CaraMox on fri 10 apr 98
Jan:
Russell Harts book, "Photographing your artwork" is out of print. I am going
to ask Amazon to try to locate a copy for me, but if anyone on the list knows
of an extra copy lying around, or knows of another book which might be in
print, please let me know. I would love to buy a book that deals with this
subject. My local Barnes & Noble doesn't have a single book on shooting art
(although there are several on shooting weddings, children, pets, and fruit)
I shoot my own artwork, and without having taken classes or reading books,
just having lots of people tell me different things and trying them out. By
the time I realized that I had some specific questions, I lived in a part of
the country where they figure artists hire photographers or something. My
last batch of slides came out bad, and I discovered (with the help of the
color lab, who feared their chemistry was to blame) that my cheap white shower
curtain diffusion screen, which worked well for a year, had shifted color.
That might be why no one back home ever used them. Whenever I wonder why I do
this myself, I remind myself how much I move around and hate finding a new
mechanic, let alone a new photographer.
Cara Moczygemba
in New Orleans
John Hesselberth on sat 11 apr 98
Cara,
I'm pretty sure Steve Meltzer's book titled "Photgraphing Your Craftwork"
(Interweave Press, ISBN 0-934026-81-5) is still available. I have also
written a series of 2 short articles for Clay Times documenting one way
(and only one of many approaches) that works for me. It is suitable for
people on a low budget and for those who want a good starting point that
works for pots and from which they can expand their capabilities later.
The first part is in the March/April 1998 issue of Clay Times and the
second part will be published in the May/June issue. Both parts are also
posted on my web site (http://www.frogpondpottery.com)
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Jan:
>
>Russell Harts book, "Photographing your artwork" is out of print. I am going
>to ask Amazon to try to locate a copy for me, but if anyone on the list knows
>of an extra copy lying around, or knows of another book which might be in
>print, please let me know. I would love to buy a book that deals with this
>subject.
>
>Cara Moczygemba
>in New Orleans
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
RakuArtist on sat 11 apr 98
In a message dated 04-10-98, Cara wrote:
>Russell Harts book, "Photographing your artwork" is out of print. I am going
>to ask Amazon to try to locate a copy for me, but if anyone on the list knows
>of an extra copy lying around, or knows of another book which might be in
>print, please let me know. I would love to buy a book that deals with this
>subject.
<>
Cara,
Try "Photographing Your Craftwork" by Steve Meltzer. I'm sorry I don't have
the ISBN# for you as my copy is stashed away in storage right now... but I'm
sure it is still in print. I've used this book with GREAT results. Steve
Meltzer runs a monthly column as well about photography in "The Crafts Report"
magazine... if you pick up a copy I'm sure you will find an ad somewhere in
there for his book. He also list's his phone number at the end of every column
he writes in case you ever want to call him directly. I believe he is in
Seattle somewhere. I bought my copy years ago from "The Potter's Shop" (By the
way... "great source" for mail-order books on ceramics). Contact Steve
Branfman, he runs The Potters Shop and is also a member of this list. I'm sure
Steve can hook you up with Meltzer's book, or at least a good substitute.
Steve's email address is SBRANFPOTS@aol.com Best wishes and happy
"clicking"!!! :-)
Ken Nowicki
RakuArtist@aol.com
....here in Encino, CA where the weatherman tells us it will rain all day
tomorrow and yet it's clear blue skies and a sunny 78 degrees in the San
Fernando Valley today... go figure...
MRS SANDRA L BURKE on sat 11 apr 98
Cara,
I teach photography as will as cermics. If you want an inexpensive
diffuser to photograph your artwork you don't need something as large
as a shower curtain. Make a square out of medium weight cardboard and
cut out a square opening. The opening must be larger than the
diameter of your lens. Then stretch one or two layers of white panty
hose over this and tape it down securely.
I also like to have a tap of cardboard at the top of this difuser so
that I can place velcro on this and on the top of the lens, it leaves
your hands free and you don't have to worry about taping and untaping.
By the way why are you suing a difusing screen? If you need to get
rid of glare try a polarinzing fliter. you can get ones that screw
onto your lens or a system that will hold several different types of
filters and is made to fit many lenses of different diameters.
Sandra Burke
Russel Fouts on sun 12 apr 98
Pot Poppers,
Steve's email address is:
74204.2252@Compuserve.com
Write him he will make arrangements to sell you a copy if he has some
available. It's a great book.
I think he used to live in, as he called it Taxifornia but moved to
Sarasota, Fla a few years ago.
