Keris for sharing

A. G. Maisey · 22nd April 2019, 01:37 AM

OK Jaga, here's a comment.

I've just checked out the original thread, and yes, it was pretty neglected when you got it. You showed some pics in the first thread of what it looked like after a clean up --- vinegar I guess?

I think that if this was my keris I would have been happy to leave it like that, but you have some realgar, and you intend to try a stain with that. I suggest that you get back to us after you do the stain.

Incidentally, these most recent pics do not do justice to this blade. I suggest you try open shade, south facing if possible, photograph the blade by itself, not together with the wrongko, and in processing, remove cyan totally from from your image as the first step.I'm guessing you're doing the pics hand-held, so make sure your shutter speed and aperture will accommodate hand tremor and also give sufficient depth of field to show blade detail end to end. Focus in the center of the blade.

If you photograph with the wrongko, the wrongko colour can bleed into the blade giving the blade a lousy colour, if you do not use natural light, or you have reflected light from a coloured wall or something similar, that can also affect colour. This is actually a pretty nice blade, and it deserves much better photos.

jagabuwana · 1st June 2019, 12:29 PM

Vinegar indeed, Alan. Soaked for about a week in cheapo cooking grade vinegar.

Haven't gotten around to pounding the realgar down yet, but yes I'll be sure to report back with how it turns out.

Thanks for the photo tips, too. I'll have to source a better camera which I don't think should be too difficult.

A. G. Maisey · 1st June 2019, 01:34 PM

As long as you are using an actual camera that permits the things like F-stop, shutter and film speed to be adjusted, I reckon you do not really need a different camera. Its the technique that needs a bit of tweaking.

22nd April 2019, 01:37 AM	#1
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,992	OK Jaga, here's a comment. I've just checked out the original thread, and yes, it was pretty neglected when you got it. You showed some pics in the first thread of what it looked like after a clean up --- vinegar I guess? I think that if this was my keris I would have been happy to leave it like that, but you have some realgar, and you intend to try a stain with that. I suggest that you get back to us after you do the stain. Incidentally, these most recent pics do not do justice to this blade. I suggest you try open shade, south facing if possible, photograph the blade by itself, not together with the wrongko, and in processing, remove cyan totally from from your image as the first step.I'm guessing you're doing the pics hand-held, so make sure your shutter speed and aperture will accommodate hand tremor and also give sufficient depth of field to show blade detail end to end. Focus in the center of the blade. If you photograph with the wrongko, the wrongko colour can bleed into the blade giving the blade a lousy colour, if you do not use natural light, or you have reflected light from a coloured wall or something similar, that can also affect colour. This is actually a pretty nice blade, and it deserves much better photos.

1st June 2019, 12:29 PM	#2
jagabuwana Member Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 290	Vinegar indeed, Alan. Soaked for about a week in cheapo cooking grade vinegar. Haven't gotten around to pounding the realgar down yet, but yes I'll be sure to report back with how it turns out. Thanks for the photo tips, too. I'll have to source a better camera which I don't think should be too difficult.

1st June 2019, 01:34 PM	#3
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,992	As long as you are using an actual camera that permits the things like F-stop, shutter and film speed to be adjusted, I reckon you do not really need a different camera. Its the technique that needs a bit of tweaking.