Ideas or links on how to take pics in the shop

[Amberly001]

I have tried to look online about some ideas on how to take photos of men or people working in the shop.
My dad makes knives and he wants me to photograph him working in the shop.
Everything I find online is either about traveling, workshops on some random photography thing that has nothing to do with what I want, or graphs on statistics.
I would like some ideas ASAP, and thank you very much!

also ideas on taking great photos of the workshop, like his work area on his desks and walls.

 

[tirediron]

What is it that you don't know how to do? It sounds like a fairly straight-forward job. Set up a couple of speedlights, and just move around finding interesting angles.

 

[Overread]

This depends on a few things:

1) What equipment do you have - what you can do is limited by what you have access to and is also defined by it. For some that means just a camera; for others its a multi-flash remote system with softboxes, umbrellas, assistants.... etc.

2) What kind of space is there - yep the scene and space is also important. What sources of light are there; how much room is there to move around; how cluttered is it etc...

There are core principles of course; elements of lighting control, exposure, composition etc...; but without specifics we can only point you in the direction of good generalist advice and references.

 

[Amberly001]

Yes, but I wasn't exactly sure if there were ways to take photos that made it look interesting, and just ideas about how exactly to set up a few shots to make it look interesting.
I have always done widlife photography, never really any products-in-the-making or of people working. I am just not exactly sure about how to compose an excellent shot. I just need more knowledge and ideas I guess.

 

[nycphotography]

a couple suggestions:

wide aperture and controlled / intentional DOF

a combination of au natural unposed candids and studied compositions

work to tell stories. "the time my dad had to temper a bla that wouldnt fit in his bla and he had to get creative to get it done"

try to show progress (in the shop) and/or before and after stories.

Don't be afraid to play with lights, and props, etc.

these might give some ideas or inspiration: (many of these were taken a wonky manual focus "video camera" lens adapted to a u4/3 camera).

bike shop nycphotography Galleries Digital Photography Review

 

[Amberly001]

I have a nikon d3300, and the lighting is okay, but not terrific.
I a snapping pictures as he works, he is glueing up knife handles and such, so he doesn't have time to stop and pose for a photo. The stuff he works with dries quickly, but he just wants shots of him working and glueing up knives. He didn't really say anything specific.

 

[nycphotography]

The stuff he works with dries quickly, but he just wants shots of him working and glueing up knives. He didn't really say anything specific.

Also... it may help to see the world this way: I don't want to give someone a picture of them that they'll hang because it's them. I want to give them a picture they'd hang on the wall even if they didn't know the subject. IOW, I want photography as art, instead of photography as recording an event.

So go to the shop when he's not there. explore. shoot. try things. then examine (critically) what you get, and go back and try again. and learn. and repeat.

 

[Amberly001]

This is a few examples of what I currently have. straight out of camera....

 

[Overread]

I have a nikon d3300, and the lighting is okay, but not terrific.
I a snapping pictures as he works, he is glueing up knife handles and such, so he doesn't have time to stop and pose for a photo.

See this kind of shot is actually VERY hard to do, especially when its not your forte. Taking shots of events happening as they happen is tricky because you're not in control and because the scene itself is dictated by the event not the photographer.

Of course you can get shots that way and many people get some outstanding ones. However you might find that its a lot easier to get the shot by staging it. By using materials or a pose which conveys the vision you want, but without the worry of things like the glue drying or the knife being ruined. It also means you can re-shoot the pose - try other angles and such and get a really good shot; but without having to juggle all the happenings going on.

I'd also say many workers working on a single project like that can also end up covering the project itself as they work - ergo the only shot you can get has hands in the way doing the work.


I would suggest taking an hour or so to do some stage shots; yes it might feel "fake" but it might get you th eshot you want - at the very least it will let you play with angles and such so that if you do return to trying to catch active real events you've at least started to get some idea of how you want to compose the scene and what is going on

 

[Derrel]

You need LIGHT. Or lighting equipment. The camera needs to be very stable and steady if the light level is not very bright, or if flash is not being used. The camera MUST be steady for good shots, and the thing is--the subject should be part of the photographic process...getting good shots is much more likely if the subject understands how the photos will be made.

Electronic flash is the easiest way to make free-form shots of a person actively moving or working. Flash stops movement, and is very bright. Daylight from windows or even work lighting is much,much darker than the instant burst of a speedlight flash unit, so...if you work with continuous lights or daylight/windows, you need a tripod, or lacking that, a sturdy table or bench to rest the camera on. speeds will likely be slowish, like ay f/5.6 at 1/8 second at ISO 400, or thereabouts.

Pick some processes, and set out to shoot them. Draw filing, bench or floor grinding, polishing, lapping, hole-drilling, forging, hammering, whatever...and then work at the shots, and tell yer' pops he MUST pause every now and then, and shoot these processes in what I call a semi-posed manner--meaning with him understanding what the shot is supposed to be, and him aware of what he needs to do, or not do, to make the shot come out right.

 

[Amberly001]

Thank You all!
I will do my best to try some of these tips - he works fast and doesn't like to stop, haha!!

 

[Designer]

This is a few examples of what I currently have. straight out of camera....

These are way too tight, IMO. Yes, they pretty much show the actual process, but in my world, you would get more human interest in the shots.

Get some light. I mean flash. I mean get a flash or two and really pay attention to where you place the lights in relation to the subjects and your camera position.

Then get wider. Lots wider. Wide enough to get a person's head and upper torso along with the work surface.

You'll probably want a softbox for overall lighting, then a separate flash snooted down to really get a pool of stronger light on the work surface.

Don't be afraid to make it dramatic. (sideways light is more dramatic than flat light)

If pops wants good photos, he can rent some lights and modifiers along with some radio remotes.

 

[Overread]

Something we've overlooked - what is the intention of the photos?

I ask because tight shots like the ones you have posted suggest that your after a "step by step" style of photos; however much of the compositional advice thus far has been weighted toward a more artistic display. An idea of what the intent is would be a big help and be your first step in helping define how you want to and need to compose.

The idea of a documentary approach of the process compared to a walk through of a process would be very different. Whilst any method still relies upon the core basics of lighting, composition etc.... what you need to be able to show and do for one is different to the other.

 

[Amberly001]

They are photos to post to his website - basically to show different processes of how he make the knives. He would like to have a variety of his shop and different steps in his knife process to post for viewers interest.
It will not be a step-by-step documentary, but more for viewers knowing a little bit about his shop and what he does to make the knives.

 

[Dave442]

I agree that they are too tight. This works if you are trying to make a tutorial about how to glue knifes together, but not if you want to make something for the people that want to know they are buying a fine quality product.

I would pull back and shoot from a distance that lets him work without your distraction. Definitely need to put more light on the subject. Move around and find out the hand movements so you can show that he is a true craftsman of the trade. Watch the background as anything distracting or unprofessional will take away from the desired image.

When you have a good feeling for the shots you want then look for doing a few where you can have him pause for second.

I would also keep any product names out of the picture.

Sounds like a fun project.