I would honestly look into a cheap light box setup for this. Will make the photos way better and they can be had for extremely cheap.
Brush Wars - V2 (RENAMED to Brush Buyers Guide)
- Thread starter joel
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- Thread starter
- #162
The most difficult shots are the action shots (making lather, etc) in the shave den. A light box wouldn't help too much there. More importantly though - I'm not a fan of light boxes. I think there's some honesty/sincerity lost in a photograph when you put something in a lightbox and photoshop it. I'm old school and enjoy the challenge and honesty of doing it the old fashion way. On the mornings i'm in a major hurry... you'll be able to tell. When I am taking my time on a Saturday morning, you'll notice. I think this "human error" element, and natural backgrounds are more "true" to the eye, and don't cheat. I want the pictures to be good, and representative of what you'll see in/with the brush, but I also want the brush to look at good or better in person, than it does in pictures. All too often i'll see a brush handle that's been photographed in a lightbox and played with in photoshop - and they end up looking WAY better in the photo, then they do in real life, and when the actual brush shows up, it's a disappointment. Being that this is a buyers guide, I want as much as possible for this series to convey exactly what you're going to get from the brush - both in term of performance/feel descriptions and photographs.
Hope this helps,
I've been fooled by the camera flash into thinking a handle is whiter than it is. Case in point: custom brushes based on Grosvenor handles looked white in the photos, but the actual 404 handle is a darker faux ivory. (The original Simfix Grosvenor LE did have a white handle.) So I was disappointed when this handle showed up. Knowing this wouldn't have stopped me from getting the brush, but it's nice to know what to expect ahead of time.
Thanks for your approach to the photography part of this exercise, Joel. Honest photos, honest reviews - this thread has many great posts on the way, I'm certain.
- Thread starter
- #165
The rest of the Wiborg's came today. Only waiting on 9 more!
I thought these had the same internals as the Leicas?
Steve56
Ask me about shaving naked!
They're not the same. Nothing wrong with a Fuji X100S though, great camera. I just wish it had interchangeable lenses.
Cheers, Steve
Cheers, Steve
Have you started the process yet, or are you waiting to have all on hand?
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- #169
I've started the process. All my time has been spent taking pictures (more than 1,500 so far) and documenting initial arrivals and first uses. It's made it difficult to start posting actual content - but it should start popping up awfully soon.
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Now THAT is brush porn!!!I've started the process. All my time has been spent taking pictures (more than 1,500 so far) and documenting initial arrivals and first uses. It's made it difficult to start posting actual content - but it should start popping up awfully soon.
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I've started the process. All my time has been spent taking pictures (more than 1,500 so far) and documenting initial arrivals and first uses. It's made it difficult to start posting actual content - but it should start popping up awfully soon.
Last edited by a moderator:
IMightBeWrong
Loves a smelly brush
That synthetic in the back really stands out among all that badger.
Really curious what brush will come out on top this time around!
Really curious what brush will come out on top this time around!
That Wiborg looks like it's going to eat the others
- Thread starter
- #174
Forgot to mention - i'm going to propose new terminology and a new way of describing and comparing brushes/bristle. I feel the existing terms are far too limiting and do not offer the precision and layers necessary to describe in words how a brush/knot will feel, perform, etc. I do believe a brush can be described in such a way that that upon first use, it should align to within 95% accuracy +/- 5%.
The glossary is already a page long
The glossary is already a page long
IMightBeWrong
Loves a smelly brush
Forgot to mention - i'm going to propose new terminology and a new way of describing and comparing brushes/bristle. I feel the existing terms are far too limiting and do not offer the precision and layers necessary to describe in words how a brush/knot will feel, perform, etc. I do believe a brush can be described in such a way that that upon first use, it should align to within 95% accuracy +/- 5%.
The glossary is already a page long
I'm highly curious about this. I imagine the word "floppy" will be dropped?
That Marfin is absolutely stunning!!! I LOVE briar.
- Thread starter
- #177
Good news: it looks like the picture.
Bad news: i'm so overwhelmed with brushes it doesn't look like anything special amongst this group.
I've started the process. All my time has been spent taking pictures (more than 1,500 so far) and documenting initial arrivals and first uses. It's made it difficult to start posting actual content - but it should start popping up awfully soon.
That's a whole lot of cream colored tips! He's right though, that synthetic in the back sticks out like a sore thumb!
Pretty neat how the tips on that black Wiborg(?) stubby on the left and the M&F (?) Manchurian in the center next to the Marfin look so much whiter than the others! Really didn't notice until I saw them next to so many others.
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This just might be the epic and permanent part of this effort.Forgot to mention - i'm going to propose new terminology and a new way of describing and comparing brushes/bristle. I feel the existing terms are far too limiting and do not offer the precision and layers necessary to describe in words how a brush/knot will feel, perform, etc. I do believe a brush can be described in such a way that that upon first use, it should align to within 95% accuracy +/- 5%.
The glossary is already a page long
I have had a feeling for some time now that the existing terminology is the limiting factor in describing brushes. That and the fact that the properties of a brush are not interesting per se, only the impact of the properties on the feeling are.
Very much looking forward to this!
I couldn't agree more! I am still confused at times by terminology, and the fact there is no standard. The same brush could be described multiple ways by multiple people.
Maybe this will create the new standard!
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