January 24 Through February 4—TUCSON, ARIZONA: Annual show
Welcome to the GemologyOnline.com Forum
A non-profit Forum for the exchange of gemological ideas
It is currently Fri Mar 29, 2024 1:58 am

All times are UTC - 4 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 22 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
 Post subject: Cabochon photography??
PostPosted: Sun Feb 24, 2013 5:53 pm 
Offline
Gemology Online Royal Princess

Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2005 10:56 am
Posts: 6461
Location: The frozen north prairie :-/
Hello all you photo-wizards :D .

I'd like to shoot photos of my wire-wrapped cabochons to put up on the Marketplace in hopes of making a few sales. Unfortunately, when I take pictures I end up with reflections of my couch, the lovely framed-artwork on the wall, and my camera lens :roll: . I've seen photos of cabochons for sale that don't have these reflections. Other than a can of hairspray, is there a way to eliminate or greatly reduce these reflections? Help!!

_________________
IIJA Registered Gemologist
GIA Graduate Gemologist


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Cabochon photography??
PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2013 6:44 am 
Offline
Valued Contributor
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jun 09, 2012 3:58 pm
Posts: 156
Location: Sweden
Use a thin, white sheet of paper to act as a diffuser on the lightning you use. Reduces the reflections for me on faceted stones, may work for you?

_________________
Willie


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Cabochon photography??
PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2013 3:58 pm 
Offline
Active Member

Joined: Sat May 21, 2011 7:09 am
Posts: 77
Location: Italy
Have you try a salad cup ?


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Cabochon photography??
PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2013 4:11 pm 
Offline
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm
Posts: 21602
Location: San Francisco
In what way would you use a salad cup?


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Cabochon photography??
PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2013 5:15 pm 
Offline
Gemology Online Veteran
User avatar

Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2009 9:19 pm
Posts: 590
Location: Las Vegas, NV
I put mine flat on a neutral background and surround with a 4 sided folding thing made of white cardboard, about 6 inches tall. Set the camera above all that and sometimes use different diffusers- tracing paper, t-shirt, cardboard with hole cut in it.. Helps cut down reflections and put light on the stone. But, most times I just put the cab down, , put the box around it, pull the light close and shoot away. :)

_________________
-Ryan Quantz, A.J.P. (GIA)
-Lapidary and Jewelry Artist
http://www.etsy.com/shop/RyanQuantzStudios


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Cabochon photography??
PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2013 7:25 pm 
Offline
Gold Member
User avatar

Joined: Wed Nov 15, 2006 9:44 pm
Posts: 1079
Location: Washington State
Barbra Voltaire wrote:
In what way would you use a salad cup?


I sometimes use a small plain paper drinking cup. I cut the bottom end off and friction fit the cup into a ring light, (fiber optic or led), and then shoot through the cup. This gets the light very close to the lens and diffuses it nicely. Since I'm using an inexpensive Nikon point and shoot camera I need to get close to the stone. This allows me to get close and still have adequate lighting.

_________________
Michael E.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Cabochon photography??
PostPosted: Tue Feb 26, 2013 12:34 am 
Offline
Gemology Online Veteran

Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2008 11:11 pm
Posts: 506
Location: Moncton, Canada
Barbara the key to cutting reflections is to use a diffuser dome or cloud dome. You can buy these things in all sorts of different varieties. They're not expensive. Google 'cloud dome" or "diffuser dome". For that matter also google "gem photography" and "jewelry photography". There's lots of stuff up there on youtube. That will give you plenty of background info.

My own cloud dome consists of a white plastic ice cream bucket, you know, standard 5 gallon white plastic pail. Sometimes I'll set it over what I want to photograph upright but upside down, and photograph through a hole cut in the side of the pail or sometimes in the top. There's a commercial version which is almost the same thing, white plastic bowl rather than pail, which is put open end down over the object to be photographed and has a hole in its "bottom" plus a fitting that holds the camera there such that you're photographing pretty much vertically downward. A friend of mine uses three vertical "walls" of white foamcore taped together with white duct tape into an open "U" and with a white plastic garbage bag draped over the top. That's an admirably flexible configuration; you can photograph from the front of the "U" or from the top and it folds down flat for storage.

