# Sticky  Photography Hints And Tips



## pg tips

PG's Hints & Tips for photographing watches

I've made a start on my hints and tips page. Click on the link above. I decided to save it to Roy's wrist watch info site so it can be accessed even if my site goes down plus Roy can edit it if necessary if I should ever dissapear!

I don't want it to be soley my page so if you have any hints and tips (esp low budget) that you want to pass on let me know and I'll add them to the page.


----------



## jasonm

Very good Paul....most helpfull..









I can see Alyson's gonna have more ammo to take the piss out of my hobby!!









Jason


----------



## Roy

pg tips said:


> if I should ever dissapear!


You better bloody not.


----------



## pg tips

don't worry Roy, I'm not *planning* on going anywhere, just I might get knocked down by a bus tomorrow, you never know!


----------



## AlexR

Better wear your Hi-Vis then


----------



## Stan

Good tips PG.














No pun intended.









Don't even think about disappearing, you won't get far.


----------



## 036

Grat site PG - thanks for doing it!

Si


----------



## MIKE

Thanks for the great site P.G.

Now I can see where I'm going wrong










MIKE...


----------



## pg tips

I've added a tiny bit more. Anyone with any ideas or improvements please pm me.


----------



## ESL

Great stuff PG, very informative.

Thanks.


----------



## LuvWatch

Cracking site PG, and great advice - will need to put that information it into practice.

Derek


----------



## rockpile6

Excellent! Thanks for the very useful information.


----------



## Mrcrowley

Great PG. I will try & make more effort to practice my photography. I have a new watch coming next week so no excuse.


----------



## raketakat

Thanks Paul - I'll have try some of these







.

I still don't understand how to get pics onto the forum - I must be really thick







.

Will you be doing hints and tips on that topic or shall I buy The "Readers Digest" book on computers for the bewildered














?


----------



## pg tips

I'll do one and pin it but it may take a day or two.


----------



## Mal52

Great site PG cracking info.

Cheers Mal


----------



## Rich

Some very useful tips there PG, thanks, can't believe I hadn't thought of putting a piece of card on the front of the camera to hide the reflection, thatâ€™s a great tip, I'll definitely be using that one









I use a light tent for my photography, which is basically the same thing you advised but just another way of doing it, below are a couple of sites that people might find useful, the first one is a site done by a guy who made his own tent, I started here, and made my own, but then quickly moved to a professional one as it was much more portable and convenient to use, the second site sells them, they're a tad expensive, but the site is good to give you some idea of what to look for on ebay







and they sell daylight corrected bulbs which run cool, these are very good I have some and can recommend them, incidentally I use floor lamps bought from Ikea as these were much cheaper than the professional ones, it seems Ikea is a very good source for us money saving bodgers









http://www.pbase.com/wlhuber/light_box

http://www.tabletopstudio.co.uk/


----------



## MIKE

Hi Rich,

That's an intresting link for the light tent. I have been messing about all afternoon trying to get a better set up to use







and I'm still not happy with the results







Might have to splash out on a "proper" light tent.

This is the kind of result I have ended up with, evenly lit but a bit dull. What do you think?










MIKE..


----------



## Stan

Mike,

I copied your picture and used the automatic image enhancements in the effects menu of PaintShop Pro 7. I also added a little unsharp mask.

I don't think there is anything wrong with your lighting, it's nice and even and produces very little reflection.

I think all you need is a little post production tweaking.







But keep it simple and subtle, Imho.

Your pictures have improved no end over the past months.









Well done old mate.


----------



## MIKE

Thanks Stan









I will keep trying and have look at "post production" I can get a bit obsesive about the photo's.

Truth is we don't see any bad photo's (ie. you can hardly tell what the watch is) from anyone these days







Gone are the days of lengthy desciptions of a watch with out photo's or putting a watch on a scanner to get an image.









MIKE..


----------



## USEDMODEL

*Just had a look at your photography hints and tips.........great..........PG.... thanks for that. If you have seen some of my efforts, reflections in the crystal, etc you'll know why I need all the help I can.*


----------



## pg tips

It's a very hard thing to get right UM (I can't seem to get good photos of some watches at all) and practice is the only answer really, at least with digi you won't be wasting a fortune on film.


----------



## mach 0.0013137

I agree there Paul I never used to have as much trouble photographing old cameras as I do watches







.

Oh well will have to keep trying







and keep posting I suppose


----------



## Smitty

The tip of using a piece of paper to diffuse the light I thought of on my own but then read it on your page. Works nicely.

I add more sheets to filter more light if needed. It also creates some indirect lighting onto the watches from the ceiling so there are no hot spots. Works for me.

