"Critique my firearm picture" thread

[Stickman]

Can anyone suggest a technique or filter I can use to get rid of the "I took a picture of this on the kitchen cutting board" effect.

No. No filters. If you can't get a picture that you like, don't accept the look of a filter trying to make up for it. The cutting board isn't the problem with this picture. The picture is centered, and off balance. Making the image square certainly isn't helping it.


The pic itself isn't bad, and reshot with a different layout, I think it could be quite good.

[Stickman]

In general, your images posted online are always above the generic standard of firearm boards. The stand out in a good way. In this case, the thing which offends me most is the lack of riser on the mount.

Had the covers been on, and the iron sights down, my eye wouldn't have been drawn to that area. Aside from that it is clean, but the B&W lacks depth, and makes it appear the BW effect was used more to make up for a white balance issue.

[JC5188]

You are a bad man for making my eyes bleed. Throwing a pattern on a bath towel isn't covered by by a crappy filter. Daddy, make the bad man stop....

Lol...I guess my reach for “texture” missed the mark.

Thanks for the critique

[Stickman]

Lol...I guess my reach for “texture” missed the mark.

Thanks for the critique

Thanks for taking it the right way and with humor!

[JC5188]

Thanks for taking it the right way and with humor!

Hey man, I’ve been around here a minute, I get y’all

[militarymoron]

The image is quite good, like you said, it isn't an easy item to shoot pics of. Personally, I would have applied a bit more light from the rear of the handle to give it a bit of rim light, but it is still very good.

Totally agree - thanks for the feedback! LOL - I only have two lights; it'd have been nice to have a third to light up the back of the grip like you said.

[TriggerFish]

First of all, thank you Stick for the spot on critique. As to your point about the B&W, I was going for an artsy fartsy higher contrast image of a recently fired weapon just set down. I underexposed the original. Also I only shoot with existing light and could at times really use supplemental fill illumination. Most times I am trying to show the details and form of the item.

However your first observation about that which offended you most made me actually lol. I now see that my CRS has kicked in!

This shot was of a relatively new carbine with one of my older optic set ups on top.
The Aimpoint CompML2 (introduced in 2000 – discontinued in 2010) was bought @ SHOT 2003 for my soon to arrive M16A1. At the same show I also bought the A.R.M.S. M68 mount… AND the #38-STD SWAN Sleeve - 5.56 M16. The latter I neglected to install for the “art” shot. Full on CRS.

So I will submit another photo for your consideration:

Thank you.

[Stickman]

Totally agree - thanks for the feedback! LOL - I only have two lights; it'd have been nice to have a third to light up the back of the grip like you said.

Hot lights or strobes?

[Stickman]

First of all, thank you Stick for the spot on critique. As to your point about the B&W, I was going for an artsy fartsy higher contrast image of a recently fired weapon just set down. I underexposed the original. Also I only shoot with existing light and could at times really use supplemental fill illumination. Most times I am trying to show the details and form of the item.

However your first observation about that which offended you most made me actually lol. I now see that my CRS has kicked in!

This shot was of a relatively new carbine with one of my older optic set ups on top.
The Aimpoint CompML2 (introduced in 2000 – discontinued in 2010) was bought @ SHOT 2003 for my soon to arrive M16A1. At the same show I also bought the A.R.M.S. M68 mount… AND the #38-STD SWAN Sleeve - 5.56 M16. The latter I neglected to install for the “art” shot. Full on CRS.

So I will submit another photo for your consideration:

Thank you.

I see a very nice clean image that doesn't say anything to me. In this case I think it is the use of a broad light that really doesn't give any depth or shadows.

Don't get me wrong, most people would rightly be proud of this image, but you aren't in the "most people" crowd. Think for a minute about what the chair brings to the table (pun intended).... Is it bringing award winning texture with its dirty stained surface while forming a lattice of plastics/ rubbers? Does the anodized, worn arm of the chair impart feel and emotion? No? I would agree they do not. I can see from the background that other options were available, which makes me wonder why if this was a natural light picture something else wasn't used as a background. Like I said, a good picture.... but not great.

[militarymoron]

Hot lights or strobes?

daylight balanced fluorescents. sufficient for what I do as a minimalist setup. but can be lacking for more professional-type shots.