's time. My head is ready to explode!:angry::frown:

 

[Chopdoc]

Granted they don't pop as much as they should for pro pics, but I am definitely enjoying them.

I would not pretend to know squat about photography, but obviously there are different types and styles of photography and not every photographer is likely well versed in all of them.

Definitely sucks that you didn't get what you wanted out of it, you surely paid for better.

There is a lot to absorb there, these are very special cues.


Thanks for showing them and I do hope to see more. :smile:




.

 

[Bavafongoul]

Every time I see a cue that conveys elegance and style, like your cues have, I feel enriched.
If I could have translated that feeling into actual monetary richness, you'd be looking at my photos.
Like I wrote on a prior thread on your Tascarellla cue, a myriad of emotions get aroused......great stuff.

 

[Michael Webb]

Some of the best pictures are just taken outside in natural light.

 

[WildWing]

Actually I don't think your pictures are that bad, though as you note, they don't bring out the shine in the finish. I'm not the best with photography either, and it's a fine line between too much glare and erasing the look of the finish. The pictures are a bit small though, and larger would bring out the detail more. Something like this?

All the best,
WW

 

[peterskw]

I too really enjoyed the pics!! Maybe not great quality for professional pics but, good enough to see how great the cues are!!!!

KP

 

[phil dade]

Some of the best pictures are just taken outside in natural light.

My wife sells stuff on ebay and I will try and get her to take pictures of my cues. That may be costly...

thanks everyone for the nice comments

 

[Thomas Wayne]

The more cues i posted, the madder I got. i apologize for the fact that the pictures look dead and do not do the cues justice. I am furious and just let the photographer have it.

I am terrible with a camera. I hired a photographer and provided an example of 5 shots from a fellow member who I think has good pictures. Saturday, I paid this guy $500 for 4.5 hours doing the shoot. I went to the studio today and loaded them on to my Apple.

I started posting and have 30 cues to share but stopped when my Barenbrugges looked dead as a doornail. I bought them because of the great modeled wood.

Sorry to have wasted everyone's time. My head is ready to explode!:angry::frown:

This cue was shot outside, in natural daylight with a swimming pool as the background. The cue was held in one hand and the camera in the other. Everyone has a different idea of what they want out of a cue photo, but to suit my personal taste this is about as good as it gets.

There are three "secrets" to this technique: the lens/camera combination, the camera settings, and relative angles between the light source (the sun) and the cue. I would be happy to share these secrets with you, but I don't know them because I didn't shoot the photo.

I have a friend - a "bother", actually - who has spent hundreds of hours and LOTS of money on lights, filters, and camera equipment to get the cue photos he uses. I prefer this photo, and the hundreds of other like it, over his every time - because I think this photo captures the actual in-person look of the cue.

I think I understand what you are trying to achieve, and I totally get the concept of "different strokes for different folks"... but sometimes less truly IS more.

TW

 

[Walkermine]

Phil,

First, thanks for posting everything so far. They are all great examples from some of the best makers ever. The Eden cue from Manzino must have been maddening for your photographer and, I'll bet, is the reason we haven't seen it posted with your others.

I can't tell you the frustrations I've had in picture taking. It seems the more equipment I buy and the more training I get, the worse they've become. I have used Photoshop and other computer programs for years. It has saved more than one photo from being trashed. Natural light, indirect, as others have mentioned, work best.

Thanks again for sharing.

Regards,
Paul

 

[Mikey Town]

Dang Phil... I sure do wish you were local.

The cues you posted are fantastic and it would be a pleasure to photograph your collection.

I'm in the same camp as Thomas Wayne... I prefer shooting cues using diffused natural light and background that doesn't distract from the cue. From there, there are some post processing techniques that help get the figure in the woods to "pop."

I completely understand that there are a lot of people that like the "flat" look for cues, as the reflection of the finish can mask some of the details. My personal preference is to let the finish shine, as it's a better representation of what the cue looks like in person... There's also a lot of work put into creating a beautiful finish like that, so I feel it should be shown off.

Here are some shots I recently did for Eddie Cohen... It's one of his first bridged veneer cues and I think it came out fantastic.

 

[phil dade]

Dang Phil... I sure do wish you were local.

The cues you posted are fantastic and it would be a pleasure to photograph your collection.

I'm in the same camp as Thomas Wayne... I prefer shooting cues using diffused natural light and background that doesn't distract from the cue. From there, there are some post processing techniques that help get the figure in the woods to "pop."

