As for making deals, I'm not going to report you, I strive to work out any outcomes that arrive, and if it can't be, we'll go our separate ways and maybe on the next transaction it goes to both parties likings.

To whom could you possibly report Pat?

regards

david

I would never report Pat. The pen world is small as I have learned, and if any sort of transaction went blurry, most of the time you could fix it without any sort of intervention from other members,etc.

True ,

I was mostly suggesting that jeweler pens are one of a kind. Most were one offs/prototypes, as most didn't go into production, though I did read about some confusion weather or not the Waterman Tree Trunk was a jeweler pen or manufacturer overlay.

I do mostly collect overlays, so I don't really seek out ebonite, plastic, celluloid or other various materials in their early stages.

Jeweler's pens are not prototypes or one-offs in the collecting sense, anymore than my burning a hole in a pen in one particular spot of a random pen makes it a one-off or prototype in the collecting sense.

My knowledge of overlay Waterman's is not on part with that of, say, David Nishimura or Bob Novak, but I do believe I've seen a tree-trunk pen with Waterman markings on it.

Customized pens ("Jeweler's" stuff) can have charm and depending on context can have sanctioned role by the pen makers, but they are not what we call prototypes etc. Their value generally is extremely far below that of a true prototype or company "one-off". And, too, this does not even touch upon trying to prove that something odd is "one off".

regards

david

Thanks David for a great response,

I understand prototype relates more to a company, in which a product is produced and the product is in its early stages, and isn't a good terms for a jeweler pen. I dont know what the perfect word for a jeweler overlay pen, in which its the only one. And the term one off I'm not applying to generic German silver pens, but more first tear solid gold pens.

Also while were taking about Watermans, thanks for thevinfo relating to the True Trunk, but continental safety pens, does the value depend on subject matter? I was just looking at some safety's with interesting aztec motifs, and that apart of design commands a much higher price than a chased continental overlay. Is this apart of statement correct? Subject matter...

cmon...quit messing with the readers on this, that ain't no prototype 51, that hood is just backwards... lol

actually on the nassau or the cracked ice estie set, I would choose that estie set all day long. I saw that in Baltimore, I believe, and i was stunning.

nice finds

Rick

Wait, are you serious Rick...? The factory Parker card says experimental nib, and the lettering on the barrel leads to an early P51...

I guess it really shows my lack of knowledge with P51s, since only owning 5..

1/20 the price? Stolen goods? Damaged goods? How many actuations on the camera? What was the condition of it?

Very few are going to sell a camera such as that for a low price unless there is something wrong with it or they need to get rid of it.

Perfect your craft and worry about spending money for such a camera as the Canon 5D and the 100mm lens much later when you can state you have perfected your craft.

There is a big difference between need and want. Okay you want it. Do you need it?

Let's just say, its like buying a pen for restoration.

Repairing digital cameras is like repairing hard drives.

Let us know how it works out.

Last May I purchased a new camera after years of using a 5mpx Canon S2.

When I first bought the Canon, the were two known bugs immediately recognized by Canon and announced. The first that the camera did not like batteries and would always tell you even with brand new batteries that new batteries were needed. Canon never addressed this bug and let it remain. The second bug was that the lens would extend and then get caught part way and the dreaded E008 error would come about. This happened to me after owning the camera 6 weeks and I was set to go on vacation. The camera was sent back to Canon under warranty. All paid for repairs including shipping. When the camera returned the focus was slightly off. The IS was slightly off. I could tell the difference. Back it went to Canon. It was never as wonderful as the day I purchased it.

The Canon camera is now in stages of suffering debilitating brain issues. Sometimes the lens extends. Sometimes it shuts off. Sometimes the focus needs a few seconds to realize that the object in 2pm sunlight on the beach which is a rock on the sand is not going to move and it is safe to focus on it. The camera has over 50,000 photos taken with it. It lasted 7 years which I am told is quite decent for the use.

My new camera which was purchased last May is a Nikon 5100 body with a Sigma 18-200 lens. It does what I need it to do. I do miss the macro and did not think at the time to purchase the Tamron 18-270 macro lens. My error.

Around October the lens started to have problems focusing. It would focus on an object and then off focus. Thankfully it was under warranty and I took it to the repair shop which was in Manhattan and a long walk from the subway. it took them over 10 days to repair the camera having to get parts from Japan to repair it. The bill read that the entire electronics was replaced. The focus today is decent, not excellent. It never was with this lens at certain lengths and I am aware because it is a long range zoom and live with it. For me, I need a multizoom because changing lenses with my hands which have serious dexterity problems is not good. Spinal cord injury affects my hands.

My camera has 13,000 actuations in one year which makes it quite old and used in camera speak I am told by the sales people at BHPhoto when I visit. Try and resell it they tell me and it is not worth 1/2 of what I paid for it due to this. And for me this is fine, I will live with it.

When I am ready for a new camera I will move towards micro 4/3 because it is smaller, lighter and has some very interesting things about it. Right now carrying my camera around with me after about an hour, hurts. Almost 3lbs around the neck hurts. It did not hurt like this when I was in my 30s and had 5 lbs of my old Canon FTB around my neck with a large zoom lens and other lenses, it hurts now. Aging is not fun.

Your analogy of trying to fix a hard drive is spot on. A mechanical camera from the 1970s was able to be repaired in one day for some things if there were parts around. Happened to me numerous times with my Canon FTB. Went to the Japan show each year and it was cleaned, adjusted, and given back to me in less than 2 hours. A part was once needed, it took 3hours to give me a new curtain. Today with electronics, well...

The audacity of youth.

