long long ago
Jan 5, 2015 21:23:02 #
Because of Bill's recent post, I had been looking at Amber and such. This evening I got a shipment of rough copal so I grabbed a piece and dremelled of the outside layer and poorly attempted to shine it.
I am back to zero regarding how to shoot this type of subject. I don't think my diffused lighting works well and zerene gets very confused liking the focus on the outside, but not seeing the inside very clearly.
I ended up shooting this frame with ambient light just to see what I was looking at. (diffused flash from the left, an LED on the right and a flashlight on top). Horrible...
I don't think an insect is in there, I think it is either a husk or the hole that the insect left behind..
Anyway, bad as it is I thought I'd share and desperately ask for any suggestions..
edit --- updated to replace big png with small jpg
I am back to zero regarding how to shoot this type of subject. I don't think my diffused lighting works well and zerene gets very confused liking the focus on the outside, but not seeing the inside very clearly.
I ended up shooting this frame with ambient light just to see what I was looking at. (diffused flash from the left, an LED on the right and a flashlight on top). Horrible...
I don't think an insect is in there, I think it is either a husk or the hole that the insect left behind..
Anyway, bad as it is I thought I'd share and desperately ask for any suggestions..
edit --- updated to replace big png with small jpg
Jan 5, 2015 21:57:15 #
That is a nice insect "mummy". All of the liquid is long gone, but the husk remains.
I will follow your amber stacking progress with interest.
I will follow your amber stacking progress with interest.
Jan 5, 2015 22:19:04 #
Did you try lighting it from underneath?? And if that isn't an insect in there, it certainly is a nice fossil! You can actually see the little hair on its legs and the construction of the antenna. Way cool!
I have clear quartz crystals I play around with occasionally and I get some good result capturing their 'innards' in natural sunlight. Sometimes shining the beam of a flashlight or an led light straight through the stone can get some good results. I have trouble when I try to use more than one and make the beams meet inside the stone....too much bounces around where you don't want it to be. Good luck!!
I have clear quartz crystals I play around with occasionally and I get some good result capturing their 'innards' in natural sunlight. Sometimes shining the beam of a flashlight or an led light straight through the stone can get some good results. I have trouble when I try to use more than one and make the beams meet inside the stone....too much bounces around where you don't want it to be. Good luck!!
Jan 5, 2015 22:38:51 #
Thank you Douglass, I plan to learn and improve and share.
Thank you singing Swan for excellent idea. Just to experiment and to seek drama, my next attempt will be one shot that is low light diffused, and then a second shot with single light source. Just can't be sunlight until the weekend.. And I need some type of color behind it!
Thank you singing Swan for excellent idea. Just to experiment and to seek drama, my next attempt will be one shot that is low light diffused, and then a second shot with single light source. Just can't be sunlight until the weekend.. And I need some type of color behind it!
Jan 5, 2015 23:25:15 #
trying for drama, since all else failed...
horrible noise, my pathetic little flashlight needed 25 seconds of exposure. Blended with a weak diffuse shot.
Good bubbles, and atmosphere, but that is about all I can say that I liked..
Edit -- one approach missed was having sufficient alcohol... (at least I will try to go to work tomorrow)
horrible noise, my pathetic little flashlight needed 25 seconds of exposure. Blended with a weak diffuse shot.
Good bubbles, and atmosphere, but that is about all I can say that I liked..
Edit -- one approach missed was having sufficient alcohol... (at least I will try to go to work tomorrow)
Jan 6, 2015 00:10:29 #
Not bad....keep trying ...you'll figure it out and then be very proud of yourself and your bug. :)
Jan 6, 2015 02:18:19 #
So it's not perfect the first time...or second :roll: But, live and learn...right? :wink: I had some of the same issues with trying to do a stack with the Ammonite. Some of it's clear, some opaque, and some translucent. Zerene got a bit overwhelmed trying to figure out what's what :| I haven't spent much time on these so far but, it already looks like they are going to have challenges to overcome.
Regardless, these aren't bad at all considering everything.
I still haven't received my new Ammonite yet. Any day now.
Regardless, these aren't bad at all considering everything.
I still haven't received my new Ammonite yet. Any day now.
