Applying to join this forum, you HAVE to activate your membership in YOUR email in the notice you recieve after completing application process. No activation on your part, no membership.

Lapidaryforum.net

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Welcome new members & old from the Lapidary/Gemstone Community Forum. Please join up. You will be approved after spam check & you must manually activate your acct with the link in your email

Congratulations to Bobby1 and his Brazilian Agate Cab!

 www.lapidaryforum.net

Another cabochon contest coming soon!

Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Photographing opal  (Read 2674 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Bluetangclan

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 120
Photographing opal
« on: June 04, 2017, 02:09:04 PM »

Is there an inexpensive way to take good photos of opals? I have day lighting and a nice black background that stuff looks great on with the naked eye but when I look at it through a camera, its pure white. No colors are visible. So whats the trick?
Logged

bobby1

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 209
Re: Photographing opal
« Reply #1 on: June 04, 2017, 09:46:45 PM »

I place the opal in a small plastic box that has a black bottom and cover it with water. It greatly improves the color. Take the photo at a slight angle so the light doesn't reflect off the surface of the water into the camera. I got the boxes at our local plastics supplier - Tap Plastics.
Bob
Logged

vitzitziltecpatl

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1176
Re: Photographing opal
« Reply #2 on: August 12, 2017, 06:29:33 PM »

This subject comes up frequently. I will never forget taking over 1,000 shots of opals in one weekend to get our website up. That was just enough to get about 50 stones up on the site. I was new to both photography and opal cutting, and it was frustrating!

Here are two shots of an opal ring just made (we didn't do the setting) for my nephew's fiancee. The only difference in the way they were shot is that the second used a faster shutter speed and slightly lower exposure level. Those two settings can be tweaked quickly and easily to accomodate your lighting conditions. It's my "quick and dirty" cheat... .

Pusscat

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 50
  • Peter
    • Petros Rocks
Re: Photographing opal
« Reply #3 on: August 13, 2017, 12:52:56 AM »

I have the same problem, particularly with the lighter opals.
If you're using a camera phone, try pointing it at a sheet of white paper, focus and get exposure lock, then take the paper away and shoot the opal.

With something like a dslr, yep...under expose and take quite a few shots.  Keep the shutter speed high to avoid shake, also you can play with the exposure compensation buttons.  I also you a daylight bulb and white balance the camera as such.

A bit of trial and error once you get the hang of it it's quite rewarding!

Phishisgroovin

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2967
  • I am here by addiction
Re: Photographing opal
« Reply #4 on: August 13, 2017, 07:45:07 AM »

I video them while moving the stone around or camera, then i take screen shots of the video while the video is paused or slowed where the fire shows the best
Logged

Phishisgroovin

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2967
  • I am here by addiction
Re: Photographing opal
« Reply #5 on: August 13, 2017, 07:45:44 AM »

Same with fire agates, they are all hardto capture the fire while photographing.
Logged

rocks2dust

  • Guest
Re: Photographing opal
« Reply #6 on: August 13, 2017, 09:38:12 AM »

I video them while moving the stone around or camera, then i take screen shots of the video while the video is paused or slowed where the fire shows the best
Great idea! I'll have to try that myself.
Logged

ASO

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 55
Re: Photographing opal
« Reply #7 on: September 20, 2017, 03:46:42 PM »

Look up some of my posts about photographing opal.  They are all spread out in different topics now but I manage to get a very lifelike image of the stones I shoot.  I have spent more money than I would like to have on photographing opal but you could probably take some of the tricks I mentioned and adapt them into a lower cost operation.  Buying used and refurbished camera gear is a good trick to remember.   
Logged

crashoveroide

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 50
Re: Photographing opal
« Reply #8 on: November 10, 2017, 01:04:43 AM »

Is there an inexpensive way to take good photos of opals? I have day lighting and a nice black background that stuff looks great on with the naked eye but when I look at it through a camera, its pure white. No colors are visible. So whats the trick?

i think this Site Solve your problem
https://photography.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-photograph-jewelry--photo-13446
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
 

Page created in 0.096 seconds with 44 queries.