I am very sorry you have had such bad camera troubles.

If your interested, my camera is for sale with a 28mm lens, or 100mm lens.

Thank you for the offer. But I believe you have forgotten my statements that I will not engage in sales with you because you are a minor. Also I will not engage in sales with you because of the unethical practices you have engaged in on this board, your disrespect for the terms of service of Ebay, and because I have seen you take apart a pen or two or more and then put them back together. From that alone I would not be sure to be trusting of you for any merchandise I might purchase from you even when you are of legal age. I choose to decline the offer of your camera and lenses on the basis of the reasons i have mentioned above.

My present camera is a Nikon 5100 which is a bit too heavy for me but it is serving its purpose. The next camera will more than likely an Olympus as I am very impressed with their products and watching what people have done with the Olympus OM-D-EM5 and the lenses for it and I see there is potential for me in it. It is light and listening to older photographers who can no longer carry large amounts of heavy equipment, it is the camera to get. Plus on DPReview it was last year's camera of choice. Something to look at for the future. The dynamic range is excellent. The lens I am using is an 18-200 zoom by Sigma. It does its job but I would have preferred a longer range lens with a macro in it.

My present DSLR is teaching me how to improve my craft. I hope I am doing so. This afternoon was a lovely day for photography, the light was wonderful and I know where I want to be during the week thanks to the spring light to perform some fun if I am able to this week. Remember, a photographer who is talented can find a way to make use of what is given to them to create within certain parameters good to incredible photographs. Lots of people captured history creating classic photos that have lived through generation after generation with a simple lens, a simple camera, an understanding of light and talent in composition and then the darkroom. They did not have the opportunity to carry around more than a certain number of film negs and holders. It was way too heavy especially if they were walking up and down streets. Also for some a tripod. They had to take at most 3 photos and that meant changing the holder for their cameras if they were 4x5. With the advent of film rolls it made it easier.

What are they teaching you in photography in school? What have you learned.

I do apologize for taking apart my various Waterman 12's, 0552's,0556's, and my Parker bakelite baby pen, let alone many other pens.

You do not seem to get it Brandon do you?

Your pens, your property, you can place them in a bonfire if you wish. They are yours to destroy if you want to. If they are your right so property, you take them and use them for whatever legal means you wish. Use them for playing darts with the nibs, take them apart and use the barrels to shoot spitballs out of them, that is your choice, your property. Why are you apologizing? Is this to apologize to yourself? Apologize to yourself all you want.

In this message to you which you have quoted, I stated the following:


Thank you for the offer. But I believe you have forgotten my statements that I will not engage in sales with you because you are a minor. Also I will not engage in sales with you because of the unethical practices you have engaged in on this board, your disrespect for the terms of service of Ebay, and because I have seen you take apart a pen or two or more and then put them back together. From that alone I would not be sure to be trusting of you for any merchandise I might purchase from you even when you are of legal age. I choose to decline the offer of your camera and lenses on the basis of the reasons i have mentioned above.

You only chose to address the part where you took apart your pens. Nothing else in the above made an impact on you to discuss, to apologize for, just that you took apart various pens in your collection. You are only concerned about your collection and how you can money from it this seems to be to me, not about the things you have done that is unethical, not about your disrespect of the Terms of Service on Ebay and that people other than myself might be wary to engage in purchases and trades or even gifts with you because of your past actions. That you have taken apart pens to look at them is your right as the owner of the pen, but for every one of those transactions that you have engaged in where the pen was taken apart by you, were they put together by you without disclosure they were taken apart? Sold as - is with the disclaimer and disclosure that you took them apart? Did you send them off prior to any transaction of any kind to a responsible and reputable repair person prior who repaired and restored your damage.

In a message on this board you stated that you would not have difficulty with someone taking your pens for a period for inspection prior to payment. How cavalier of you. If the transaction does not go to your liking, will you then report as you have done previously about being taken advantage of?

In the message above I discussed with you things about photography, asked you a question about what you were taught in school, what have you learned? This is incredibly important.

As I stated in previous discussion in this thread, I learned studio photography of product shots with one light with a parabolic reflector and a clamp on the end. We used 4x5 cameras where we had to hold the bulb open manually timing our shot and hand held meters to gauge the tonal range of what we were shooting. We used a camera on a tripod and had to have a classroom/studio remain motionless while the shutter was keep open for as long as a minute plus. We used reflectors to light our objects and had to understand how light fell and how changes based on distance. We were only permitted 3 shots to make an advertisement for our project that would be accepted for publication as part of our assignment. We went to a darkroom, processed, printed a contact and then had to show it to the instructor who was the art director for the project and from there accept or reject our work. Acceptance was an A rejection was a C. A grade of B meant that it was in the running but we went with another, better luck next time. Our grades were subject to real time settings of how things went in the advertising world of the era. Our teachers were not Ph.D college professors, they were experienced real world art directors who worked for agencies in their real life and worked in our school to teach us the knowledge they had of how the real world acted. And my lesson in this was that I was not a great studio photographer and it was something I did not want to do. Can I do it today. Yes. Do I want to? No.

You came here asking for how people create their setups to get their shots? Question: If you are taking photography in school, doesn't your instructor in the photography class have the means to teach you how to product studio photography offering you the advice that is necessary to do the work and gain insight from it? You are more concerned about getting a camera with a macro lens and it being the camera your teacher has and from there believing you will have the equipment necessary to do the work when it can easily be done for less than that with the equipment you have now and a small investment if you know what you are doing.

So are you going to answer our questions when we ask you what are you learning, or are you not going to answer the question.

PatMorgan,

Im more than happy to answer your questions.

