A couple of my garnets

[Gailey]

I adore your Royal Rhodolite Pandora. Can you explain the "Royal" terminology??

Want one, want one, want one, want wone, wan twone!!

Peter are you hearing me?? something in that colour would look lovely with my citrine asscher. I''m thinking a pendant

What do you think ladies?

 

[Linda W]

Date: 9/20/2008 12:26:17 AM
Author: Gailey
I adore your Royal Rhodolite Pandora. Can you explain the ''Royal'' terminology??


Want one, want one, want one, want wone, wan twone!!


Peter are you hearing me?? something in that colour would look lovely with my citrine asscher. I''m thinking a pendant


What do you think ladies?

YES YES YES YES

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 9/20/2008 12:26:17 AM
Author: Gailey
I adore your Royal Rhodolite Pandora. Can you explain the ''Royal'' terminology??

Want one, want one, want one, want wone, wan twone!!

Peter are you hearing me?? something in that colour would look lovely with my citrine asscher. I''m thinking a pendant

What do you think ladies?

The ''Royal'' moniker is Richard''s (artcutgems) name for a particular kind of Rhodolite garnet. It''s the same as Grape Garnet if that helps.

It''s one of my favourite stones - but the Mali has the edge for me I think.

 

[movie zombie]

both are nice!

how did you get the picture of the mali?! i can''t get a decent picture of it. think i''ll just refer people to this thread when they say they want to see a picture of it.

movie zombie

 

[Pandora II]

It''s on a concave mirror.

I used a Canon Rebel xti with a macro lense. I had a flash unit fitted with diffusers, pointed at the ceiling and with a black lens cloth draped over the top.

Main room lighting was downlighters and I used a tripod and remote control to take the pics. And... despite all that, they''re not that great.

According to DH I messed up on my focal distances - first time I''d really had a play so I was fairly pleased, but they still look much better in person.

Aren''t Malis just incredible - they are so incredibly lively and sparkly.

 

[zeolite]

Pandora, Your Canon Xti with macro lens, tripod, and cable release, is great equipment for gem photography.

I extracted 3 of your pictures, imported them into Photoshop, and read the EXIF data. Your camera records your camera settings when each picture is taken in this EXIF (EXchange Information File) data.

Your pictures were taken at a lens opening of f3.2, which must be near wide open (I''m guessing your macro lens is an f2.8 lens). When a lens is used nearly wide open. the exposure is short, but only a tiny range of depth is in focus. Your gem girdle outline is sharp, but the table of the gem is closer, and is out of focus, as is the bottom (culet). You probably have the control dial on the top of your Canon set to the green rectangle P, or program mode. The camera is choosing an opening, an aperture, that is too open.

You should turn your control dial to Av (aperture priority) and set the aperture (by means of the dial near the shutter button) to f11. This will make the gem much sharper, top to bottom (depth of field). The exposure will go longer, since the lens opening is smaller, but that is not a problem, since you are using a tripod. Try this new technique and show us the results.

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 9/20/2008 4:06:50 PM
Author: zeolite
Pandora, Your Canon Xti with macro lens, tripod, and cable release, is great equipment for gem photography.

I extracted 3 of your pictures, imported them into Photoshop, and read the EXIF data. Your camera records your camera settings when each picture is taken in this EXIF (EXchange Information File) data.

Your pictures were taken at a lens opening of f3.2, which must be near wide open (I'm guessing your macro lens is an f2.8 lens). When a lens is used nearly wide open. the exposure is short, but only a tiny range of depth is in focus. Your gem girdle outline is sharp, but the table of the gem is closer, and is out of focus, as is the bottom (culet). You probably have the control dial on the top of your Canon set to the green rectangle P, or program mode. The camera is choosing an opening, an aperture, that is too open.

You should turn your control dial to Av (aperture priority) and set the aperture (by means of the dial near the shutter button) to f11. This will make the gem much sharper, top to bottom (depth of field). The exposure will go longer, since the lens opening is smaller, but that is not a problem, since you are using a tripod. Try this new technique and show us the results.

Wow! Thanks Zeolite.

The equipment is all my husband's - and he's taken it off with him for the next four days so I'll try it out when he gets back.

I was wondering what was making them look a bit weird, but now it all makes far more sense. The macro is an f2.8 - I'll confess now that I didn't do anything other than stick the lens on the camera, turn everything on, focus and shoot. I didn't actually play with the dials at all.

As soon as I have results I'll post them up.

 

[Maisie]

They are beautiful stones Pandora. I hope that we can meet one day so I can see them (and you!) in person!!

 

[bling addict]

Beautiful stones Pandora, I love the colour of the Garnet!!