This is a 375 H&H I just finished on a Sako L61 action; just wish I could take a picture and do as good job as he does on the shotgun.

Thanks for looking

Classy job Jim! I took close to 100 pics with various backgrounds, camera settings etc before I got a few I like.

Of course it helps if you use the focus feature.

Jim you did a nice job on that gun!

used to be a photographer- if you use other than a white background, the metering in the camera won't have to figure for all that white in the frame; if you go close on the rifle, save that meter setting, then back out to get the picture you want, the camera will expose for the subject giving a brighter image of the rifle, and blow the background out.

neutral gray, etc, is good for a background.

in short, meter for the subject and not the entire frame.

just talkin'.. beautiful job, as usual.

I suppose I will get blasted for saying this. Who cares.

The work is beautiful, the wood is beautiful, but its hard to see how beautiful it is if the photography isn't good.

Having also done professional photography, I would suggest that you may want to get your subject away from your background if you are using an autofocus camera because what is happening is that your autofocus is focusing on the background more than on your subject.

Another thing you might want to do is consider fill cards or fill lights in order to get more light into the shadows. What you have now is very contrasty (looks like one light on the camera)so that you have a specular highlight in one place and empty shadows in another place.

Your best bet might be to use soft windowlight with a couple of large fill cards to bounce light back into the shadows.


Here is an example. Just to the back of the binocs is a large window. You can see the specular highlights on top of the binoculars. But I placed two large pieces of white cardboard just out of camera sight. Those large pieces of cardboard bounced light back into the shadows to lower the contrast so that the viewer can see everything. I could have lowered the specularity of the highlights by placing a couple of frosted pieces of plastic (shower curtain) on the window where the light was coming through to hit the top of the binocs.



Another great way to do it is to go outside on the north side of a building or on a cloudy day. You get that nice skylight without getting any direct sunlight, giving you a nice low contrast range of light that allows the viewer to see everything. You can play around with fill cards as well in case any area looks too dark.

all good above.

Very well exeuted rifle!

I love Sako rifles, and this one has received more than justice to its potentional.

LD

Jim, outstanding work, as all of your work I have seen is!

22WRF gave some very polite and worthwhile constructive pictorial criticism.

and I was rude?

well...

I've seen photos of Jim's work before and I've seen completed guns in person and it's second to no one. Jim is a master!!!

Now for photography.....in this case Bill wins.

I agree.....there have been very constructive comments made here....22WRF has commented constructively about my jeweling too.....it helped me a lot!.....I've even learned a thing or two from this thread about distance to background and lighting!

BTW, if I wanted a custom gun built by a master.....I sure wouldn't pick him for his photography!!!

Love that eggshell lustre. Well done.

Sleek trim lines and I really like the grip angle. Very nice!

Terry

I took delivery of this rifle today (Jim made it for me), and it looks better than even the pictures would indicate ...... a GREAT job, Jim ...... thanks for all your work. I'll be using his services again. I have a pre-64 barreled action in .257 Roberts, and if he will, I'm going to have Jim stock it. Thanks, again. FRANK

Jim,

That's a beautiful rifle. The stock is exquisite, and I love the lines of it.

Don

don't criticize the guy - he only knows how to work a brownie