Take Your Best Shot
As much as I love your projects and techniques, I open every issue and flip immediately to the Reader Showcase, dreaming of the day my woodwork and photography skills will be good enough to appear there. The woodworking side I can learn through the rest of your magazine, but do you have any tips on photographing finished pieces?
—Jonathan Freeman, Greentree, NJ
Woodcraft Magazine staff replies:
Digital cameras and even most camera phones can take high-quality shots that do justice to your work. A three-quarter angle that catches front and side is better than straight on. And take a few steps back to avoid distortion—you can always crop the image later. You don’t need photo lights, but even a pair of work lights let you control shadows better than your camera’s built-in flash. And of course, practice makes perfect. In addition, our website features several free photo tips. From lighting and composing to building a tripod for your camera. Go to woodcraftmagazine.com and click on the Photography Tips button on our homepage.
Happy Birthday
Swedish workbench maker Sjöbergs celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. Founded in 1922, the company still makes its benches largely by hand, with a commitment to sustainability. In 1959, a son of the founder traveled to the United States with a miniature version of the company’s carpenter’s bench tucked into a briefcase. The immediate interest necessitated a full-size bench be shipped across the Atlantic, eventually ending up in Sacramento where it won a gold medal for good design. The U.S. has been Sjöbergs’ largest bench market ever since.
Low-Carb Finishing Stands
I liked the tip in the Aug/Sept 22 issue that suggested using pizza protectors as finishing stands. Over the years, I seem to have collected a large number of 1/4" dowel centers. These fit perfectly into the holes in pegboard, so I lay a sheet on my bench, then arrange the dowel centers to suit the shape and size of the piece I’m finishing. Their fine points hold the workpiece aloft, and while they’re lower than the pizza tables, they’re also lower calorie.
—Dorothy Hertzog, Roosevelt, NY
New Direction
Matt Hoggle has been hired as Executive Director at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, effective June 1. The Center is a non-profit woodworking school located in Rockport, Maine. Hoggle comes from The Contemporary Austin, where he served as the Director of the museum’s Art School at Laguna Gloria. He brings more than 15 years’ experience in non-profit arts education and administration to the position, taking over the Center’s reins from founder Peter Korn.
