 Kim smith |
How to take pictures of Swarovski Crystal Jewelry Hi,need help I have taken pictures of my Swarovski Crystal Jewelry with my camera "Kodak EasyShare Z760" to which the sales person recommended. The pictures don't show the sparkle or definition of piece. I have used a light box but they were even worse. Can you suggest something or maybe another camera please?
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
Try a more direct light. Light tents look too generic and bland to me. Try two direct lights, or sunlight.
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Kim smith |
I have tried the two lights on the sides, also the sunlight, to no avail???
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
Have you tried one of those lights behind it?
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Kim smith |
i have tried lights every which angle. now I have gotten rid of the light box, because it didn't work, and I don't know what else to do.
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Andy |
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Kim smith |
looks like your are taking them on a shiny surface, would that make a diff.? i take them on like an white oak finish desk, with a white wall background. i don't take the picture down on them,i take it straight on because they are dangling from my earring tree. your lights look much softer than mine, what do you use? I wish I knew how to send a picture of one thur here, but not to comp. savey., sorry
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Andy |
I had used a SLR a while back to photograph my chandelier but was not satisfied with the result. I did not know why. Maybe the coating on the lens absorbed all the different colors that I saw from the chandelier. This time I was using a point-and-shoot camera and it looked OK. What kind of camera equipment you are using? It may make a different. Again, I am not sure. I think the reflective surface helps reflect more light but it's not necessary. Here's another one with just a single table lamp in front and a little bit more light from a flashlight, also in front at a higher angle.
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Kim smith |
I never thought to use a flashlight. Do you lay it on the table top, or suspend it? What is a semi transparent paper board??? I have a "Kodak Easy Share Z760", and I just use (2) 13 watt spiral fluorecent bulbs as lights, in reg. table lamps, and put them @ all diff. angles. Now, do you use a flash also? I have tried it both ways, and again it doesn't work. It must be either the camera, or the photographer. What's your guess?
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Andy |
The first example I just put the crystal on the table with a tunsgen light right above it and a flashlight at 45 degree behind. The second example I hung the crystal on a fake tree with one table lamp in front and a flashlight to the side (also in front). I don't know if using fluorecent bulb will make a different because I don't have one. The crystal, the camera and the lamp were stationary. It's me that moved around to find an angle that the crystal will give out most colors and then use the flashlight to add more light to the crystal. I think it's easier to see what the problem is if you upload a small picture of yours.
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Andy |
Forgot to say I did not use flash.
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Kim smith |
I don't have a tunsgen light, where do you get one of those? I would send a picture but, I don't know how to up or down load. Sorry, I am just as clueless on the comp. as I am taking pictures. Is it a simple process? i will work on that, and also try taking with the flashlights as you mentioned.
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Kim smith |
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Kim smith |
i just tried to upload 2 pictures but it wouldn't take, it said it was going into some contest, and then when I hit submit, it wasn't there. Help please
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Andy |
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Andy |
Tunsgen light is just a regular household light bulb. When you are at the Upload Photo page, at the "File Name" line, use the "Browse" button to select the image you are going to upload. Then enter something on the "Title" line. You can enter something or skip the "Description" box. You have to select a camera from the "Camera" list. Skip the "Contest" stuff. Before you press the "Submit Your Photo" button, there is a box above it about Terms and Conditions that you have to check. Try it again. Best luck.
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Kim smith |
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Andy |
OK. I can see the picture now. May I ask if you see the sparkles with your naked eyes. If you don't then maybe it's the source of light. Try using a regular light bulb and see if there's any different. If you do but the sparkle did not show on the picture (like in this picture), then may be the coating on the lens of your camera cause the sparkle not showing. I had this problem with regular SLR and lens (I can see the sparkle disappear through the viewfinder of the SLR). But the p&s digital camera is OK. Also the color or shape of the crystal itself may not reflect that much light. Or maybe the light did not hit the crystal at the optimun angle. The crystal in the couple pictures I shown above are of the clear type. I don't know if this made any different.
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Andy |
The following first sample of the Swarovski crystal sailboat was using only one fluorescent light just next to the camera, which is about 2 inches away. I use the macro mode on the camera and mount the camera on a small tablepod with 2 second delay. However the shape of the crystals are different from yours. The second test of the crystal (NOT Swarovski crystal) goldfish I use was put under a table lamp (regular light bulb). The shape of the crystals are similar to yours. As you can see, there is not much reflection from the orange crystal beads. Maybe this is why the diamonds are whiter the better ;)
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Kim smith |
Thanks Andy for all your help. I will try that today. I have to figure out how to put it on macro, told you I am not to photo or comp. smart :( One thing I have noticed with my camera is if I get to close they go out of focus. I also don't have a tripod, guess I will try using a book. And I don't know if I have a delay thing on my camera, what does that do? When you took these last two pictures is there a lot of reg. sunlight in the room, or do you darken it? Also did you use a flash with the photos?
