Lapidaryforum.net
General Category => Photography => Topic started by: Ajo on October 24, 2014, 04:26:59 PM
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Hey all! Here is behind the scene of the cab pictures that I take. I will say first, that I do use a light box that I got second hand. You really don't need a light box as long as you have decent daylight bulb that is diffused. To get the cab to look like it is floating, I stick it to a holder that I made. I use mineral tack putty to stick the cab to the dowel. The cab holder:I took a slice off of a two by four and drilled a few holes into it to accommodate a wooden dowel. The holder is then stuck to the back wall of the light box. If you don't have a light box you will need to have some type of "back Wall" to stick the cab holder too. I also use mineral tack to stick the holder to the back wall. I then slide a background paper onto the dowel. The background can be any color or graduated grey card stock/paper. The paper needs a hole cut into it to slide over the dowel. I then attach the cab to the blob of mineral tack putty that is on the end of the dowel. The putty is pliable so you can position the cab in many ways. When taking your picture, you have to position your camera straight in front of the cab. You have to play with the position of the camera to do this. Your goal is to not to see the dowel. Here are few pics. I found that lighter weight objects like cabs work the best with this set up. Heavier items will not stay in position on the dowel. I found with any set up, you have to practice with it to make it work. Hope this helps. Eric.
Cab Holder:
(http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu195/Eric_album_2009/PhotoTutorial001_zps928bca35.jpg)
Assembled Cab holder:
(http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu195/Eric_album_2009/PhotoTutorial002_zpse03a05ba.jpg)
Cab Holder Stuck To Back Wall:
(http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu195/Eric_album_2009/PhotoTutorial004_zps07c898ad.jpg)
Background Paper With Hole In It:
(http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu195/Eric_album_2009/PhotoTutorial003_zpsa139b466.jpg)
Ready To Stick The Cab On:
(http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu195/Eric_album_2009/Newtecnique2001_zpseadb5208.jpg)
Behind The Cab:
(http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu195/Eric_album_2009/PhotoTutorial007_zps529b861a.jpg)
Side View:
(http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu195/Eric_album_2009/PhotoTutorial005_zpse960d4a1.jpg)
Finished Picture:
(http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu195/Eric_album_2009/PhotoTutorial006_zps50bed1f1.jpg)
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Excellent tutorial. Thank you! Great information for us to practice with.
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Thank you Eric for creating this lovely tutorial! :hello2:
It is being pinned so it never gets lost! :headbang:
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Well aren't you crafty.
I have a little mini photo box thingy I might be able to try that in. And a big pvc pipe frame thingy I made thinking tissue paper would diffuse light properly (which it did not- it tore really well though).
I suppose I would need to make some cabs first so I have something to take a picture of...
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I suppose I would need to make some cabs first so I have something to take a picture of...
Yes. :headbang: :thumbsup: :toothy10: :toothy10: :toothy12: :toothy12: :laughing6:
You could do it with that really large agate cab of mine you were cutting. that would look stunning done this way!
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Thanks for this tutorial, Eric! Clever and excellent way to get really good photos of cabs. :thumbsup:
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Robin - What Eric doesn't tell you is he is always just oozing in cleverness! :icon_sunny:
He's always coming up with awesome clever ways of doing things. :thumbsup:
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That is wonderful! Thank you for posting this. That works out especially well for unset stones, which for me are the very dickens to get set up correctly.
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great presentation; now how do you get a 75 # rock sticky tacked up LOL
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great presentation; now how do you get a 75 # rock sticky tacked up LOL
You don't. It tacks YOU up! :toothy12: :laughing6:
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great presentation; now how do you get a 75 # rock sticky tacked up LOL
You don't. It tacks YOU up! :toothy12: :laughing6:
You guys are too funny! Thanks for all the nice comments. You can use this on pretty good size cabs. I have used this on a few small mineral and fossil specimens too.
Here is one:
(http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu195/Eric_album_2009/69e709ef-e641-4b36-83ec-d891269e8823_zpsb249ba5d.jpg)
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Wow that is a gorgeous fossil! :icon_sunny:
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I suppose I would need to make some cabs first so I have something to take a picture of...
