Jennifer Boyer on fri 3 apr 98
Well I'm taking pictures of pots these days and have been using various
half baked techniques to prop up platters and flat forms so nothing
shows: how do you guys do this? I don't want to hang them from
anything. They need to rest on the table. I've been leaning them on a
kiln brick, with a little piece of neoprene stuck to the platter where
it rests on the table so it doesn't slip, but this is a tenuous set
up, prone to crashes. Any ideas? TIA
Jennifer
--
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Jennifer Boyer jboyer@plainfield.bypass.com
Thistle Hill Pottery
Powder Horn Glen Rd
Montpelier, VT 05602
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Berry Silverman on sat 4 apr 98
Photographers use soft beeswax -- probably can be found in a photo
store. Also, you might try shooting from overhead. Put your platter on
a flat surface and shoot from above. If you rest the piece on a brick
or jar (which won't show) on your background, the plate actually looks
like it's floating.
Berry in Tucson
Berryware
Tim Stowell on sat 4 apr 98
I am assuming you don't want them on edge or I would reccommend the Omni
stands that Axner sells.
When we need to prop something I make a lump of clay and smush the
platter down onto it angling it in the direction I intend it to go. After
doing it for a few pieces you can get the idea of how much to use so
there is enough to hold the piece, but still in a spot that can be
hidden. Our work has a 1/2" foot and the entire bootom is glazed, so
there is something for the clay to adhere to. If these directions aren't
clear enough I'll try to explain in further detail. I came up with this
idea late one night when we had to get slides delivered to a show the
next day. Good luck....works for us
Tim
Tim Stowell Gerard Stowell Pottery
Stacey Gerard 290 River Street
tstwll@juno.com Troy, NY 12180
(518)272-0983 www.trytroy.org/gerard/
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Kathleen Garfield on sat 4 apr 98
Hi,
To properly photograph a platter put it flat on the floor then stand
over it and aim your camera straight down at it. Two sources of light
coming from angles rather than one light shining directly onto the
platter will work best so as to avoid that big, bright bounce of light
coming off the object. The best background is a piece of colored, matte
paper (like photogapher's stock) in black or deep blue. Once you have it
lit you can also use a kitchen step ladder and kneel on it with your
camera aimed straight down at the platter. This will avoid the
possibility of the platter falling if you've propped it up. You can also
step to one side to get a slight angle to catch texture.
When we were in a financial pinch this method worked just great for the
ceramic art works we photographed for a documentary I made.
Kathleen Garfield
queensrow@earthlink.net
John Hesselberth on sat 4 apr 98
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Well I'm taking pictures of pots these days and have been using various
>half baked techniques to prop up platters and flat forms so nothing
>shows: how do you guys do this? I don't want to hang them from
>anything. They need to rest on the table. I've been leaning them on a
>kiln brick, with a little piece of neoprene stuck to the platter where
>it rests on the table so it doesn't slip, but this is a tenuous set
>up, prone to crashes. Any ideas? TIA
>Jennifer
Jennifer
Try using some clay between your kiln brick and the platter. If it is
good sticky clay it will provide just a little more "crash
protection"--at least for a few minutes until you get your picture taken.
John Hesselberth
Frog Pond Pottery
Pocopson, PA USA
EMail: john@frogpondpottery.com
visit my web site at http://www.frogpondpottery.com
"Why should we be in such desperate haste to succeed and in such
desperate enterprises? If a man does not keep pace with his companions,
perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the
music he hears, however measured or far away." Henry David Thoreau,
Walden, 1854
jetharrs@pacific.telebyte.net on sat 4 apr 98
You might buy one of those transparent plastic plate holders. Or, how
about inventing a custom designed holder out of bisque? One that would fit
the bottom design of your platter and held it at just the right angle?
Just a thought.
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Well I'm taking pictures of pots these days and have been using various
----snippage-----
Any ideas? TIA
>Jennifer
>
OWL POTTER on sat 4 apr 98
To photograph platters, plates and such, I use the gummy stuff (cannot recall
what it is called!) that is used to hold stuff down during earthquakes, to
fasten the platter in an upright position on its edge to a heavy firebrick or
piece of marble or granite, or whatever I have around that is heavy enough to
hold up the platter and still be completely hidden behind the platter.
Then I place this stuck-together unit on my continuous paper drape and move it
around until I like the lighting and the shadows and etc.
If you cannot get the gummy stuff that is used to earthquake proof exhibits,
maybe you can try using florists' putty. It is green but quite sticky.
