# Photographing  Hawaiian bottles



## HawaiiGlass4me

Here's a couple pics that I took of some of my bottles. I'm still trying to test out what is the best lighting for embossed bottles. Any comments are welcomed.


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## capsoda

Hey Rick, Looks like you did a pretty dang good job to me. Now give us the details on how you did it.[]


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## diggerjeff

for direct frontal lighting i prefer a quartz painters light with a frosted lens. the frosting will eliminate glare.


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## HawaiiGlass4me

Here's a few pics of my set up. It is a simple home made wood frame which I can change the background color. I am using a small fluorescent light. The camera is mounted on a secure tripod to avoid camera shake. A remote shutter release is recommended.


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## cobaltbot

They look great to me too, I'm wondering if using a light box behind would give a more even illumination and not get darker as you go up.


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## HawaiiGlass4me

> ORIGINAL:  cobaltbot
> 
> They look great to me too, I'm wondering if using a light box behind would give a more even illumination and not get darker as you go up.


 
  I personally like the light to dark look. Also with the light coming from the bottom it causes shadows on the embossing making it more defined and easier to read. I tried the shadow box as well as other lighting set ups but I still prefer this set up the best. I guess it's just personal.


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## cobaltbot

well ya got a point, your pics look great.  There was a good photography article in Antique Bottle and Glass Collector mag a couple years back.


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## stinger haut

Howsit Ricky,
 You live in Hilo, yeah?
 Hey brah, I live in Hilo and collect all da Hawaiian hutches sodas.
 I post em picture of my Excelsior hutch.
 You got em one fine set up fo taking da bottle pictures, youse mo betta (look like dakine fo reel) .
 Pono Keanaaina


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## HawaiiGlass4me

Eh howsit brudda Pono

  Yea I stay live in Hilo. You stay dig yo bottles or  you stay buy em like me? I bet we stay confuse all the bruddas and sistas  hea.

  Sorry folks just some Hawaiian pideon english.

  Are you a  bottle digger or do you buy most of your bottles? I have not gone digging in a  while because of my back injury. Mostly been buying my bottles in recent  years.

  So are you into just hutches or other bottles? I try to specialize  mostly in Big Island soda (blobs and machines) and milk bottles as well as  oriental medicines.

  Mahalo,
  Rick

  BTW... That's a nice and clean  Excelcior Soda you got.



> ORIGINAL:  stinger haut
> 
> Howsit Ricky,
> You live in Hilo, yeah?
> Hey brah, I live in Hilo and collect all da Hawaiian hutches sodas.
> I post em picture of my Excelsior hutch.
> You got em one fine set up fo taking da bottle pictures, youse mo betta (look like dakine fo reel) .
> Pono Keanaaina


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## capsoda

Hey Guys, I understood every word. [] Was lucky enough to spend a little time there with the Air Force in the late seventies. Took the long road to southeast Asia.
 Worked with a guy from from the big island in Denver for a while too.


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## stinger haut

Eh Brudda Ricky,
 Talk story dakine fo reel, yeah? You stay live Hilo dats dakine. I no can dig em, so if no can, no can, I stay buy em with da kala.
 Howsit Ricky, its nice to talk story with one local once in awhile through our mikinis on the internet.
 I can't dig anymore due to an RPG downed my chopper way back in 68 in Nam. The injuries finally caught up with me, now I rely on others to help me with collecting bottles.
 I just started to collect Hawaiian bottles again. Hilo bottles numba one with me, but also collect any of the older sodas from any island. I just came across an embossed Camalieson Dairy & Poultry Farm/ Hilo quart size and some embossed pints from a few of the other islands.
 Hey mahalo for your input of Excelsior Soda. That one was one big mess when I received it. Lucky that it came out so good.
 Your bottle collection looks good and I personally agree about the way your lighting showing off the embossing mo betta. Your picture taking set up looks like you did a little thinking ahead of time(you no one pukahead), looks good and the pictures prove it.
 Hey, you know Bruce Omori. He stay live in Hilo again. He is a professional when it comes to taking pictures.
 If you have any Hilo soda bottles or milks that you want to sell, let me know.
 Mahalo,
 Pono


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## acls

Are any of you Hawaiian bottle collectors familiar with a green glass SPIFFY brand acl bottle?  I have been looking to add one to my collection.

Kudos on the bottle photography.  Embossed bottles are always a challenge to accurately capture in a photograph.  Your pics look amazing.


