Just The Nibs

[mehandiratta]

One of the best looking Indian Nibs

 

[truphae_inc]

Here's a few of our favorite recent nib shots!

 

[dms525]

 

[JonSzanto]

Hmmph... Not certain why I can't quote David's lovely nib - Montegrappa? Anyway, good to see it and you, my friend.

 

Here's a little quick-and-dirty from my iPad: got one of the cheap Moonman pens and decided to put this ~70 year old Moore Maniflex nib in it. Perfect fit, writes lovely. These are such cool little nibs.

 

 

[Claud]

Nikon D7000, 85 MM Macro. Free hand, old dude, Old "birds".

[AAAndrew]

What a great bunch of photos, nibs and photographers.

 

I’m soon to embark on a project to begin to photograph some of the highlights of my dip nib collection. Here are some challenges I’ve had in the past in trying to casually photograph these nibs and thought I’d get some suggestions from this great group.

 

1. The imprints on the heels of the nibs. The heels often are small and have a tighter diameter than the nibs themselves. The challenge is getting both focus and light right so that the whole imprint is readable from top to bottom. Would a more diffuse light work better, or should I try for up, down and middle lights?

 

2. Bright silver nibs. Some nibs are coated wih a very bright silver alloy. These play havoc with lights, ending up with bright spots and dark spots. Would a dark background be better than a white one or would it tend to create too much contrast? I keep imaging a histogram like a sharp “V.” But I’m also thinking dark would give me better latitude in post processing curves in Photoshop, but not sure.

 

3. Reducing curvature over the length of the pen. Is it better to move out a bit and zoom in? I know that will help with flattening the image a bit, but not sure about avoiding lens distortion. My lens theory is greatly lacking.

 

Any suggestions on where to start are appreciated. I’m sure this will take some experimentation, but anything to cut the learning curve a bit is helpful.

 

Thanks,

Andrew

[Inky.Fingers]

Sounds like you need a light box, with even lighting on all sides. The imprints can be highlighted with a white pencil. Perhaps, someone with more experience can give a better suggestion.

[JonSzanto]

Sounds like you need a light box, with even lighting on all sides.

 

Absolutely. I'm just an amateur but even with just a phone cam, an inexpensive light box setup can work wonders. You are totally in luck, too, because you are working with small objects. There are a lot of very low-cost options on eBay - mine was a completely collapsible fabric light box, 4 different background cloths and two light for about $25. Folds up and packs away in seconds. Controlling the light with these type of objects is key to getting a good shot, as well as just a few tricks of post-shot editing. All stuff that can be learned. BTW, somewhere around here was an excellent thread that was started by a photographer on tips for shooting pens. Drop me a PM if you want me to look it up.

 

Oh, and P.S. - this is often where a macro lens would come in handy. If you are really just shooting nibs and small objects you are going to be getting close to the subject and a macro would be recommended.

 

Extra-P.S.S. - the thread on photographing pens can be found here.

Edited June 5, 2018 by JonSzanto

[Ron Z]

This was taken using a light cube from eBay, color corrected CFL, freehand with a Canon Digital ELPH. Editing with Photo House included with Word Perfect 8.

 

http://www.mainstreetpens.com/pix/pilot_small.jpg

[JonSzanto]

Great example, Ron. With a good eye and some basic smarts and experimenting, one can achieve very nice results. The Elph series are nice, too!

[Tseg]

PFM

 

[Tom Kellie]

Duly Noted

[Tom Kellie]

Bespoke Small Signature with a Wee Spiderling

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