Photographing Japanese Swords — Techniques for Capturing Hamon Beauty

The Essence of Japanese Sword Photography—A Dialogue Between Light and Steel

Capturing the beauty of Japanese swords in photographs may seem straightforward at first glance. However, in reality, it is a highly technical task in which lighting, background, angle, and camera settings intertwine in complex ways. The difficulty of sword photography lies in the metal's unique light reflection properties. Even a slight deviation in how light is applied causes the hamon to disappear, and the beauty of the jihada sinks into darkness. With an understanding of proper setup and procedure, even beginners can capture photographs that bring out the true beauty of a sword.

Photography supplements the appearance of a sword that is difficult to convey through words alone, serving as a record that aids judgment for both those considering a purchase and those reviewing their own collections. Carefully following the photography process itself ultimately deepens your understanding of the sword.

Preparation Before Photography—Preparing the Blade and Environment

Before beginning photography, it is important to first prepare the environment. Turn off all room lighting and retain only controlled light sources. Natural light from windows varies easily in color and intensity depending on the time of day, and can cause unintended reflections or color casts; it is safest to block it with curtains or blinds during photography.

When handling the blade, be careful not to touch the edge or jihada directly with bare hands. Finger oils can cause discoloration and rust on the blade, so it is essential to handle the tsuka or use cotton gloves or soft cloth as intermediaries. Before placing the blade on the photography stand, check that there is no dust or lint on the blade, and if necessary, gently wipe it with soft cloth before proceeding.

Organize the photography stand and surrounding work space in advance. Arranging the space so that a series of actions such as placing, lifting, and adjusting the angle of the sword can be completed with minimal movement makes it easier to prevent accidents such as scratching or dropping the blade.

Lighting—Designing Light to Bring Out the Hamon

Lighting is the most critical factor that determines the success or failure of sword photography. The basic approach is to direct a single fluorescent light from a 45-degree angle to the blade, but the optimal angle varies depending on the structure of the hamon and the shape of the sword. Trial and error to find the position where the hamon appears most beautifully, while gradually moving the light source, is essential.

To make the hamon stand out, it is effective to direct the light source from slightly above the edge side. By directing light from the edge direction, the nie and nioi within the hamon begin to shimmer as they catch the light. When using a secondary light source, use it only to soften shadows from the opposite side of the primary light source, taking care not to diminish the contrast of the hamon.

Also remember to maintain the same equipment and power environment throughout to ensure the color temperature of the light source does not change during photography. If you swap lighting or add another light source partway through, the color tone of the series of photographs will become inconsistent, making later comparison and editing difficult.

Background Selection and Setup—Accurately Reproducing the Color of the Blade

The color and material of the background fundamentally change how the blade appears. The optimal background is black velvet fabric or nonreflective black cloth. A black background accurately reproduces the complex color tones of the blade and dramatically enhances the contrast of the hamon. White or gray backgrounds should be avoided as they obscure the boundary between blade and background.

Before photography, stretch the background completely flat and confirm that no wrinkles or shadows form. When securing the sword, it is important to support it with soft material to avoid scratching the blade.

Another key point is to choose a background cloth without gloss. Glossy fabric reflects lighting, blurring the outline of the blade and creating unwanted reflections. When stretching the cloth, apply tension uniformly and take care to ensure that shadows created by sagging do not appear in the photograph.

Angle and Framing—Finding the Moment When the Hamon Shines Most

After placing the sword on the photography stand, gradually adjust the angle of the entire sword while changing its relationship to the light source. Even a slight tilt of just 2-3 degrees creates a dramatic change in how the hamon appears. It is ideal to shoot more than 10 frames while varying the angle with the same setup, and then select the single frame where the hamon appears most beautiful.

The required light source angle is completely different for hamon photography and jihada photography. Attempting to photograph both with the same setup results in capturing the beauty of neither adequately. Carefully photographing each with dedicated setups is the way to completely record the full picture of the sword.

It is safer to find the optimal angle by moving the camera or light source rather than moving the sword. Keeping the sword stable on the photography stand while fine-tuning the camera position and light direction places less stress on the blade and leads to more reproducible results than frequently lifting or tilting the sword.

Regarding composition, preparing both a full-length image showing the entire sword and close-up images of portions such as the hamon, jihada, and nakago makes it easier for viewers to grasp both the overall form and the details of the sword.

Camera Settings—For Sharp Resolution

• Tripod: An essential piece of equipment that cannot be omitted in sword photography.
• ISO sensitivity: Set to a low value of 100–400 to minimize noise.
• Aperture: Setting to F8–F11 provides sharp focus across the entire sword.
• Shutter speed: Since it will be slow, use a remote shutter or self-timer to eliminate vibration.
• Macro lens: If available, allows close-up photography of the hamon, jihada, and nakago, revealing details invisible to the naked eye.
• White balance: Rather than relying on auto, I recommend manually setting it to match the light source of the day. Relying on automatic settings causes the color tone to subtly shift between shots within the same shoot, requiring unnecessary corrections in later comparison and processing.
• Shooting mode: Fix to manual rather than auto to ensure exposure does not fluctuate unintentionally, maintaining consistency across the series of photographs.

Photography of the Signature and Systematic Record-Keeping

When photographing the signature on the nakago, it is important to create shadows in the engraved grooves using side lighting (light from the side). Light striking at an angle brings out the characters of the signature and expresses the quality of the sword smith's powerful carving.

The photographs taken have multiple values: as a record of the collection, and as documentation for insurance claims, future sales, and authentication. It is recommended that all images be backed up to both cloud storage and an external drive, and organized with filenames that include the sword's name, signature, and photography date.

For swords with certificates of authentication, it is also worthwhile to keep images of the certificate itself and shots that show its relationship to the blade; this allows information to be consolidated when reviewing later, further increasing the value of the record.

Photography and Post-Processing in RAW Format

When shooting with a digital camera, I strongly recommend shooting in RAW format rather than JPEG. RAW data offers a wide range of adjustments in post-processing, allowing for correction of exposure errors and fine-tuning of white balance. To faithfully reproduce the delicate shimmer of the hamon and the complex texture of the jihada, careful RAW development is essential.

In development software, carefully adjust shadows, highlights, and contrast to bring out the hamon naturally. Excessive correction distorts the sword's true appearance, so it is important to aim for a finish that is "faithful to appearance."

Sword photography is also one of the best ways to deepen your understanding of the sword. By repeatedly observing the sword for photography purposes and examining the hamon, jihada, and form in detail, you develop a discerning eye for swords. The act of exploring the beauty of swords through photography is also practical training in cultivating an appreciative eye.

Post-Photography Management—Data and Blade Care Afterward

After photography is complete, check once more for finger oils or dirt on the blade, and if necessary, perform maintenance before returning it to its saya or sword bag. Not leaving the blade exposed for extended periods due to photography is also an important habit for maintaining its condition.

Regarding data, it is reassuring to copy RAW files to multiple storage locations immediately after photography and manage them separately from the processed images. To prepare for the possibility of retaking shots from different angles or with different lighting later, organizing folders by photography date makes chronological comparison easier.