Shot some pictures today...

[ChrisM]

I spent about 4 hours today trying to light and shoot my blades. I went in thinking "This is going to be a challenge" it turned out to be far more difficult than I anticipated.

 

My setup today was:

1. Pair of photo grade LED lights. I tried barn doors, softboxes, and everything else but ended up just using them as "naked" lights. One was on a boom arm, the other on a normal light stand.

2. The shots here are all taken with my iPhone. Once the lighting was set, that was more fun than the big camera, as the big OLED screen made it easier to play. I have a bunch of shots from my D5, but frankly I haven't looked at them yet and doubt they are very good. All the editing was also done on my iPhone while watching a thunderstorm with my kids this evening...

 

The blades:

1. The Wakazashi is (according to Markus's translation) signed by Hōki no Kami Fujiwara Nobutaka (伯耆守藤原信高), and ranked as Tokubetsu-Hozon Tōken.

2. The Katana is (according to Markus's translation) signed by Sōshū-jū Tsunahiro. The Sayagaki is "Written by Tanzan Hendō [pen name of Tanobe Michihiro]"

 

 

 

[ChrisM]

I liked this one as well:

[Ken-Hawaii]

Good photos, Chris, but I'd be happier if the roses & blades were exchanged, position-wise.

[ChrisM]

Good photos, Chris, but I'd be happier if the roses & blades were exchanged, position-wise.

 

It's interesting - I don't yet have an aesthetic sense for how to compose these blades. I'm good (aka: experienced) with people and landscapes, but inanimate objects are new to me.

 

I was trying to find "interesting" things to add, and playing with position, but nothing yet felt "right". On the plus side my daughter (9yr) had a blast helping me. She arranged the pink roses and petals, and was having fun "Stirring" the fog...

 

(We "almost" went fruit ninja, adding in kiwis, oranges, and other colorful fruit! Had I seen a dragonfruit in the store, I would have tried that... )

[PNSSHOGUN]

Focus on the blade with a dark silk background and you're onto something. As for the flowers and ephemera.....your daughter shouldn't quit her day job

[Stephen]

I guess the term smoke an mirror's

Come to mind.

MHO your quite daft!

[ChrisM]

[...] your daughter shouldn't quit her day job

 

We both had fun, which was really my main goal. Fortunately my day job isn't taking pictures of nihonto, or else I may be in real trouble!

 

I'm looking forward to try again some day soon.

[w.y.chan]

Reminds me of "Romantic Swordsman" in wuxia novel

[vajo]

Nice pictures. I like it.

[TETSUGENDO]

Very theatrical Chris, if you two were going for drama and an air of mystery you've achieved it...your daughter must have enjoyed managing the 'Special Effects'!

 

-S-

[16k]

Lovely pictures, but man, you should quit smoking! :lol

[vajo]

I liked this one as well:

IMG_2276.JPG

This one is a perfect book cover for a novel.

[EdWolf]

Beautiful pictures. Well done.

Best regards,

Ed

[ROKUJURO]

I always thought it was Guns and Roses, not blades and roses.....

It is of course a matter of personal taste, but I would be completely satisfied with a good photo of the blade showing all features, and a neutral background. 

[vajo]

Jean i think he catch the atmosphere of beauty and the beast very good. Why not making a picture to enjoy the art of the sword in that way. A good idea.

[ChrisM]

[...] I would be completely satisfied with a good photo of the blade showing all features, and a neutral background. 

 

I totally get that. The problem is it's been done - even these exact blades have had beautiful pictures taken of them. You can see the Katana here; those pictures Moses took are technically stunning and I would be hard pressed to get better ones during my first ever nihonto shoot. The amount of technical excellence in Moses's pictures is really amazing.

 

My personal preference is for something a bit more artistic, doing something a bit more creative and (ideall) different than what most folks have seen before.

[Stephen]

Understood...but and its a big one.

The focus should be the sword. Background should be way secondary.

Romantic should be samurai life is as brief as cherry petals...so a few fallen petals expreses it with less is more.

[Ken-Hawaii]

Yeah, stick the pretty one on your Website, Chris, & post blade-only shots on NMB. Your shots were picking up a lot of the blades' details, which is excellent.

[Ed]

The photos are well done, but even so most people here are traditionalists.  Even if the composition is not necessarily my taste, as long as you like them and are able to enjoy quality time with your child, then it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. If you are having fun then keep on keeping on.

 

Two concerns, first having a 9y/o in close proximity to a sharp and pointy sword could be dangerous.  Accidents are much less forgiving with roses than swords.

 

Second, isn't "fog" made from water and glycerin. That sounds like a great way to produce rust on your swords.  It appears that you have a couple of nice swords, so be very diligent in cleaning them after your shoot.  

[Ray Singer]

I had the same concern that Ed mentioned above. I used one of these machines recently when directing a short film (not sword-related) and there was a bit of thin residue where the "fog" condensed on the surfaces.

[Ken-Hawaii]

If everything is at the same temperature, I don't think anything would condense. It's 82F in my house, with the humidity at 86%, & I see no sign of condensation on metal surfaces.

[Tom Darling]

Be safe set your a/c at 76. Peace.

 

 

Tom D.

[Ed]

Ken, I am not certain about condensation per se, but regardless of temperature, humidity or any other factors, if the fog is swirling around the sword for the photos surely some of it will settle, stick, adhere, fuse, bond or in some manner end up on the surface of the blade.

 

Any way you cut it, moisture on metal = increased risk of oxidation.

[Brian]

Fog/smoke machines use glycerine.
Not sure if there is water too...but either way they require a good clean afterwards.

[Ed]

Glycerine and distilled water.

 

https://sciencing.com/make-fogmachine-fluid-6168233.html

 

https://www.froggysfog.com/fluids/fog-juice-machine-fluids.html

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fog_machine

[Stephen]

Dry ice?

[Ken-Hawaii]

That would definitely change the temperature! I wasn't arguing whether the blade needed cleaning after fog, just pointing out that having everything at the same temp wouldn't accelerate corrosion, Ed.

[ChrisM]

> [...] having a 9y/o in close proximity to a sharp and pointy sword could be dangerous.  Accidents are much less forgiving with roses than swords.

 

 

While you are certainly correct, I let my kids hold them under my supervision. They have proven responsible with Model Trains, RC Cars, Knives, and now swords. 

 

They are very aware how sharp they are... 

 

 

> Second, isn't "fog" made from water and glycerin. That sounds like a great way to produce rust on your swords.  

 

 

The fog is dry ice, so I'm not quite sure the breakdown. There's certainly some water in there, but it's mostly CO2. 

 

Either way, I broke down the swords and fully cleaned/oiled them once done. 

 

//Chris

[Stephen]

G4U

[russbellon]

Understood...but and its a big one.

The focus should be the sword. Background should be way secondary.

Romantic should be samurai life is as brief as cherry petals...so a few fallen petals expreses it with less is more.

Yes, i was thinking a sparse scattering of cherry blossom petals on a black silk background would add some interest and romance without distracting from the nioi-guchi  we want to look at.

 

And maybe lay off the bong hits until after you're finished.