Topic: local "99cents Only" weight finds (Pics gone / links broken)

[jemimamoon]

Well couldn't pass up the deal on these weights.  I thought I should share.  I bought nine of them.  All different.  Here are some pics of one of them.  I have been attempting to take decent photos of them but to no avail.  Does anyone have any hints on the lighting that works the best?? I will post the others whenI get some good ones.

Jemimamoon


http://www.yourimagehost.com/pf.php?fid=4184

[KevinH]

Hi Jemimamoon,

Nice weight - even with the stray bubbles in the dome.
Looking forwarding to the other photos  

For "best photo lighting" you could try constructing a "light tent" of some form but that's not easy without buying a proper piece of kit.

I usually just use a plain white background that does not show joins or creases. I then check for how much of the room, me and other "objects" are reflected in the dome and try to eliminate as many as possible by closing curtains or hanging up a screen of some kind. I always leave a single daylight source to let the camera do its auto-focus job.

Having got the basic setting, I go for shots without flash and with. But I let the camera pre-focus and then I stand between the daylight and the weight to get rid of much of the other refelctions before taking the shot. With the non-flash shots I sometimes find the reflections are too much but with the flash usually most of the unwanted stuff is killed off.

If there are room lights on - I switch them off. If it's dark anyway and I have to use artificial lighting (which is quite frequent in dear old England) I always use flash to get the best colour balance but I also use a halogen light for the stages up to pre-focus and then try with the lamp on and off.

When using flash, there can occasionally be too much glare bounced back from the white background - particularly troublesome for profile views or top views where the weight has a clear ground. By adjusting the distance between the background and the weight much of the flare is avoided. For the top view shots, I stand the weight on a clear plastic support giving about 3 inches clearance from a sheet of plain white paper.

For images of the base of a weight, it is useful to try regular flash and non-flash shots but also to take the image using an open window as a background and with no flash. That way, subtle features of the base finish can be highlighted - but the weight needs to be moved around to find the best view.

[jemimamoon]

Thanks Kevh.

I will get to work and post when decent.  Again thank you.


Jemimamoon

[Anonymous]

Thanks Kevh.

I will get to work and post when decent.  Again thank you.


Jemimamoon

Why what you doing then...

gareth

[Anne]

Something indecent... don't be nosy Gareth!!!  :lol:

[jemimamoon]

I didn't mean to come across that way!!! Well almost.....ok here are some other pics that turned out a little "decent".  Geez it is difficult to photograph those little suckers.


http://www.yourimagehost.com/pf.php?fid=4184

[Leni]

Wow!  :shock:  Nice!  Well worth 99cents IMNSHO!   :roll:

Unlike some people    :wink:  I feel these sort of weights, which I think are often considered 'beneath' the attention of 'real' collectors, are well worth collecting, purely for aesthetic reasons.  

In other words, just because they're pretty!  :lol:

Leni

[jemimamoon]

I totally agree Leni.  That is the reason I bought them.

Thanks

j

[Max]

Unlike some people   I feel these sort of weights, which I think are often considered 'beneath' the attention of 'real' collectors, are well worth collecting, purely for aesthetic reasons.

Umm...I agree too.  A collection of anything always looks great as a group.  

As I thought that thought  :?  I suddenly wondered how paperweight fanciers display their pieces?  :idea:  I had this mental image of tiny shelves made to fit paperweights, with each weight tilted attractively and lit from the back with a little LED type bulb...I can almost see it!  Wow! That would be a FABULOUS room feature, wouldn't it?  

<wipes dribble from lips>

I might patent this idea!   [/i]

[Frank]

The largest collections have seen just spread every where, on shelves, in cabinets.  Many on angled stands, others on their butts and some on lit bases.

Others have specially built display cabinets, I recall one collector that had all the displays made by Makepeace and they were works of art themselves - I found myself more interested in the woodwork than the weights.