Carolynn Palmer, Somerset Center, Michigan
RakuArtist on sat 4 apr 98
Hi Jennifer,
Um... let's see... It's been awhile since I have photogrpahed my claywork...
long story... but suffice it to say... I should be back snapping away soon.
Anyways... I've had my best luck by filling a zip-lock baggie or two with
sand... press all the air out of the bag and zip tight... I use these as sort
of moldable supports for the back of my shallow dishes and platters... and you
can stack them if you make sure they are sitting squarely on top of each
other... Ideally, if I sewed... I'd make these "sand bags"out of a non
slipping fabric of some kind... just a thought.
As far as what to do where the piece touches the background paper... I have
not found a simple solution thus far... I have basically flirted with disaster
and v e r y c a r e f u l l y postioned my platters and plates so that
they were balanced. This only needs to be this way for a short period while
you shoot... a few minutes tops.
Now... I HAVE thought about trying a little ball of "museum wax" pressed on
the backside of where the piece touches the paper so it won't slide... and
this should probably do the trick, but you want to make sure the camera's eye
does not see the wax, or the baggies. You can buy museum wax at hardware
stores (check the Paint Dept. isles, or Earthquake Preparedness displays)...
if you can't find it there, there are other sources availble by mail order as
well.
Here's another thought... why couldn't you brush (or dab) a teeny bit of
rubber cement to the area on the rim of the platter where you want it to touch
the background paper? Let the cement dry first (time being the only drawback)
so that's it's sticky and gummy there... place it on paper, support it while
you postion sand bags, and presto! Should work as well... then you can just
rub the rubber cement off when yo're finished. Just a thought.
You may want to also check out the book... "Photographing Your Craftwork" by
Steve Meltzer. Steve also is a staff writer for The Crafts Report and has a
monthly column. I'm sure he could answer any other concerns you might have.
His book helped my get on my way to better photos and slides tremendously! :-)
Best of luck to you!
Ken Nowicki
RakuArtist@aol.com
"...here in Encino, California where it's cloudy and threatening rain...
(sigh) ...again"
Tim Lynch on sun 5 apr 98
Jennifer: I just finished taking some new slides of my large 16 -20 inch
platters and used various sized chuck to lean them up against. The chucks
were pretty thick. It worked well for me.
Tim
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Well I'm taking pictures of pots these days and have been using various
>half baked techniques to prop up platters and flat forms so nothing
>shows: how do you guys do this? I don't want to hang them from
>anything. They need to rest on the table. I've been leaning them on a
>kiln brick, with a little piece of neoprene stuck to the platter where
>it rests on the table so it doesn't slip, but this is a tenuous set
>up, prone to crashes. Any ideas? TIA
>Jennifer
>
>--
>~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
>Jennifer Boyer jboyer@plainfield.bypass.com
>Thistle Hill Pottery
>Powder Horn Glen Rd
>Montpelier, VT 05602
>~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tim Lynch
The Clay Man
748 Highline Drive
East Wenatchee, WA 98802-5606
509-884-8303
clayman@internet.wsd.wednet.edu
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Museum/1613
JLHclay on sun 5 apr 98
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Well I'm taking pictures of pots these days and have been using various
half baked techniques to prop up platters and flat forms so nothing
shows: how do you guys do this?
J, Can you possibly use your tripod & shoot from above? Or make or buy plate
display tripods. I've made them from wire clothes hangers. If you are using
black cloth as background you can put the display tripod behind the cloth if
it shows otherwise. JLHCLAY
Jennifer Boyer on fri 10 apr 98
Hi Carolyn,
This earth quake stuff seems like the stuff I need. I don't like using a
plate holder in a picture since it shows(not very professional)...... Do
you know of any catalogues that carry earthquake stuff? Would it leave
a residue where it has been stuck? My backdrop paper is knid of pricey
and I don't want to stain it. Do you think florists putty would stain,
in case I can't find a source for earthquake stuff? We don't have big
earthquakes around here so I've never seen it for sale.
I am appreciative of all the people that sent in ideas about my
question. Photographing from above would have been the obvious
solution, but I hate moving my light box and lights. Very time
consuming. They are on a table in a room with low ceilings.
Sand bags sound intriguing too......
Thanks everyone
Jennifer
OWL POTTER wrote:
> ----------------------------Original
> message----------------------------
> To photograph platters, plates and such, I use the gummy stuff (cannot
> recall
> what it is called!) that is used to hold stuff down during
> earthquakes, to
> fasten the platter in an upright position on its edge to a heavy
> firebrick or
> piece of marble or granite, or whatever I have around that is heavy
> enough to
> hold up the platter and still be completely hidden behind the platter.
