Photographing Opals - Tips, Tricks & Techniques

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Artfldgr
Posts: 399
Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2015 1:46 pm

Re: Photographing Opals - Tips, Tricks & Techniques

Post by Artfldgr »

you really need to white balance... the incandescent yellow is muting the gorgeous colors of your stones and throwing it off
otherwise shoot raw and balance afterwards

ie balance and things are applied to the image the sensor sees. if you shot raw, you get what the sensor sees and can do the color balance and such post production in a pc which having more computational power and better filters could do a better job. however raw takes up lots of space compared to the adjusted, and compressed jpg

sadly, balance is one of those things that people don't do and when they eventually learn and start doing, wonder why they were not clear headed about it
its very much worth doing, as i can save you a lot of issues post production. after all, if you think of the data fitting in a box, any manipulation and adjustments will shrink the box not expand it. never expands. so the fewer steps between sensor and final means the biggest richest box of color possible (i know this is an abstraction but some stuff is really hard to talk about given there is no common language for it!!)

tripods are a must, and i get lazy, ergo the softness of the images..
however your pendants are obviously prettier than represented and a large portion of that is your lighting and white balance

if your using one light source type, color balance and your fine

if your using more than one, think of putting some white cards to either side of the item with the idea to even out each types contribution.
turn each off, balance the light to make it better (perfection will drive you nuts hunting down tiny things no one else sees or almost no one. remember your making images for recording not "art" for the most part, though i would be wrong to say it cant be as i have seen it in many a museum, so if ya can get that far have at it)

the reason is that unlike the human eye and mind which does heavy pre-processing and you never actually see what your looking at, you perceive.
which is why you can miss things right in front of you... if you were really seeing the world, you might not miss it or might miss a lot given the complexity. so what you see is perception, and perception gets trained... which is why over time your pictures get better, you learn to percieve the qualities necessary to the issue and learn to adjust behavior/camera to meet those issues. many are instantly available by awareness once mentioned, like the light issue.

the sensor sees light and does not do the processing that makes every sensor maker drool at the human eye and positively faint at the hawks.
we have a million to 1 bracket!!! we see three colors, many birds and insects see four (UV) i do not know of five or more...

when you look from your lit room to the other room that has sun coming in, these lights are all different but yet, you do not even notice them being that different, in fact you cant tell. its so much and so good this way, we still don't have technology that can make a photo balanced without any effort across the frame with all kinds of lighting, and have it look great. i guess when we do, the art will be different as we forget that each way we make something past or present adds a certain fingerprint of its process and in many cases a large portion of the arts appeal is that fingerprint that odd quality process brings to the appearance and the making.

so if you light something with tungsten on one side, and halogen on the other side, white balance would average them if you balanced in a middle point (though to you they seem both pretty white, to film tungsten is very very orange and halogen is blue).

however if the light is all over you probably can get away with a good white balance and its amazing the difference it instantly brings across a quantity of work.

sorry bit talkative... your images are nice, but boy would they be nicer with balance and if on tripod longer exposure for less grain
another thing, if you want sharper images you have to shrink the aperature which will make for long exposures and tripod becomes required (or some way to hold the camera), and even a means of triggering the camera is better... (for those stretching towards the farther reaches of perfection, they even allow a more pro level camera to put the mirror up in the reflex area so that does not shake the camera!!)

have to go...
if your not sure how to do a white balance, let me know your camera type and i see if i can find it for you.
m76steve
Posts: 281
Joined: Fri Jun 05, 2015 7:55 am
Location: Maryland

Re: Photographing Opals - Tips, Tricks & Techniques

Post by m76steve »

Very good info on how to correct my pics-im using a nikon coolpixL110. very basic & not too correctable, basic point & shoot & i might do an upgrade before the dirt nap, but for now one can get an idea of what i have- thank you-steve- 8-)
Artfldgr
Posts: 399
Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2015 1:46 pm