Jan 6, 2015 02:26:31 #
Hey! Piet, Look at this... http://www.amazon.com/Insects-In-Amber-From-Colombia/dp/B00RMII9HE/ref=sr_1_34?ie=UTF8&qid=1420529041&sr=8-34&keywords=insects+in+amber
Jan 6, 2015 12:25:34 #
Singing Swan wrote:
<grin> not good, however, I absolutely will keep at it!! Thanks Singing Swan for your encouragement, it is good to have. Not bad....keep trying ...you'll figure it out and then be very proud of yourself and your bug. :)
Flyextreme wrote:
Yes! I will be watching my mailbox for weeks. I have stuff coming in from all over, to look at with my microscope that I haven't got yet, and to learn how to stack. One thing I HAVE detemined about EBay and this stuff is that when the "make offer" button is present, it is well worth while to use. I understand the best stuff comes from Eastern Europe, Copal for inclusions can be fun, and they are starting to mine Amber in Indonesia.About my technique... I am thinking:
1.) Try to have a flat surface on the object and have that be perpendicular/square to camera and have the focal point be much deeper than this surface you want to "see through".
2.) Polish the damn thing properly - and oil it.
3.) Lighting, Dark Ground Illumination. Or in photographic terms, back lighting/rim lighting.
Jan 6, 2015 12:33:17 #
Flyextreme wrote:
Me too -- Ammonite. So... what you did ended up looking really good. Any special tricks that you used?So it's not perfect the first time...or second :ro... (show quote)
Jan 6, 2015 12:56:23 #
pfrancke wrote:
I think if it isn't necessary, you should skip the oiling until you see how it will go without it. another thing to scatter light where you don't want it to go. Oiling it might make the surface shinier than you'd want it to be.About my technique... I am thinking:
Try to have a flat surface on the object and have that be perpendicular/square to camera and have the focal point be much deeper than this surface you want to "see through".
Polish the damn thing properly - and oil it.
Lighting, Dark Ground Illumination. Or in photographic terms, back lighting/rim lighting.
Try to have a flat surface on the object and have that be perpendicular/square to camera and have the focal point be much deeper than this surface you want to "see through".
Polish the damn thing properly - and oil it.
Lighting, Dark Ground Illumination. Or in photographic terms, back lighting/rim lighting.
Jan 6, 2015 13:23:57 #
pfrancke wrote:
Nothing special. I set my macro flash unit on the table to the side to eliminate reflection. I also hot glued a bamboo skewer to the back so I could isolate it from any other influence. The hot glue is easily removed. So... what you did ended up looking really good. Any special tricks that you used?
The two thing I would do differently the next time would be...a light coating of Glycol to hide micro scratches and mirror up with a delay. My original Ammonite shot showed camera movement :| Focusing on these is tricky.
Jan 6, 2015 13:25:50 #
Singing Swan wrote:
Thanks .. I was thinking oiling would repair some surface imperfections, but I hear what you say. Will try it both ways (and without oil first).I think if it isn't necessary, you should skip the oiling until you see how it will go without it....another thing to scatter light where you don't want it to go.......
Oiling it might make the surface shinier than you'd want it to be.
Oiling it might make the surface shinier than you'd want it to be.
If you have a minute, please talk more about scattering light where you don't want it to go. How would you do this?
Jan 6, 2015 13:26:20 #
pfrancke wrote:
I think shooting at a flat surface would help a lot. Lighting angles will likely be key :wink:About my technique... I am thinking:
Try to have a flat surface on the object and have that be perpendicular/square to camera and have the focal point be much deeper than this surface you want to "see through".
Polish the damn thing properly - and oil it.
Lighting, Dark Ground Illumination. Or in photographic terms, back lighting/rim lighting.
Try to have a flat surface on the object and have that be perpendicular/square to camera and have the focal point be much deeper than this surface you want to "see through".
Polish the damn thing properly - and oil it.
Lighting, Dark Ground Illumination. Or in photographic terms, back lighting/rim lighting.
Jan 6, 2015 14:13:17 #
I am eager to get home and try some of this..
About oil... I think should be Glycol as Bill mentions, will have to see if my wife has some hidden away in the cubboard or Ethanol Alcohol. Otherwise I am tempted to dip my fingers in anti-freeze (but that would be a bad/stupid habit to get into).
About oil... I think should be Glycol as Bill mentions, will have to see if my wife has some hidden away in the cubboard or Ethanol Alcohol. Otherwise I am tempted to dip my fingers in anti-freeze (but that would be a bad/stupid habit to get into).
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