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Andy |
Just visited Kodak's web site. The Kodak EasyShare Z760 looks like a very capable camera for the stuff that you are doing. It has a Schneider lens which can focus at 2.8 inch in wide macro mode. Before I got my little tablepod (about $20), I use phone books, magazines, my coffee mug, whatever, to raise the camera to desire height. The tablepod is just a little more convenient. If you have the manual of your camera, try reading the entire manual. Not only you will get to know most of your camera's functions, you may learn some terms of photography too. Your camera also has macro mode (which almost all the point-and-shoot type do). On the top of the camera, there is a flower and a mountain icons for the middle button right next to the shuuter button. Press one to turn the camera into macro mode. Press again to turn it into landscape mode. The proper symbol should also be on the back of the LCD screen when you choose one of those modes. When you are in macro mode, leave your lens at the widest (zoom out) position. Now you can move the camera as close to the subject as 2.8 inches away. Lightly press the shutter button and it should focus for you. Your camera also has a 10 second delay. To make sure you get the sharpest possible image, you should use the delay because when you press the shutter button, you may introduce movement/shake on your camera. The delay allow the camera to settle down before taking the shot. Also you may want to take picture of yourself. You press the shutter button, get yourself into position before the camera take the picture. The 10 second delay feature may be buried in one of those menu function settings. Your camera manual should have mentioned it. When I took the two pictures this morning, I did not use any sunlight. I did not really darken the room. I just closed the blinds. I didn't even use a flashlight. Just one light source, either the fluorescent or the table lamp. I also turn off the flash on the camera. Hope this helps.
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Kim smith |
is this sort of what I should be doing?
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Andy |
The first one looks like it's out of focus or you are not using the macro mode so the camera can't focus correctly. The glare can be avoided by moving the flashlight a little further away from the lens of at different angle. But you are getting there. The second one is clear and sharp. But I don't see the 'colors' reflected from the crystal. I wonder why. If sunlight helps, use it. Just be careful and don't let the lens points directly at the sun. Again move around and look for the best angle. Keep trying. Looks like you are getting closer to what you want.
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Mary Iacofano |
I would like to share 3 images of Swarovski crystal. I have a wonderful collection of it and am also wanting to photograph different pieces. As you can see, the crystal heart box was taken inside my glass/mirror cabinet. glass shelves w/ mirror bg with the cabinet spot lights on which are on inside top. The black bg image was taken on my kitchen counter with natural light from side window only, in middle of the day. The black bg was a piece of fabric I hung over the coffee maker behind the crystal. This is an ornament, that is on its own hanger. Any comments welcome. I know the bg in the case images is busy.
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Kirsten Creighton |
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Kirsten Creighton |
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Kirsten Creighton |
Wow, those uploads look bad, sorry. I must have done something wrong. I'll try again tomorrow...any advice? The 500 pixel limit is killing my photo quality.
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Kim smith |
Andy, the first one with the glare I was holding the flashlight and it was quite a big one to hold so I don't know if that is what made it go out of focus, maybe the camera moved? 2nd one, I saw more sparkle but as you said not the real colors of the crystal, they are a neutral color maybe that's why? i have tried using the sunlight, but they aren't any better, so I am @ a loss.
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Kim smith |
Kristen, first off I think the 2nd photo is good, it shows the colors of crystal and sparkle better than mine, but the silver that look like tubes didn't show up to well, I wonder why? Where do you get the acrylic riser to put the crystal on? I was reading in my camera manual last night something to do with that "white balance thing", but didn't understand to much what they were talking about, and have figured out how to do that timer thing as well. I was told with "my pictures", that I can't put them on a web site, guess they are really bad, I agree.
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Andy |
Hi Kim, Now that you know how to use the macro mode to focus closer and the self timer, you can apply those and try to reshoot your first shot above. Also Mary and Kirsten has given you very good information. Just watch out for that big flashlight ;) Don't worry too much about white balancing right now. Under normal sunlight, a white subject will look white. On overcast day, the white subject will look blue. Under regular light bulb, it will look yellow. Under fluorescent, green. Your camera should take care of this color cast nicely. Mary, I really like your blue ornament. Kirsten, Thanks for the information on the beads.