Re: Photographing Opals - Tips, Tricks & Techniques

Post by Artfldgr »

Nikon Coolpix L110 User Manual: B White Balance (adjusting Hue)
https://www.manualslib.com/manual/11301 ... ml?page=65

The color of light reflected from an object varies with the color of the light source.
The human brain is able to adapt to changes in the color of the light source, with
the result that white objects appear white whether seen in the shade, direct
sunlight, or under incandescent lighting. Digital cameras can mimic this
adjustment by processing images according to the color of the light source. This is
known as "white balance".
Although the default setting, Auto can be used under most types of lighting, you
can apply the white balance setting suited to a particular light source to achieve
more accurate results.


B. Preset manual
Neutral-colored object used as reference to set white balance under unusual
lighting conditions. Please refer to "Preset Manual" for more information(A 54)

White Balance
• This feature cannot be used simultaneously with certain features. ➝ "Camera Settings that Cannot
Be Set at the Same Time" (A 58)
• At white-balance settings other than Auto or Flash, turn the flash off (W) (A 29)


https://www.manualslib.com/manual/11301 ... ml?page=66
Preset Manual
Preset manual is used with mixed lighting or to compensate for light sources with
a strong color cast (for example, to make pictures taken under a lamp with a red
shade look as though they had been taken under white light)

[the following is how you do it for all cameras, except settings will be different (process same, setting different)
Place a white or gray reference object under the lighting that is used
during shooting.

Display the shooting menu (A 34), use the
multi selector to select b Preset manual in
the White balance menu, and press k.
The camera zooms in

Select Measure.
To apply the most recently measured value for preset
manual, choose Cancel and press k. The most recently
measured value is applied for white balance.

Frame the reference object [a fancy way of saying make the white thing fill up the frame... oh, if its a different color, your images will have a cast, so they sell color books which now replace filters... why filter and reduce light when you can tweak the whitebalance with its chromic opposite? 8-) ]

Press k.
The shutter is released (no image is captured) and the new white-balance value is set.

Note on Preset Manual
The camera cannot measure a white balance value for when the flash fires. When shooting with the
flash, set White balance to Auto or Flash

and since this was my consulting project for the weekend
here is my bill... go forth, capture, and be happy!!! and if you dont you owe me... :lol: :lol: :lol:
Artfldgr
Posts: 399
Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2015 1:46 pm

Re: Photographing Opals - Tips, Tricks & Techniques

Post by Artfldgr »

A bad workman blames his tools...
[not a chinese proverb, and not a traditional saying either]

Mauves ovriers ne trovera ja bon hostill. [A bad workman will never find a good tool.] (French proverb, late 13th C. )

as most will point out it doesn't mean you don't need good tools, but it does mean you need to know how to use them
and i have had lots of arguments and test runs with people as to "my equipment is not good enough'
that's not true... today's equipment, even just your phone, take incredibly good pictures a hell of a lot easier than the dead kodachrome
but Kodachrome had a certain quality that came from the chemistry..

if you take the time, you can often get amazing results..
(note apple trying to sell you the magic of their phone makes better pictures, really?
unless the camera can choose how to frame or compose the image)

but for me its learn what it can do, what it cant do, what its faults are, find its advantages, and work it that way
i have used pro cameras and lesser, and now most of the time i use my phone... why? it takes a damn good large size picture.
but for the jewelry i use my other gear cause i have it from other things... but if i was starting out, you can get a really good SLR for cheap
the lens i use for the shots i show most of the time isnt my 300mm high end 2.8 lens... big, heavy, nice..
but the cheapy slow 150 ultra wide lense and some glass filters instead of the tubes, as they dont get in the way, short out, etc.
and the body could be a cheap used one... tons online... a Nikon D70, which i have one, and used when i did pro work
is about $100 for the body now.. (i spent a lot more than that).
but it only shoots a 6.9 meg photo.
however, if you dedicate it to shooting for products only for the web, that's more than large enough...