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## stinger haut

Hey acls,
 Sorry, but I don't know anyone that would have that one. I'll keep my eyes and ears open.
 Thank you for your encouraging words about our pictures. I think Ricky has really done his homework and has come up with a sure fire way of shooting bottles. I haven't yet, I just shoot from the seat of my pants.
 Stinger


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## HawaiiGlass4me

> ORIGINAL:  acls
> 
> Are any of you Hawaiian bottle collectors familiar with a green glass SPIFFY brand acl bottle?  I have been looking to add one to my collection.
> 
> Kudos on the bottle photography.  Embossed bottles are always a challenge to accurately capture in a photograph.  Your pics look amazing.


 
  Hi acls

  The Hilo Spiffy bottle is one of the hardest local bottles to find. A good mint one goes for $500+. I just upgraded mines earlier this year with a nicer one, it's still not a mint one but I'm still looking for one. The other one I had was missing 20% of the painted label. The one I currently have is still missing about 5% of the paint. The paint on this bottle is really fragile and is prone to chipping. I have seen only one other for sale in the last 3 years and it was missing about 30% of the label. I still paid $200 for my current Spiffy, I sold the other one that I had for $150 to another local collector.

  Regards,
  Rick

  Here's a pic of my current Spiffy. You can see the missing paint on the left side of the label.


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## HawaiiGlass4me

> ORIGINAL:  capsoda
> 
> Hey Guys, I understood every word. [] Was lucky enough to spend a little time there with the Air Force in the late seventies. Took the long road to southeast Asia.
> Worked with a guy from from the big island in Denver for a while too.


 
  Aloha Warren

  So you was stationed at da Hickam AF base then. You shudda gone diggin in da moutains at that time. You wudda found some awsome kine bottles back then. Now it stay mo hard to find da good stuff.

  Laterz,
  Rick


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## HawaiiGlass4me

Hey Brudda Pono



> Eh Brudda Ricky,
> Talk story dakine fo  reel, yeah? You stay live Hilo dats dakine. I no can dig em, so if no can, no  can, I stay buy em with da kala.
> Howsit Ricky, its nice to talk story with  one local once in awhile through our mikinis on the internet.
> I can't dig  anymore due to an RPG downed my chopper way back in 68 in Nam. The injuries  finally caught up with me, now I rely on others to help me with collecting  bottles.


 Bummers about da injuries, I miss my digging days too. We have a forum for big island bottle collectors. It's free to join, all you gotta do is register. Also feel free to post pics of your collection in the gallery.I am planning to put on a bottle/collectibles show early next year. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Big_Island_Bottle_Collectors/



> I  just started to collect Hawaiian bottles again. Hilo bottles numba one with me,  but also collect any of the older sodas from any island. I just came across an  embossed Camalieson Dairy & Poultry Farm/ Hilo quart size and some embossed  pints from a few of the other islands.
> Hey mahalo for your input of Excelsior  Soda. That one was one big mess when I received it. Lucky that it came out so  good.
> Your bottle collection looks good and I personally agree about the way  your lighting showing off the embossing mo betta. Your picture taking set up  looks like you did a little thinking ahead of time(you no one pukahead), looks  good and the pictures prove it.


 [/align]  Where are you buying your bottles? I buying mine from Mid Pacific  (Richard), Allan's Collectibles, and Glass from the Past in  Honomu.



> Hey, you know Bruce Omori. He stay live in Hilo again. He  is a professional when it comes to taking pictures.


[/align]  Yeah, I know Bruce. I just met him about two months ago. He's a real nice  guy. He does a lot of surfing photography and some sports photography. I also do  some freelance photography.[/align]  


> If you have any Hilo soda bottles or milks that you want to  sell, let me know.


 [/align]   [/align]  What bottles are you looking for? I have a few extras in storage. Let me  know and I will check for you.[/align]   [/align]  Mahalo,[/align]  Rick[/align]


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## stinger haut

Howsit Rick,
 Hey mahalo for all information on collecting. I joined the Hilo club.
 Yeah Bruce takes surfing pictures thats how we met, I can still surf even with my bad back, but thats about all I can do.
 I've been collecting Hawaiian bottles from any where or chance I get (even Ebay, which is not a numba one choice). So Mahalo for your connections for local bottles. I'll post a want email on the clubs forum. I'll email about what you might have in storage.
 Pono


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## capsoda

Yeah I shudda gone down diggin ba da kepp ma howlie but some more close to da base some more daily daily. I had a blast while I was there and the pepole sounded alot like Cajuns so they were alittle shocked that a mainlander could keep up.

 A SSGT Kippy was trying to teach me to speak Hawaiian but I didn't make it. Tougher than Koriean of Viet.


