Luger photography, Norm's way.

[Norme]

I have a long history in photography stretching back some 70 years.
My first camera was an old Voigtlander glass plate camera that I used for duplicating pornographic post cards as a teenager. I then moved on to a Leica 35mm and spent many happy hours in our bathroom, converted into a darkroom, developing negatives and enlarging prints. Since moving to Colorado I have taken an interest in wild life photography and, of course photographing Lugers.
I now use a Nikon D610 (way overkill!) fitted with a 60mm f2.8 Micro Nikkor lens (essential). Please note that Canon calls these close focussing lenses Macro.
My Luger photography set up is pretty basic, a 28'' X 18" white desk pad a sturdy tripod and one, occasionally two, photographic flood lights to relieve shadows. My main source of light is the abundant daylight that streams through our large glass windows.
A word about that daylight. We live at 7,400' feet, almost a mile and a half above sea level. Much of the blue spectrum in our light gets filtered out on it's way to where most of you live, so if the highlights on some of my Luger photos look strange to you, trust me, this is what the Good Lord intended.
These are all photos of 1908 Navy #4319b, I'll post some close-up detail photos later.
Norm

[Norme]

And here's my basic Luger photo set-up.
P.S. Please excuse the wildly distorted photo, it was taken with my cell phone.

[Edward Tinker]

I made it a sticky and re-opened since I closed it

Norm wants to add to this

[spangy]

What a beautiful Navy Norme ... I hope to have one this nice one day.

[Patrick Sweeney]

When you do the "flat on a white background" shots, you can eliminate the shadows around the pistol by resting it on white props. I have found that white plastic bearings, the small circular ones, or the white feet that go on the bottom of sheet metal table legs, work just fine. That way the light can "wrap around" the pistol, and viola, no shadows.

[Norme]

Here's the second installment, some detail photos. The period correct magazine is non-matching.
Norm

[Mac Cat]

what kind of camera are you using and what settings do you typically use?
Does it have a MACRO mode for the close-ups, or do you use the zoom?

[Norme]

Hi Mac, The photos you see above were all taken with a Nikon D610 camera that I use for wild life photography, a very advanced camera with more features than I could possibly count and certainly don't use for taking Luger pictures. I focus manually, set sensitivity ("film" speed), shutter speed and aperture manually as well. For most of my Luger photography I use an early 60 mm f2.8 Micro Nikkor that I picked up cheap and focus manually.
My routine is very unscientific, I set up gun and camera and take a wild guess at the correct exposure and take a dozen or so photos at 1/50th sec, up and down the aperture scale and then see what looks best, that will be my basic exposure. I then proceed with my photo session with a three shot bracket. I dump all the photos I don't use (remember, "film" is free!). Occasionally a shot will have to be retaken, usually a depth of field issue. Works for me!
Norm

[Lyn Islaub]

Simply beautiful photography Norm and the pistol's pretty nice too. Oh how I wish I had some of your camera skills.
Lyn

[Dwight Gruber]

OK, Norm, you win!


--Dwight

[4 Scale]

Lovely photos, I feel I have the pistol right in front of me and I'm looking at it in hand.

[spripple33]

Beautiful gun and beautiful pictures! I need a better camera...
-Jason