i am not telling you to go out and buy one, as you can work with the one you have and get good shots..
all you get for the other camera is more control and memory...

the message is that it doesn't have to be current generation, it doesn't have to be expensive, it doesn't even have to be new, your camera is good too.
though if it is a business, and your going to have to do this more often, then my point is that you can do very well if you look down the line to something older that is still on the market and does great...

the problem with the cameras that are cheaper and smaller is that they often lack settings and abiility to focus up close
they are suprisingly good in many other ways (low noise, good all around lens thats wide, etc)

:)
m76steve
Posts: 281
Joined: Fri Jun 05, 2015 7:55 am
Location: Maryland

Re: Photographing Opals - Tips, Tricks & Techniques

Post by m76steve »

DSCN7834 50.88 cts front +.JPG
For what i lack in photogenics, i hopefully makeup in jewelry unusualality?, one more of my fun pendents, columbian emeralds all set in 18kt yellow gold, shown in size in inches, over 1/2oz gold in the frame & just over 50cts of not-too-bad emeralds- :shock: 8-)
DSCN7842 50.88 cts. rear. +.JPG
DSCN7843 size in inches. 50.88cts..JPG
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PinkDiamond
Posts: 15411
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Re: Photographing Opals - Tips, Tricks & Techniques

Post by PinkDiamond »

I had no idea how massive that one is, m76. Outstanding! :!:

And something that size would cause someone my size to fall over, so at least you don't have to worry about me showing up and absconding with it. :lol:

Art, you are a veritable wealth of information. 8-)
PinkDiamond
ISG Registered Gemologist


· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* It all begins inside of you. ;)
Artfldgr
Posts: 399
Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2015 1:46 pm

Re: Photographing Opals - Tips, Tricks & Techniques

Post by Artfldgr »

DSCN7842 50.88 cts. rear. +.JPG
DSCN7842 50.88 cts. rear. +.JPG (23.25 KiB) Viewed 1404 times
DSCN7842 50.88 sscts. rear. +.jpg
DSCN7842 50.88 sscts. rear. +.jpg (47.37 KiB) Viewed 1404 times


I will let you decide if doing white balance is a good thing... :lol: :lol:

dtopaztourl pendent ft AA+.JPG
dtopaztourl pendent ft AA+.JPG (33.56 KiB) Viewed 1404 times

watr dmelon trml 1 side.JPG
watr dmelon trml 1 side.JPG (35.72 KiB) Viewed 1404 times


and they would be even better if you just did a white balance.
see? i wasnt fibbing... :geek:
Artfldgr
Posts: 399
Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2015 1:46 pm

Re: Photographing Opals - Tips, Tricks & Techniques

Post by Artfldgr »

oh and your stuff is nice, i like that rugged look to it... :)
m76steve
Posts: 281
Joined: Fri Jun 05, 2015 7:55 am
Location: Maryland

Re: Photographing Opals - Tips, Tricks & Techniques

Post by m76steve »

Pink & Atrfldgr, this post was fun & informing-i love showing some of the pendents ive made & will cont. to make in the same fashion-gems on display. Its my way to show the stones in the best way i can just wearing them, surrounding some of the stones with 'stuff' takes away from the stone im showing. As to photo the pendents, will probably upgrade the eq. & lights, the effect is good, but not critical at this time, the info shown in pics show the professional behind the camera, well done- 8-)
Artfldgr
Posts: 399
Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2015 1:46 pm

Re: Photographing Opals - Tips, Tricks & Techniques

Post by Artfldgr »

i think you dont need to really upgrade right away.. [but wouldnt stop you if thats what you want to do]

just that white balance... they got on my case about it till i did it and it changed things a lot
and those pics i balanced are yours... so yours look great and you deserve the well done!!!!!!!!!!!!
and dats the fak jack!!!

025.JPG
025.JPG (40.22 KiB) Viewed 1397 times
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