You’ve probably seen the commercial on television that pertains to losing weight in which a woman calls the bathroom scale her “frienemy”. Evidently and obviously, she is encouraged to lose weight by the reading on the scale while at the same time disgusted by the same number. I CAN relate to the enemy part, but not as well to the friend dimension.
My camera is my frienemy. I’m still trying hard to get my wire technique perfected and lately have been pleased with the way the handmade jump rings close and how the wire looks post hammering. I’ve been pleased, that is, until I’ve viewed them in a close up photograph. Then I can’t believe I’m looking at the same piece of jewelry. Those beautiful closed rings are NOT perfect. That camera is definitely my enemy!
While it’s not as noticeable in this size picture as it is on my large screen computer, you may be able to see the less than perfect jump ring closures and the dent in the head pin wire. I can’t imagine how they got there between the time I completed the earrings and the time I took this photo.
Yet, as I look back at photos of older pieces, I do see some progress in my technique. For one thing, I now know what to look for whereas I used to just be happy with a sort of roundish ring that held together. I can also see that I’m doing better than I used to do and that makes the camera my friend since it has documented change over time.
The close up photos also help me find all the little wire ends on bracelets that need to be tucked under. Even if I wear my reading glasses, I sometimes miss a few, but the camera doesn’t lie and it finds them all.
So what should a girl do with a camera frienemy? Thinking of the camera as my enemy and admonishing this inanimate object for making me look bad isn’t the answer. Also, it won’t do any good to plead with the camera to take a less upsetting photo. Therefore, I’m going to have to work with the friend dimension of my camera. I’m going to try taking a picture of my work sooner rather than later in the design process. This should provide a golden opportunity to spot and correct any technical flaws before proceeding to the next step. Often after I’m moved on, it’s too late to go back and fix certain things.
OK Camera – I’ve decided to let you be a friend. Now act like one and help me improve!
Re looking at photos after the fact — when everything is locked in, jump rings are half open, wires are dented and it’s too late to adjust a necklace without actually having to cut the wire and start over: a tip from drawing/painting.
Look at your work in a mirror. You will see anything and everything that’s wrong immediately. Or, take a picture, as you say, in progress and blow it up and look at it on the computer monitor.
Someone gave me a really ugly blobby-edged double bed headboard BUT that is composed of several shelves with a mirrror in the middle. It’s still sitting on the sunporch, but finally I’ve had a huge old uncomfortable couch hauled out of my living room/work room and I will haul in this grotesque headboard — prop it up another six or eight inches on 4×4 blocks, put another narrow work table in front of it to hold it against the wall, and use this as my “assembly table” with the mirror in front of me so I can check my work as I go. I’m forever making beautiful necklaces and finishing them off, THEN running to the bathroom mirror and lo and behold they should be hanging 2 or 3 inches lower! Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah
Barbara
These are great comments Barbara. I sense that we’ve been in the same place with our work. Thanks.