Yes. :headbang: :thumbsup: :toothy10: :toothy10: :toothy12: :toothy12: :laughing6:
You could do it with that really large agate cab of mine you were cutting. that would look stunning done this way!
Hint hint. Really large agate cab... Let me go check the collection of material I have of yours to cab up... :P
Wait- which one was that again????? :PPPPPPPPPP
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Hint hint. Really large agate cab... Let me go check the collection of material I have of yours to cab up... :P
Wait- which one was that again????? :PPPPPPPPPP
Yeah the large semi-circle piece that follows the pattern in the agate. :headbang:
**hugs** I love you Gina, you know that. :icon_sunny: :icon_sunny:
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What's the "name" of that beautiful material?
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Thanks for sharing Eric.. I've used this with great success! It really works well with an ipad! Thanks so much! :occasion14:
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Hmmmm, mineral tack putty. Never heard of it. Is it the same thing as plumbers putty?
Thanks. Nice pics! Gotta find a graduated grey piece of paper.....
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Hmmmm, mineral tack putty. Never heard of it. Is it the same thing as plumbers putty?
Thanks. Nice pics! Gotta find a graduated grey piece of paper.....
Think wacky tacky or poster tack. It's reusable. Plumber's putty is an epoxy that cures hard, and not what you want for this application.
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Hmmmm, mineral tack putty. Never heard of it. Is it the same thing as plumbers putty?
Thanks. Nice pics! Gotta find a graduated grey piece of paper.....
Think wacky tacky or poster tack. It's reusable. Plumber's putty is an epoxy that cures hard, and not what you want for this application.
Thanks. But plumbers putty stays soft and flexible forever. Just not sure if it's sticky enough.. probably not IIRC. I'll look up poster tack and wacky.
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I believe what you and I call plumber's putty must be two different things.
The stuff my Father showed me (He was a plumber's apprentice decades ago) was a two part epoxy you kneaded into a putty and when it cured it was like rock.
I know however that 3M makes good poster tack, I've bought it at Michaels before, even seen it at Home Depot and Lowes.
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I believe what you and I call plumber's putty must be two different things.
The stuff my Father showed me (He was a plumber's apprentice decades ago) was a two part epoxy you kneaded into a putty and when it cured it was like rock.
I know however that 3M makes good poster tack, I've bought it at Michaels before, even seen it at Home Depot and Lowes.
<G> I hear you. I've got a tub of plumbers putty in the garage that's over 7 years old. Still soft and ready to use. I think what your dad showed you had a different name? Plumbers epoxy maybe???
Plumbers putty is the stuff you use when bedding a drain in the kitchen sink, lavatory, tub, etc... also comes in rope form. It need to stay soft and pliable to prevent leaks, which would happen if it dried out and cracked.
I googled hobby lobby and they carry an equivalent poster tack stuff. I'll get some next time I'm in that area.
Thanks everyone!
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Thanks for the tutorial post. On so many other sites the posts of work are place on distracting backgrounds(!). The way you have used the gray scale background shows off the work so much better. John
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Or Silly Putty....
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Wow. You have to pardon my amazement, I've been taking pictures in my hand or on a desk. :LOLOL:
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Fantastic tips! Will be trying this next time.
Thank you! :hello2:
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Nice job, probably best post in awhile for photography.
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Something else that works is museum or earthquake putty. It's used to mount specimens in cases or on bases for display. Also used in earthquake areas to keep things from shifting. Obviously won't hold during a big one. One place we have always found it is at RV supply stores. Keeps things from rattling around while you're driving.
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Something else that works is museum or earthquake putty. It's used to mount specimens in cases or on bases for display. Also used in earthquake areas to keep things from shifting. Obviously won't hold during a big one. One place we have always found it is at RV supply stores. Keeps things from rattling around while you're driving.
Is that the same thing as the wax they use for props... called prop wax? That's what I use. You can use it over and over, but it collects dirt readily, like a magnet, so I have to discard frequently.