Two or three halogen lights on goosenecks or tripods yield adjustable positionable lighting. Using a tripod and the self timer will eliminate camera shake. Macro can often be useful but sometimes will show more detail than you want. For cabs in general and particularly cabs with complex shapes I try to arrange one spotlight in addition to the overall diffuse lighting such that its reflections will highlight the shape and the angles of the stone. Also the spot yields a bright reflection that gives the stone sparkle and life.

That's fairly elementary stuff; like I said check google and youtube.

Cheers
Hans Durstling
Moncton, Canada

_________________
Ecclesiastes 10:19


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Cabochon photography??
PostPosted: Tue Feb 26, 2013 12:04 pm 
Offline
Gemology Online Royal Princess

Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2005 10:56 am
Posts: 6461
Location: The frozen north prairie :-/
Thanks everyone! Some really great ideas :D . Ill try a few of them and let y'all know how they work out for me.

_________________
IIJA Registered Gemologist
GIA Graduate Gemologist


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Cabochon photography??
PostPosted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 12:45 pm 
Offline
Active Member

Joined: Sat May 21, 2011 7:09 am
Posts: 77
Location: Italy
WOW ! I find a cloud dome for 169 US Dollars !

My salad cup costs only 3 euro !


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Cabochon photography??
PostPosted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 1:15 am 
Offline
Gemology Online Veteran

Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2008 11:11 pm
Posts: 506
Location: Moncton, Canada
Just for the fun of it here's my cloud-dome of the evening

Attachment:
photobox-3-5149.jpg
photobox-3-5149.jpg [ 214.56 KiB | Viewed 4271 times ]


... and a picture taken using it just five minutes ago

Attachment:
natlapis-5153.jpg
natlapis-5153.jpg [ 198.63 KiB | Viewed 4271 times ]


Cheers all
Hans Durstling
Moncton, Canada

_________________
Ecclesiastes 10:19


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Cabochon photography??
PostPosted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 7:55 am 
Offline
Gemology Online Royal Princess

Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2005 10:56 am
Posts: 6461
Location: The frozen north prairie :-/
OMGosh!! That's brilliant! =D>

Okay ... what fast-food joint uses that type of package :-k ? I'm sure one of them in my area must.

What type of lighting did you use, Hans? I have two 5500K daylight-equivalent bulbs, as well as two Tungsten lights. I imagine I should be able to light up the inside of a foam container with those, don't you think :P ?

_________________
IIJA Registered Gemologist
GIA Graduate Gemologist


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Cabochon photography??
PostPosted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 11:44 am 
Offline
Gemology Online Veteran

Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2008 11:11 pm
Posts: 506
Location: Moncton, Canada
Barbara I think any deli or grocery store that packs stuff for take out should be a good candidate for styrofoam boxes; barring that get one of those little rectangular plastic tote bins from walmart or somewhere. I used 3 50 watt halogens, one on each side at about 2 foot distance shining down on the box at about 45 degrees and one same distance about, vertically over top.

Cheers,
Hans

_________________
Ecclesiastes 10:19


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Cabochon photography??
PostPosted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 2:56 pm 
Offline
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm
Posts: 21602
Location: San Francisco
:( Well, I'll find an alternative to styrofoam containers.
Here in CA they are not used any longer.

Barbara, post some shots with these new techniques. I'm going to try it later.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Cabochon photography??
PostPosted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 3:08 pm 
Offline
Gemology Online Royal Princess

Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2005 10:56 am
Posts: 6461
Location: The frozen north prairie :-/
I hope to be able to get out of the house in the next day or two. I'm afraid the snow is coming down rather heavy right now :( .

A couple of the stores in my area have salad bars. They might still use the Styrofoam boxes. I'll be sure to post photos as soon as I can get a set-up together.

Thanks, again, Hans! =D>

_________________
IIJA Registered Gemologist
GIA Graduate Gemologist


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Cabochon photography??
PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 8:23 pm 
Offline
Gemology Online Veteran

Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2008 11:11 pm
Posts: 506
Location: Moncton, Canada
Here's another picture taken last night with the styrofoam take-out cloud dome.

Attachment:
cu-garnet-buckleSM-5154.jpg
cu-garnet-buckleSM-5154.jpg [ 184.98 KiB | Viewed 4219 times ]

-

Cheers again
Hans-D

_________________
Ecclesiastes 10:19


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 22 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next

All times are UTC - 4 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
Gemology Style ported to phpBB3 by Christian Bullock