Taking Better Pipe Pictures The goal of this article is to give anyone interested in taking better photographs of table top subjects some guidance and specific things to try. Everything explained here has worked well for me, but I welcome additional suggestions and will publish them as addendums at the end of the article.

Objective

Pictures that are: in focus (sharp). lighted so that details of grain or surface treatment show up well and without hot-spots. correctly light balanced so the colors come out rich and true.  cropped for best viewing size.

Basic Rules and Tips

Use diffused lighting, not direct light.  This is explained fully in the Lighting section below. Put the camera on a tripod to avoid any camera movement, especially at slower shutter speeds with diffused light. Set the camera to MANUAL mode rather that automatic mode.  This is will allow settings for optimum results. Use a textured surface, preferably one that is hard like a floor tile.  Samples can be acquired at a flooring company. Have some Poster Putty to hold the pipe up at an angle rather than flat on the background.  This technique will add depth to the picture.  It also works best with the hard surface mentioned in #4.  The following sections provide details and illustrations.

Lighting Setup

These two photos provide examples of very effective lighting set ups that deliver diffused light.  The first is a very inexpensive solution that uses sunlight through a window.  The second uses about $200 of equipment, but has the advantage of producing consistent results, quickly, at any time of day or night.   Method 1 (Left) Pick a window that has a good amount of sunlight throughout the middle part of the day. Cut a piece of bedsheed or pillowcase to cover the window with a single layer of cloth.  Use masking tape to hang the material for short uses.  The material can also be mounted in a wood frame that can be placed in the window at any time.  This will provide good diffused lighting. Place a table in front of the window and put the desired background material on the table. Place the camera on a tripod and extend the tripod to a height that will allow the background to be consistent in the photo.  The bigger the surface, the easier camera placement becomes. Position a piece of white foam core board to reflect light from the window back onto the pipe thus reducing any shadow area.  A second piece can be used if subject requires more light from the camera angle.  Since the reflector board is a bit difficult to see in the photo, this is a diagram looking down on the setup (S=Subject; C=Camera). Use the exposure technique explained under Camera Settings below.   ***I have found the downside of this method to be the difficulty in having exactly the right light when you want to take pictures.  A cloudy day is very different from a sunny day, so exposure control is the key.  A light meter is really helpful with this setup. The photos above were taken using Method 1. Method 2 (Right) The diffusion of light is provided by a "box" of material built on a wire frame.  The only opening is in the front, so light reflects from the sides, top, back and bottom, producing a very even light that does not create any deep shadow areas. The light source is a dual set of goose-neck lamps with 23 watt fluorescent bulbs which produce 200 watts of real power without heat.  They produce a color temperature of 5100K, the color of daylight. Because the lights are easily moved, they can be side lights or back lights, thus the light source is variable at all times to meet desired results.  Simply place the item in the box and use the exposure technique explained below.  However, using a third light, an incandescent bulb of 25 or 40 watts for fill in from the front, can add a bit of yellow that warms up the look of the briar.  ***Unlike the first method, this setup provides the same light every time you want to take a photograph.  Great results are achieved very quickly.  I keep my setup ready to go on a workbench in my basement.  Regardless of the time of day I want to take a picture, I can take an excellent photo and have it on the Internet in 5 minutes. The photos at right were taken using Method 2. Click Logo for a Special Offer! So, as you can see, both methods produce very good results.  The factors in making a decision are really just budget and desired flexibility.

Camera Settings

The selection of cameras in the market today is huge, so  this discussion is one of concept.  You will have to read the instructions that came with your particular camera to determine how to accomplish what is recommended here. Take the camera out of automatic mode.  All too often, the automatic mode with table top subjects produces images that are not adequately exposed and end up looking dull.  This camera has setting marked "M" for manual.  In this position, both the shutter speed and the aperature can be set manually thus providing the flexibility to achieve the optimum exposure for the subject.  Some people use a light meter to determine the correct exposure combination.  That is great if you have one, but not necessary.  With a little experimentation I arrived at what works best in my setup.  I always put the aperature at F-stop 8.0 because that provides substantial "depth of field" so that the pipe bowl and the stem are in focus, even if the pipe  is at an angle to the image plane of the camera.  Your camera may allow for F11, F16, or even F22.  Remember, as the number gets bigger, the aperature gets smaller which results in more  area in focus.  This is really important in table top work. But as the aperature setting becomes smaller, the shutter speed must become slower to allow sufficient light to be recorded.  Most of my pictures in the "light tent" set up require a speed setting of 1/15 to 1/30 of a second.  It will vary based on the pipe and the background.  Please recognize that these settings are only suggestions.  The amount of light in your setup will determine the correct settings.  The nice thing is that once you know what works best in your setup, you will get great results consistently. The final issue in this section is focusing on the subject.  Some cameras do not do an adequate job in the autofocus mode.  If manual focus is available, it will give you the most precise control of the image.

Poster Putty

This soft, pliable material is excellent for holding a pipe up from the photo surface.  Any size chunk can be pulled off to support a given pipe.   And it pulls free from the pipe without leaving any residue. It has different names depending on the manufacturer, but is available at most hobby or hardward stores.  This particular one came from Wal-Mart in the office and school supplies section.   The photo at right shows how it is used.  Of course you don't want it to show in the actual photo!  A smaller piece under and behind the pipe would be very adequate. Another nice benefit of this tool is that the pipe can be moved slightly into a position that minimizes any obvious reflections from the surface of the pipe.

Surfaces, Backgrounds, Props

Very different results can be achieved by altering one or more of these components of your setup.  Do some experimentation with items you have already: tobacco tins, tobacco itself, tampers, books, pictures, flowers, ... whatever you see about the house that intrigues you. To illustrate, here are two photos of the same pipe.  Just remember that a less reflective dark setup will require a slower shutter speed to get the optimum exposure.  Now have some fun.  Give it a try.

Fine Tuning

Here is one last suggestion.  This is really the icing on the cake.  No matter how great your photos are, they can often be a little better with tweaking on your computer with photo enhancement software.  The application doesn't have to be expensive, but it should have the following capabilities: Crop and Re-size Adjust exposure (brightness, contrast, gamma) Color adjustment (red, green. blue) There are a number in the market at various price points, but the one I use is ACDsee by ACD Systems.  It is only $50, very easy to use, and does everything I need to do to maintain the images on this site.  You can even download a Trial at no charge.

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