My Axes *devil horns in the air*

[Alpinestarhero]

As many of you know, I like to have a strum on a guitar every now and then. The great thing about guitars is, like bikes, they lend themselves to photography...so I've started to investigate getting some pictures of my two trusty axes; My jackson something-or-another, and my Vintage Les Paul Replica.

Any suggestions are welcome; I'm not sure what the background colour should be, but lots of people use black.

Oh, and I really need a tripod :D

My Jackson:

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u54/alpinestarhero/DSC_0001.jpg

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u54/alpinestarhero/DSC_0008.jpg

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u54/alpinestarhero/DSC_0018-1.jpg

A shot of my Les Paul rep:

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u54/alpinestarhero/DSC_0016.jpg

Soooooo any tips / ideas?

Matt

[Woz]

A man with taste... Jacksons absolutely MUST have an upside down headstock.

Needs a tastefully done lightning strike paintjob though. :rolleyes:

[Woz]

Soooooo any tips / ideas?

Matt


Wipe the dust off your Les Paul?

Ps, is that a Vintage?

[hovis]

i have a honner? i will post pics later as i have no idea what it is?

my dad got it for me (2nd hand) about 20 years ago, its under the bed, where its spent most of its life

[Bluepete]

Cool subject!
Get it away from the background, keep the background very plain as clutter detracts from the guitar. Light it with a spot to create contrast or use the spot on the background to make a shape. Pay attention to the apature for depth of field, or lack of it. Shame our Nikons don't have depth of field preview, but you can shoot and check easily enough. F22 will give the sharpest images, but everything will be in focus!
You can create very tight spots of light with a cardboard sheet wrapped around the light and tapered to a narrow opening. Like a "princess" hat with the tip cut off!
Take loads, experiment with light, play with close-ups of specific parts of the instrument.
I learned a lot by looking at images I liked and trying to imitate them. The tech of pics is interesting when you get to grips with it!

[stewie]

Cool subject!
Get it away from the background, keep the background very plain as clutter detracts from the guitar. Light it with a spot to create contrast or use the spot on the background to make a shape. Pay attention to the apature for depth of field, or lack of it. Shame our Nikons don't have depth of field preview, but you can shoot and check easily enough. F22 will give the sharpest images, but everything will be in focus!
You can create very tight spots of light with a cardboard sheet wrapped around the light and tapered to a narrow opening. Like a "princess" hat with the tip cut off!
Take loads, experiment with light, play with close-ups of specific parts of the instrument.
I learned a lot by looking at images I liked and trying to imitate them. The tech of pics is interesting when you get to grips with it!

f22 give the sharpest images ? I always thought f8/11 usually gave the best sharpness ? Oh an invest in a good tripod as well, I always weigh the tripod down with my camera bag slung over it to keep down vibrations, usually with addition of a rock or stone when Im out about, otherwise as Pete said experiment like mad, especially with digital, don't like it, delete it etc.. good luck, oh and listen to Pete, he,s an ex pro I beleive.

[stewie]

Alternatively, invest in a good photo clamp, attach your camerea to the headstock, set apeture at say f2.8 focus as close as possible and get it all out focus as the body comes into view, try B+W as well.

[rigor]

Sam took some pics of my guitar a while back..... she forgot to dust it too :D

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2128/2167057432_39d6978ef8_o.jpg

[Bluepete]

That's a good pic there Rigor, I think in B&W dust and smudges add to the image, kind of makes it personal, not a brochure pic.

[thedonal]

Some really nice pictures- the first one works best and the view along the guitar with the narrow field of view.

That Gibson pic is lovely too, Rigor!

I am starting to get pics of mine- here's my Epiphone Black Beauty- it's on my quilt. Not the best shot ever (focus?!- bad light), but the red of the quilt contrasts nicely with the black guitar-

http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/6633/ibanezonquiltrj3.th.jpg (http://img75.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ibanezonquiltrj3.jpg)

For some reason, I called it Ibanez on quilt. Doh! Oh well- they're both black and made in SE Asia, so I guess that's an easy mistake to make!!!

[Wideboy]

where is the strats!!!

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m97/Gavino5/strat.jpg
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m97/Gavino5/Ibenez.jpg

both now sold only have the my old faithful strat which i have no pic of :(

[Woz]

where is the strats!!!



Can't stand 'em. I know they are very very good guitars (if they are American) but I just can't convince myself to like the looks.

I like that Ibanez though... lovely finish.

[Wideboy]

I like that Ibanez though... lovely finish.

thats what drew me to it, i liked it at 1st but soon realised it wasn't to my style of playing, so i sold it bought the cream strat, i think it was a american one but i dont know its pretty old, sold it last week as i had no room for it and it hardly got used, my other strat is a crappy Chinese one that was my 1st electric but i love it to pieces

[dizzyblonde]

my Vintage Les Paul Replica.

A shot of my Les Paul rep:

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u54/alpinestarhero/DSC_0016.jpg


Matt
I got one o those, a black one with gold bling!! Its shinier than yours, but only cause its kept in its hard case in a cuboard. My mate who had the real version said it played better than his!:cool:.....however I have a 30 odd year old Tanglewood acoustic thats kept on a stand in the living room, its very dirty and dusty, but in very very good nick for an old guitar, sounds beautiful too. I play every now and again, but really should do it more often...because then I would be a rock god and get the Les Paul out more too;)

[Alpinestarhero]

Thanks for the input guys :D Yea,I know my vintage is dusty, it dosnt get used so much because the jackson is better for the kinda stuff I play (heavy meeettttaaaalll)

I'm gonna sort out a plain background, but I don't know what colour...I don't want to do red, or something similar, because then the guitars will blend in and I feel it'll take away some of the impact of the image of the gutiar. What about an off-white background? I'll experiment with black or very dark blue, theres alot of images that I found where people have used a black background

