lordsorril
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since April 2020
Posts: 935
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Post by lordsorril on Oct 31, 2020 7:08:53 GMT -5
lordsorril, you've got me thinking about what might happen if you had a freshly shed snake with significant iridescence peaking, together with labradorite or some other iridescent material. Probably would break some natural law to attempt. That is a great idea! It happens to be one of my favorite (if not most challenging) photos. Thank you for the suggestion Bob!  Photo #58  |
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Post by miket on Oct 31, 2020 7:10:23 GMT -5
lordsorril, you've got me thinking about what might happen if you had a freshly shed snake with significant iridescence peaking, together with labradorite or some other iridescent material. Probably would break some natural law to attempt. That is a great idea! It happens to be one of my favorite (if not most challenging) photos. Thank you for the suggestion Bob! Photo #58 Awesome. |
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lordsorril
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since April 2020
Posts: 935
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Post by lordsorril on Nov 2, 2020 6:52:02 GMT -5
There is a state forest near my house that contains the remains of an abandoned 18th century town.  The townsfolk had built a main road into the town which was later regraded when the area became state property.  The materials they used to regrade the road are common. Some parts of the road though have deteriorated along the edges. In one area I found some odd brown stones.  This is what they look like tumbled: Photo #59  I could not capture it with the camera, but, at a very precise angle the fibrous material can diffract light and create a rainbow sheen. |
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Post by Bob on Nov 3, 2020 16:17:33 GMT -5
I had not been in this thread in a while, because it's so hard for me to restrain the herpetologist in me. Just saw the snakes and labradorite. Gosh that was fun. If you tumbled that material, you are really good!
Did you experiment with orienting the pieces of maximize the flash back or were the results just random?
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lordsorril
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since April 2020
Posts: 935
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Post by lordsorril on Nov 3, 2020 16:48:31 GMT -5
I had not been in this thread in a while, because it's so hard for me to restrain the herpetologist in me. Just saw the snakes and labradorite. Gosh that was fun. If you tumbled that material, you are really good! Did you experiment with orienting the pieces of maximize the flash back or were the results just random? Hahaha...can't resist the urge to talk about reptiles...I know a lot of people irl who have the same issue-I am one of the few people who can tolerate them. I just rough tumbled the labradorite and then vibed it smooth-it was not much of a challenge. I'm sure tumbling it pure rotary through polish would have been a real battle. The labradorite flash in the photo was controlled by creating a platform above the pieces and then poking holes in the cardboard with a screwdriver and then positioning a separate flashlight above each tiny hole. If the holes were misaligned or had bad angle of light diffusion I would block them with electrical tape and then create a new hole. I had about 8 mini flashlights in use for the photo. I did map out the best angles of flash for each piece in advance and experimented with grouping them. It normally takes me about 200 photos to get a good one...because the snake was not holding still I set my camera to take 1 photo/second (camera flash disabled) and it took two battery swaps and ~45 minutes (2500+ photos) before stopping. I was sweating after reviewing the first 2000 photos on my computer and finding poor results, but, the photo pictured is #2028. It might seem ridiculous taking 2500 photos, but, tumbling rocks also seems ridiculous to a lot of people... I bought a few 8-lb. chunks of Labradorite from Madagascar to play with next year. They are kinda round already so I'm just going to have to knock off the edges and polish them. Something to look forward to... |
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Post by Bob on Nov 3, 2020 17:16:53 GMT -5
Well, as someone who has worked with wildlife photographers in the field taking so many shots the sound of the camera in auto mode almost drives me nuts, I can understand. Being with 5 of them at once all with $5,000+ Nikon bodies going full blast doing marine iguanas swimming into shore in the Galaps almost made me quit helping them. I find the description of the setup you created fascinating! I was wondering how you could possibly orient so many feldspar planes so accurately to one light source. Gosh for all that, I owe you a cold one. Guinness? Or, remember me for when you publish that coffee table picture book and people ask you how you got the idea for that cover photo. Frankly, I think you are onto something here. I loved reading that post from that guy that said "is this thread for real?" or whatever he asked!
How many of us herpers also tumble rocks? I only know of you. You're really weird.