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## bottlenutboy

this isnt related to bottles but i was wondering where seminole is in alabama i live in NE alabama close to the GA line about an hour from oxford


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## stinger haut

Hey everyone,
 I shot this picture of a pontiled cobalt Smith soda that is super whittled. 
 This about the best I could get do to try and show the bottle's color and crudity.
 I live in a place that averages about 220 inches of rain a year and I own a Plantation style home that blocks natural light. So, natural light is out when it comes to shooting bottles.
 Any sugguestions on a better way to shoot bottle pictures?
 Stinger


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## capsoda

Hey Spencer, To find Seminole start at Pensacola, FL and go west across the state line to Alabama. Seminole is in Baldwin County just over the state line near the gulf coast. It was in the booneys 10 years ago.


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## stinger haut

O.K everyone,
 Here is another picture that I took of a yellow,reddish, orangey amber bottle that I tumbled.
 I find that these colored bottles are hardest for me to shoot.
 Any suggestions or hints on how shoot them better would be helpful. Please, remember that natural light is out where I live.
 Stinger


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## stinger haut

O.K. I am really a pukahead,
 The last two posts that I did , I blew it and just attached them to Rick's post instead of a NEW POST.
 Can a higher being delete these posts (please)?
 Stinger


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## HawaiiGlass4me

Hey Stinger

  I don't mind that you have your post here

  Try using clamp on lights and experiment with your angles.

  I am in the process of designing a portable bottle light box as I have lots of request to take photos of other local bottle collectors. The system needs to be able to photograph clear, cobalt, amber, embossed as well as painted lable bottles either day or night. I'm hoping to have it done real soon. I could use any advice from the members here as well.


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## HawaiiGlass4me

Hey brudda Pono (aka Stinger)

  Your pics looks perfectly fine to me. A job well done concidering that the darker bottles are harder to photograph.


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## acls

You guys really know how to phototgraph a bottle.  It definitely is not as easy as it sounds.  Nice pics stinger.

 This is turning out to be a great (kine?) post.   

 And Rick, that Spiffy bottle is so pretty....................it brought a tear to my eye.


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## stinger haut

Hi Rick,
 Thank you for not getting upset that I blew it with the posting. I was in a hurry (lunch with my eldest daughter today)
 If you can make a single light box that would be able to shoot any color bottle, you would have a nice export product from Hawaii. It would definitely have to be flexible and some how be adjustable to the different bottle sizes. Maybe multipule lights in different places and angles. A background that can be adjusted for color, texture, reflection, etc.
 We stay live on the eastside, sunshine at the right time to shoot bottles is very hard. So, we're motivated to try and overcome our lighting situation.
 Sounds exciting!!!!!
 Pono


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## stinger haut

Mahalo Rick, Pono


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## stinger haut

Howsit acls,
 Mahalo for your nice comments.
 Spiffy bottle dakine fo reel. 
 Stinger


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## DiggerBryan

Cool sodas, do you happen to know what the Excelsior is worth? I bought one but I think I paid too much. I got it for about $30.00.


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## HawaiiGlass4me

> ORIGINAL:  DiggerBryan
> 
> Cool sodas, do you happen to know what the Excelsior is worth? I bought one but I think I paid too much. I got it for about $30.00.


 
  They normally go for $50-$1000

  This one goes for $50


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## DiggerBryan

Thanks Rick, that is the one I got so I guess I didn't overpay after all.


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## stinger haut

Hi DiggerBryan,
 I just sold that Excelsior Hutch for $145.00, so yours might be worth more.
 Stinger


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## HawaiiGlass4me

Hey Stinger (aka Brudda Pono)

  Are you sure that the Excelsior was the #339 (round top) no period after CO and period after Ltd. and HILO.? I think it's the #341(funnel top) that goes for around $80, and the #335 goes for $1200. It might be a good thing that I did not sell the Excelsior (pictured) for $50. []  I think that I need to have my friend who's a fellow collector come over and help me price my extra bottles. I think I sold some of them too cheap. Oh, bummers... Good thing I sold them to a friend so it doesn't hurt too much. []

  I still have a one or two boxes of Hawaii blobs that I am planning to take up to the collectors show on Oahu in in February or March (gotta check da calendar). A lot of the collectors there do not want to sell but are willing to do trades only.

