napoleonrags
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2015
Posts: 474
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Post by napoleonrags on Nov 20, 2016 19:04:59 GMT -5
As FZ would say "Great googly moogly."
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dottyt
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2016
Posts: 305
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Post by dottyt on Nov 21, 2016 0:28:31 GMT -5
I've done the quarter thing a time or two, but then I don't like it because it uglies up an otherwise nice picture. Hey, if you ignore the wig, George Washington is actually quite handsome!
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richardh
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 391
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Post by richardh on Nov 21, 2016 11:16:46 GMT -5
Beautiful as always. I always look forward to your posts here with your beautiful results. I have a Bahia that hopefully will be done within a week but from what it looked like going into the polish stage I don't think it will be in the same league with yours.
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osuguy0301
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2015
Posts: 203
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Post by osuguy0301 on Nov 23, 2016 5:48:03 GMT -5
Man, #10 looks awesome and they all look great. I really need to pick up a larger capacity tumbler like a QT66 and a Lot-O to help speed up the process. Christmas is right around the corner, maybe the wife will pick up on my hints...LOL
Great Job!
Jake
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,181
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Post by jamesp on Nov 23, 2016 6:43:17 GMT -5
Is your background formica Randy ?
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Post by Garage Rocker on Nov 23, 2016 13:44:14 GMT -5
Is your background formica Randy ? Backgrounds:
I'll use about anything for a background. I use three primarily, but switch it up every now and then. I don't have any formica, here's what I use:
Art board is the only thing I know to call it.
It's not foam core, just dense paper board. Originally used as a light reflector for outdoor portraits, it's mobile enough to throw down and use for rock pics. The bright white can be tricky to photograph and cause contrast issues, but it looks nice and clean when balanced. I scored the back side and folded the ends in a trifold pattern, so the far end can be elevated to bounce flash to the back side of the rock(s). Edges taped to avoid wear.
Photographic background paper is probably my favorite. I use smoke grey because about everything works with it. This paper is from a company called Savage Universal. They make rolls of seamless paper, designed for photography. It's heavy, smooth and doesn't reflect light.
It comes in big rolls that would last a lifetime if only used for rock pictures. I have used most of the roll on portraits, but a small square has lasted me since I started this hobby. The shade of grey can be changed slightly by lighting angle, flash output and angle of attack with the camera.
The blue tiger eye needed a little more flash to get the blue to show, so the paper takes a slightly different look. (maybe not the two best examples, but you get the point)
The one I use least is a piece of fabric, somewhat like a suede, with very short knap. It is grey also, but has a texture that the paper doesn't.
It works better for group shots or something other than close-ups. The texture is nice in a larger frame, but can be distracting when cropped in close.
Too close>
In this case, I prefer the paper. (txrockhunter San Jacinto)
Aside from these materials, I have also used:
A futon.
The flat bottom of a wooden bowl.
The topper to my fire pit. (you probably have one of those around) Nice contrast with the smooth rock.
Leather bound journal cover.
A mirror.
Pretty much anything and everything is fair game. Sometimes, there's a certain look I have in mind and I have to scavenge for the right background to match my mental picture. I'm ready for something different though, so I may look around for new material to use for a while. Maybe I'll look for formica!
To quote Groundhog Day: 'were you wanting to talk about the weather backdrop, or were you just making chit chat?'
Randy
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,181
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Post by jamesp on Nov 23, 2016 13:56:24 GMT -5
I have been scolded for over illustrating/expositing on engineering matters...
I thank you for that detailed answer. Very informative and said by a man with a lot of experience in the field.
The reason I asked about Formica is the fact my hands are always dirty, ha. Stains and dirt a hassle. Your background is always clean, so the question.
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Post by txrockhunter on Nov 23, 2016 13:56:47 GMT -5
You need to set that as a separate post! Great info!!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2016 13:19:56 GMT -5
I think I'm gonna make a bonfire and throw my nearly finished tumbler in it. No need to take when I can just look at you and Jeremy's stuff.
Wow
Just wow
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Post by MrMike on Nov 25, 2016 15:51:22 GMT -5
I think I'm gonna make a bonfire and throw my nearly finished tumbler in it. No need to take when I can just look at you and Jeremy's stuff. Wow Just wow Ditto
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Post by MrMike on Nov 25, 2016 15:54:04 GMT -5
Randy, that mirror shot is way cool 😎
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Post by Jugglerguy on Feb 25, 2017 21:30:46 GMT -5
I just looked up this old thread for background ideas for photography. Garage Rocker, how did you do the mirror shot? How is everything black, but the rock? How did you not get reflections of the camera, the room, or anything? I imagine you he a tent, but still, it's hard to imagine not getting anything else in the shot.
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Post by Garage Rocker on Feb 25, 2017 23:50:30 GMT -5
I just looked up this old thread for background ideas for photography. Garage Rocker , how did you do the mirror shot? How is everything black, but the rock? How did you not get reflections of the camera, the room, or anything? I imagine you he a tent, but still, it's hard to imagine not getting anything else in the shot. I don't use a tent and, as a matter of fact, it would be all but impossible to get that look unless the inside of your tent was black. That could actually be cool, though. I'll use this photo to describe how the mirror shot was done. It also shows how I bounce light onto the back side of the rock without using a tent.
The rock was, of course, sitting on the mirror, without the white board. The room is dark, except for the strobe. That is the modeling light you see in the photo above. When the flash fires, it's even brighter. The flash is aimed at a shallow angle to the mirror laying flat and bounces off somewhere to the back of the room. When positioning the camera, create a steep angle that gives you a reflection of the ceiling in the mirror. I would have been standing just to the right and just above the flash unit in the picture above. The camera is set to an exposure for the rock sitting in the bright flash, but the ceiling above is way darker than that. The camera can't make out any detail in the dark area due to the extreme contrast in light. The sensor just doesn't have the same range our eyes do. So you get a black background!
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Post by Jugglerguy on Feb 26, 2017 7:51:51 GMT -5
Thanks Randy. That is so cool, and I just couldn't figure out how you did it. I always take my pictures with all the lights in the room on, and get reflections galore. I might have to buy one of those big lights one of these days.
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huskeric
spending too much on rocks
Member since May 2016
Posts: 353
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Post by huskeric on Mar 9, 2017 21:38:44 GMT -5
WOW!!! I love the thunder egg (12). I love them all, but I don't know that I've ever seen a thunder egg that shiny done as a whole.
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