Untitled Douglas Fir Bowl (2010)

Bill your use of wood is truly extraordinary.

a real eye turner, I really would like to take this one up and feel it. Exciting and what a super job well done. I am truly fascinated by your work.

WOW! This is downright sexy. What a sleek and well shaped form. Gorgeous.
Don L.

Bill are you using the pacific coast specie of DF and do you turn live or dead? The intermountain variety tends to be brittle I've found.

Thanks John and all for the kinds words.

Dale, I am using fir from western WA state.

It varies alot tree to tree, but I pretty much always turn it green to completion.

The old growth type close grain is the easiest, but I prefer grain that is more differentiated.

Bill, your photography is outstanding. Can you tell me what camera and lens you used for these shots?

Robert, thanks although I wish I was a better photographer - photography is a whole world of learning of it's own.

My opinion is for smaller sized images the camera and lens (if ~100mm) isn't critical although I prefer a DSLR. For publication, I feel 10-12 mpxls is a minimum to allow a little cropping and still have enough pixels for print.

Having said that, the camera I currently use is a Canon 5d2 and mostly use my Canon 70-200mm f/4 lens. Usually shot at around 100mm. On a tripod of course.

The lighting is the challenge, separating the piece from the background while showing the piece (painting with light). This is where it happens or it doesn't.

I shoot tethered to a PC so I can review my shots immediately on the computer monitor and decide what to try next in the way of lighting. The joy of digital.

I use seamless background paper on a tabletop that slopes away from the camera in the back as typical of tabletop photography. I like the contrast the darker background can give, but that's just me.

I'm with everyone else that is a gorgeous bowl. Very well done.

Excellent!

Turning of the Week, 11-22-10
AAW Home Page Photo

Thanks much for the honor.