  Laterz,


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## stinger haut

Howsit Rick,
 To tell you the truth, I don't know which Excelsior hutch it really was.
 My neighbor used to work for Excelsior. He comes over and talks to me sometimes when I am preparing bottles for tumbling. He said if that Excelsior comes out of the tumbler like it was new, he wanted it.
 He came over yesterday and looked at it and offered me $145.00 for it. He said that he has never seen one with any whittle in it. 
 Yeah, its Hilo fo reel, but I have one more with more whittle in it, so I sold it to him. I thought that it was worth about $80.00 or so.
 They wanted more kala than I wanted to pay for the bottle book, so I 'll keep looking.
 Bayfront is gonna go off big tomorrow, I am resting da back fo it.
 Pono


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## DiggerBryan

Thanks again for the info. I'll have to do some further inspection once I get the bottle. I attached a picture of the one I got. It looks like it has some case wear around the base. But nothing a good tumble can't cure. I have a few bottles from Hilo but I mainly collect from Oahu. Do you have any for sale/trade? I'm not sure I'll have what you're looking for but I can post them if you'd like.


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## stinger haut

Hi DiggerBryan,
 I don't have anything to sell or trade at this time, but I am interested in buying any Hawaiian bottles. I do have one extra Hawaiian Soda Works Honolulu, but I need to tumble it.  
 If you want to post your bottles, I would be interested in them.
 Stinger


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## DiggerBryan

Hey Stinger, I was hoping to trade but I might consider selling as I'm a little low on cash, story of my life. Here is what I can think of off the top of my head.
 Milks:
 1/2 pint Hilo Sugar Co.
 1/2 pint H.C. & S. Co. Puunene 
 1 quart H.C. & S. Co. Puunene
 1 pint Branco Dairy Hilo


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## stinger haut

Hey DiggerBryan, 
 Can you email any pictures of your bottles to bowlofcereal223@yahoo.com.?
 Thanks,
 Stinger


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## DiggerBryan

Sure, I'll get some photos up tomorrow. It's waaayy past my bed time right now. []


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## DiggerBryan

Hey Stinger, here is a photo. It's not the best but at least it gives an idea.


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## HawaiiGlass4me

Hey Bryan

  You got some nice Hawaii milks in your collection. Some of them are pretty hard to find and valuable.

  I also like your arrow head collection. Did you find all those your self?


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## DiggerBryan

Hey, thanks for the info Rick. I really didn't know what they're worth. That's why I was hoping to trade them rather than sell. I just know how much I gave for them. I think I've got a little over a hundred dollars in all four, give or take a little bit. 

 I've probably found about half those arrowheads. The rest I've bought off of local farmers for pretty reasonable amounts. I'd love to have some Hawaiian artifacts however whenever I see them on ebay they go quite high. Take care.


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## HawaiiGlass4me

Hey Bryan

  Good luck with your trades.

  What kind of Hawaiian artifacts are you looking for? I can keep an eye out for ya if anything good comes up for sale.


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## DiggerBryan

Hey Rick, I'm really not sure what I'm looking for. I really like those poi pounders but I'm pretty sure I couldn't afford an undamaged one. Do you see many fishing sinkers? Those are also pretty cool.

 P.S. Did I pay too much for the milks? Not that it matters, I bought them because I liked them. Take it easy.


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## HawBot808

So you bought that bottle.You got a fairly good price for that bottle..Most Hawaiians go for around 60-100..Let us know how your bottle arrived the camera guy didnt take very good pictures ...What other Hawaii bottles you  have or looking for maybe we can trade some..Aloha, Chris


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## HawaiiGlass4me

Hey Bryan

  No! You did not pay too much for the milks, the two larger ones go for $125-$150 each and the two smaller ones go for $60-$75 each.

  I'll let you know if I come across any good deals for any Hawaiian poi pounders or fishing sinkers.


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## HawaiiGlass4me

> ORIGINAL:  HawBot808
> 
> So you bought that bottle.You got a fairly good price for that bottle..Most Hawaiians go for around 60-100..Let us know how your bottle arrived the camera guy didnt take very good pictures ...What other Hawaii bottles you  have or looking for maybe we can trade some..Aloha, Chris


 
  Aloha Chris

  Nice to see another local collector. Which island/town are you from? My wife and I live in good ole' rainy Hilo town. We collect mainly big island sodas and milks, we also collect stuff from the outer islands as well. I can't dig any more to to a severe back injury so now we get all our bottles from antique shops, collectible shows and fellow collectors/diggers.


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## stinger haut

Hi DiggerBryan,
 Thanks for the pictures.
 If you can get the prices for your bottles that Rick mentioned, then go for it. I have been buying from a digger that dug while he was in Hilo, now he's back on the mainland. He sells his stuff very low because he really doesn't care about the bottles anymore. So, he has been happy to unload them in small lots to me.
 Thanks,
 Stinger


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## DiggerBryan

Chris- Yes, I am the one who got the bottle. I will be sure to let you know when it arrives. Right now I think all I have to trade are the ones I mentioned above. I'll double check though and see. I mainly collect milks and sodas from Oahu but occasionally I'll buy bottles from the other islands. 