This pic was taken using this tip.


----------



## ditchdiger

thanks that was a very useful article


----------



## MilSub

PG - Great source of information on photography - thank you for the compilation !!

Have just been looking on your watch site, some very cool shots there - you certainly know your camera !!

I've got a lot to think about before snapping away - but now have a big head start on lighting thanks to you









Cheers

TC


----------



## pg tips

MilSub said:


> PG - Great source of information on photography - thank you for the compilation !!
> 
> Have just been looking on your watch site, some very cool shots there - you certainly know your camera !!
> 
> I've got a lot to think about before snapping away - but now have a big head start on lighting thanks to you
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Cheers
> 
> TC


Nice of you to say so but there are quite a few on here who are far better than me!

I hope it's inspired you to have a go though, that's what it's all about.


----------



## MilSub

pg tips said:


> MilSub said:
> 
> 
> 
> PG - Great source of information on photography - thank you for the compilation !!
> 
> Have just been looking on your watch site, some very cool shots there - you certainly know your camera !!
> 
> I've got a lot to think about before snapping away - but now have a big head start on lighting thanks to you
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Cheers
> 
> TC
> 
> 
> 
> Nice of you to say so but there are quite a few on here who are far better than me!
> 
> I hope it's inspired you to have a go though, that's what it's all about.
Click to expand...

It's certainly done that - this will be my first attempt at photographing my watches, so don't expect miracles ..

The only problem I've found in going to your site, is that by following your "watch sites" link to other watch sites and then following another "watch sites" link from that site I have now discovered another watch that I never knew existed and really feel that I need now !! (a PRS-11DN 300M PVD auto) .. I'm sure there must be a medical term for this obsessive, compulsive interest in watches


----------



## Absolute

For macro or close up shots it's a good idea to select points of focus or the face/case of the watch and use Unsharp Mask.

So the sharpening looks normal, make a selection of the watch using the Lasso tool or even the eclipse tool and select from the menu:

Select > Modify > Feather (Use around 30 and upwards depending on the resolution of the image)

With the selection feathered, choose

Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask. (Generally the settings to use in consecutive order are 75 / 4.0 / 2)

This form of sharpening when you are touching up your images is much for efficient and looks alot less harsher.


----------



## Service Engineer

Excellent article. Thanks for this. I can see where I went wrong when I photographed a watch to put on E**y recently.

My 'write up' was good but the pictures weren't. Another guy a few days later had an identical watch with minimum details but superb pictures. He got more for his watch than I got for mine. I think the quality of the pictures probably did it. That and the fact he greatly inflated the original price he claimed he'd paid.

Thanks again.


----------



## Greg

Love the up-turned Ikea bin as a means of getting nice, flat light. I find lighting is the biggest problem. I haven't tried very hard to get it right yet, admittedly. This one was taken on the mantel piece in my living room, which has a low voltage spot pointing at it. Keeping my shadow out of the way involved some entertaining gymnastics!


----------



## ravi.kiran

Great tips!

My first ever try at a watch, with a 3 mega pixel camera, came out well than expected.

(pics shot under daylight)


----------



## Seismic one

Hello- I asked a pal who is into photography how best to take a pic of ones watch, his suggestion is---

Obtain from probably a boot sale an old fashioned conical light shade which looks as if it has been sandblasted and looks similar to a flouresant bulb place the watch inside and shine at least two lights onto it the postion the camera lens through the top aperture where the bulb would go, this has the added bonus of resting the camera on something solid. The shade acts as a diffuser.

I have not been able to abtain such an item as yet - if anyone has a shade i would be interested to hear your opinion.

SEISMIC ONE


----------



## Robert

Nice idea. Don't know exactly what lampshade you mean but how about...

Ikea Â£1.99

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/00080313


----------



## Seismic one

Robert said:


> Nice idea. Don't know exactly what lampshade you mean but how about...
> 
> Ikea Â£1.99
> 
> http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/00080313


Hi Robert i to am an Ayrshire lad. but much older i remember the shade i am talking about being in the school they measured app. 8 inches across 6 inches tall the the aperture at the top narrowed to 2.5 inches. i will popinto Ikea and have a look.

The main advantage of the one i am thinking of was its ability to let through the maximum amount of light.--- It was made of glass.

SEISMIC ONE


----------



## Henryxx

If any of you struggle with lighting, especially if you use off camera flash then www.strobist.blogspot.com may be worth a look. There's some really useful tutorials and stuff right from the basics, although it's much better if you shoot Nikon rather than Canon (like me...!).

Anyway, hope it helps!

