Old Knives - Tribute To My Grandfather

[QuadTap]

This photo is in remembrance of my grandfather on my mother's side. He was the toughest man I ever met. Born in 1919 he survived the Great Depression, WWII / Normandy (USS Arakansas), and Atomic bomb testing at Bikini Atoll. He was killed the day after Christmas 2009 when a f-150 hit him in is driver door at 50mph. Three years prior to that he fell off a ladder attempting to rob a hive of bees and broke his neck so severely that it required permanent fusion. He lived the last 9 years of his life alone as widower. He loved to hunt and fish and was a skilled archer and black power rifleman. His best friends called him preacher. He had 5 children and many grandchildren. He was a true God loving man of honor and I miss him greatly.

Both of the knives below were his. One is a Shrade that he gave me when I turned 10.. that's right 10. The other knife is an Old Timer that he carried in his left front pocket ALL the days that I knew him. It was with him when he passed and is among my dearest earthly possessions.

The photo the knives rest upon is of his graduating naval class. You could once determine which was him but a flash flood in 2008 damaged the photo.

Rest in Peace Carl Edward Stancil

 

[QuadTap]

100 views and not one comment? I thought i'd at least get a "this sucks" or "try again" from somebody sheesh.

 

[CMfromIL]

It's an interesting picture, but clearly from your description much more personal than the photograph 'tells' us. I'm not an expert by any means, but in my opinion it looks like a picture one might post on EBAY if you were selling them.

As I look closer, I see the picture behind (at first I thought it was on a marble table!), must be a picture of him from the service.

Anyways, sorry for your loss. My grandfather passed last Jan 1. It sucks.

 

[RebeccaAPhotography]

Ok so ill comment. I like it. But it is just knives. I like the shadow. The lighting (but I'm quite new to that, still learning) I like the background but it is a bit busy. I don't think it's a bad shot at all.

 

[PixelRabbit]

Hey Quad
So preface with the "only been doing this since November" thing here lol...
I love the history, I love the knives, I love the photograph, I love that the wear on the knife echoes the damage on the picture... but .. (don't ya love the "but" part? lol)
It looks like knives laying on a table, like CM said it has a "product shot" feeling to it.
You have all of the pieces of a great photo, you just have to figure out how to put them together. I would play with light, angles, knives in different positions, open, half closed , in and out of the sheath... laying on the photo, beside the photo propped up .. etc ...
Can't wait for you to revisit this and see what you come up with!

 

[QuadTap]

thanks for the "pity posts" lol I understand what you are saying. For some perspective here is how it came straight from the camera.

 

[Joey_Ricard]

What were you expecting? Posting here is just like holding the door for someone, do it beacuse you want to and not becuase you expect anything in return.
No pity post here - I liked your story enough to post. The shot is a great memory for you perhaps, but its a picture of a couple of knives on a table.

Put those knives in one of those woden display boxes, perhaps with his military decorations. My bother did that, looks real nice with a picture or gramps inside.

 

[CMfromIL]

Put those knives in one of those woden display boxes, perhaps with his military decorations. My bother did that, looks real nice with a picture or gramps inside. :er:

I assume you meant of gramps?

 

[QuadTap]

nope everybody posts to get comments and is deflated when the don't get ANY ... if there were never any comments you would have no forum.. no one would post

your analogy about the door is correct in that it's like holding the door open for someone and they just walk past without a look or nod or anything and you think.... well damn.. you're welcome!

Good idea about the shadow box.

 

[Joey_Ricard]

Put those knives in one of those woden display boxes, perhaps with his military decorations. My bother did that, looks real nice with a picture or gramps inside. :er:

I assume you meant of gramps?

lol yes, I meant "of" and I did the same thing in an email for work today....at least the two letters are close enough together to be excusable....lol