It will be next year, school year, when I'm a senior in which I'll be taking photography. So I don't exactly know the questions to your photography classroom questions.

As for making deals, I'm not going to report you, I strive to work out any outcomes that arrive, and if it can't be, we'll go our separate ways and maybe on the next transaction it goes to both parties likings.

What a fine array of dummy pens! Thanks for sharing these.

Agreed, very cool indeed. Great display items.

Getting over the cool, there is a lot to be learned from such pieces regarding the manufacturing process. I believe David N has the mounted version and perhaps the text that goes with it.

Is there anything you can garner about pen manufacture from the picture?

T

Is this a question for me?

If so, i take from this image the respect that these craftsman had for their skills back in the 30s-40s. I've owned dummy pens, no Watermans, but they give a great insite to potential customers about the pens if they were buying. Also its quite a process to make these, given the steps in which these sets show.

One can never have too many Grails....

My grails are pens in which aren't yet discovered, until I find them, and they happen to be one-of-a-kind specimens. I don't know if grail is the word to use, maybe prototype or or some other word.

How would you know that any pen you find is one of a kind.

Note, too, that neither one-of-a-kind nor new-to-you are sufficient to qualify as prototype.

regards

david

True ,

I was mostly suggesting that jeweler pens are one of a kind. Most were one offs/prototypes, as most didn't go into production, though I did read about some confusion weather or not the Waterman Tree Trunk was a jeweler pen or manufacturer overlay.

I do mostly collect overlays, so I don't really seek out ebonite, plastic, celluloid or other various materials in their early stages.

Green-
Please insert picture of a prototype Parker for Brando. (Hiis camera is in the shop)
-Farmer

Copy FB.



Here you go.

Wow, beautiful pen. Is this a smooth silver or steel capped pen? Interesting experimental nib, and what looks to be a cut away, cut out in the back... I admire the Parker lab numbers on the barrel, and your collection of prototypes.

Nice pictures as well

What a fine array of dummy pens! Thanks for sharing these.

Agreed, very cool indeed. Great display items.

1/20 the price? Stolen goods? Damaged goods? How many actuations on the camera? What was the condition of it?

Very few are going to sell a camera such as that for a low price unless there is something wrong with it or they need to get rid of it.

Perfect your craft and worry about spending money for such a camera as the Canon 5D and the 100mm lens much later when you can state you have perfected your craft.

There is a big difference between need and want. Okay you want it. Do you need it?

Let's just say, its like buying a pen for restoration.

Repairing digital cameras is like repairing hard drives.

Let us know how it works out.

Last May I purchased a new camera after years of using a 5mpx Canon S2.

When I first bought the Canon, the were two known bugs immediately recognized by Canon and announced. The first that the camera did not like batteries and would always tell you even with brand new batteries that new batteries were needed. Canon never addressed this bug and let it remain. The second bug was that the lens would extend and then get caught part way and the dreaded E008 error would come about. This happened to me after owning the camera 6 weeks and I was set to go on vacation. The camera was sent back to Canon under warranty. All paid for repairs including shipping. When the camera returned the focus was slightly off. The IS was slightly off. I could tell the difference. Back it went to Canon. It was never as wonderful as the day I purchased it.

The Canon camera is now in stages of suffering debilitating brain issues. Sometimes the lens extends. Sometimes it shuts off. Sometimes the focus needs a few seconds to realize that the object in 2pm sunlight on the beach which is a rock on the sand is not going to move and it is safe to focus on it. The camera has over 50,000 photos taken with it. It lasted 7 years which I am told is quite decent for the use.

My new camera which was purchased last May is a Nikon 5100 body with a Sigma 18-200 lens. It does what I need it to do. I do miss the macro and did not think at the time to purchase the Tamron 18-270 macro lens. My error.

Around October the lens started to have problems focusing. It would focus on an object and then off focus. Thankfully it was under warranty and I took it to the repair shop which was in Manhattan and a long walk from the subway. it took them over 10 days to repair the camera having to get parts from Japan to repair it. The bill read that the entire electronics was replaced. The focus today is decent, not excellent. It never was with this lens at certain lengths and I am aware because it is a long range zoom and live with it. For me, I need a multizoom because changing lenses with my hands which have serious dexterity problems is not good. Spinal cord injury affects my hands.

My camera has 13,000 actuations in one year which makes it quite old and used in camera speak I am told by the sales people at BHPhoto when I visit. Try and resell it they tell me and it is not worth 1/2 of what I paid for it due to this. And for me this is fine, I will live with it.

When I am ready for a new camera I will move towards micro 4/3 because it is smaller, lighter and has some very interesting things about it. Right now carrying my camera around with me after about an hour, hurts. Almost 3lbs around the neck hurts. It did not hurt like this when I was in my 30s and had 5 lbs of my old Canon FTB around my neck with a large zoom lens and other lenses, it hurts now. Aging is not fun.

Your analogy of trying to fix a hard drive is spot on. A mechanical camera from the 1970s was able to be repaired in one day for some things if there were parts around. Happened to me numerous times with my Canon FTB. Went to the Japan show each year and it was cleaned, adjusted, and given back to me in less than 2 hours. A part was once needed, it took 3hours to give me a new curtain. Today with electronics, well...

The audacity of youth.

I am very sorry you have had such bad camera troubles.

If your interested, my camera is for sale with a 28mm lens, or 100mm lens.

