Wes; I would love (and want) to own more books on tools, but they are rare
in the used bookstores here. AND Amazon et al booksellers (mostly) won't
ship to us here furriners, despite the fact that we are a lot closer than PK
holdfast country. You have that most excellent "book rate" down there, while
we get outrageous shipping prices plus the occasional hassle with the feds
(customs fees). Don't even think of shipping anything up to Canada via UPS;
that, ladies and germs, is a highwayman in a brown uniform.....

Scott: Your best (and least expensive) photographic friends are three pieces
of white cardboard, foamboard, thin ply painted white, etc.. Sized to suit
the project. For most tools each piece maybe 2'x3' and smaller. Add some
free North light and presto! you have a purpose built studio. A suitable
fill ratio is 1:3, with the main light source coming in at a 45 degree angle
from the horizontal and vertical. You move the light (or the subject if you
cannot move the light) until you get a pleasing effect. Then work the
reflectors to provide the aforementioned 1:3 ratio until you are satisfied
with the results. Since I'm way off topic here, dealing with specular
surfaces is the next lesson........

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming!

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