>
> Then I place this stuck-together unit on my continuous paper drape and
> move it
> around until I like the lighting and the shadows and etc.
>
> If you cannot get the gummy stuff that is used to earthquake proof
> exhibits,
> maybe you can try using florists' putty. It is green but quite
> sticky.
>
> Carolynn Palmer, Somerset Center, Michigan
--
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jennifer Boyer jboyer@plainfield.bypass.com
Thistle Hill Pottery
Powder Horn Glen Rd
Montpelier, VT 05602
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Mary & Leonard Christopher on sat 11 apr 98
Jennifer--I've bought the "earthquake stuff" at places like Home Depot.
It's called DAK Tac or Fun Tac. It's also used to hang posters (so kids
don't need to use thumbtacks). I think you can also get it at
K-Mart/Wal-Mart type places. DAK tac is yellow and the Fun Tac is
blue. Good luck--oh, it's real cheap--under $2 for four sticks and it's
reuseable. I've used it to hang decorative tiles on the walls--but it
can take the wallboard off if you're not careful--found that out the
hard way!! mary christopher, fairport, ny---oh, to my knowledge, it
does not leave a stain, but I'd test it first.
Jennifer Boyer wrote:
>
> This earth quake stuff seems like the stuff I need.
> you know of any catalogues that carry earthquake stuff?
CaraMox on sat 11 apr 98
Jennifer
Quake Hold is available through Flax, a California Art Supply store that ships
(call 18005551212 for their #) and another option is Museum wax (same thing as
quake hold, near as I can tell) which your local gallery or museum preparator
might be able to tell you where they get it. I don't know if it stains, but
it took the plaster right off the pedestals in the gallery where I work.
Cara
Bob Hanlin on sat 11 apr 98
Here's a way to photograph those platters. Put a bit of velcro on the back
of the platter and the opposite type on something that'll stand behind it
and not slip (I used a gallon can of paint). Held the baby up where I
wanted it and the resultant photo was great.
At 08:45 AM 4/10/98 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hi Carolyn,
>This earth quake stuff seems like the stuff I need. I don't like using a
>plate holder in a picture since it shows(not very professional)...... Do
>you know of any catalogues that carry earthquake stuff? Would it leave
>a residue where it has been stuck? My backdrop paper is knid of pricey
>and I don't want to stain it. Do you think florists putty would stain,
>in case I can't find a source for earthquake stuff? We don't have big
>earthquakes around here so I've never seen it for sale.
>
>I am appreciative of all the people that sent in ideas about my
>question. Photographing from above would have been the obvious
>solution, but I hate moving my light box and lights. Very time
>consuming. They are on a table in a room with low ceilings.
>
>Sand bags sound intriguing too......
>Thanks everyone
>Jennifer
>
>OWL POTTER wrote:
>
>> ----------------------------Original
>> message----------------------------
>> To photograph platters, plates and such, I use the gummy stuff (cannot
>> recall
>> what it is called!) that is used to hold stuff down during
>> earthquakes, to
>> fasten the platter in an upright position on its edge to a heavy
>> firebrick or
>> piece of marble or granite, or whatever I have around that is heavy
>> enough to
>> hold up the platter and still be completely hidden behind the platter.
>>
>> Then I place this stuck-together unit on my continuous paper drape and
>> move it
>> around until I like the lighting and the shadows and etc.
>>
>> If you cannot get the gummy stuff that is used to earthquake proof
>> exhibits,
>> maybe you can try using florists' putty. It is green but quite
>> sticky.
>>
>> Carolynn Palmer, Somerset Center, Michigan
>
>
>--
>~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
>Jennifer Boyer jboyer@plainfield.bypass.com
>Thistle Hill Pottery
>Powder Horn Glen Rd
>Montpelier, VT 05602
>~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
>
>
Bob Hanlin
bhanlin@ionet.net
Oklahoma City, OK
Mudnjoy on thu 23 apr 98
> This earth quake stuff seems like the stuff I need. I don't like using a
> plate holder in a picture since it shows(not very professional)...... Do
> you know of any catalogues that carry earthquake stuff? Would it leave
> a residue where it has been stuck? My backdrop paper is knid of pricey
> and I don't want to stain it. Do you think florists putty would stain,
Yes florist putty will stain.
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