Thank you for the offer. But I believe you have forgotten my statements that I will not engage in sales with you because you are a minor. Also I will not engage in sales with you because of the unethical practices you have engaged in on this board, your disrespect for the terms of service of Ebay, and because I have seen you take apart a pen or two or more and then put them back together. From that alone I would not be sure to be trusting of you for any merchandise I might purchase from you even when you are of legal age. I choose to decline the offer of your camera and lenses on the basis of the reasons i have mentioned above.

My present camera is a Nikon 5100 which is a bit too heavy for me but it is serving its purpose. The next camera will more than likely an Olympus as I am very impressed with their products and watching what people have done with the Olympus OM-D-EM5 and the lenses for it and I see there is potential for me in it. It is light and listening to older photographers who can no longer carry large amounts of heavy equipment, it is the camera to get. Plus on DPReview it was last year's camera of choice. Something to look at for the future. The dynamic range is excellent. The lens I am using is an 18-200 zoom by Sigma. It does its job but I would have preferred a longer range lens with a macro in it.

My present DSLR is teaching me how to improve my craft. I hope I am doing so. This afternoon was a lovely day for photography, the light was wonderful and I know where I want to be during the week thanks to the spring light to perform some fun if I am able to this week. Remember, a photographer who is talented can find a way to make use of what is given to them to create within certain parameters good to incredible photographs. Lots of people captured history creating classic photos that have lived through generation after generation with a simple lens, a simple camera, an understanding of light and talent in composition and then the darkroom. They did not have the opportunity to carry around more than a certain number of film negs and holders. It was way too heavy especially if they were walking up and down streets. Also for some a tripod. They had to take at most 3 photos and that meant changing the holder for their cameras if they were 4x5. With the advent of film rolls it made it easier.

What are they teaching you in photography in school? What have you learned.

I do apologize for taking apart my various Waterman 12's, 0552's,0556's, and my Parker bakelite baby pen, let alone many other pens.

1/20 the price? Stolen goods? Damaged goods? How many actuations on the camera? What was the condition of it?

Very few are going to sell a camera such as that for a low price unless there is something wrong with it or they need to get rid of it.

Perfect your craft and worry about spending money for such a camera as the Canon 5D and the 100mm lens much later when you can state you have perfected your craft.

There is a big difference between need and want. Okay you want it. Do you need it?

Let's just say, its like buying a pen for restoration.

Repairing digital cameras is like repairing hard drives.

Let us know how it works out.

Really...

I'll talk to a Canon repair man and see if he makes that same comparison. Wait, did I say repair person? Yes I did, one who can fix them. A new sensor, LCD,etc can all be replaced.

When you are finished fixing your camera I have a WD Caviar on my desk that needs attention.

I happily bow to your wisdom.

FarmBoy...from the middle of Silicon Valley wishing he was in the Windy City

Hard drives are near impossible to fix, they are much more mechanical, than the new state of the are SSD's. The best option, is to try freezing it, and extracting information before it dies for good.

1/20 the price? Stolen goods? Damaged goods? How many actuations on the camera? What was the condition of it?

Very few are going to sell a camera such as that for a low price unless there is something wrong with it or they need to get rid of it.

Perfect your craft and worry about spending money for such a camera as the Canon 5D and the 100mm lens much later when you can state you have perfected your craft.

There is a big difference between need and want. Okay you want it. Do you need it?

Let's just say, its like buying a pen for restoration.

Repairing digital cameras is like repairing hard drives.

Let us know how it works out.

Last May I purchased a new camera after years of using a 5mpx Canon S2.

When I first bought the Canon, the were two known bugs immediately recognized by Canon and announced. The first that the camera did not like batteries and would always tell you even with brand new batteries that new batteries were needed. Canon never addressed this bug and let it remain. The second bug was that the lens would extend and then get caught part way and the dreaded E008 error would come about. This happened to me after owning the camera 6 weeks and I was set to go on vacation. The camera was sent back to Canon under warranty. All paid for repairs including shipping. When the camera returned the focus was slightly off. The IS was slightly off. I could tell the difference. Back it went to Canon. It was never as wonderful as the day I purchased it.

The Canon camera is now in stages of suffering debilitating brain issues. Sometimes the lens extends. Sometimes it shuts off. Sometimes the focus needs a few seconds to realize that the object in 2pm sunlight on the beach which is a rock on the sand is not going to move and it is safe to focus on it. The camera has over 50,000 photos taken with it. It lasted 7 years which I am told is quite decent for the use.

My new camera which was purchased last May is a Nikon 5100 body with a Sigma 18-200 lens. It does what I need it to do. I do miss the macro and did not think at the time to purchase the Tamron 18-270 macro lens. My error.

Around October the lens started to have problems focusing. It would focus on an object and then off focus. Thankfully it was under warranty and I took it to the repair shop which was in Manhattan and a long walk from the subway. it took them over 10 days to repair the camera having to get parts from Japan to repair it. The bill read that the entire electronics was replaced. The focus today is decent, not excellent. It never was with this lens at certain lengths and I am aware because it is a long range zoom and live with it. For me, I need a multizoom because changing lenses with my hands which have serious dexterity problems is not good. Spinal cord injury affects my hands.

My camera has 13,000 actuations in one year which makes it quite old and used in camera speak I am told by the sales people at BHPhoto when I visit. Try and resell it they tell me and it is not worth 1/2 of what I paid for it due to this. And for me this is fine, I will live with it.

When I am ready for a new camera I will move towards micro 4/3 because it is smaller, lighter and has some very interesting things about it. Right now carrying my camera around with me after about an hour, hurts. Almost 3lbs around the neck hurts. It did not hurt like this when I was in my 30s and had 5 lbs of my old Canon FTB around my neck with a large zoom lens and other lenses, it hurts now. Aging is not fun.