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Kim smith |
oops, the "not" didn't come up in my last response. I "have not" figured out how to do the timer either, still working on that as well. maybe crystals are not ment for capturing the true color and sparkle. But I will keep trying everything I can, otherwise no web site for me :(
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Andy |
Try to read the 'Self Timer' in section 5 of your camera manual, Doing More With Your Camera. Or you can read online here: http://www.kodak.com/global/en/service/publications/urg00430toc.jhtml?chapsec=urg00430c5s1&pq-path=6858
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Kim smith |
Hi Andy, How did you get so comp. & camera smart? maybe I should just send you my jewelry and you can take pictures of them for me, since I have been working on this for over a month :( and still can't figure it out... But I have to confess, the time I read is in bed, and I usually don't make it past the 1st page. But I will drink some coffee and read it for sure, I promise... I did try and take some pictures hanging from glass (as Kirsten had mentioned), but that glare is always there. I didn't use a flashlight or flash on camera, just the reg. table lamp as you suggested. So I will have to work on that menu thing (I didn't even know what that button did), it has all kinds of gobbledy goop in there, man is that going to take years to figure out LOL! But again Thanks for your help and steering, I certainly need it!
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Andy |
Haha. I was so bored and I went to the Kodak site and read the manual for you. You said the glare was still there even you did not use the flashlight. Was the other light in front of the camera or behind to the side?
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Kim smith |
The light I used all ways, behind it was to bright and washed out the color of the crystals, to the side it had a glare mostly @ the top, and in front it was all over, I will send you another picture.
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Andy |
For this photo, you added another problem to tackle, the reflection of the crystal vase. I have not try taking pictures of my collection of crystal vase yet. But I think I need a much larger diffused light source to start with. If you use the original background or some dark background as Mary and Kirsten has suggested, this time may work. You can tell the earrings look quite clear and sharp (a little sharpening in PhotoShop will make it look even sharper). You are getting there. Keep trying.
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Kirsten Creighton |
Hi Kim, to answer your question awhile back, I bought a set of 3 nesting clear acrylic risers at Staples Office Supply store. Had to remove stickers and gunk to use, so that was a pain, but worth it. For earrings, I can turn one on it's side and hang the earwires on the top edge. I will try to send another photo when I figure out how to upload properly. BTW, are you playing around with your exposure settings? It has helped me in the learning process to take the same photo about 5 times...one at 2.0, then on the 1/3's going down to about -1.0. By doing this, I have become very familiar with which setting I should have the camera on for a particular lighting situation. Try it out on your last shot to see if you can get more light into the shot on the camera.
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Kim smith |
I am sorry, but as you can tell, I am really a beginner. What is Photo Shop?
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Andy |
PhotoShop is a computer software that you can edit/enhance your image. There are other softwares available. There may be even one that came with your camera. That's an extra step if you want your images to look better of if you need to fix some problem. It's good to have but it is not necessary. So have you try another shot?
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Kim smith |
Kirsten, No, I haven't figured out the exposure settings yet. As you can tell from my responses, I am still learning all these things that my camera is "supposed" to do. I sure wish the thing could "talk", then it would be a lot easier. Do you think they might make one of those cameras anytime soon :) I am still playing around with different backgrounds, and lights. Also trying to work on my web site, words of course minus the pictures, might never get any of those in there. Did you get that photo of earrings on the acrylic riser you spoke about earlier done yet? I would love to see how that works out.
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Kim smith |
Andy, I haven't gotten around to taking another picture with black background yet. I did stuff black fabric into the vase, but that didn't turn out to well, don't think that was what you were talking about, so I will try and put something on the wall. I have something called Photo Suite, don't know where it came from, but again, I don't know how it works. It has another darn fat book to read :( If they can design a car that talks why can't they help us "smart challenged" peoples out, and make camera's and comp. stuff explain themselves, as I said in Kirsten's last note. Boy it sure would make my life easier. Maybe I should forget about my pictures and design that :) I will send pic. as soon as I can rig something on the wall.
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W. |
If something sparkles that is because either your eye, or the lightsource (apparently) MOVES, relative to the other. Photos are STILLS. Nothing moves. So no sparkles will be visible. But you could fake it.
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Kim smith |
Andy, I have tried all kinds of ways again to take these pictures... I just purchased the reflector cones and put in 13w (day light flur. bulbs), and put them @ a 45 degree angle to the front sides, I used a black back drop, no flash, closed off sunlight source, and they were the worst yet...
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