 Rick- Thanks for letting me know the prices. Let me know if you run across any poi pounders or sinkers. I would appreciate it. 

 No problem Stinger.


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## stinger haut

Hey Diggerjeff,
 You commented that you use a painter's quartz light with frosted lens. You said that this was for taking frontal shots of bottles and it elimanites frontal glare.
 Would it possible for you to post a picture using this format?
 Also, would you explain what is a painter's quartz light with frosted lens and where could you find one?
 Stinger


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## HawaiiGlass4me

> ORIGINAL:  stinger haut
> 
> Hey Diggerjeff,
> You commented that you use a painter's quartz light with frosted lens. You said that this was for taking frontal shots of bottles and it elimanites frontal glare.
> Would it possible for you to post a picture using this format?
> Also, would you explain what is a painter's quartz light with frosted lens and where could you find one?
> Stinger


 
  Hey Pono

  I think you can find the painter's quartz light at Sears or Home Depot. It looks like the standard portable halogen lamp.

  hope the pic comes out ok






  check out the following link
http://hectorshardware.com/546313.html


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## HawaiiGlass4me

Hey there again Pono

  I think you can use the standard single halogen lamp and just buy the frosted glass at Alumside or another glass shop here in Hilo. Let me know how it works out when you are finished.


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## stinger haut

Howsit Rick,
 Hey, thanks for the two posts about the lights. I am having the hardest time shooting amber, dark olive, dark red amber and yellow bottles. Now, I know what lights to buy.
 I just want to shoot these bottles to sell or trade them. Then I am home free with picture taking because I'll be shooting clear, aqua and other lighter colored bottles for our collection. Your simple set up that you posted earlier works great for what are and will be collecting.
 Anything happening with your light box?
 Weather has been muggy and the vog.
 Pono


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## HawaiiGlass4me

Wassup Pono

 Yeah, the vog has been kinda thick lately, it cleared up a little today. []

 I have not started the construction of my new photo box yet. I got a rough sketch of what I want it to look like and I started to buy my materials over the weekend. Still need to buy more stuff for it before I start construction.

  Nag, nag, nag...... The wife is still nagging me to finish her book shelves that I promised 2 years ago. I need to decide which is more important. [8|]


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## stinger haut

Howsit Rick,
 I still haven't gone and checked the lights. Surfs up, so been out in the water.
 2 years, no shelves, that a pretty good record.
 You have to show me this light box when its ready.  I would buy one now from you if they were ready.
 Pono


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## Ye Olde Prospector

Hi Rick and Pono,

 You guys were discussing building a photo lightbox for taking pictures of bottles. A while back I came across these plans and built one for my own use. Haven't had time to play around with it much but possibilities seem endless. Very easy and inexpensive to build. You can use any type/number of lights and any background you want (as long as you have a good photo editing program) if you just fit the frame together instead of glueing it as he suggests, you can adjust it to any size you want. I made a bottom (so it is like a box frame} which makes it sturdy and I can take it apart as much as I wish to take it anywhere I want. Here's the link for the plans I hope.

 Cliff

http://www.pbase.com/wlhuber/light_box_light_tent


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## Ye Olde Prospector

Here's a picture of my friend Paul's favorite master ink. Just quick set up, used white sheet for background and couple gooseneck lamps with small spot type lamps for a light source. Didn't turn out too bad. I'm sure could do a lot better if I wanted to play around more but this was just a test.

 Cliff


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## Ye Olde Prospector

Try again.....


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## capsoda

Hey Cliff, That look like a pretty god set up and light wieght too. Thanks


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## Ye Olde Prospector

Hi Warren,

 The CPVC is cheap enough and by making a base it is stable enough to be used in any position you want. Not glue necessary. if you want smaller or larger dimensions just cut some longer or shorter pieces. You can light from any direction you want, top,sides,back, front even the bottom. You can use clothe or posterboard or anything else for background. Definitely worth the cost to make and no more worries about sun for light to get decent pictures of anything you want. 

 Cliff


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## stinger haut

Howsit Ye Old Prospector,
 Hey, youse get em one big MAHALO (thanks in Hawaiian) for this idea and website.
 I have a very bad back. I can't cut wood at all, even with an electric saw.
 However, cutting pvc with a pvc pipe cutter and putting them together like Tinker Toys, I can do.
 You could easily make different shapes of light tents to get an array of lighting effects at many angles.
 You just help make my life a lot easier.
 From Da Islands,
 Stinger


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