Gemstone Photography

[Overread]

Well whilst on holiday I got inspired to play with some gemstones and my sigma 150mm macro - so I got some gemstones and a few bits of amathyst and placed them on a white sheet on a window ledge. I used the sun comming in through the window as a backlight and my 580M2 as a front lightsource (I used some toilet paper to diffuse flash light a bit as well). This is the first time I have ever done anything like this and I am very please with what I managed to get - though there were one or two where I wanted a greater depth of field - and a very few where I missed getting the focus right on the closest part.

f13, ISO 100, 1.3sec, flash fired, aperture priority mode
link to larger: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3476/3229396419_c0cc5b07b6_o.jpg

f13, ISO 100, 1/4sec, flash fired, aperture priority mode
link to larger: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3404/3230248390_cd10b172ec_o.jpg

f13, ISO 100, 1/40sec, no flash, aperture priority mode
link to larger: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3533/3229397027_112617ca5d_o.jpg

f13, ISO 100, 1/30sec, flash fired - shot in aperture priority mode
link to larger: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3258/3230250062_ba739ed2aa_o.jpg

f13, ISO 100, 30sec, flash fired, aperture priority mode
link to larger: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3326/3229395857_00bcb5c900_o.jpg


More examples, along with larger versions (click on thumbnails) in my blog:
http://overread.wordpress.com/

Any Comments and crits welcome

 

[manaheim]

Very neat. 1 and 2 were my favorites. Cool idea in general. You could have a lot of fun with this with a lot of different kinds of stones... tigers eye comes to mind.

 

[skiboarder72]

Love these, great colors and contrast!

 

[Overread]

Thanks both - and yes I would like to try more stones (the shop had a really great amathyst ball - though at £150 it was rather too much!)

 

[mishele]

I really like the lines in the stone on #2!!

 

[Overread]

Many thanks oh archive digging one!

 

[CPreston]

those all look really good!

 

[RauschPhotography]

These look really great! I have some natural amethyst at home that I might just try to shoot, as well!

 

[Frequency]

Really liked the shots; so Meshele dug them out from the mine of time

Regards

 

[oldmacman]

I love the glow lighting in number 2 and 3. It works really well to highlight the look of the stones.