Advice About Photographing Fountain Pens

[Drawing61]

I am about to commence documenting my pen accumulation, such as it is, and would welcome any advice about how to photograph pens in the most flattering manner.

[inkstainedruth]

A good way to do close ups without them being blurry is kind of a must (I have a set of closeup filters for my digital SLR, but the camera itself is on the fritz, and I've had to make do with a cell phone).

A lot of people use light boxes (there were directions on how to make one a few years ago, IIRC) in order to have even lighting. Barring that, midday outdoor light gives you the most even color balance, in my experience (I keep thinking I need to get a mini tripod as well).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[gweimer1]

Here's what I get with an Olympus FE-5020, in outdoor light, not in direct light, using just the super-macro setting. I'm about as low tech as you can get, but this really works well for me. The camera is a 12 megapixel model, and I get up about 4" from the pen, and let the auto-focus tell me when I'm good.

 

[Drawing61]

Thanks very much If I have any decent results I will share.

[BT_Summers]

Lighting is all important, I can recommend a mini studio from Amazon

 

https://www.amazon.com/Polaroid-Studio-Lights-Carrying-Backdrops/dp/B0057OX3JY/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1501918885&sr=8-9&keywords=small+photo+studio

 

This arrives complete with a camera stand and spotlights together with a different backdrops.

 

When taking pics they seem to be improved if the pen can be raised up a little so that the shadow is away from the pen, as in this example, it would also stop the pen rolling away because, generally speaking, you want the clip uppermost which is the heavier part.

Edited August 5, 2017 by smiffy20000

[Usernameistaken]

If you're going to shoot a collection of pens for documentation, then it makes sense to set up a small studio specifically for that purpose. Keeping it set up instead of breaking it down and reassembling it each time will increase the consistency between your photos.

 

First think about your composition. Do you want to photograph each pen in the same manner or do you want to vary your composition? If you're just documenting, then photographing them all in a uniform position will simplify the work. Begin with the background. Just find something you like that can fit into your studio set, be it white paper or something more elaborate. Set up you background in your camera frame and then place your pen on set. Once you find a position you like, you can focus your camera, mark the pen's position, and start lighting.

 

Start with your most reflective pen to set up your composition and lighting. If you can light your most complex pen well, then the rest should all fall in line behind it, albeit with some possible minor adjustments. For lighting you can use window light and reflectors, or you can use higher tech lights (anything from desk lamps to studio strobes).

 

I started a deeper discussion of these details in a different thread, which I hope you find useful: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/312841-offering-photography-advice/

 

It's hard to tell from your post how much of the fundamentals you know about photography, so it's difficult to be very specific in addressing your question, but if you have other questions, at any level of understanding, just ask.

 

Good luck!

Edited August 11, 2017 by Usernameistaken

[abstractsbybrian]

Light tables can be good if you want a bright jewel like look.
You can modify it with a black acrylic sheet.

This is matte: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CDHJ6SU/ref=pd_luc_rh_bxgy_01_01_t_img_lh?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

Gloss: https://www.amazon.com/LimoStudio-Acrylic-Reflective-Photography-AGG838/dp/B008ND5GS2/ref=pd_sbs_421_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B008ND5GS2&pd_rd_r=9EYFXH05B89VT4BSP1WZ&pd_rd_w=1RzIX&pd_rd_wg=p4Os8&psc=1&refRID=9EYFXH05B89VT4BSP1WZ

[Drawing61]

If you're going to shoot a collection of pens for documentation, then it makes sense to set up a small studio specifically for that purpose. Keeping it set up instead of breaking it down and reassembling it each time will increase the consistency between your photos.

 

First think about your composition. Do you want to photograph each pen in the same manner or do you want to vary your composition? If you're just documenting, then photographing them all in a uniform position will simplify the work. Begin with the background. Just find something you like that can fit into your studio set, be it white paper or something more elaborate. Set up you background in your camera frame and then place your pen on set. Once you find a position you like, you can focus your camera, mark the pen's position, and start lighting.

 

Start with your most reflective pen to set up your composition and lighting. If you can light your most complex pen well, then the rest should all fall in line behind it, albeit with some possible minor adjustments. For lighting you can use window light and reflectors, or you can use higher tech lights (anything from desk lamps to studio strobes).