Russel
Russel Fouts
Mes Potes & Mes Pots
Brussels, Belgium
32 2 223 02 75
Http://users.skynet.be/russel.fouts
Http://www.japan-net.or.jp/~iwcat
LizzardOL on mon 13 apr 98
In a message dated 4/10/98 5:44:51 AM, you wrote:
Steve Meltzer's book "Photographing your craftwork" is still in print if you
can't find the one your looking for.
<going
to ask Amazon to try to locate a copy for me, but if anyone on the list knows
of an extra copy lying around, or knows of another book which might be in
print, please let me know. I would love to buy a book that deals with this
subject. My local Barnes & Noble doesn't have a single book on shooting art
(although there are several on shooting weddings, children, pets, and fruit)
>>
Dwiggins, Sandra on wed 15 apr 98
Sandra:
Thanks for mentioning diffusers for lenses. I use diffusers for my lights. I
usually drape pairs of polyester underpants or white/grey chiffon scarves over
my lights, depending on how much diffusion I want. The white panty hose idea
is a good idea for the lights, too.
Sandy
-----Original Message-----
From: MRS SANDRA L BURKE [SMTP:KBRV36B@prodigy.com]
Sent: Saturday, April 11, 1998 10:55 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list CLAYART
Subject: Photographing Artwork
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Cara,
I teach photography as will as cermics. If you want an inexpensive
diffuser to photograph your artwork you don't need something as large
as a shower curtain. Make a square out of medium weight cardboard and
cut out a square opening. The opening must be larger than the
diameter of your lens. Then stretch one or two layers of white panty
hose over this and tape it down securely.
I also like to have a tap of cardboard at the top of this difuser so
that I can place velcro on this and on the top of the lens, it leaves
your hands free and you don't have to worry about taping and untaping.
By the way why are you suing a difusing screen? If you need to get
rid of glare try a polarinzing fliter. you can get ones that screw
onto your lens or a system that will hold several different types of
filters and is made to fit many lenses of different diameters.
Sandra Burke
Corinne Null on fri 17 apr 98
In the postings on this thread, Sandra mentions white panty hose over the
lens, while Sandy mentions something over the lights. Wouldn't the hose
over the lens diffuse the details in the photograph and make everything
sort of "dreamy"? Whereas, stretching something in front of the lights
would be difficult without causing a fire. How would you make a light
diffuser, as opposed to a lens diffuser? Which would really be better to do?
Corinne
At 08:11 AM 4/15/98 -0400, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Sandra:
>Thanks for mentioning diffusers for lenses. I use diffusers for my
lights. I
>usually drape pairs of polyester underpants or white/grey chiffon scarves
over
>my lights, depending on how much diffusion I want. The white panty hose
idea
>is a good idea for the lights, too.
>Sandy
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: MRS SANDRA L BURKE [SMTP:KBRV36B@prodigy.com]
>Sent: Saturday, April 11, 1998 10:55 AM
>To: Multiple recipients of list CLAYART
>Subject: Photographing Artwork
>
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Cara,
>I teach photography as will as cermics. If you want an inexpensive
>diffuser to photograph your artwork you don't need something as large
>as a shower curtain. Make a square out of medium weight cardboard and
>cut out a square opening. The opening must be larger than the
>diameter of your lens. Then stretch one or two layers of white panty
>hose over this and tape it down securely.
>I also like to have a tap of cardboard at the top of this difuser so
>that I can place velcro on this and on the top of the lens, it leaves
>your hands free and you don't have to worry about taping and untaping.
>
>By the way why are you suing a difusing screen? If you need to get
>rid of glare try a polarinzing fliter. you can get ones that screw
>onto your lens or a system that will hold several different types of
>filters and is made to fit many lenses of different diameters.
>Sandra Burke
>
Corinne Null
Bedford, NH
USA
null@mediaone.net
CaraMox on sun 19 apr 98
Corinne:
I put diffusion material over the lights to keep from producing harsh shadows.
The way I did this was to build a "soft box" from foam core, that the light
reflector would fit into, and cover the other end with diffusion material (in
my failed experience, white shower curtain. The color changed after about a
year, perhaps from the heat of the lights) Since there is about 10" of space
between the light and the diffusion material, the risk of fire, was, I felt,
minimal. I am now switching to photographic diffusion material, meant to
clamp directly onto the reflector itself, which should be relatively tolerant
of heat. For photographing artwork, putting anything over the lens would
detract from the image.
