Tips for Photographing Your ConsignmentsI periodically receive photographs from people requesting assistance with identification and valuation, or for consignment. Unfortunately, the great majority of these are so poor in quality that it is nearly impossible to ascertain what the item is, much less what the condition is like. Both of these aspects are critical, particularly if I am to make a reasonable offer on the piece. I have had the same problem with items I have found for sale in online auctions, such as eBay. The following suggestions should assist you in taking acceptable photographs. 1. Do NOT use a flash. It creates a shadowing effect, exaggerates contrast, and reflects back off the blade, washing out the detail. Shoot the item outside, in diffused (indirect) sunlight. 2. Do NOT shoot the item on your best plaid blanket. Especially if you have an auto-focus camera. Irregular backgrounds can confuse the camera. Lay the item on a solid colored, medium background. I prefer light blue, but any solid color should be okay, as long as it is not too bright. White, for example, causes too much contrast, which makes the item come out dark. 3. No polaroids, please, at least for consignments. They're quick and convenient, but poor in quality. 4. Use a tripod. Your best photos will be shot with 100 or 200 speed film. If you are shooting in the shade, you may need a tripod, so that you can shoot with an F-stop of at least 8. This is particularly true for close-ups. You probably won't be able to shoot close-ups unless you have close-up or macro lenses of some sort, but if you do you will need maximum depth of field on close-up shots. If you don't have a tripod, somebody you know does. Borrow it. 5. If you want me to scan photos of consignments, I will be happy to do so. If you want scans and do not have a scanner, print houses like Kwik Kopy or Kinko's can scan photos for you. Do NOT scan the entire photo. Crop the scan, or zoom in to include only the item you are photographing. 6. Please provide one photograph of the item in its entirety, and one detailed photo of the hilt. |
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