Henry


----------



## Chippychap

I'm going to try one of those parasols that clip onto a pram or trolley.

I feel that a black one would get rid of some of those light reflections I get from overhead windows.

All I need now is a quilted jacket and a smoking hat.............oh and a cigarette holder.

My photography kit now looks like Steptoes living room......... :lol:


----------



## glider

great thanks for these ideas...have a project to complete!

G


----------



## brgkster

potn forums, canon digital photography fourms. i just got a link to it, in the marco forum there is a video of a guy with a homemade one he explains it all, i dunno what he is on about as i have no sound on my lappy.


----------



## Gazza70

Great site, should have read it before my first and very poor attempt at watch photography earlier.

Thanks Gary


----------



## Guest

Best easy tip for good watch pics: GO OUTSIDE! 

...Natural light is your best friend.


----------



## tcj

great tips.been pulling my hair out{what bit i`ve got left] all week trying thus that and the other.thanks


----------



## tcj

just want to say thanks to pg.learnt a lot this afternoon just reading the forum.stuck at home at moment nursing mrs. so have had time on my hands.thanks again


----------



## martinzx

Thank-you very much indeed, a great help!


----------



## tonyrsv

thanks for the link, some excellent advise

cheers


----------



## jaybee

hey all

one or two additions....

north facing rooms are best if you are using natural light...

use a small aperture ( f5.6 - 8) but if you're using digital don't go beyond this as it will decrease overall sharpness...

shoot in raw and apply usm through a mask ( try an inverse of the red channel to begin with)

usm settings depend on the size of the image being sharpened so don't use a formulaic trio based on someone elses experience

always evaluate sharpness while viewing at 100%

use a prime lens

use a circular polarising filter

lighting tents aren't as expensive as you think ~ Â£30 new

if you are using canon don't use 50 iso... if you can use 160 if not use 100

if you are shooting in a light tent spot meter for the watch dial... if you use evaluative metering it will underexpose the shot

the reverse is true if you shoot against black velvet!!

jb


----------



## David B

I enjoyed that. Good, simple and very interesting.. Thanks


----------



## Stan

jaybee said:


> use a small aperture ( f5.6 - 8) but if you're using digital don't go beyond this as it will decrease overall sharpness...


That will depend on the focal length of the lens and its aperture range, F5.6 to 8 might be optimal for a fast standard lens but not for longer (much slower) or shorter focal lengths (also often slower than a standard prime lens).


----------



## jaybee

Stan said:


> jaybee said:
> 
> 
> 
> use a small aperture ( f5.6 - 8) but if you're using digital don't go beyond this as it will decrease overall sharpness...
> 
> 
> 
> That will depend on the focal length of the lens and its aperture range, F5.6 to 8 might be optimal for a fast standard lens but not for longer (much slower) or shorter focal lengths (also often slower than a standard prime lens).
Click to expand...

well I doubt anyone will be using a wide angle to take photos of a watch, and the slowest most lenses get is 5.6, so f8 will still be an optimal setting for most of these lenses too....


----------



## jaybee

jaybee said:


> Stan said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> jaybee said:
> 
> 
> 
> use a small aperture ( f5.6 - 8) but if you're using digital don't go beyond this as it will decrease overall sharpness...
> 
> 
> 
> That will depend on the focal length of the lens and its aperture range, F5.6 to 8 might be optimal for a fast standard lens but not for longer (much slower) or shorter focal lengths (also often slower than a standard prime lens).
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> well I doubt anyone will be using a wide angle to take photos of a watch, and the slowest most lenses get is 5.6, so f8 will still be an optimal setting for most of these lenses too....
Click to expand...

a standard fast lens will be very sharp from f/2.8, and most good zoom lenses are pretty sharp wide open, once you go beyond f/8 diffraction counteracts any sharpness benefits. For a "perfect" lens which no one has yet made, the ability of a lens to resolve in lines per mm changes as follows, for real lenses the effects are far greater....

5.6 283

8 200

11 141

so the payoff for extra depth of field for going beyond f/8 is not terribly useful for the overall sharpness of your picture, regardless of what type of lens you are using.

I still say stick to f/5.6 to f/8!!


----------



## William_Wilson

jaybee said:


> Stan said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> jaybee said:
> 
> 
> 
> use a small aperture ( f5.6 - 8) but if you're using digital don't go beyond this as it will decrease overall sharpness...
> 
> 
> 
> That will depend on the focal length of the lens and its aperture range, F5.6 to 8 might be optimal for a fast standard lens but not for longer (much slower) or shorter focal lengths (also often slower than a standard prime lens).
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> well I doubt anyone will be using a wide angle to take photos of a watch, and the slowest most lenses get is 5.6, so f8 will still be an optimal setting for most of these lenses too....
Click to expand...