I completely understand that there are a lot of people that like the "flat" look for cues, as the reflection of the finish can mask some of the details. My personal preference is to let the finish shine, as it's a better representation of what the cue looks like in person... There's also a lot of work put into creating a beautiful finish like that, so I feel it should be shown off.

Here are some shots I recently did for Eddie Cohen... It's one of his first bridged veneer cues and I think it came out fantastic.

Thanks so much. Great cue in your picture BTW

 

[phil dade]

This cue was shot outside, in natural daylight with a swimming pool as the background. The cue was held in one hand and the camera in the other. Everyone has a different idea of what they want out of a cue photo, but to suit my personal taste this is about as good as it gets.

There are three "secrets" to this technique: the lens/camera combination, the camera settings, and relative angles between the light source (the sun) and the cue. I would be happy to share these secrets with you, but I don't know them because I didn't shoot the photo.

I have a friend - a "bother", actually - who has spent hundreds of hours and LOTS of money on lights, filters, and camera equipment to get the cue photos he uses. I prefer this photo, and the hundreds of other like it, over his every time - because I think this photo captures the actual in-person look of the cue.

I think I understand what you are trying to achieve, and I totally get the concept of "different strokes for different folks"... but sometimes less truly IS more.

TW

Thanks for the advice. I simply am very bad with pictures, inside or out. It is something i just can't do. I know all the principals of golf, but fail to execute consistently. I apppreciate your input and yes, the picture you posted is exactly what I wanted. I did give the photographer 5 pictures like you posted that captured the cues, (done by another member), only inside. BTW, the cue in your picture is outstanding!

 

[phil dade]

Phil,

First, thanks for posting everything so far. They are all great examples from some of the best makers ever. The Eden cue from Manzino must have been maddening for your photographer and, I'll bet, is the reason we haven't seen it posted with your others.

I can't tell you the frustrations I've had in picture taking. It seems the more equipment I buy and the more training I get, the worse they've become. I have used Photoshop and other computer programs for years. It has saved more than one photo from being trashed. Natural light, indirect, as others have mentioned, work best.

Thanks again for sharing.

Regards,
Paul

Hi Paul,
Thanks for your comments. I have a few big suprises left. Let's see how my wife does outside. I have to ask at the right time
All the best,
Phil

 

[Ken_4fun]

Phil -

I hope the photographer took a picture of your best cue.....

You know which one I mean.....

Ken

 

[phil dade]

Phil -

I hope the photographer took a picture of your best cue.....

You know which one I mean.....

Ken

HI Ken,
They took pictures of the 30mor 31 I consder collectable. There was a Gina that I did not post because I had a "sticky" on it that said, "do not touch or sell without contacting Ken". The time is near:wink:
BR
Phil

 

[phil dade]

Photo up date

So after texting and e mailing my photographer and his frontman, they wasnt a second chance next weekend. I thought about it and since I have paid, what do I have to lose? I said ok, conditionally that they felt confident they could execute drawing the beauty out of the woods, inlays and finishes as the examples they sent.

So we will see.

Thanks again to everyone.
Phil

 

[Chopdoc]

Nice to know they want a chance to get it right. Very fair to let them try. They have the equipment and know-how, I would say it would be a fair bet they will get it right.

I feel confident they want to produce work that they are proud of and their client is happy with.


:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


Either way I have enjoyed the posted pics and look forward to more.




.

 

[phil dade]

Nice to know they want a chance to get it right. Very fair to let them try. They have the equipment and know-how, I would say it would be a fair bet they will get it right.

I feel confident they want to produce work that they are proud of and their client is happy with.


:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


Either way I have enjoyed the posted pics and look forward to more.




.

Thanks again. I plan to take the advice in this thread and have them shoot outside. If the pictures turn out I will certainly post up. If they don't, I will suggest then pursue a new career.

 

[Thomas Wayne]

Thanks again. I plan to take the advice in this thread and have them shoot outside. If the pictures turn out I will certainly post up. If they don't, I will suggest then pursue a new career.

Photographers will spend untold fortunes on lighting system attempting to create perfect lighting without "hots pots" or unintended shadows. So they add small fill lights here and there and reflector panels to chase the shadows out from under a cue...

If only they had a lighting system so large and so evenly spread out that it could almost wrap the light around the cue in a beautiful and natural way which the camera lens could then capture. Oh wait... they DO have such a system. It's a large star at the center of our solar system that we call "the sun".

TW

 

[05carbondrz]

If You look at the pics in my Tascarella FS Thread those where taken with a Iphone 6 Outside in about 5 Minutes.One turned out a bit blurry but I was very pleased with the others.