Cara Moczygemba
MRS SANDRA L BURKE on sun 19 apr 98
Connie,
Somehow that information got a little confused. I don't stretch panty
hose over the lights------that IS a fire hazzard and since my house
burned down about a year ago I am very Paraniod about that sort of
thing. What I do is HANG either a trnaslucent cloth or a piece of
translucent mylar in front of the lights. If I am using hot lights
(IE something other than studio strobes) I use a special
photo/theatre mylar which is fireproof.
As for the pantyhose, I sometimes use either black or white
stretched across some cardboard. This is normally used in portrait
photography to difuse tiny wrinkles or blemishes. It is not enough
diffusion to obscure all details BUT it will obsure any fine details
or delicate surface texture. I recommed it only for highly glossy
glazes where a polaizing filter is not helping or if you do not have
or cannot afford another piece of equipment.
The stretched panty hose is going to be so close to the lens that it
is not going to cause much problems. Plus it is a very fine weave. In
my photography I have photographed through a chain link fence and
ALMOST made the fence dissapear by focusing in the distance and using
the right f/stop.
Sandra B
Bob Yost on sun 19 apr 98
Are photographers that expensive?
After you create your work there is nothing more important than good
slides.
I believe everyone should be able to use a camera so they can document
their work, but the slides to enter show/galleries are too important to
use pantyhose to diffuse light.
Would you use scales that are approximately correct to make a glaze?
Photography is about light, you want your light to be accurate so you
can count on your results and repeat them when needed.
I recommend potters hire a photographer, just find one that needs dishes
or wedding gifts or what ever and barter with them.
Ceramists need to be able to communicate to a photographer to be happy
with the results. Communication is the key, photographers like
significant others can't read your minds.
Are your pots about size, scale is deceiving in photography, but can
shown.
Are your pots about volume ? If so, they should be double lit or the
light bounced.
Are your pots about glaze color or surface decoration ?
Are your pots about surface treatment or texture ? Single harsh light
can emphasize this.
Explain what's important and if that can't be emphasized in the over all
shot the photographer should shoot a detail to show it.
I have my degrees in ceramics and photography. When I talk to fellow
potters, if they were not satisfied with a photographers work, I ask
them to articulate to me what they wanted and usually it was lost in the
translation or they did not tell the photographer what they wanted. Each
craft has it's language, learn enough about photography to be able to
tell them what you want, better yet teach them enough about pots so they
can understand what you want.
It took them as long to learn to make great photographs as it took you
achieve you level of expertise, why do you think, you can buy a camera
and take photographs well enough to not be juried out of a show. I've
been on a jury panel, bad slides will knock you out of the show, great
slides (it's their job to make them look better than the real thing) can
only help you.
Just concerned for my fellow potters,
Bob
Susan Raku on mon 20 apr 98
Bob, in this area photographers charge from $80 PER HOUR on up. I used to
take six to ten pots in and come away with a bill of about $500.
Susan
Lee Love on tue 21 apr 98
I use a photographer named Peter Lee in Minneapolis (you can see
his work in Warren MacKenzie's book published by Kodansha.) I get 3
slides each of a dozen pieces and it costs around $100.00. If I
remember right, he charges about $75.00/hour, plus film. But he does a lot
of photography of pottery so he wastes no time.
You work hard making the best work you can. Don't handicap
the work with slides that are not as good as the work.
Lee
-----Original Message-----
From: Susan Raku
>Bob, in this area photographers charge from $80 PER HOUR on up. I used to
>take six to ten pots in and come away with a bill of about $500.
>
>Susan
/(o\' Lee In Saint Paul, Minnesota USA
\o)/' mailto:Ikiru@Kami.com i
' http://www.millcomm.com/~leelove/
Sandra K. Tesar on tue 21 apr 98
Jerry Anthony 614-451-5207 FAX 614-457-3123 photographs only
craft....in 4 shot minimums, with about $35 per shot. His work is
excellent. His prices reasonable. I used him in the mid eighties, when
he set up and did a shoot during the Tenn. TACA Fall SHow - then, too
uncomfortable shipping work to him in Columbus, Ohio - I plied my best to
shoot my own, then hired 4 other prof. photographers in my geo. region.
A potter friend I was talking to at a show this past fall said he had
been having trouble getting into competitive shows....decided to bite the
bullet and ship to Jerry Anthony....all he knew was he got into every
show he applied for with J.A. shots..... I called and renewed
acquaintance with these lovely people ( Sharron/Jerry) shipped my work,
got it back in less than 10 days, all fine, shots superb same results as
friend: accepted into competitive shows.
