|
Post by stonesthatrock on Apr 13, 2009 15:30:35 GMT -5
i have been working on redoing all my pics in my flickr. I'm hoping to get a website so i got a light box and worked on it all weekend.
I need some opinions on how the pics look. I finished all the major one, amethyst sage, pic jasper etc. none of the misc. is done yet. So if you could just go in my flickr and let me know if the new pics look ok for a website i would really appreciate it you can tell some of the new ones have a black background and no rulers.
ty ralph and mary ann
|
|
|
Post by Jack, lapidaryrough on Apr 13, 2009 16:30:33 GMT -5
the Blue Gold stone looks like Obsidian, Known as Monk Stone ( Man Made ) Blue, Gold, Brown........
|
|
Mudshark
fully equipped rock polisher
Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. Will Rogers
Member since December 2008
Posts: 1,083
|
Post by Mudshark on Apr 13, 2009 16:47:29 GMT -5
I took a look and I think the pics came out great. Mike
|
|
|
Post by stonesthatrock on Apr 13, 2009 18:05:45 GMT -5
ty mike
|
|
|
Post by stonesthatrock on Apr 13, 2009 18:06:51 GMT -5
yes its blue goldstone, man made but i love the color. Its very hard to get a good pic of it.
|
|
|
Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Apr 13, 2009 20:17:31 GMT -5
Overall they look good, but I think you can do better (and I don't mean that to be critical). Here are some suggestions which are certainly free to ignore. I'm only suggesting these to help you sell the rock; they may not be worth the extra time.
1. Clean the black backdrop so you don't have the distracting lint and bits of rock.
2. Adjust your white balance to the light source. I can't judge whether the colors are accurate, so you may already be do this.
3. Adjust your exposure so that the black backdrop is black. You may need to play with your lighting. Set a manual exposure and use it for every photo (provided you don't change the lighting set up).
4. In portraiture, which is what I consider these because you're essentially taking portraits of the slabs, a 2 to 1 lighting ratio is pleasing. To do this, use 2 lights of the same wattage, point them at 45 degrees to the slab, and move one twice as far from the rock as the other. This will help give definition to the slab.
5. Play with your color saturation just a little (10% is usually a good starting point) to really make the colors pop without making them look unrealistic. You're really just compensating for the camera's inability to properly register the colors.
I don't think a light table is the way to go; if you're talking about a softbox or diffuser, that may help but since your rocks are dry and have a matte surface, you're not getting and glare or hotspots.
PM me if you have any questions. I've been doing photography a lot longer than rocks, so please consider my suggestions from that perspective.
Hope that helps, Chuck
|
|
|
Post by stonesthatrock on Apr 13, 2009 21:26:27 GMT -5
dang chuck, i thought i did good lmao
|
|
|
Post by Bejewelme on Apr 13, 2009 22:45:03 GMT -5
Maryann: I think they are looking mcuh better! The darn phtoographs of these rocks and cabs is the most frustrating part of this whole hobby, I hate it!!
|
|
|
Post by Michael John on Apr 13, 2009 23:19:12 GMT -5
You're making great progress! I'm not much of a shutterbug, but the one thing I noticed in your pics is that the darker the background, the better the pic. Other than that, the only thing that I saw was some Rhodonite that looked distinctly orange instead of pink ... if the slabs are not orange, you should resnap those.
|
|
|
Post by stonesthatrock on Apr 13, 2009 23:21:35 GMT -5
no they are more salmon colored then pink. All the colors are correct.
ty
|
|
|
Post by 150FromFundy on Apr 14, 2009 7:26:36 GMT -5
I'd suggest soaking, or spraying the rocks before each photo. You need the water to really show off the color and patter, especially if you want to generate interest and sales.
Water and a lightbox don't usually mix well, because any water drops usally drip on your background matt and soak into it. You also have to be fast, or by the time you are focussed and ready to snap, your rock has started drying and you will have pathches of dusty grey appear.
150FromFundy
|
|
|
Post by stonesthatrock on Apr 15, 2009 0:57:24 GMT -5
ty 150, most of them are wet. I sprayed them outside the box and hurry up and placed it and snap.
|
|