[Rockhounds] Shooting White Minerals

[Axel Emmermann]

Hi John,

I'll send you an example off line  but here's how I do it:

1) Just white minerals: place a white cardboard above the specimen,
perpendicular to the camera and just above the lens. Then tilt the top of
the cardboard 45° away from the camera 

                                     /     light
                                   /   ______
(like this         lens  =         ROCK

You shine indirect light on the specimen which gives good detail.

Another way is to make a "tent" of transfer paper over the specimen and put
the light at some distance above that like this:

                       Light
Shade for lens
          ______ 

             _________________ transfer paper

Lens =              specimen

This is best for more glossy specimens.

Real gemmy specimens are best lighted with a halogen source with the
specimen under a glass bowl. The bowl should be horizontally "striped" with
black tape to provide shadows. Or you can use a glass plate with a
checkerboard pattern of black tape. That gives great distinction between
crystal faces.
Place the plate or bowl at such a height that the shadows are unsharp
against the background.

There's a VERY good book on this matter by Jeffrey Scovil (Photographing
Minerals, Fossils, and Lapidary Materials )
Hardcover: 224 pages 
Publisher: Geoscience Press (May 1996) 
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0945005210 
ISBN-13: 978-0945005216

It's a must have, really... A to Z !!!

Good luck
Axel

> -----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
> Van: rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com
[mailto:rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com]
> Namens John Siebel
> Verzonden: zaterdag 7 februari 2009 6:25
> Aan: Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors
> Onderwerp: [Rockhounds] Shooting White Minerals
> 
> Hey List,
> 
> As I catalog my collection, I am trying to photograph each specimen. I am
> limited as far as lighting as I live off grid, have no fancy lights, and
am
> shooting in natural light (sun when we have it). I'm using a Kodak Easy
> Share digital camera. So far, most of the shots of white/clear minerals
> (stilbite, quartz, etc.) are way over-exposed. Does anyone have a clue how
> to deal with these? Maybe I should read the instructions.
> 
> Thanks - John
> 
> 
> --
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