Mike516 Report post Posted December 12, 2012 I want to take better pictures of leather working 2d and 3d stamps to show as options for custom made stuff like dog collars. I will admit freely that the pictures I have now are, to be completely honest, awefull and amateurish. Instead of wasting good leather, I was thinking about making impressions in something else and taking the pics individually, then photoshop them together with labels into one or two pictures. The question is, what should I use? I thought about clay, but what kind would take a nice stamp and photograph well? Or what other material would work better? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Mike Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TwinOaks Report post Posted December 12, 2012 Clay would work, but it needs to be chilled to keep it firm....and hopefully prevent any from getting in the stamp. You could also opt for some scrap leather...cut into small squares. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JLSleather Report post Posted December 12, 2012 How many stamps, and what size? As a leather crafter, I would want to see the impression it makes in leather. If they're fairly small - say smaller than 2" x 2", I'd just take a piece of leather, scribe a visible 'grid' on it, and make the impression with the stamp beside it. Do these stamps have a handle? Punch holes in the leather next to the impression the size of the stamp and insert it so it stays facing UP. If you want to get away from "awefull and amateurish", I don't think $10 worth of leather would be "wasted". Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Northmount Report post Posted December 12, 2012 When taking your photos, keep the lights low, raking across the surface (from one side). This will show the 3D effect much better than the typical setup. Gives deeper shadows in the impressions. Google some landscape photos that are taken when the sun is low towards the horizon. You will see what the low angle light does. And yes, use leather for your samples. That's what it is all about. Tom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IngleGunLeather Report post Posted December 12, 2012 When taking your photos, keep the lights low, raking across the surface (from one side). This will show the 3D effect much better than the typical setup. Gives deeper shadows in the impressions. Google some landscape photos that are taken when the sun is low towards the horizon. You will see what the low angle light does. And yes, use leather for your samples. That's what it is all about. Tom Concur. Play with your lighting. Shoot in a light tent if you have one. But if I was shopping at your site I'd want to see the stamping on the product material. I'm kind of working on the same thing for belt options right now. I'm just stamping 6" pieces in various colors. But there in leather. I don't want to waste leather by making multiple full size belts. And if your leather is cased and stamped properly the impressions should look good. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike516 Report post Posted December 13, 2012 (edited) The impressions are good and so are the pictures. My issue is that as I get new stamps and add the pictures, the pics aren't always the same so it looks butchered together. As far as stamps, I have about 40 or 50 1" X 1" stamps with no handle and another 15 or so with handles of various size from 1/2" to 1 1/4". This poses another problem. Trying to get all the stamps to look scaled to each other. I'm trying to give some kind of perspective of their sizes. And I have a limited number of pictures I can use as well. Showing the stamps in leather would be optimal and I would prefer to see an impression in leather when I'm buying a stamp myself. But my customer base are not leather workers so I just want a clear picture of my stamps. My initial plan was to do it on two semi large odd shaped pieces of 6-7 oz I have that I set aside for it. But my wife had suggested not wasting it and looking into another option, so I figured it didn't hurt to ask. I think I'll go for my original plan of stamping in a grid and taking pics of blocks of them, then I think using photoshop to put them together will be easier than doing them one at a time. Edited December 13, 2012 by Mike516 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RMB Custom Leather Report post Posted December 13, 2012 (edited) Not sure what stamps your using but if they are new ones usually the manufacturer has the stock photos on their site which usually are pretty good. Feel free to use any that are on my site http://www.rmbcl.com.../options/ I have some old stamps myself that I will have to stamp and take pictures of, just one of those need to do things. Edited December 13, 2012 by RMB Custom Leather Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike516 Report post Posted December 13, 2012 Thank you, but I cut some strips from some scrap-ish leather and I'm going to take pics with a tape measure to give better perspective of the sizes of the images. I do appreciate the offer though. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Northmount Report post Posted December 13, 2012 If you take all your pictures under the same lighting conditions and do all your editing with the same color and contrast/brightness settings, you should be able to add photos later and have them all look the same. Try to do the same with camera position, zoom, aperture, speed and any resizing in PS. Then sizes should also be relative to each other. Tom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike516 Report post Posted December 13, 2012 I also assume (I know) that distance from the pieces would be important for resizing? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Northmount Report post Posted December 14, 2012 I also assume (I know) that distance from the pieces would be important for resizing? Yes, all things the same ... Identical setup each time so all your processing can be consistently the same. Tom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike516 Report post Posted December 14, 2012 Makes sense, thanks! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sylvia Report post Posted December 15, 2012 (edited) This reminds me.... I had an idea a while back when folks were showing off their photo set ups and recommending diffused light and lots of it. I saw one of these http://www.walmart.c...oset/17108667 or this one http://www.walmart.c...-White/19625952 And though... hmmm.... photo booth. Add a table inside with a white cloth... plenty of lights outside directed inward... and tada... instant photo booth. Of course in this case the cheaper ones with thin white material is better. Edited December 15, 2012 by Sylvia Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike516 Report post Posted December 19, 2012 (edited) Yea these photo tents are great. I have 2 sizes of the table top ones that fold up and unravel and hit you in the face if you let it go...not that it's ever happened to me but I've heard They aren't as big as those, but some come with different color backdrops and lights, so might wind up being about the same cost and don't take up a lot of room. http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=light+tents+for+photography&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=18118127747&hvpos=1t2&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1241678428340333827&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&ref=pd_sl_2j3qpaopk3_b Edited December 19, 2012 by Mike516 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