They send comprehensive literature and pricing....worth the call. I
also began by sending them the work of the 4 photographers plus my own.
THey responded honestly and fairly about the work and their abilities -
my own work ranked high in their opinion other than the color balancing
which they guarantee. If you are in to competitive shows, for under 300
you can have 5 masters and a mess of dupes to work with, plus the advise
of former potter Sharon on slide submission strategies and selection of
pieces. That is worth something too and comes free.
Just one opinion.
A Jerry ANthony Fan
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Dwiggins, Sandra (NCI) on tue 21 apr 98
Agreed, the information got a bit confused. I was commenting on stretching the
panty hose over an opening in a piece of cardboard which would be put between
the lights and the object--not stretching the panty hose over the light---that,
as Sandra pointed out, would be a big no-no. However, I don't use powerful hot
lights. I use modest color-corrected 60 watt bulbs, or if those aren't handy, I
use film that's been color balanced for indoor work and use 60 watt bulbs. I
drape diffusing material--as I mentioned before old underware or scarves--not
over the bulb, but over the lamp holder--those aluminum thingies that clip on to
the furniture. I check them frequently to make sure they are not getting too
hot.
I find that with a good SLR camera and good lenses, what you see in your
viewfinder is what you will get on the slide. If you know the color range and
balance of your film--i.e. Kodak emphasizes reds/yellows, Fuji does blues/greens
well, etc., you can take excellent slides with a very homey set up. I have a
tripod, 3 lights, my dining room table, and many colors of charcoal paper for a
back drops. Now, I would only recommend this for objects that are on the
average in size. For very large complex pieces, this set-up would not work. I
would definitely rely on a professional for these things. But work closely with
your photographer...I believe Eleanora talked about this many moons ago.
Sandy--not to be confused with Sandra--even though we are both commenting about
photos.
-----Original Message-----
From: MRS SANDRA L BURKE [SMTP:KBRV36B@prodigy.com]
Sent: Sunday, April 19, 1998 10:57 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list CLAYART
Subject: Re: Photographing Artwork
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Connie,
Somehow that information got a little confused. I don't stretch panty
hose over the lights------that IS a fire hazzard and since my house
burned down about a year ago I am very Paraniod about that sort of
thing. What I do is HANG either a trnaslucent cloth or a piece of
translucent mylar in front of the lights. If I am using hot lights
(IE something other than studio strobes) I use a special
photo/theatre mylar which is fireproof.
As for the pantyhose, I sometimes use either black or white
stretched across some cardboard. This is normally used in portrait
photography to difuse tiny wrinkles or blemishes. It is not enough
diffusion to obscure all details BUT it will obsure any fine details
or delicate surface texture. I recommed it only for highly glossy
glazes where a polaizing filter is not helping or if you do not have
or cannot afford another piece of equipment.
The stretched panty hose is going to be so close to the lens that it
is not going to cause much problems. Plus it is a very fine weave. In
my photography I have photographed through a chain link fence and
ALMOST made the fence dissapear by focusing in the distance and using
the right f/stop.
Sandra B
Cynthia Spencer on wed 22 apr 98
>in this area photographers charge from $80 PER HOUR on up. I used to
>take six to ten pots in and come away with a bill of about $500.
I admit that $500 for just 5 shots seems high, and should have been much
less than that. But, let's say you spend $250 to get good jury slides,
and it helps you get into just 5 shows. You make between $1000-$5000 per
show, or more, doesn't it seem well worth it? That's only $50 per show.
If you're already getting into shows with your own slides, then fine, but
if you're taking your own, and Not getting into the good shows, it's
worth investigating a professional. I've used my professional slides for
four years now (just had new ones done), so the cost has really been
worth it.
On asking to barter-- Some might, but I believe that the better
photographers who shoot a lot of pottery, would have it coming out their
ears if they always bartered. They need the cold hard $$$ as much as we
do.
Susan Raku on thu 23 apr 98
Cynthia, I get into 30 to 50 percent of the national shows I apply to. These
are not fairs but exhibits at universities, museums, art organizations, etc..
I rarely make any money because it is only on occasion that one can expect to
sell from these shows or get a prize. And at times the piece that I am
showing is not for sale since it ( or at least the slide)is an entry to other
shows. I must confess that entering these competitions serves only to build
my resume and my ego and will soon get old. Until then I aim to keep the
costs down.
If I were applying to income producing shows I would definitely approach this
with a different attitude.
Susan
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