Tried some new camera tricks.

[Ali]

Date: 6/11/2009 9:33:02 AM
Author: Jeffrey Hunt
I saw a trick gem photography trick awhile back that was simple and elegant. The photographer was shooting piece of gem rough but this could work very well with a finished stone too.

He took a regular styrofoam cup turned it on end and placed the stone towards the mouth for the photograph. I believed he used early morning sun but you could play around by placing it in partial shade or simple turning it around until the gem looks good in the sunlight. The trick is to frame the shot so you get in close and most or all of the background is the white of the styrofoam cup.

What this does is basically set up a mini ''photographers tent'' under natural lighting conditions - which is the best. It will cost all of 39 cents too. If you have a camera with a macro setting all the better because it will help blur the background just a bit. Of course you''ll have to play around with the best orientation etc.

I suppose a small styrofoam cooler on end could work too, but the light might not come through the styrofoam the same as a cup and the positioning for light would be different.

This is a REALLY great idea. Thanks for sharing it here.

 

[mochi]

Date: 6/11/2009 12:39:09 AM
Author: tourmaline_lover

Date: 6/11/2009 12:24:42 AM
Author: mochi
WOW...very nice pictures!

What are your tricks for photos Mochi since LtlF was asking for them. You take some of the most gorgeous photos.

Just a beginner that loves to take pictures, I guess.

I really don''t have a trick or anything like that. I just look through my camera picture to see if I can see a interesting color of the gem and than "snap". The lighting brings out the character of the stone and placing (or cupping) of hands also plays with the lighting.


Umba, topaz, tourmaline, taken outside in full sun.

 

[mochi]

Hand shadowing.. I love how the blue topaz always looks so attractive.

 

[mochi]

Indoors, next to a window, with cupped hands..

 

[mochi]

repositioning the hand... Changes everytime and this is probably why I love taking pictures of gemstones. And it really helps, for me anyways, that the camera is easy to use.

 

[Michael_E]

I suppose a small styrofoam cooler on end could work too, but the light might not come through the styrofoam the same as a cup and the positioning for light would be different.

That works well, but the light doesn''t need to go through the cup or other diffuser. I often shoot through a small hole, (as small as I can make it and still get the image I want), in a piece of white copy paper. If the brightest light is coming directly at the camera and paper, it will bounce off the paper, into the stone and back into the camera lens without as much head shadow as you''d get without the paper. This allows you to get closer to the stone without it "going dark". TL''s shot of her aqua is just about the best example that I''ve seen of "head shadow", as you can clearly see her image doubled in the gem. Nice hair tourmaline lover ! You can imagine what her image would have looked like had she been wearing a ghost costume, brighter and lighter, with just the camera being dark. Now if the camera was covered by a sheet of paper with just a small opening to shoot through, it would get even brighter, though would have less contrast.

There''s been some mention lately about graying in gems, particularly aqua. I haven''t seen this much in actual gemstones and am wondering if part of this is due to the background being reflected in the pictures. Looking at TL''s shot again, you can see very dramatically how the blue sky is reflected in the bottom are of the gem and the ground, probably gray concrete is reflected in the top area of the gem. Want to get the gray out ? Hold the stone over a white surface. Don''t want greenish hues ? Don''t take the shot with trees around you. This is a very neat and helpful picture TL !

 

[T L]

Date: 6/11/2009 12:15:57 PM
Author: Michael_E

I suppose a small styrofoam cooler on end could work too, but the light might not come through the styrofoam the same as a cup and the positioning for light would be different.

That works well, but the light doesn''t need to go through the cup or other diffuser. I often shoot through a small hole, (as small as I can make it and still get the image I want), in a piece of white copy paper. If the brightest light is coming directly at the camera and paper, it will bounce off the paper, into the stone and back into the camera lens without as much head shadow as you''d get without the paper. This allows you to get closer to the stone without it ''going dark''. TL''s shot of her aqua is just about the best example that I''ve seen of ''head shadow'', as you can clearly see her image doubled in the gem. Nice hair tourmaline lover ! You can imagine what her image would have looked like had she been wearing a ghost costume, brighter and lighter, with just the camera being dark. Now if the camera was covered by a sheet of paper with just a small opening to shoot through, it would get even brighter, though would have less contrast.

There''s been some mention lately about graying in gems, particularly aqua. I haven''t seen this much in actual gemstones and am wondering if part of this is due to the background being reflected in the pictures. Looking at TL''s shot again, you can see very dramatically how the blue sky is reflected in the bottom are of the gem and the ground, probably gray concrete is reflected in the top area of the gem. Want to get the gray out ? Hold the stone over a white surface. Don''t want greenish hues ? Don''t take the shot with trees around you. This is a very neat and helpful picture TL !

Ahhhh, everyone can see me!!

The sun was setting, so the sky was more an orangish color, but thanks for the description of my gem. When I shoot my spess in that same light, it also glows neon fanta orange. I don''t know if the sky was reflected in my gem, I wasn''t pointing it up at the sky, but who knows? I had it facing me directly. It tends to look more blue under fluorescents as well.

 

[princessplease]

Lovely stone!

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Jeffery and Michael E - cool tricks. I look forward to trying them over the weekend (I have to do real work tonight - booo) thank you for taking the time to share them.

TL - I never noticed that. I think I was photographing a sliver necklace once and I had the reflection of my face in the shot, I didn''t put those up. But I am also going to try the tricks on my aqua and see what happens.

Mochi - love your pics, and your collection.

 

[icekid]

Ltl- your photos are getting better! Nice

I really like the styrofoam cup idea; that will be my next set-up. Also a thank you to Michael E. for a reminder about the white paper trick. I''ve been meaning to try that!

 

[mochi]

Date: 6/11/2009 12:15:57 PM
Author: Michael_E

I suppose a small styrofoam cooler on end could work too, but the light might not come through the styrofoam the same as a cup and the positioning for light would be different.

That works well, but the light doesn't need to go through the cup or other diffuser. I often shoot through a small hole, (as small as I can make it and still get the image I want), in a piece of white copy paper. If the brightest light is coming directly at the camera and paper, it will bounce off the paper, into the stone and back into the camera lens without as much head shadow as you'd get without the paper. This allows you to get closer to the stone without it 'going dark'. TL's shot of her aqua is just about the best example that I've seen of 'head shadow', as you can clearly see her image doubled in the gem. Nice hair tourmaline lover ! You can imagine what her image would have looked like had she been wearing a ghost costume, brighter and lighter, with just the camera being dark. Now if the camera was covered by a sheet of paper with just a small opening to shoot through, it would get even brighter, though would have less contrast.

There's been some mention lately about graying in gems, particularly aqua. I haven't seen this much in actual gemstones and am wondering if part of this is due to the background being reflected in the pictures. Looking at TL's shot again, you can see very dramatically how the blue sky is reflected in the bottom are of the gem and the ground, probably gray concrete is reflected in the top area of the gem. Want to get the gray out ? Hold the stone over a white surface. Don't want greenish hues ? Don't take the shot with trees around you. This is a very neat and helpful picture TL !

LOL!! TL, good thing you had clothes on.. hehehe

 

[T L]

Date: 6/11/2009 10:17:38 PM
Author: mochi


LOL!! TL, good thing you had clothes on.. hehehe

Hey!! This is a G rated forum!!