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Author Topic: Photographing faceted stones.  (Read 6972 times)

slomoshun

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Re: Photographing faceted stones.
« Reply #15 on: August 17, 2020, 04:05:33 AM »
Black Duvetyne reflects very little light.
https://tinyurl.com/y2fmatyy

Might be available locally.  Amazon.AU doesn’t have it but their US site does https://tinyurl.com/y2fxenpy

MakkyBrown

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Re: Photographing faceted stones.
« Reply #16 on: August 17, 2020, 10:01:55 AM »
I tried velvet like cloth(came with a light box) but dust, fluff are a pain. I like the Bunnings colour samples as I can blow the card dust free with a puffer before placing the clean stone on it.

MB

Rusted

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Re: Photographing faceted stones.
« Reply #17 on: August 17, 2020, 12:16:15 PM »
This might be the stuff to paint your cards with makky.
A lot more expensive than Bunnings samples though.
https://culturehustle.com/products/black-3-0-the-worlds-blackest-black-acrylic-paint-150ml

slomoshun

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Re: Photographing faceted stones.
« Reply #18 on: August 17, 2020, 05:45:16 PM »
...but dust, fluff are a pain...

A stroke or two with a sticky roller for pet hair removes it.


Giel

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Re: Photographing faceted stones.
« Reply #19 on: August 21, 2020, 05:37:33 AM »
Quote
A stroke or two with a sticky roller for pet hair removes it.

Yeah, or just use some sticky tape to remove dust and the like, that works well with fabrics.

@Faceting Frank: I love that blue stone, Awesome cut.

I am pretty bad at photography myself so I asked my girlfriend to make some photo's. She was also complaining that she needs a macrolens to get it right. I thought she did pretty good without.
In the end we used no direct light on the stone, that seemed to work best.
The lighter round amethyst is the "star portal" design from Andrew Brown's book.




slomoshun

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Re: Photographing faceted stones.
« Reply #20 on: August 21, 2020, 10:40:43 AM »
Quote
A stroke or two with a sticky roller for pet hair removes it.

Yeah, or just use some sticky tape to remove dust and the like, that works well with fabrics.

The difference being that when all the gear is set up and the lights are on, and you want to make a final pass to remove dust, a roller won’t lift the fabric like blotting with tape will.  Been there and it’s a pita.  :)

Giel

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Re: Photographing faceted stones.
« Reply #21 on: August 21, 2020, 05:47:59 PM »
Quote
The difference being that when all the gear is set up and the lights are on, and you want to make a final pass to remove dust, a roller won’t lift the fabric like blotting with tape will.  Been there and it’s a pita.  :)

I can imagine, the roller would be the "pro" solution, but since I don't have any pets.... ;D

Faceting Frank

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Re: Photographing faceted stones.
« Reply #22 on: August 22, 2020, 08:25:14 PM »
That looks like Velcro Giel and it looks good, have thought about using it myself.
Done some more work on taking pics of Debbie the Cyclone, got the colour right now and just noticed all the fluff, so thinking of getting rid of it using a clean soft brush and plenty of meths. Meths will evaporate without leaving any trace.

Just a bit of history about that stone. It was one of the stones in the open section of the 2018 AFG competition which I entered. The numbers on my dial gauge had me turning anticlockwise when making spirals. I didn’t read into the rules enough where it stipulated that spirals have to turn according to the diagram. They were kind enough to send me a score sheet back but disqualified my stone. Barry Chapman won with a score of 94.37, I scored 96.79.

Giel

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Re: Photographing faceted stones.
« Reply #23 on: August 23, 2020, 02:14:42 AM »
Quote
Just a bit of history about that stone. It was one of the stones in the open section of the 2018 AFG competition which I entered. The numbers on my dial gauge had me turning anticlockwise when making spirals. I didn’t read into the rules enough where it stipulated that spirals have to turn according to the diagram. They were kind enough to send me a score sheet back but disqualified my stone. Barry Chapman won with a score of 94.37, I scored 96.79.

Ah that's a bummer, that must have been frustrating! Let's just say you won without getting the trophy.
Difficult to see on the photo, but there are frosted facets only on the crown, is that correct?

Beautifulll stone!


Faceting Frank

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Re: Photographing faceted stones.
« Reply #24 on: August 23, 2020, 09:23:32 AM »
It was very disappointing and I had another stone “elven Starpaths” disqualified in the same competition as well. It wasn’t a spiral but I was cutting it opposite hand to the diagram. Didn’t do so well with that score though, only 90.91.
I don’t try to make my own index wheels but just buy them. The ones I buy are numbered clockwise and are meant to have the index lever on the top. Mines on the bottom so their number are now upside down, so I make up my own number card and glue it on. Not realising the numbers now have to rotate anticlockwise for me to rotate the index wheel clockwise.

Yes, there are only frosted facets on the crown, didn’t notice they reflected on the pavilion till taking the picture. A very attractive and well designed stone, not sure how it would look in a dark colour though.

Dihusky

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Re: Photographing faceted stones.
« Reply #25 on: August 26, 2020, 05:07:30 PM »
I've been playing with a new lighting setup, 300mm daylight led Oyster. Cut a hole in the back and the front dome, fitted a piece of 90mm downpipe, matt black on the inside, now the camera lens looks through the tube. Still tweaking the setup.

Camera is a GH4 with an Olympus Pro 60mm Macro

This is the result, soft, broad light, no flares, I'm pretty happy with the image as I think it shows the stones detail well. The only post production work on this image is re-sizing.

Bit of a story behind these stones, all came from an 88ct rough.


MakkyBrown

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Re: Photographing faceted stones.
« Reply #26 on: August 26, 2020, 06:30:02 PM »
This is my latest effort, it is stunning in hand. All 366 facets of it, my version of The Flower of Life. Very relieved to finish it without a major fup.
I'm putting detailed instruction together for it and thinking it will be going in book 3. Lighting is front on using two gu10 4.5w LED daylight bulbs from Bunnings, no diffusion.I will do a better pic sometime as this photo is not aligned faceup.
CheersMB
« Last Edit: August 26, 2020, 07:42:03 PM by MakkyBrown »

Dihusky

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Re: Photographing faceted stones.
« Reply #27 on: August 26, 2020, 06:33:19 PM »
Stunning Makky, I'll have to have plenty of time on my hands before I tackle that beauty when you publish it.

MakkyBrown

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Re: Photographing faceted stones.
« Reply #28 on: August 26, 2020, 09:46:37 PM »
I've been playing with a new lighting setup, 300mm daylight led Oyster. Cut a hole in the back and the front dome, fitted a piece of 90mm downpipe, matt black on the inside, now the camera lens looks through the tube. Still tweaking the setup.

Camera is a GH4 with an Olympus Pro 60mm Macro

This is the result, soft, broad light, no flares, I'm pretty happy with the image as I think it shows the stones detail well. The only post production work on this image is re-sizing.

Bit of a story behind these stones, all came from an 88ct rough.

Nice stones/excellent cutting :) Your post made me remember I have a uv filter on the front of my camera with a small doughnut of white paper stuck to it. Leaving just enough opening for the aperture.Helps with head shadow caused by the camera. Your stones might be better on a darker background. To get rid of dust after cleaning I hold the stone in a prong holder and use a puffer to blow the dust off into a retraction hood I have for soldering.MB

Faceting Frank

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Re: Photographing faceted stones.
« Reply #29 on: August 27, 2020, 08:04:11 AM »
Wow Makky thats brilliant, where can I buy your books?

 

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