Your analogy of trying to fix a hard drive is spot on. A mechanical camera from the 1970s was able to be repaired in one day for some things if there were parts around. Happened to me numerous times with my Canon FTB. Went to the Japan show each year and it was cleaned, adjusted, and given back to me in less than 2 hours. A part was once needed, it took 3hours to give me a new curtain. Today with electronics, well...

The audacity of youth.

I am very sorry you have had such bad camera troubles.

If your interested, my camera is for sale with a 28mm lens, or 100mm lens.

1/20 the price? Stolen goods? Damaged goods? How many actuations on the camera? What was the condition of it?

Very few are going to sell a camera such as that for a low price unless there is something wrong with it or they need to get rid of it.

Perfect your craft and worry about spending money for such a camera as the Canon 5D and the 100mm lens much later when you can state you have perfected your craft.

There is a big difference between need and want. Okay you want it. Do you need it?

Let's just say, its like buying a pen for restoration.

Repairing digital cameras is like repairing hard drives.

Let us know how it works out.

Really....

I'll talk to a Canon repair man and see if he makes that same comparison. Wait, did I say repair person? Yes I did, one who can fix them. A new sensor, LCD,etc can all be replaced.

One can never have too many Grails....

My grails are pens in which aren't yet discovered, until I find them, and they happen to be one-of-a-kind specimens. I don't know if grail is the word to use, maybe prototype or or some other word.

Thanks Andy,

Love your site, and always great information. Your photographs are superb.

Nice compliment, thanks, but unfortunately, I don't actually have a website..........!

Andy

Woops,

I always thought this was your site;

http://www.andys-pens.co.uk

1/20 the price? Stolen goods? Damaged goods? How many actuations on the camera? What was the condition of it?

Very few are going to sell a camera such as that for a low price unless there is something wrong with it or they need to get rid of it.

Perfect your craft and worry about spending money for such a camera as the Canon 5D and the 100mm lens much later when you can state you have perfected your craft.

There is a big difference between need and want. Okay you want it. Do you need it?

Let's just say, its like buying a pen for restoration.

How about lighting David, How do you do it? I have here with me the Erano book with lots of great pictures from you and would love to learn a bit about lighting Especially how to do an inexpensive home studio.

Best

Vasco

Had fun working with Paul on the book. That was quite early in my pen photography work, and we were limited because publisher did not provide proofs. I had to guess regarding brightness, saturation, contrast, etc.

Lighting is key for pen photography. Good close-in function on a point-and-shoot camera (often called Macro) is key. Diffuse light tents are involved in the work that most do. More another time. I just arrived at Chicago Pen Show.

regards

david

I too have done some photography for books. My brief was to produce, in general, simple life size true colour pictures of single pens and pencils. For me the problem is that i need to produce around 1000 decent pictures in very limited time as this is not my main field of work. To this end I use a good solid copy stand, a conical light tent to go over it with some table lighting and an overhead light. However, the key to producing this number of images in a short time is the use of my own custom pen stand on which I can place the pens without them rolling around and then I can rattle off the pictures with indecent haste. After that, a nodding acquaintance with a recent version of Photoshop will work wonders, especially invaluable when bringing out details of black chased pens or barrel inscriptions. Of less importance is the camera, though I happen to use at present a Canon EOS 450D (Digital Rebel in the US?) with a decent macro lens for most of the pictures, with a second zoom lens to allow me to take pictures of boxed sets on the same stand.

Andy

Thanks Andy,

Love your site, and always great information. Your photographs are superb.

In all fairness, I wish to back away a bit from my snark to Brandon.

There's nothing wrong with having great gear and for liking great gear. His note did read a bit to me as if, "I can shoot some nice pen pics because I have monster gear", when of course as with most things, monster gear is not necessary for learning and for good outcome. I remember taking some tennis lessons at age 9 and wandering the sporting goods store with my folks to grab a first racquet . I really liked the $200 racquet (vs nice enough $20 versions) and argued it would help me play better. My folks explained to me wryly that the difference in those tools was not what would be the rate limiting effect on my early game. I ended up with the $20 racquet

Point and shoot lightweight cameras have advantages in this game. They can be held with one hand easily for the shot.

regards

d

Back in photo school where I was learning advertising and fashion photography in a SUNY community college, we were taught how to light using one 75 watt bulb with a clip on light with a large metal parabolic reflector on it. We then used pieces of cardboard of varying shades which were gray scale, 0 percent black to 100 percent black for the use of learning how light hits an object to get an even tone. We used handheld meters to meter what we were shooting.

With our 4x5 cameras on old tripods and just a bulb setting because we needed to keep the shutter open for 30 seconds or more, it was a terrific experience for each of us to understand how to photograph still life. When shooting a perfume bottle which had to be set up a specific way in order to fit the template given to us, well one can imagine the amount of time for us. Basically 20 people or so in a large studio classroom each in their own space setting up everything. Then when it was set up we had to act as assistants for our classmates so they could have someone view their work because we were told we could only take 3 shots of what we made and then present them after going into darkroom the next day. Since a shot might have a shutter open for over a minute, we had to announce to class for everyone to stop work, make no movement in the room lest the camera have for any reason movement. Being we were over the number 1 train we also had to be aware that the building shoot. It also shook when a truck went by. But this is how we learned.

So we yell out getting ready to shoot with a 1 min shutter and three shots would be taken so it was over 3 minutes no movement, you learn how to get along with your classmates and work together.

You took the shot, ran to the darkroom to process it and then make the 4x5 contact print to see how it looks. Bring it to the instructor who states that there is a problem, look at the shadow, it is too muddy, you need to light it better and the highlight on the front of the bottle is too blown out.

