Workbench Cameras

Not every tool in the shop cuts, drills, or grinds. One tool I use every day is my camera. I use three different cameras in three different ways; each is important to my shop.

Pistols ready for shipping to a plating service — photographed as an inventory record.

Parts Catalog

My most often used camera is in my phone. I use the phone camera as a notebook or a scratch pad. When I’m working on an unfamiliar gun, I use it to record the location of parts during disassembly or the sequence they should go back in. It’s fast and small. The image quality is good enough for printing if I have to. It also has a good macro lens feature. I frequently use the phone camera to record machine set-ups. There’s nothing like working out a one-off set up for the Bridgeport mill and forgetting how you did it for later use.

The phone cam is also handy for online social media posting, as some platforms allow you to post right from the phone quickly and easily. Last but not least, I use the phone camera for quick shots to send to clients in the case there is a question about a pistol feature or part.

A finished custom 1911 photographed with oak leaves and acorns found in the backyard.
The brown leaves compliment the burl grips by Crystal Glaspie and handmade holster
by Jason Ingle.

Documentation & Online Publishing

The second camera I use is a small digital pocket camera — mine is a Canon G12 model I’ve had for 10 years. It takes better quality photos for saving on my computer, publishing in this column, or posting to internet forums. I also record all the parts going out to plating in the event of a misplaced part. The camera is small and light and has adjustable features like ISO sensitivity and shutter speed, which are not found on my phone. It has a sharper zoom lens with a macro feature. The images must be downloaded to my computer so I can email them or get good quality prints. Many full build projects get documented along the way with photos, at the end of the build we provide a thumb drive of photos to the client.

Glamor Shots

The last camera is a professional grade digital SLR. I use this for pistol “glamor shots.” These studio shots are used for promotion, publication and display. I actually shoot them in my basement — no need for a studio. The camera I use is a Canon EOS 5D, which is really a little overkill. I use dedicated “macro” lenses that provide very sharp images and allow me to get close-up detail shots. A tripod is a must. I use constant lights instead of flashes, this makes it a little easier, and less expensive. Sometimes I shoot outside on the patio, but harsh sunlight makes lots of shadows that hide detail.

For full blown custom pistols, the glamor shots are planned very early in the build process. Many times, a client will provide details of their personality and life that I often use to select props for the photo shoots. I actually enjoy this part. I find it challenging yet relaxing. For instance, the “Decade Project” of 1911s (March/April 2021) features a gun built to mimic a ’20s gangster pistol. For the background I found an old felt hat, some old coins and dollar bills. A friend brought over his 1927 Thompson machine gun. I printed a few old wanted posters from the internet.

Another photo shoot was much simpler, but as effective. One client wanted a chocolate-colored set of burl grips for his Colt Commander with a matching holster and burl looking highlights. My grip maker Crystal Glaspie of “A Woman’s Touch” made perfect grips, Jason Ingle crafted a great holster matching the shades of the grips and adding tanned African bullfrog as an accent to the woods burl. For the photos, I used a simple background of brown oak leaves from my backyard. Simple photos really, but the planning and matching colors made it work.

I find lots of cool props at yard sales, flea markets and sometimes orchestrate the photo shoot around the props. Good photos really attract a lot of attention.

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