How do you manage to take pictures of progress

[sirstude]

Question for all, but especially Sumner (check out his web site if you haven't).  How do you manage to take pictures of your work in progress.  I find that once I get going, I don't stop to take any pics.  The thought does not even cross my mind.  Probably because I used to wrench for a living, and stopping just slowed you down and cost money.  I find now, that I wish I had taken pictures of something I did and it is always too late when I think of it.  

I guess there actually are two issues here, stopping, and having the camera there.

I tried leaving the throwaway cameras in the garage, but they don't do the job.  I could leave my digital there, but the garage is not the best place to store quality items like that, pretty dirty.  Also, my hands, as you all know, tend to get pretty grimy, so you have to clean up before you take the pictures also.  I guess I could buy another cheaper digital for the garage, what do you all think.  Biggest issue with me, I think is the just not thinking about it.

Sum, you must stop a hundred times a day to take pictures of your project, and Frank you also.

Thanks for any ideas that come up.  I am sure I'm not the only one that  has had this thought.

Doug

[kb426]

I'm with you. No breaks until completion.

[58 Yeoman]

Basically, the same with me.  I do take breaks, but never remember the camera.  I did take some progress pix while working on the Poncho frame, but not step by step photo's.

[sirstude]

Hey George,  Have you stepped up from your Olympus, I think you had a c-30xx of some series last time we talked?

Just curious.
Doug

[1FATGMC]

I took very few build pictures of my house in Wyoming, my house in Moab and 1FATGMC.  I only had a film camera then and I'm cheap.  With a digital the pictures are free, so I started taking more.  I'll bet I'm taken over 5000 pictures total with my digital.

So now I had free pictures but would forget to use the camera and still do sometimes, but once you start getting into the habit you start taking more.  The other thing I've found that in posting them on my web site it tends to motivate me to get more done on what ever I'm working on.  Kind of a sense of responsibility to report in to those that have been following along on your progress.  And since I have to keep up with the web site I tend to remember the pictures.

Now if I can only get John (WZJUNK) trained .  He is putting in the NASCAR style roof flap in Hooley's Stude and I think it is a great thing to document and will help others down the road.  I guess the normal thing to do is to want to show the finished project, so we don't like to take the build pictures.

I have a soft belt case for my digital and keep it in that even in the shop.

c ya, Sum

[enjenjo]

I have an old digital I use in the shop. But I don't always remember to take pictures. Like today, I modified some Chevy drums to fit on a Ford rear axle, fabricated an engine lifter to fit a model a, fabricated some Stainless trim  plates, and polished them, fabricated and polished some aluminum spacers, and fabricated a race car seat. And I didn't take a single picture

[alchevy]

During my project's life, my '40 Chevy, I found it easy to take pictures of it. Usually after working on it, I would get cleaned up and grab the digital and snap a few pictures. Then I would come in and post them on my website. By the next morning, my friends would check for updates and e-mail me about the car. One friend would even tell me what I had in backwards, so this was good. http://www.astreetrodder.com/1940_chevy.htm is the page. I enjoy going back through it now and reliving the build-up. It's a good feeling!
AL

[donsrods]

I've never been a Shutterbug, but I have gotten in the habit of taking pictures of the progress I made that day, or of some bracket or part I fabricated.  I put an album together for my '27 roadster, made up of the highlights of the build, starting at the bare frame and progressing all the way through. When I would go to a car show I would lay it on the seat so spectators would be able to look through it.  I was always amazed how many people would actually take the time to stand there and flip page by page and comment on various aspects of the build.

I think people like to see where a car came from and what you did to get it finished.  I know I enjoy looking at the build pictures others post on these forums, even if it is of the smallest detail.

I find that, as another member mentioned, posting pictures motivates me to keep going.  The kind words of other members sort of keeps you moving and makes it all worthwhile.

As for pictures, I am kind of like many rodders in another respect. I always had a picture of my hot rod in my office or in my wallet, but would be hard pressed to come up with one of my wife or girlfriend. OOOOOPS.        

Don

[purplepickup]

If I was to take pictures of recent progress, they would look a lot like the pics from a year ago.  Hmmm....maybe I should do that.  It might give me a boost in ambition :|

Hey George,  Have you stepped up from your Olympus, I think you had a c-30xx of some series last time we talked?

Just curious.
Doug

Yes Doug, I got a Canon A700 pocket sized camera a few weeks ago.  Without turning your thread into a camera review I'll just say I like it a lot.

[sirstude]

Frank,

The biggest problem you have is you do "TO MUCH WORK" to have any time to take pictures. I don't have a clue how you get any taken.  I always thought retirement was supposed to be easier on you than all those years of working.

Doug

[enjenjo]

Frank,

The biggest problem you have is you do "TO MUCH WORK" to have any time to take pictures. I don't have a clue how you get any taken.  I always thought retirement was supposed to be easier on you than all those years of working.

Doug

It is! This is fun!

[av8]

Try making photography part of your work process. Treat it as an essential "step," like chamfering the edge of a piece of metal prior to welding, or guide coating a primered surface before block sanding. If you think about photography early on, when you're planning what you are going to do and think about logical photo-opportunities -- points in the build process that will best demonstrate what you want to communicate -- you'll be prompted to take the time for each shot.  And you'll come to realize that it takes very little additional time.

I leave my camera on the tripod when I'm working on car stuff I want to document. I make all my settings beforehand -- resolution, shutter and aperture priorities, etc. -- then set the camera and tripod out of harm's way, covered with a medium-size plastic freezer bag. Plastic bags, snagged from the produce section at the local supermarket, protect the camera from my grubby hands during messy procedures.

Step-by-step photography probably won't ever become a completely automatic response; I know it hasn't for me and I've been doing it for more than 40 years so far. But it won't take long before you're documenting at least the more important stages of your work.

Mike

[flt-blk]

I like taking progress pictures, my problem is the mess.

I can't stand a mess and want to clean everything before taking any
pictures, including the background where my tools are laying.

if I post a progress pic with tools in the background they were probably
posed.  

My name is TZ and I have a problem.

[donsrods]

(Qoute) I like taking progress pictures, my problem is the mess.

I can't stand a mess and want to clean everything before taking any
pictures, including the background where my tools are laying.

if I post a progress pic with tools in the background they were probably
posed.


Geez........I thought I was the only one who did that. :oops:  :oops:  :oops:


It always seems I drag out every tool I own whenever I am doing some project, and end up tripping over them. So I have to stop every so often and clean up the mess. The pictures force me to do that, so I don't look like a slob in my posts.      


Don