Back to the set up making sure everything is fine. Doing the tweaks, checking it twice. Having a classmate check and see why the shadows is so filled up that it would not print properly. Moving reflectors and measuring tonal range with gray scale and 18 percent gray cards. Then take the next shot. Run to process and print a contact print. Show it to the instructor who remarks there is improvement and notes that it is now 3pm in the afternoon and you have less than 1.5 hours to get the project done and then be able to present the finished product the next day on 11x14 paper in portfolio form and you had one more shot to get it right, completely right for it to be able to make it to publication.

So you went through the part again, making sure everything is right, remeasuring everything and then taking that last photo. Run to the darkroom to process it and make the contact print. The instructor would then pick the best of the three then we had to go in the next day and print all three. We needed to retouch it if there was dust or scratches and from there have a perfect print that could be used for publication. It was the real world.

I was a better black and white darkroom technician than I was a photographer. My classmates had me fix up their negs and do the magic in the darkroom to get the right tonal ranges and clean up with retouching. Some used my tricks and others tried their own. It was difficult. It was not fun. It was not a good match for me. But I learned and still have some of that knowledge. With one camera, one light, one tripod and many reflectors, we learned product photography for the real world at the time of the mid 70s. That was all that was needed to do the work.

One can easily take shots these days just needing a basic sharp lens with less distortions and aberrations and a decent small camera. You and many others prove it daily that sharpness, clarity and good tonal range is all that is needed in a camera that does the job. It is best to learn how to use basic tools and from there grow if it is necessary for one in their hobbies or profession. On Facebook I am absolutely astounded by the work one friend is doing with his IPhone 5 and a bit of post processing. His composition, his capture of what he sees on NYC streets is terrific.

A relative of mine is using a Panasonic Z150 for his bird photography. With that camera in macro mode and it is prosumer camera with a high zoom of what 24x or so I believe, his macro work was terrific. On a tripod he took a photo of a dragonfly and the color work, the sharpness, the clarity and his ability to get the image so close in macro made. It was done with a 500 buck camera. At the same time his photos at the highest zoom of hummingbirds coming to the feeder are worthy of publication as he catches the motion of the wings in flight. Each night that he is able on his nightly walk he is capturing cloud combinations in the sunsets that are enviable. I want to be there with him and watch those sunsets. He does little post processing, some cropping, opening up the tonal range and a bit of post sharpening. Honestly his hobby work over the last year has improved so much that he is deserving of recognition for his work.

For years I wanted to upgrade my camera but finances were tough for a long time. In 2005 I purchased a Canon S2 5 mpx camera. With that camera I have taken over 50,000 photos. I have been able to have a photo published in a newspaper for an incident that happened in NYC which was news for days on end. A steampipe broke on 40th and Lexington Ave and the area was shutdown. Numerous 3rd degree burns to the driver and passenger of a tow truck that was sitting over the steampipe at the moment it burst. When the truck was lifted due to the location of my office, i was able to sneak in using ID and from the 17th fl using the 12x zoom on my camera get a direct look at the broken pipe. The NYPost published my photo and bought other photos that no one else had published thus scooping everyone. For me, it was the my joy of finally being published in a newspaper. I got what i wanted, what I hoped for since I was in high school. And it was a simple 5mpx camera with a 12x zoom lens that did it for me.

That same camera took photos which are on a webpage that has had over 1,000,000 hits in 6 years. The photos of a walk I took in the Bronx of my old neighborhood is visited and I get about 2000-3000 hits a week of these photos. I just use a simple site meter to see what people look at and the page documents the number of hits for each photo. There are over 1750 comments that people have left over the last few years about missing the Bronx. i get hits from people all around the world who look and leave email to me about the Bronx. All of this taken with a 5mpx camera and a 12x lens.

Are the photos worthy of awards. Not in the least. Nothing artsy about them. But they do the job of giving people who long for their old neighborhood a chance to remember and sigh and wish for the old days to be back. I get thank yous from people from comments and private emails every week. I am proud of that site. There are 4000 photos dealing up there, but few look at the work of trying to be a photographer and just migrate to the snapshots of me saying this was my home. Sometimes the most simplistic work, the sloppiest photos are the ones most appreciated. That is fine. They have made so many feel some joy and that is what is truly matters.

Sorry for the long winded post but this is for anyone who chooses to read it. One does not need to spend a great deal to do work that is appreciated by many. Sometimes the minimal approach, the most simplistic approach can be the best.

Thank you for the informational reply. Those were they good days when everything could be controlled, as now many thing agree just "gloss" coated, and many don't necessarily know what it does.

Double-post

In all fairness, I wish to back away a bit from my snark to Brandon.

There's nothing wrong with having great gear and for liking great gear. His note did read a bit to me as if, "I can shoot some nice pen pics because I have monster gear", when of course as with most things, monster gear is not necessary for learning and for good outcome. I remember taking some tennis lessons at age 9 and wandering the sporting goods store with my folks to grab a first racquet . I really liked the $200 racquet (vs nice enough $20 versions) and argued it would help me play better. My folks explained to me wryly that the difference in those tools was not what would be the rate limiting effect on my early game. I ended up with the $20 racquet

Point and shoot lightweight cameras have advantages in this game. They can be held with one hand easily for the shot.

regards

d

Back in photo school where I was learning advertising and fashion photography in a SUNY community college, we were taught how to light using one 75 watt bulb with a clip on light with a large metal parabolic reflector on it. We then used pieces of cardboard of varying shades which were gray scale, 0 percent black to 100 percent black for the use of learning how light hits an object to get an even tone. We used handheld meters to meter what we were shooting.