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lordsorril
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since April 2020
Posts: 935
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Post by lordsorril on Nov 3, 2020 20:06:44 GMT -5
I owe you a cold one. Guinness? Or, remember me for when you publish that coffee table picture book and people ask you how you got the idea for that cover photo. Frankly, I think you are onto something here. I loved reading that post from that guy that said "is this thread for real?" or whatever he asked! How many of us herpers also tumble rocks? I only know of you. You're really weird. No worries: I will make sure to write you down as an inspiration in my photography 'book' some day.  No Guinness for me! I drank to excess in my teenage years--I have no compulsion to drink alcohol ever again. Besides I am back to body building again--no calories to spare for alcohol---god I hate the muscle-head high protein diet. As for herpers tumbling rocks being weird: I've seen a few of *us* on here. My gf is pulling python teeth out of my arm with tweezers and putting them in a bowl right now as I am typing this message, she says I am definitely weird, but, never boring.  |
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Post by Bob on Nov 3, 2020 23:38:57 GMT -5
When I was dating Jenny, my Chinese wife, and she found out about my snakes, she freaked. I told her if we fall in love and marry, if it took doing so, I would part with them. Heck, 50+ years of herps at home is almost enough. She said she would not even be able to bear seeing them. So my daughters and I covered all the terraria with towels. I about freaked coming home from work the second day after she arrive to visit me, and see her holding a 5' coachwhip! WTF? My daughters had got her over her fear of snakes in only 1 day. I almost can't believe it really happened. Don't have the coachwhip, bit still have Jenny AND snakes.
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lordsorril
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since April 2020
Posts: 935
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Post by lordsorril on Nov 4, 2020 7:36:14 GMT -5
Yes, you got lucky with Jenny. Rationally most non-venomous snakes are no threat to people so there is little danger. Speaking of China: I am looking forward to your test results on nephrite/jade using a variety of different polishes. I am still using Aluminum Oxide from The Rock Shed. It gives a little bit of bright shine, but, mostly just a lustrous sheen. Photo #60  |
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NevadaBill
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2019
Posts: 1,332
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Post by NevadaBill on Nov 4, 2020 13:53:13 GMT -5
Without viewing this entire thread, I think that you have got some very beautiful efforts here!
I know however that if I should ever decide to incorporate snakes with my stones that my wife would ensure that the snakes and I were both living in the garage along side my rock tumblers!
Thanks for sharing your work! Very nice!
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lordsorril
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since April 2020
Posts: 935
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Post by lordsorril on Nov 4, 2020 17:53:00 GMT -5
Without viewing this entire thread, I think that you have got some very beautiful efforts here! I know however that if I should ever decide to incorporate snakes with my stones that my wife would ensure that the snakes and I were both living in the garage along side my rock tumblers! Thank you, Luckily my gf likes my snakes, but, not the legion of rodents I raise to feed them on a regular basis. |
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Post by stephan on Nov 5, 2020 1:03:05 GMT -5
Without viewing this entire thread, I think that you have got some very beautiful efforts here! I know however that if I should ever decide to incorporate snakes with my stones that my wife would ensure that the snakes and I were both living in the garage along side my rock tumblers! Thanks for sharing your work! Very nice! Ha! Same here. I have to get my snake fix in the wild. I learned when I was growing up that most ophidiophobes do not get over it easily. As a kid, I kept garter snakes. Here is a reconstruction of a phone call that apparently happened while I was in class. Mom: The snake got out! Dad: Where is it? Mom: I don’t know. Dad: In the closet? Mom: I don’t know! Dad: Under the bed? Mom: I don’t know! Dad: In the bathroom? Mom: I don’t know! Dad: Where are you? Mom: At the neighbor’s house! 😂 |
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lordsorril
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since April 2020
Posts: 935
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Post by lordsorril on Nov 5, 2020 13:24:43 GMT -5
Hahaha that is funny!
My mother is afraid of my snakes as well...
Me: "Hey mom, I can't find two of my bird eating tarantulas. I think they got out by lifting the lids off..."
Her: (Angry) 'Those big ones right? Did any of your snakes escape too?'
Me: "No, just the spiders..."
