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Author Topic: Picture help  (Read 6335 times)

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Picture help
« on: November 04, 2016, 02:44:11 PM »

Hi All

I am really bad at taking pictures and I need help. I have taken less than 800 digital pics in my life. It seems that they are always darker than what  I can see in full sun. As I understand it there ar many programs that are free that can adjust the brightness. So I would ask you all to to do see what all of you can do to help lighten this pic to see it better. I am on a big learning curve on doing pictures.

Bless
Shawn
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bilquest

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Re: Picture help
« Reply #1 on: November 04, 2016, 08:43:09 PM »

I too am very much an amateur when it comes to taking pictures. However, I discovered a simple technique that really made the colors pop, use a dark background instead of your white felt. It seems counter intuitive, but until I started using a dark grey or black, all my cab pictures just looked like blobs in a sea of white. Good luck!
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Re: Picture help
« Reply #2 on: November 05, 2016, 11:36:45 AM »

Thanks for that tip. I cant believe how much difference that made. Pic below is same stone and same lighting.

Thanks again
Bless

Shawn
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Jhon P

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Re: Picture help
« Reply #3 on: November 05, 2016, 12:10:20 PM »

Way to go Shawn! Now you can figure out how to crop the image and you will
Be a pro. I don't think that rock came from me so I can't help with ID
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bobby1

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Re: Picture help
« Reply #4 on: November 05, 2016, 01:18:42 PM »

I download my photos to Windows live photo gallery and the options to crop, adjust the exposure and coloe are available there.
Bob
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yukonjade

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Re: Picture help
« Reply #5 on: November 05, 2016, 03:57:13 PM »


 Shawn.

  The cab material could be purple sage from West coast
 mining.I also find it a pain to photograph,it ends up looking
 too dark or washed out. 
                                            :Bash:
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Re: Picture help
« Reply #6 on: November 06, 2016, 11:46:07 AM »

Hi All

 bilquest thanks that tip seemed to kicked me in a new gear :headbang:

Newest Pic I think that it shows the fratures Thanks again

Bless
Shawn

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irockhound

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Re: Picture help
« Reply #7 on: November 06, 2016, 10:22:53 PM »

I can take a pic tomorrow of a simple setup I have for cabs.  I take a small cardboard box and apply double stick tape to the bottom (outside) of the box.  I then take the material of choice depending on what I am shooting.  Black velvet or a Gray felt like material or even a leather of different colors and apply that on the double stick tape, a size to cover the size of the bottom of the box.  I then take 4 pins that are about 1 to 1.5 inches long (all 4 must be the same length).  I press them through the bottom from the inside of the box in a square pattern about 1/4 inch apart.  I then put some super glue on the heads and use spray kicker to hold them in place.  Now when I turn over the box the 4 needle points act as a base for a cab to lay on and I shoot the photo of the cab with an inverted tripod from directly above the cab with 2 (daylight) Compact fluorescent bulbs in small flexible lamps one positioned on each side of the cab.  This allows the cab to hover over the background.  I have also in the past used a Plexiglass rod however this shows through a clear or semi clear cab as a round halo in the pics and the points of the needles are so small that they do not register.  I use longer needles to get the cab or slab higher off the background when I want a total out of focus black background when shooting things like slabs. I can easily balance an 80 MM cab or 3 to 4" slab on these pins.  I will add 3 pics of the results here and then photograph the setup tomorrow and add to my post.  The cabs are on the shorter pins and the slab is on the tall pins allowing the background to go totally dark and out of focus.  This is something you have around the house and can be put together in 5 minutes.
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Re: Picture help
« Reply #8 on: November 07, 2016, 01:14:17 PM »

Wow

Those pics rock. I would love to see what you do. And that last pic. I dont know what to say that material blows my mind. That slab would set in my shop on display. PM me if you have some you want to get rid of.

Yes please show us newbies how to take pics like that.

Bless
Shawn
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Re: Picture help
« Reply #9 on: November 07, 2016, 01:33:57 PM »

Hi All

 irockhound

That short post was an overload in a very good way :headbang: I still have a long way to go. I am sure the camera that I am using is not up to par it is like a pocket samsung camera. It is a work in progress.

One of the first things that I learned is to raise the cab above the background so all of the pic I post are on dop sticks to raise it. Now I need to get a tripod for that stupid camera. All of my pic's are taken by hand from an old man that has the shaky hand.

Overload me some more

Bless
Shawn
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jerrysg

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Re: Picture help
« Reply #10 on: November 07, 2016, 02:04:21 PM »

Back,

It would help if we knew what camera you are using.  Phone? Point & Shoot? DSLR?  The suggestions for photos are different for each.

For backgrounds I bought 2 different packages of craft felt at Walmart. They are 9 x 12 and the only duplicates were black and white. See photo 1.  When shooting a stone, I have a very weathered cardboard box where I store the felt. See photo 2. Put velcro (loops) on box and this holds the felt in place. See photo 3.

Normally I shoot inside our motorhome on the stove cover.  Use a magnetic lamp (from my drill press and it holds on the side of the microwave) on the left side and an LED ring light for the right side lighting.

Normally use a tripod with my DSLR and have macro close up lenses that fit the lens.

You can see one of the photos taken with setup at the message posed on the forum at: Lets Rock>Mineral Specimens>Cleaning quartz crystals - strange yellow precipitate!

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jerrysg

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Re: Picture help
« Reply #11 on: November 07, 2016, 02:14:52 PM »

Back,

Which Samsung pocket camera?  My wife has one and if it's similar I can work with it to see what works in taking cab photos.

When you switched from the white background to the black background you forced the cameras auto exposure system to either open the lens or increase exposure time.  Most likely opened up the lens. This says that you can work with the camera to optimize the photos.  Also, with a pocket camera, if you have the space, you can use a lightweight (read inexpensive) table top tripod. In my case there are no table tops available and so I have to use a large tripod set away from the stove top.

Jerry
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gemfeller

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Re: Picture help
« Reply #12 on: November 07, 2016, 03:43:59 PM »

I just bought -- and am in love with -- a fairly inexpensive tabletop tripod made in Italy by Manfrotto.  It's the Pixi Mini, $24.88 delivered from B  & H Photo.  It's sturdy and has a positive and simple push-button head to set the camera angle.  No relationship with B & H but they're a great source for me.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/983551-REG/manfrotto_mtpixi_b_pixi_mini_table_top.html
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Re: Picture help
« Reply #13 on: November 10, 2016, 12:37:51 PM »

Hi All

Thanks for the additional input. My camera is a Samsung ST72 new in the box with no manual :sad:

I do believe that I have enough room in my shop to set up a station just for taking pics of my cabs. I am in the beginning process of doing so.
So anyone know what would be the best size in sq foot to do so? That would be a big help for me.

Thanks and bless
Shawn
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jerrysg

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Re: Picture help
« Reply #14 on: November 10, 2016, 02:48:43 PM »

Shawn,

The owners manual for your camera can be found at

http://www.samsung.com/hk_en/consumer/photography/cameras/compact/EC-ST72ZZDPWHK

Click on "Support" and go to bottom of the page where you find the link to download the manual.

Jerry
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