With our 4x5 cameras on old tripods and just a bulb setting because we needed to keep the shutter open for 30 seconds or more, it was a terrific experience for each of us to understand how to photograph still life. When shooting a perfume bottle which had to be set up a specific way in order to fit the template given to us, well one can imagine the amount of time for us. Basically 20 people or so in a large studio classroom each in their own space setting up everything. Then when it was set up we had to act as assistants for our classmates so they could have someone view their work because we were told we could only take 3 shots of what we made and then present them after going into darkroom the next day. Since a shot might have a shutter open for over a minute, we had to announce to class for everyone to stop work, make no movement in the room lest the camera have for any reason movement. Being we were over the number 1 train we also had to be aware that the building shoot. It also shook when a truck went by. But this is how we learned.

So we yell out getting ready to shoot with a 1 min shutter and three shots would be taken so it was over 3 minutes no movement, you learn how to get along with your classmates and work together.

You took the shot, ran to the darkroom to process it and then make the 4x5 contact print to see how it looks. Bring it to the instructor who states that there is a problem, look at the shadow, it is too muddy, you need to light it better and the highlight on the front of the bottle is too blown out.

Back to the set up making sure everything is fine. Doing the tweaks, checking it twice. Having a classmate check and see why the shadows is so filled up that it would not print properly. Moving reflectors and measuring tonal range with gray scale and 18 percent gray cards. Then take the next shot. Run to process and print a contact print. Show it to the instructor who remarks there is improvement and notes that it is now 3pm in the afternoon and you have less than 1.5 hours to get the project done and then be able to present the finished product the next day on 11x14 paper in portfolio form and you had one more shot to get it right, completely right for it to be able to make it to publication.

So you went through the part again, making sure everything is right, remeasuring everything and then taking that last photo. Run to the darkroom to process it and make the contact print. The instructor would then pick the best of the three then we had to go in the next day and print all three. We needed to retouch it if there was dust or scratches and from there have a perfect print that could be used for publication. It was the real world.

I was a better black and white darkroom technician than I was a photographer. My classmates had me fix up their negs and do the magic in the darkroom to get the right tonal ranges and clean up with retouching. Some used my tricks and others tried their own. It was difficult. It was not fun. It was not a good match for me. But I learned and still have some of that knowledge. With one camera, one light, one tripod and many reflectors, we learned product photography for the real world at the time of the mid 70s. That was all that was needed to do the work.

One can easily take shots these days just needing a basic sharp lens with less distortions and aberrations and a decent small camera. You and many others prove it daily that sharpness, clarity and good tonal range is all that is needed in a camera that does the job. It is best to learn how to use basic tools and from there grow if it is necessary for one in their hobbies or profession. On Facebook I am absolutely astounded by the work one friend is doing with his IPhone 5 and a bit of post processing. His composition, his capture of what he sees on NYC streets is terrific.

A relative of mine is using a Panasonic Z150 for his bird photography. With that camera in macro mode and it is prosumer camera with a high zoom of what 24x or so I believe, his macro work was terrific. On a tripod he took a photo of a dragonfly and the color work, the sharpness, the clarity and his ability to get the image so close in macro made. It was done with a 500 buck camera. At the same time his photos at the highest zoom of hummingbirds coming to the feeder are worthy of publication as he catches the motion of the wings in flight. Each night that he is able on his nightly walk he is capturing cloud combinations in the sunsets that are enviable. I want to be there with him and watch those sunsets. He does little post processing, some cropping, opening up the tonal range and a bit of post sharpening. Honestly his hobby work over the last year has improved so much that he is deserving of recognition for his work.

For years I wanted to upgrade my camera but finances were tough for a long time. In 2005 I purchased a Canon S2 5 mpx camera. With that camera I have taken over 50,000 photos. I have been able to have a photo published in a newspaper for an incident that happened in NYC which was news for days on end. A steampipe broke on 40th and Lexington Ave and the area was shutdown. Numerous 3rd degree burns to the driver and passenger of a tow truck that was sitting over the steampipe at the moment it burst. When the truck was lifted due to the location of my office, i was able to sneak in using ID and from the 17th fl using the 12x zoom on my camera get a direct look at the broken pipe. The NYPost published my photo and bought other photos that no one else had published thus scooping everyone. For me, it was the my joy of finally being published in a newspaper. I got what i wanted, what I hoped for since I was in high school. And it was a simple 5mpx camera with a 12x zoom lens that did it for me.

That same camera took photos which are on a webpage that has had over 1,000,000 hits in 6 years. The photos of a walk I took in the Bronx of my old neighborhood is visited and I get about 2000-3000 hits a week of these photos. I just use a simple site meter to see what people look at and the page documents the number of hits for each photo. There are over 1750 comments that people have left over the last few years about missing the Bronx. i get hits from people all around the world who look and leave email to me about the Bronx. All of this taken with a 5mpx camera and a 12x lens.

Are the photos worthy of awards. Not in the least. Nothing artsy about them. But they do the job of giving people who long for their old neighborhood a chance to remember and sigh and wish for the old days to be back. I get thank yous from people from comments and private emails every week. I am proud of that site. There are 4000 photos dealing up there, but few look at the work of trying to be a photographer and just migrate to the snapshots of me saying this was my home. Sometimes the most simplistic work, the sloppiest photos are the ones most appreciated. That is fine. They have made so many feel some joy and that is what is truly matters.

Sorry for the long winded post but this is for anyone who chooses to read it. One does not need to spend a great deal to do work that is appreciated by many. Sometimes the minimal approach, the most simplistic approach can be the best.