I polished my guitars somewhat now, but the metalwork on the vintage is as dull as another series of big brother........maybe kwak can get to work with his trusty autosol :D

Going out this morning to buy a tripod, more pics up soon. Since theres so many budding musicians on here (and maybe a few drummers too....OOOOOOO i'll run away now), maybe we can have a dedicated thread of "show us your instrument"

Matt

[Woz]

Thanks for the input guys :D Yea,I know my vintage is dusty, it dosnt get used so much because the jackson is better for the kinda stuff I play (heavy meeettttaaaalll)

I'm gonna sort out a plain background, but I don't know what colour...I don't want to do red, or something similar, because then the guitars will blend in and I feel it'll take away some of the impact of the image of the gutiar. What about an off-white background? I'll experiment with black or very dark blue, theres alot of images that I found where people have used a black background

I polished my guitars somewhat now, but the metalwork on the vintage is as dull as another series of big brother........maybe kwak can get to work with his trusty autosol :D

Going out this morning to buy a tripod, more pics up soon. Since theres so many budding musicians on here (and maybe a few drummers too....OOOOOOO i'll run away now), maybe we can have a dedicated thread of "show us your instrument"

Matt


Used to be a drummist... and a bassist... and a singist but then I had to get a real job and just play guitar for fun.

And don't worry about manky hardware on your Les Paul. It just makes it look played. Vintage actually manufacture 'worn' models now with paint missing and everything.

[Alpinestarhero]

Used to be a drummist... and a bassist... and a singist but then I had to get a real job and just play guitar for fun.

And don't worry about manky hardware on your Les Paul. It just makes it look played. Vintage actually manufacture 'worn' models now with paint missing and everything.

Yea, I've seen models like that! Im not fussed about having mega clean guitars - they get used, and they get thrashed to bits (well, I try my best to thrash out riffs and solo's).

Ok, loadsa pics ready to upload...gimmie 10 mins..

Matt

[Alpinestarhero]

Well that took more than 10mins :lol:

Just my jackson then for the moment:

This first one is quite dark, but I like it, I think it has a nice atmosphere. Could do with being a little less red I guess

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u54/alpinestarhero/DSC_0052.jpg

The controls!

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u54/alpinestarhero/DSC_0036.jpg

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u54/alpinestarhero/CSC_0075.jpg

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u54/alpinestarhero/DSC_0081-1.jpg

The Reverse Headstock; careful, it'll have your eye out :cool:

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u54/alpinestarhero/CSC_0095.jpg

Matt

[thedonal]

Lovely pics Matt- that sure am a purdy guitar!

[blueto]

im not to sure with the jacksons. inidicates a more heavy punk theroy to me. I like my les paul, and my acoustic "crafter".

I run my electric though a marshall dfx250 and a boss me50 pedal. The sound is awesome, more than i could bargain for really.

Alpine, they are nice guitars tho! look after them and polish that blady dust of em tho will ya!

[haggis]

Shamed to admit it, but i dont think i have used my electric once in the last 8mths! :( In fact it still lives at my folks house.

Got a Jim Reed which is a PRS copy with mahogany body, tiger maple top, in emerald green. Dont see many around but apparently made in Italy by some American luthier.

I do use my acoustic a lot more tho, and it has at least made the move to the new house! It's an Ovation roundbody thing.


I'll spruce em up and take a few shots. Love the close up of the controls you did. :D

[Alpinestarhero]

Blueto, the dust did get wiped off! Just I can't be bothered to get into every nook and cranny; gutiars are like motorcycles, as long as they look clean from a certain distance, then thats ok :D

There is rumor that I might be getting a third guitar. I started this rumor.

If I get it, I shall post up pics. Eye protection will be needed, it'll be pointy

Thanks for the kind comments, i think these images are the first time I have actually sat and had a good think about photography and what it is im trying to shoot

More pictures of your instruments guys! More!!

Matt

[Bluepete]

More pictures of your instruments guys! More!!

Matt

Matt! This isn't that kind of site! ;)

[Alpinestarhero]

Matt! This isn't that kind of site! ;)

Oh come on, dont be shy! I've shown both of the things I like to strum and........er........i wont say that, that really is over the line....:smt029

Cheque please...

[thedonal]

Calm yourself- this guitar porn is getting a bit much for you!

[thedonal]

I will post pics of my other guitars this weekendy.

[Woz]

I will post pics of my other guitars this weekendy.

And I'll try to get sone decent pics of mine when I dig my acoustic out from behind the wardrobe. Shame on me!

[Alpinestarhero]

A couple of the vintage...i took more, but i uploaded these onto photobucket after doing a little bit of photoshopping to sort out the contrast and brightness..

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u54/alpinestarhero/DSC_0097.jpg

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u54/alpinestarhero/DSC_0104.jpg


Soooooo....a guitar technique question; are any of you proficient at sweep-picking? I need some help with this one, as I can't seem to get my technique right...

Matt

[thedonal]

Sweeping is a little tricky. Basically, when sweeping downstrokes, damp the bridge with your picking hand- just enough to cut the notes short.

When sweeping upwards, remove your finger from the fretboard after the note has sounded. This also helps on downstrokes.

Practice slowly with a metronome to keep your picking regular and pick a chord or two to work on it and with chord progressions. It's kind of like strumming, but damping the strings and requires a bit more technique. It does help to have a fair bit of distortion on- but I think you may be dialled up already!

If you want, when you're in the area, pop by and we can have a jam or even run throguh some technique (I'm no teacher, but might be able to help out with the above a little- still working on that technique meself)- pm me if you're interested and we'll sort something out.