Amateur Yo-Yo Photography

I’ve always wondered where you guys think the focus of the photograph of a yo-yo should be. Because when photographing people you focus on the eyes (generally speaking, of course), so I was wondering if you guys think that there is some proper place to focus when photographing yo-yos.

Perhaps the hub?

I find that if you focus on the hub, then the rim is slightly out of focus and vice versa. So I try to focus on the wall of the cup about halfway between the hub and the rim. For profile shots, the concept is the same. Rather than focusing on the bearing or the rim, I focus on the catch zone halfway between the bearing and the rim.

Interesting. I’ll try that. I have noticed that it doesn’t look quite right when I focus on the hub or the rim, the same thing goes for the profile.

Cool, let me know how it works out.

Unless there’s something I want to draw attention to, I set a larger depth of field and focus on the closest point of the yoyo. This means the whole thing is in focus. You can set a tiny aperture if you’re using a tripod, resulting in sharp photos of the whole yoyo.

If you don’t have a manual mode on the camera (it’s a phone or a point and click) just make sure there’s heaps of light. The camera will automatically back off on the aperture in order to not blow out the photo. It’s hard to get depth of field with those kinds of cameras anyhow. Then just focus on whatever the autofocus wants to grab (usually the front).

Back to the first scenario, though… the only time to do hub in focus, front of rims out of focus is when you specifically want to draw attention to the engraving or hub features. Otherwise it just makes the whole photo kinda weird in my opinion. When in doubt, focus on the front.

Figured I’ll pop these in here, took them the other day. :slight_smile:

jpg4 jpg2_1 jpg1_2 jpg5

I’m not a particularly active photographer, but it’s good fun here and there. :slight_smile:

Awesome

Turning point Houska and RA yoyo’s Chuppacabrah I have no idea how to spell that. Just got these in a trade last night both of these for my OD Valor

I’m pretty happy with this trade

I need to post some stuff on here. It has been way to long.

Wow I forgot to attach the photo LOL

I’ll have to try and rmember that later. Don’t have the file on me right now

Natural soft light… i.e. kinda dark… :slight_smile:

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A beauty

^ That wood version photographs so nicely. Great natural light on that shot.


I was playing with it outside and for some reason it was shiny as 7075, had to take a pic

Thought I would drop these here as well I took these with our ancient bobcat here at the farm

IMG_0416_zpsbymmcgpb IMG_0415_zpsh2u5ytpf IMG_0414_zps1zjryusn IMG_0413_zpsyy9gbwu3 IMG_0412_zpstqojl3lj

I just made a new lightbox for my product photography! And I just got this awesome package!

IMG_8457_zpsju5udw5o

Nice!