Thank you for the informational reply. Those were they good days when everything could be controlled, as now many thing agree just "gloss" coated, and many don't necessarily know what it does.

Hello all curious onlookers,

As an amateur photographer, I love to shoot, but more than that, I love to shoot pens This thread is an appreciation to pen photography, and along with that, tips on better pen photography, and gear recommendations. What gear do you use?

First up: Panasonic GF1 with Canon 28mm vintage pancake lens.
*Pen photography on blog.

Upgrading to in near future: Canon 5D Mark III with 100mm f/2.8 macro lens.

Since no one has answered this, I will take the time to do so.

Why do you need a $3500 camera and a $1000 dollar lens? Is it going to make you a better photographer?

What you need to do is learn how to be a still life product photographer with the equipment you have.

When I was in photo school way back when we learned how to do advertising still life photos with a simple 4x5 camera because that what was used at the time, a tripod, a single light source and reflectors. That is how we learned how to light things in black and white photography. We needed to learn and understand depth of field, perspective, how to light what we are photographing and how to under perception.

There are many people who have learned how to do the photography through trial and error and their work is quite good. Would their work end up in advertising, possibly. Many have natural talent, others developed it through trial and error. You want to learn about product photography, take some time off from being a supervisor at the 18 dollar per hour job and intern with a product photographer for at least 6 months doing grunt work. Set up lights, measure the focal length, work on color work and from there learn photoshop to do the basics and perhaps you have an understanding of how to take better photos and then can do the work.

I am not a good still life photographer, but I understand how to do it and how to create still life work. I do not enjoy doing it and have not enjoyed it. I prefer nature photography and street photography.

You do not need 5grand worth of camera and lens to make an award winning photo. People are showing incredible work with their IPhones.

Your best bet is to learn using what you have now. From there, you will find what equipment you will need for your future that will the work that you want to do.

To better learn, and to have more experience, I'm luckily able to take photography classes in my high school. The cameras used are Canon 7D's, and my teachers personal camera is the Canon Mark III, so you can understand why I'm going to buy what I am.

Since I was young, I've always been told,"You have to be at the right place, and the right time." And for there most part it holds true. Several months ago I made an offer on a Mark III and a 100mm macro L-lens, the deal was about 1/20 of retail, and it was accepted. The bad part was, the camera was set for me to but at my offered price, but it was while I was asleep... I wake up, someone else's clicked the button.

So its just stories like that, that reflect the "Close but no cigar" phrase, as I did truly have the camera, but I wasn't on top of things and closely as I should have been.

I do passionately look forward to learning photography.

Whats the history of this pen? Is this pen the same principle to the Tree Trunk?

http://www.ebay.com/?redirect=mobile

Your link just seems to go to the opening page of eBay - no particular auction.

Even so, I am puzzled how a pen can be a principle. Is English your first language? OK if it isn't - just curious ......

Fixed. Its the design in which it can be principled, not the pen in of its self.

Not really sure I understand that either.



prin·ci·ple

noun

1. an accepted or professed rule of action or conduct: a person of good moral principles.

2. a fundamental, primary, or general law or truth from which others are derived: the principles of modern physics.

3. a fundamental doctrine or tenet; a distinctive ruling opinion: the principles of the Stoics.

4. principles, a personal or specific basis of conduct or management: to adhere to one's principles; a kindergarten run on modern principles.

5. guiding sense of the requirements and obligations of right conduct: a person of principle.

I'm guessing he is using the phrase linked to meaning 5.

You can have design principles - for example, the central design principle of the Bauhaus School was "form follows function." But principle in this context still just means "rule" or "guidelines"

The tree-trunk pen isn't "the same principle to..." anything
It could be designed in line with the principles of a particular designer (one who took all inspiration from nature, possibly?) but I don't think this is the case.

Best wishes

Robin

So just a pen relating to nature, not knowing of the actual Tree Trunk pen by Waterman

An Admiral? If not, I don't know because i've actually had several of these with the same hood, I sold one of them, and the one I have right now says "Made is USA" on the pen, but nothing else

Does your pen also say Wearever?

The black "capless" pen is a Platinum Knock aka Platinum Capless. It was introduced in 1965. The pen did not have a long lifetime because Pilot threatened legal action and the pen was pulled from the market.


The Parker-like pen is what I believe to be a Platinum A-S1 pen that was introduced in 1946. It's a pretty good clone of a 51. The pen looks like a aerometric or plain squeeze filler. I'm still trying to confirm some of he info for this pen.

Believe these are later than 1946 or they Would pre-date Parker phasing out the Vacumatic filler. A Patent search would possibly provide data.

No it does not, but yes, Platinum pens I have several of. I do really like the shape of the hood, but with cheap quality, and not good resale, there isn't much for me to do with it.

Beautiful Montblancs, and though I've never owned one, they are truly great writers, even exceeding their hype of the brand.

An Admiral? If not, I don't know because i've actually had several of these with the same hood, I sold one of them, and the one I have right now says "Made is USA" on the pen, but nothing else

Congrats on the MB.

Its the one MB I actually want to own I can't tell, but is it silver or GF? I love the nibs on MB's and the piston makes it much more enjoyable.

Whats the history of this pen? Is this pen the same principle to the Tree Trunk?

http://www.ebay.com/?redirect=mobile

Your link just seems to go to the opening page of eBay - no particular auction.

Even so, I am puzzled how a pen can be a principle. Is English your first language? OK if it isn't - just curious ......

Fixed. Its the design in which it can be principled, not the pen in of its self.