 

I started a deeper discussion of these details in a different thread, which I hope you find useful: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/312841-offering-photography-advice/

 

It's hard to tell from your post how much of the fundamentals you know about photography, so it's difficult to be very specific in addressing your question, but if you have other questions, at any level of understanding, just ask.

 

Good luck!

Thanks for your generous offer. I may be calling on you for more advice!

[bobje]

This is an easy way to create an inexpensive studio.

 

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/07/how-to-diy-10-macro-photo-studio.html

[penmanila]

i just use an iphone and good room lighting, and get pretty decent results, i think:

 

 

 

 

 

 

no special lenses or equipment, and in every shot here i just held the phone.

[bobje]

Wow, Butch, those are amazing photographs for a smartphone. The material in the Montblanc Oscar Wilde is stunning.

[Carrau]

Using a type of moldable, tacky putty can be useful for positioning pens and parts optimally, whilst keeping the putty itself out of view.

[penmanila]

many thanks, bobje! i also have a nikon DSLR with a macro lens but frankly have never used them for my pen shots since the iphone came out. the shots above weren't even taken with the 7plus (which i use now) but with a 5 and a 5s. key, i think, is the lighting. here's another couple of shots with the iphone 5 taken four years ago:

 

 

 

the advice about using a bit of putty is spot-on, of course, but not having any, in all of these shots i've just had to very carefully balance the pens. oh--and a plain, uncluttered background helps focus attention on the pen more.

Edited August 27, 2017 by penmanila

[BT_Summers]

I think that the best advice would be to use the highest quality camera that you have available and ideally have some control over lighting and background. The image as shown by gweimer, especially when maginfied, shows that the quality of the focus to be perfect.

[penmanila]

using the best equipment is of course ideal, but there are many other factors involved. for me, these questions come to mind:

 

1. how much are you willing to spend on photographic equipment, if you don't already have it?

 

2. what are you taking the pictures for, and what quality is demanded by your needs?

 

3. how many pens are you taking pictures of, and how much time are you willing to spend on setups?

 

4. what resolution will you be showing the pictures in?

[bobje]

Butch, you might consider creating a blog post about your process and technique for shooting these small objects, because your smartphone cameras are punching above their weight class, and I suspect it has much more to do with the photographer.

[penmanila]

Many thanks again, Bobje. I wish I could do such a mini-tutorial, but I'm as much an amateur as most others here. I just shoot a lot of pics because I write a weekly arts column for a newspaper, and shifted to using just an iPhone a long time ago because I got tired lugging a DSLR around.

 

What i make sure of as far as shooting pens is concerned is to make sure I have a nice flat surface like a table, then good ambient lighting (muted daylight, as through a window or a curtain, not in direct sunlight, never flash unless it's an emergency). Then I compose the shot, framing it in my head, sometimes deciding whether I'll be focusing on the nib or the clip (when you get too close, you might have to choose a focal point because it will shift). I take a few shots, then choose.

 

Take this shot, for example, which I took with an iPhone 5 four years ago. (I remember shooting this one idle afternoon in Hong Kong while waiting for a lecture to finish.)

 

 

If it helps, here's the technical data that Flickr provides on it (of course I didn't know any of this until I had taken and posted the shot):

 

 

The good thing about a regular camera is that you can do close-ups like this and blur the background (took this ten years ago with a Canon PowerShot G7--still just a point-and-shoot). The iPhone 7-plus, by the way, now has this capability, to some extent.

 

 

The only thing I've bought for my iPhone 7-plus is a macro lens by Moment, which allows for shots like this:

 

 

But 95% of the time, it's just my iPhone, a flat table, soft daylight, and a steady hand

 

Time for the pros to chime in!

[katerchen]

I just ordered me a little mobile phone tripod with Bluetooth shutter control. Came in 20 minutes ago, so I just had to try it out right away with whatever I had on my desk .

 

Phone is a MotoG 5th gen ... I know that that current iPhones smoke it in photo quality, but still not too shabby.

 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/dWNDMq0Yp5xjEydp2

 

The nib closeup shows digital artifacts (too much zoom for this budget phone), but the soda can came out really good.

 

Good enough for government work I guess

 

-k

[penmanila]

Not bad at all!

[Erik Dalton]

Great Photos...hmmmm...I was on the fence, But. Now I really want an Oscar Wilde