Several folks have asked me to post some tips on photographing bows. First let me say I am not an accomplished photographer – I’m a novice at best. That said, with today’s equipment it has never been easier to create decent photographs. So here are a few dos and don’ts that I have picked up over the last few years. And please feel free to add any that you have learned.
1. Do prepare your subject to be photographed. You wouldn’t go in for a family portrait uncombed, unshaven and wearing dirty clothes. Then give the same consideration to your work. Remove unsightly tool marks and raised grain, round hard edges, put a nice finish on the bow and smooth it, trim leather and overlays nicely.
2. Avoid taking your photographs in the harsh mid-day sun. This kind of light will wash out colors, creates harsh contrast and shadows, and will generally make your subject appear flat. You want soft diffuse natural light – early morning and evening light is ideal. A light cloud cover will moderate the effects of a high sun.
3. Do keep your subject in focus. There is nothing more frustrating that trying to discern detail from an out of focus shot of an otherwise nice tip. The autofocus feature of most modern point and shoot cameras works pretty well for most shots, but not close-ups. For close-up shots of your tips switch to manual focus.
4. Do pay attention to exposure. Photographing a light colored bow against a darker background with auto-exposure will almost always result in the bow being overexposed and detail being washed out. Most point and shoot cameras today give you the ability to lighten or darken the exposure by simply pressing a button. When photographing a light subject, ratchet the exposure back a few notches so we will be able to enjoy the fine details of your bow.
5. Don’t use cluttered or complex backgrounds. Generally you want people to focus on your bow and not the messy tool bench or the untrimmed brush in the background. Avoid complex textured backgrounds like grass and bark dust – they may look good to your naked eye, but they generally do not complement your bow well in a photograph.
6. Do pick background colors that complement your bow and provide a pleasing contrast. Generally that means earth-tone colors. Avoid brightly colored backgrounds.
7. Do pay attention to composition. You want your subject to be the primary focus of the photograph, and not the house that it is leaning against. Crop the photograph if necessary.
8. Do take LOTS of pictures. Digital photos are cheap. The more pictures you take the more likely you will end up with photos that you will be pleased with.
Remember, when you post a photo of your bow on the Internet you are presenting your work for the rest of the world to see. Make it as presentable as you can - it really isn't that hard.
