I took this photo to demonstrate that as a “1911 guy” I can accept and embrace modern design and materials.
This was taken with an inexpensive Kodak pocket digital and run through Photobucket’s simple editing feature. It was taken in full shade on a partly cloudy day. I like the way you can see the grain in the 1911 grips, but dislike the way a cloud passing over head shows up as a smudge in the finish of the slide. The HK… well it’s an HK, not much “bling” to show off.
Here’s my attempt, more to catalog my latest build in 7.62x39mm on the AR platform.
Likes - What I like is adding the comments, which helps me keep records of and/or show latest builds/toys to my friends. I like the background of the floor mat, gives it a purposeful ‘tool’-like concept.
Dislikes - Was taken in the basement, using an Apple iPhone whilst under flourescent lighting … so the color balance looks sorta yellowie (sp?).
Not a gun, but a pic that I worked to get what I wanted to showcase (which was the beautiful finish of the HK mag).
C4
Took these pictures to try and sell this gun. It’s an early 70s S&W model 66 357mag. Only thing used was a cell phone. I like how it came out …how the stainless stands out on the dark red counter. In the 1st pic I like how the reflection of the counter makes the edges of the revolver rounded
In pic 2 I like the open cylinder in the background.and it’s position in regards to the barrel.
Not sure what I don’t like since im not into photography. In pic 2 the revolver is on top of the original box it came in so the light seems more dull and the gun doesn’t pop out/stand out as much
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Pretty good IMO. I’ve seen less interesting action shots in gun magazines…
This one works well, especially with the synchronized layout. Even with the constraints you were under, this still could be used as a firearm instructor poster, or for a military website.
If you had been able to take 2 or 3 steps to your left, the background would have been completely impact zone, and that would have made for perfection (IMHO).
This picture works very well. It might not have crazy processing, but for the firearm world, it shows a shooter with good form, proper safety equipment, and engaging in a rapid string of rounds. The exposure is solid, and the focus is in the right spot. This is the sort of photo that most people with cameras strive to get. For the person in the pic, they like it because it is a solid action photo and shows skill. For the viewer, it is a nice picture because the background is out of focus, and the eye goes directly to the spent shell casings.
Overall, this pic is rock steady.
What I would have changed would be based on artistic preferences and from shooting commercial work. I would have made the pic more gritty, if you want I can do a quick edit to show you what I mean. Functionally I would not change anything in this picture, as the composition is solid.
The downside for the person shooting the weapon is the shirt hangs in a manner which makes him look like he could lose a couple pounds. A tighter crop would change that, but again, that is very minor and highly subjective.
Regarding the clouds, I could start rambling off about angle of incident equals angle of reflection and a bunch of other stuff, but it really doesn’t matter. What you have here is a very good, clean picture that showcases the two items very well. This image isn’t set up to be a marketing piece, and it doesn’t try to be. In the layout and details, this picture shows people exactly what they need to know, and it does it very cleanly.
From an artistic point of view, sure, the cloud caused a bit of darkening, but it isn’t something most people would notice. Personally I would have cocked and locked the 1911, but that is just me. The main thing which would have made this picture stand out would have been a change of background. The wood almost camouflages the HK. Since we view things on screen in a scrolling manner, placing the 1911 on the bottom would have negated that to a degree, but that is getting pretty nitpicky. What would look awesome is the exact same pic and lighting, on something darker. The highlights from the 1911 would have still stood out, but the lighter HK would have stood out more as well. Overall, this pic is better than most I see online.
It certainly falls under the firearm context, so it is GTG. From a generic perspective, there isn’t much that really needs to be improved on. HOWEVER, you aren’t shooting generic images, so there is room for a bit of improvement. In this case, the change is simple, and to showcase the beauty and clean lines as well as sheen, there needs to be a bit more showing around the edges. This is certainly a nitpick, and minor, but a SLIGHTLY less close crop would aid in actually showing off the magazine. If you were looking to do something artistic, I would have shot it on a piece of slate so the rough would contrast the smooth, but being as you are shooting for web/ catalog, I would just show a smig more around the edges. Again, we are talking a very minor detail, but it is one that would make a difference in the “first look”.
If I were shooting this for HK social media (which we have), or something similar, I would personally work an isolated background, but I don’t see a need for that as the social media context and other stuff we do that way is pushing for a different result. In the realm of websites, the above pic illustrates the product nicely.
Do you have a larger version you can upload by any chance?
From what I can see, your goal was reached 100% for intent of the image. The background works well, and aids nicely in presenting it as a “work shop” or industrial style layout. I like it. Regarding the dislike, I like the artistist feel the misrepresented whitebalance gives. It is kinda like a sepia tone, and it works nicely whether on purpose or not.
The largest, and most immediate issue with a pic like this is the lack of light. The images become grainy, and very do so very quickly with cell phones showing an overall loss of image quality. Low light also reduces the amount of area which is in focus, which might work for artistic journeys, but fall flat when trying to sell something. For a sales shot, if I were using a phone, I would take the weapon outside for even light. If I couldn’t shoot the picture with cloud cover, I would shoot it in the shade.
When shooting pics to sell a pistol, flat shots of each side are most important, with angled shots added to show the barrel crown, grip screws, or other areas added afterwards.
If you look at the first picture, the human eye is drawn to the white wall or area in the upper right. The weapon being shown on the darker background without the white area would have been a much much more compelling picture, and that means sales.
Good looking revolver though, which model and how much did it end up selling for?
Model 66 no dash, 4inch 357 mag. Still have it, never got around to selling it cause I need the lining in the presentation box repaired. Haven’t gotten around to that yet…
I do have all the generic flat shots. These two I happen to like the best. The others are typical left side/right side shots
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Thanks, I have an idea for something better to use as a background next time.
go to youtube and type Dragan Photoshop. Do that to the shooter.
then look at this and work with some of his ideas… especially dodge and burn. Dodge the shell casings especially. Crop it in cinematic aspect so it looks like a still from a fantasy type movie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeFOVLzDfbY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0NJdwlySzE
You could even get rid of the gravel ground and paste in a road or cobblestones or a brick walkway to make it look more intense.
The shot looks cool though. You could color the smoke with some different light.
I like processed images, you may not be into that sort of thing.
Along with what Stickman said about the big white area, I would get rid of the light switch and door jamb.
Yep! I saw that too…of course way after I took the pic.
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Very nice, I didn’t recognize it as a 66!
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I’ll play along with this very cool thread. I’ll post two pictures from my phones camera roll. (iPhone 5s)
First is a picture I sent someone of my everyday carry. A SP101 3" 357 and a well used kershaw leek. I like the back ground and the obvious shine and shadows produces from a lamp right next to the gun.
Next is a savage axis 25-06 taken on a late season coyote hunt. Purpose was to show off the newly installed Boyds stock.
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Thanks for the feedback. If you get a spare minute, would love to see an edit. I keep telling my buddy he’s getting porky but he doesn’t listen, haha!