By "slowest" do you mean largest?

Later,

William


----------



## jaybee

sorry, heading off on brain tangents!!

yes, by slowest I meant largest!!

so where f/1.4 is fast, f/5.6 is slow so the "slowest" lenses are usually f/5.6, which is the fastest/widest/largest aperture for that lens...

slowest in my post being a competitive between lenses not a reference to the aperture itself....

just as well I don't write technical manuals eh!!


----------



## vinbo

Thanks for that!!

Camera purchased so pictures to come


----------



## mib

great site thnx now i might be able to take some better photos of my watches


----------



## Callum

Excellent read for a beginner! Feel like I have learnt a good few basic rules to follow and will hopefully improve my images!


----------



## msidgwick

excellent link PGTips and thank you it made for interesting reading and some good points.


----------



## trackrat

I should have read the tips before I attempted to post my first photographs. :wallbash:


----------



## Neillp

@ PG Tips - A really great article good for beginners and a good reminder those of us who are already into photography!

I would suggest adding to use the timer facilty or a remote to activate the shutter as it reduces camera vibration considerably.

Cheers

Neill


----------



## Chromejob

I haven't found a suitable equivalent for the "Ikea waste bin" but I use a 36" black light bouncer shield thing to prevent reflections on the crystal. Recently I found a spare panel from a some-assembly-required sweater bin ... semi-opaque white pastic, easy to cut a hole for my camera. Using the removable ring (uncovers lock ring for lens attachments) off the camera, I cut a hole just barely big enough for the zoom lens to come through.










Using a mini tripod and timer delay, I can get in close, and unless the watch is looking straight back at the camera, the lens doesn't show up. Tilting the "shield" a bit forward covers the camera and softens the light on the watch as PGtips' tutorial mentions.



















Key is probably in getting the hole just big enough for the camera ... and holding your hand steady so you don't shake it when the timer goes off.


----------



## YuriLori

Defiantly will use these tips, some good experience.

now own up, did you colour in the space man??


----------



## Romantic Ape

David Spalding said:


> I haven't found a suitable equivalent for the "Ikea waste bin" but I use a 36" black light bouncer shield thing to prevent reflections on the crystal. Recently I found a spare panel from a some-assembly-required sweater bin ... semi-opaque white pastic, easy to cut a hole for my camera. Using the removable ring (uncovers lock ring for lens attachments) off the camera, I cut a hole just barely big enough for the zoom lens to come through.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Using a mini tripod and timer delay, I can get in close, and unless the watch is looking straight back at the camera, the lens doesn't show up. Tilting the "shield" a bit forward covers the camera and softens the light on the watch as PGtips' tutorial mentions.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Key is probably in getting the hole just big enough for the camera ... and holding your hand steady so you don't shake it when the timer goes off.


 Great idea, man! Very resourceful. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## Peixian

thank you for the information. i get much help


----------



## choodziopl

It is a Shame i cannot access the page. Looks like a lot of nice information. Anybody have it somewhere?


----------



## MrF-UK82

Hi I know this thread has been dead since September 2016, but wondered if anyone could share any info regarding the OP's link? When i click it, it comes up with nothing.

Really keen to know if there is another website or similar, because it sounds like it really helped some of you guys.


----------



## JoT

MrF-UK82 said:


> Hi I know this thread has been dead since September 2016, but wondered if anyone could share any info regarding the OP's link? When i click it, it comes up with nothing.
> 
> Really keen to know if there is another website or similar, because it sounds like it really helped some of you guys.


 Sadly PG gave up on watches and the forum a number of years ago, it was a pretty good guide as I recall.

There are lots of tips on line these days which vary from sublime to the ridiculous I wish I could find a simple guide :laugh:


----------



## MrF-UK82

JoT said:


> Sadly PG gave on watches and the forum a number of years ago, it was a pretty good guide as I recall.
> 
> There are lots of tips on line these days which vary from sublime to the ridiculous I wish I could find a simple guide :laugh:


 Yes me too! I have Google searched many times, but like you say there is nothing straight forward or simple!! :laugh:


----------



## Matteuss

Great info - thanks for sharing.


----------



## sonicare

Has anyone used the medium format GFX cameras from Fuji? I have a ar74 but I am itching for 100MP gfx :laugh: Is it worth the upgrade?

https://pxlmag.com/db/camera-compare/Fujifilm-GFX-100-vs-Sony-Alpha-A7R-IV

I found this comparison but its hard to just see from specs alone.


----------