Her: (Relieved) 'That's fine. I would be scared if one of your snakes got out.'
Me: *Keeps lights on all night-too scared to sleep*
Note: My mother is not afraid of certain snakes. Something about the slow movement of my pythons really creeps her out.
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Post by Bob on Nov 5, 2020 15:30:24 GMT -5
No kidding on the spiders. I live in a part of the country where black widows and brown recluses are only too common. Over time, I've gotten over my fear of spiders, but now and then I scream like a baby. Just a couple of months ago, I flipped the light switch going into the kitchen at night, and wondered why there seemed to be a dirty spot barely visible in the dim light near the light switch. So when the light came on, I was bending down to check it out. Holy S#%! It was a brown recluse as large as any I've ever seen on the wall about 1/2" from the edge of the switch plate and my hand must have practically brushed it when I flipped the switch! Normally they are only on the floor but also sometimes in the bathtub or shower the next morning. I did my little dance of fear and willies before I recovered enough to deal with it. NO WAY I can tell my Chinese wife of what happened. She would move out.
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Post by stephan on Nov 5, 2020 22:32:13 GMT -5
No kidding on the spiders. I live in a part of the country where black widows and brown recluses are only too common. Over time, I've gotten over my fear of spiders, but now and then I scream like a baby. Just a couple of months ago, I flipped the light switch going into the kitchen at night, and wondered why there seemed to be a dirty spot barely visible in the dim light near the light switch. So when the light came on, I was bending down to check it out. Holy S#%! It was a brown recluse as large as any I've ever seen on the wall about 1/2" from the edge of the switch plate and my hand must have practically brushed it when I flipped the switch! Normally they are only on the floor but also sometimes in the bathtub or shower the next morning. I did my little dance of fear and willies before I recovered enough to deal with it. NO WAY I can tell my Chinese wife of what happened. She would move out. Hope she doesn’t check this forum.  |
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lordsorril
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since April 2020
Posts: 935
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Post by lordsorril on Nov 6, 2020 6:04:45 GMT -5
Photo #61  This one was river rounded to start and had sharpie marked 'FC-OR-67'. I assume OR stands for Oregon, and FC stands for Fall Creek, so 1967 is probably the collection date. |
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Post by Bob on Nov 6, 2020 12:43:45 GMT -5
Wow a gorgeous rock!
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lordsorril
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since April 2020
Posts: 935
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Post by lordsorril on Nov 8, 2020 6:09:17 GMT -5
I know Indian Tree Agate is notorious for being porous. This piece is no exception-high polish with pores. I have tumbled smaller pieces of this material that have been solid--not the case with this one: Photo #62  Another picture below for scale.  |
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lordsorril
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since April 2020
Posts: 935
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Post by lordsorril on Nov 10, 2020 6:58:35 GMT -5
I do spot repetition in patterning and material in specific types of stones that do not tumble well. I still try to see what happens. Occasionally I get lucky and produce a few good specimens...these are not them. Photo #63  |
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lordsorril
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since April 2020
Posts: 935
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Post by lordsorril on Nov 12, 2020 8:31:51 GMT -5
I have been messing around trying to photograph my chatoyant sodalite--it is brutal due to flashback and blur-my camera does not understand what is happening. I am not interested in taking individual pictures of every stone as smaller stones do not work for my snake photo style and the process would be too tedious for the amount I have tumbled. I separated the chatoyant dark blue pieces from the lighter blue/white pieces. I took two snake photos with similar color schemes, but, chatoyant vs. non-chatoyant sodalite. The better of the two sets is Photo #64 (non-chatoyant). I'm debating whether or not to redo the chatoyant sodalite photo--however, just like my garnet, iolite, and imperial topaz photos--the rocks might not look good in a group shot-I don't want to waste my time...I'm probably just too lazy anyway lol--you will probably see the second photo pop up later. I should also note: Up until now every snake that has been photographed was in my current collection, however, I cannot keep every snake I produce and I have rehomed several individuals to make space for next years offspring. Each photo is still of a separate snake I have/had, but, moving into 2021 you will see photos for individuals that are documented, but, no longer in my collection.  |
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