Photographing loaded cartridges

[ryan3465]

Here's one I took today. Lighting seems to be a big part of it, as well as appropriate background. My iPhone doesn't take the best close ups, but my fiancé's tmobile sidekick takes the best close up shots I've ever seen from ANY camera.

[TexasShooter59]

Post #13 should have said "iPad3", not 2. iPad2 does not take very good photos in my opinion.

[William May]

What is that bullet on the far left, it looks familiar but it's been such a long time since I have seen one.

[hostjunkies]

Originally Posted by William May

What is that bullet on the far left, it looks familiar but it's been such a long time since I have seen one.

The bullet on the left is "unobtainium"

[Walkalong]

Was for a while anyway.

Use lots of light, take lots of pics, and look for the best one. I might take 5 to get one good one, or 50.

[Reloadron]

Use lots of light, take lots of pics, and look for the best one. I might take 5 to get one good one, or 50.

I tend to be more in the 50 to 100 to get one good one myself.

Ron

[RandyP]

Some VERY impressive photos have been posted here - congrats guys!

I confess I just set my Canon "A" series Powershot on Auto and Macro and hope for the best -LOL

[Salmoneye]

I came out of the 70's and 80's with a bunch of nice Pentax K-Mount Asahi glass, so I now run Pentax digital backs...

Started with an ist-D, and moved up to a K-x...

[Clark]

This pic I took on Sept 12, 2003 uses a wood color back ground to mimic the brass.
My hand also has about the same reflection as the brass.
Since then I have learned how to use Gamma correction.
Gamma correction works like night vision on under exposed digital pics [does not work on film images].
Most pics of objects benefit from some gamma increase.
Scans of light pencil sketches benefit from reduced gamma that makes the pencil marks darker.
I keep all pics in IrfanView.
That program is free.
http://www.irfanview.com/

1) Select "image" from the menu bar
2) Select "color correction"
3) This will display the original and the pic to be corrected.
4) Slide the "gamma correction" bar until the corrected pic looks best.
5) Click on "ok"
6) Save

[Odd Job]

Also, a flatbed scanner can be used for items that are almost flat, such as headstamps and primers.
You just have to make sure you have cleaned the scanner glass and take care not to scratch the glass when you set the cartridge case down on it (watch out for firing pin impressions especially).

The main thing to be sure of is use a high enough scanning dpi (dots per inch). Most scanners these days can do at least 1200 dpi, which is what you need if you are going to post a headstamp on the forum at a matrix of at least 700 x 700. Otherwise it comes out too small.

Here's one I did earlier. I didn't even clean the case, I just scanned it directly on my Epson 4870 scanner at 1200 dpi:

[TexasShooter59]

Cool!

[Reloadron]

Pretty nice job using the scanner. Never gave using the scanner a thought till I saw that.

Thanks
Ron

[Reloadron]

@ Clark

Haven't used it in awhile but yes, Infranview is one of the best free software applications for doing photo work. I would always suggest that to people so thanks for the reminder.

Ron

[Hondo 60]

Some of you guys are wasting time at your day jobs.

I'm in awe of some of these GREAT shots.

[Clark]

Odd Job,
That took me about an hour to figure out how to do that

This may only work with my computer, Paint, and my HP Photosmart 4200 scanner/copymachine/printer/card reader/can opener

Before starting high resolution scan:
A) Practice low resolution to map what corner of the control panel applies to what corner of the scanner.
B) The first high resolution scan will reveal dust all over the scanner. Clean the scanner.
C) Turn off the lights in the room for a black background, turn the lights on for a white background.

1) Paint
2) Pull down from "file" in menu bar
3) click on "from scanner or camera"
4) If it looks like the right printer, click "ok"
5) adjust size of screen to be scanned by moving corner of picture, to reduce scan time.
6) Click on "adjust the quality of scanned picture"
7) roll up "resolution dip" from default 200 to 2400
8) Click "ok"
9) click "scan"
10) when the high resolution slow scan is done, click on dotted square in side menu bar.
11) draw a square around case head image
12) pull down "image" in menu bar
13) click on "crop"
14) save to desktop

[Kuyong_Chuin]

These three were taken with a Kodak Easy Share Z990 on super micro mode. It is just a split shot lead sinker that was lubed up and shoved through my M44 barrel.




There is a mod here (Oleg Volk) that takes real good close up photos of ammo among other things. I should know, not only was he my professor for several classes, I count him as a friend even though I do not get to see or talk to him as much as I would like too, but he has photographed one of my rifles and ammo from it.

[Mohave-Tec]

Subdued light at my left shoulder


Angle your light. Shadows give depth.


Mix of natural and electric light. Tripod. Shallow depth of field. Remote shutter release.

[TexasShooter59]

I'm liking this thread! (Photography was my very first hobby at age twelve. It still is a hobby, but not nearly as active these days.)

[Mohave-Tec]

Every image in this thread properly conveys a message. The images are what the photographer was seeing and in a properly conveyed message, I, the one the message is being conveyed to, understand what it is the photographer is trying to say to me. But I can't fathom how many times I've seen images where someone is trying to impress a fact upon me/us that all I can say is ***. A guy wants to sell one of his 50 guns in his $40,000 dollar collection and doesn't own a $20 Wal Mart camera; instead takes a cell phone picture, into the light to portray the shaded side of his blurry image....and does this over and over again. How can somebody be this lacking in insight. LOL.

[Walkalong]

That gets me as well, folks selling pricy guns with crappy pics, when it is so easy to get at least decent ones. II never look twice at an auction with bad pics anymore. Good pics don't lie.

[Reloadron]

OK, time for a spoof picture and some humor:



Smart bullest as they know what they are.

Ron

[Hondo 60]

Reloadron - that's awesome

[James2]

What type of cameras do you guys use? Can a smartphone work well, or does it require a 'real' camera?

I have 2 digital cameras and also a smart phone camera. It is amazing how good the phone camera is. I do not hesitate to take pics with it. Even those need to be reduced for posting. Some photo editing software is in order. I find myself taking pics often with the cell phone, likely because it is always with me. Getting a good shot has lots to do with good lighting and composition. Play with it and you may be surprised even with a phone camera.

[rcmodel]

and also a smart phone camera. It is amazing how good the phone camera is.

See, that's my puzzlement??

There are many brands of Smart Phones.

An Internet search for 'best smart-phone camera' a few weeks ago yielded one that was best for outdoor daylight landscapes.
Another was best for indoor shots in the dark, and yet another was best for natural skin tone portraits with flash.
And then there was the other one that was 'best' for outdoor nighttime landscapes, with flash. And another without flash.

So what brand of smart phone are you talking about that is doing so good for you, for everything??

rc

[Mohave-Tec]

Pentax dSLRs