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Okay, I brought this up in another thread. To communicate zoot to a potential buyer a picture or several pictures is an incredible tool.

I know practically nothing about it except, wetting the wood brings out what you really want to see, but is harmful to keeping it flat. Mineral Spirits might work, but doesn't it add petroleum product to the surface? Just looking for the best way to do it.

Lighting is important, but so is background, or is it? I know when Bob C put up some Waterfall Bubinga a while back, I had to have it.... it was an impulse buy for sure. I just knew I'd never seen wood that nice with that figure and it called to me. So how important is lighting / background?

I accidently took a picture with a light source off to the side and the room was dark. It turned out really nice. So, you photo guys, got any secrets? TIA

I prefer to use good lighting, no water/alcohol/finishes. If your trying to get more zootful pictures a flash can do it but may give you a worse photo overall.

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CVT Inc.
A tour of our shop (Somewhat outdated)
My Personal eBay profile. BCWoodBug

I think a naptha wipe down (on both sides) and plopping it on a flat bed scanner gives you the best results.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

To bring out the zoot, naphta wipe helps, but make double-sure you make it very clear that the pictures were taken wiped down, and not of the raw wood. It gives you an idea of what it'll look like under finish and all that.

Natural light can bring out more 'accurate' colouration, simply taking a picture in available, full sunlight. My flash is pretty good, so the colours come out quite accurately in situations where the flash merely fills in the lack of natural light.

I'll give theses suggestions a try. thank you.

I "personally" dislike wood that has been wiped down with any solvents. I have finished guitars and you can still smell the paint thinner or naptha or whatever? It bugs me when you open the case and all you smell is the solvents and not the wood. No this isn't nitro off gassing it's still the solvent from the wood vendor's picture. I am an ex-smoker and have a pretty sensitive nose and I also tend to be a bit anal at times too

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

I guess the first wood I bought off a picture was on Ebay. Usually the seller will say what they did if anything. Tim, I too am an x smoker and have a sensitive snoot, but I haven't smelled it as you say on my wood purchases.

A dry photo is probably best because it least endangers any side effects of treatments to show off the final color and zoot factor.

I don't know. I think you can overlook some good wood without a little wipe with the solvent. Just think about how nasty cocobolo looks right after it comes off the band saw... all yellow and dusty looking. That is not a fair representation of the color or look of it either. I think you know as a buyer that to some extent YMMV. (Sure... tell people you did it, but I think it lets the buyer see the wood in the closest approximation to what it will look like under finish).

And I would definitely wipe with solvent over water. Water causes all kinds of bad problems (cupping, warping etc.) that naptha doesn't. Naptha is a mild solvent that dries very fast -- mineral spirits is another story.

I wiped a board down with naptha yesterday and I can't smell it now holding it up to my face.
bpoling38372.3909375

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Naphtha dries so fast that I can barley get my camera in my had and snap a pic before its all evaporated..
I vote for a quick wipe, I wanna SEE what that figure looks like before I drop some serious coin on a set..

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

That is why I use a flat bed scanner. You can get it fast with that. I have it all set up and ready to go, wipe with naptha, lay it on the scanner and hit the button.

It works fast enough, but you are right, you gotta move quick.

kind of like hide glue.   

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

I have a different perspective on it. When I do my 3d renderings using photos of the actual wood to be used on a guitar I have found that one or two things make all the difference. If you are using a film and a SLR camera. The best results come from open aperture, slow shutter speed and med low ambient light. If you are using a digital than the best result are shoot in sunlight. Always use a tripod. For my 3d rendering purposes I need the the wood whetted. What Brock said about using a flat bed scanner is Ideal but it is hard to find a 24" flat bed scanner. As Luthiers the longer we work with the material the less we need to see the wood wet to have a feel of how it will look under finish. But when you are working with a client this is a different story. I have seen clients thumb their nose at a dry plank of quilted Mahogany but when whetted they think it is the most fabulous piece of wood they have ever seen.

At work I occasionally take slides of artwork for projections and we use a combination of side lighting with polarization filters. We have a polarized filter in front of the camera lens and can “dial in” the best saturation of color from the artwork by turning the filter until it cuts all the glair from the lighting. This may sound too elaborate a setup just to take pics of wood but the concept of cutting glare could help to get a good shot without dousing the wood. I have tried this with sunlight and a pair of polarized sunglasses and my digital camera with good results. Bring the wood out to the sun on a clear day and put on your polarized glasses. Tilt your head side to side and if you see a difference in the color richness of the wood, your camera should see it too. Just a thought.

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Wade
Nashua, NH
http://www.wadefx.com

Great ideas guys, now let's see where did I put my sunglasses? I lost my lense to my Canon SLR back in 91, left it on the barbie during pouring rain.... but I have a telephoto with macro. Maybe I'll try my video camera which takes stills.

Actually, something else just occurred to me: while outdoor light is best, hands down, an overcast day with good light is better yet; no glare, no reflections, just even, neutral lighting. So don't be waiting for the sun, necessarily.

Bruce: Try this:
http://www.bunnybass.com/e-zine/phototips/intro.shtml

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

www.bunnybass.com/e-zine/phototips/intro.shtml

Tim this was very helpful, thank you.

I personally don't like putting anything on sets I photograph and I was in the shop checking a nice quilt billet I intend to use on a les paul copy.. I'm suprised I didn't remember this earlier.

Although not quite the "zoot pop" that a finish or naptha will provide try laying some thin plexi or a piece of glass over the piece. Proper lighting and some plexi/glass and you get a lot better idea of what the wood will do under finish. I'd take one with and one without so the buyer knows your not trying to trick em.

You should also consider that anyone paying top dollar for luthier specific wood should have some basic knowledge of what they are buying.

Oh hey, also don't forget a quick sanding with the palm sander makes a big difference on wood fresh off the saw

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CVT Inc.
A tour of our shop (Somewhat outdated)
My Personal eBay profile. BCWoodBug

had to make a 40th post.. no choice
Jason38373.1190277778

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CVT Inc.
A tour of our shop (Somewhat outdated)
My Personal eBay profile. BCWoodBug