Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please help!

[chrono]

How do you ladies and gents do it? I've tried to photograph my rings fancifully without success, especially the flower shots. My rings refuse to balance and tend to either tip over or fall onto the grass / mulch below. Since that didn't work, I tried it with artificial flowers and failed as well. The flower refused to support the ring. What did I do wrong? Do you have any tips to share? I am tired of posting my wrinkly and hairy hand shots all the time and would like a pretty background for a change.

 

[T L]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

LOL Chrono,
I'm happy to know you're getting more adventurous with your photography. Personally, I have no idea how people balance rings and gems on flowers outside. I would be terrified losing my gem in the grass.

Your fingers aren't hairy and wrinkly. I hate my fingers, which is why I do extreme closeups and crop them out most of the time.

 

[chrono]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

More adventurous photography does not necessarily equate to better quality pictures, only that you have (hopefully) a more interesting picture to look at. I am sure it will still be blurry and all that since I will be using my black cased iPhone. I refuse to photograph loose stones on anything other than on my hand or a flat and stable surface such as a table for fear of dropping the stone and getting it damaged / lost.

 

[JewelFreak]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

Chrono, when I did it I cut the flower off the branch -- left a few mm of stem to stabilize it if needed, & laid it on the ground. Sometimes added a few leaves for more "art." Then you can experiment with where the stone or jewelry piece looks best w/out having it dumped off. Good luck!

--- Laurie

 

[chrono]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

JF,
I hope you don't mind me using your avatar picture as an example. How on earth did you get the ring to balance on that flower petal? How did you prevent the stone from spinning downwards and facing the ground / table instead of upwards at the camera? This is my immediate problem. Once I resolve that, I can add more artsy elements. Right now, it just won't sit up. Sit boy, sit!

 

[RTFrog]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

Hi Chrono,

I try to find a flower or flowers that will support the stone and ring. As a precaution, putting a pillow or blanket under the target area of a neutral color helps - don't want to lose say... a chrome green tourmaline in over saturated grass.... If that happens... I suggest having something bright nearby, like a giant flashlight to pick up a reflection or a glimmer of hope.

Is this the type you are trying to accomplish?



Pollen on the stones and fingers is never fun either.

 

[chrono]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

RTFrog,
Thank you for the tip about the soft landing pad of a different colour. Perhaps right now my issue is finding the right flower that will support the ring? I am trying to fancy up the photography of my new lavender blue spinel ring so let's start with that as an example please. It is top heavy and likes to point downwards. How do you keep the stone facing up? (Do you all use a clear wax or something? )

Hmm....good point about the pollen, which completely slipped my mind. And I see the encouraging filename; I WILL keep trying.

 

[FrekeChild]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

Lol. I've always liked to put my items on contrasting "ugly" or blank backgrounds. Like my cheese grater. Or my dirt covered patio table. Or the concrete next to the pool. Or the window sill. Etc. This might be due to the lack of flowers, but I feel like I want the jewelry item to be the center of attention, not sharing it with an also beautiful flower.

Do you guys remember the thread with the pictures of jewelry in weird places? Like the gentleman who put his lady's ring in dirt, and frozen peas, etc? I loved that thread. But I'm a bit of an oddity.

 

[minousbijoux]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

Yup, agree with the above. Its critical that you find a flower/foliage that can stand up to your rings/stones. Think sunflowers, large lilies, orchids, a branch of apple blossoms. Some have flowers that are too delicate, unless the flower is wearing the ring or necklace, if you kwim? I take mine on a wood step so that if the gem slides off, it lands right there, on a (relatively) soft surface.

Due to where you live, you might look for bittersweet right now - jewelry would look awesome on a sprig/branch of that. Or those mini pumpkins, or...

I can't wait to see what you do!

ETA: oh and by saying "its critical" I by no means meant to come across as lecturing in any way

 

[chrono]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

Freke,
My garden is currently devoid of flowers now, being in the colder NE climate so I have to use artificial items. I've used my dirt covered patio table before then decided against posting it because I'm too embarrased to be thought of as not being a clean housekeeper. Okay, so I am not a tidy housekeeper but there's no need to show the entire world, right?

I remember the frozen peas, but not the dirt. I've seen some fruit pictures too but this means I have to find a fruit without bruises and clean it up super well because dirt on fruit might be a bit to au natural looking for a supposedly "fancy" photoshoot. Kenny's salt and pill holder props are very original and artistic but I'm not ready for that level yet.

I just came back from a practise photoshoot and will be back with pictures. It was HARD.

 

[chrono]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

Minou,
No sunflowers or apple blossoms but I have lilies. I'll have to wait until next Spring though. My orchids cannot handle it even though they are full sized phalaenopsis flowers measuring several inches across. The ring falls off immediately; forget about even trying to balance it. What is bittersweet? I understand you well after all these years to know what you mean, so there is no need to clarify your usage of the word "critical".

 

[FrekeChild]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

Lol! I'd rather go with the flow and only clean the table when I plan to use it. Otherwise I'm fighting a losing battle against nature AND my gardener's leaf blower!!!

I'm not ashamed! Folks, bling on my dirty table!!

 

[RTFrog]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

Ok.

I luckily had practice taking pictures of flowers for years first, so just jumping into that quickly may help. Find a target flower, take a few shots, set your camera so you can focus on what you want, and then when happy insert gemstone, ring, or other jewelry.

If the flower cannot support your ring, then use something to support the flower. This works as long as you just want the flower itself, and not a large landscape type shot. There are usually some sticks somewhere that can help too.

You can always try going and getting some fresh cut flowers. Florists, Sams Club, or Costco usually have varying types. Buy at least two flowers. Roses seem to hold onto rings pretty well, just make sure the heads aren’t bloomed out and can support the ring.

I do not use any wax or anything else. Good point though, as it could possibly hold the ring in. I know some photos show or shop out the holders that are used. I feel that sometimes it can interfere with what you are trying to do, and is especially apparent when dealing with lose gemstone. I do not want the dispersion disrupted, or showing something that is not there.

Many types of flowers can, for the lack of a better term, smush the ring into. They can somehow provide a grip or a way to hold onto the ring.

All of this depends on your camera, how steady your hand is, and if you have a tripod. All shots with flowers on here came from me just holding the camera, so it is quite possible. The problem, as you said Chrono, comes in when trying to hold onto the flower while taking the shot. Setting up some support structure for the flower should work.

If all else fails, and you just want a close-up with a flower… feel free to cut the head off and put it on a flat surface. This could help. I prefer shooting in sunlight, but practicing indoors or with different sources can help too. Some shadows work best. Try facing the sun with one, then rearranging and shooting one with it to your back. Then change locations with a shadow. Having an open, clear, and blue sky can help show off the faceting. Trying to get out of the way of the stone reflection can be a challenge.

I take quite a few shots to get one that works out just right. Keep trying! Persistence and perseverance is key. I always hope top pick up some comments or tips when posting pictures, trying something I haven’t before, and learning how to get it right. I’m glad you posted a thread on here, I currently cannot load it or the forum, otherwise this post would have been here earlier. Spinel’s love dispersion, if you can – try being outside at prime sunlight time, maybe around 12-3 depending where you are located. It can make a world of difference.
There’s millions of variances with cameras and things, but I’m trying to keep this non-technical.

I reviewed all of Kenny’s threads, especially on his setup with the Octavia. The posts and information are amazing. Minous posted a pdf for gemstone photography where some things can be adapted to flowers. Making sure to be able to take a good picture of the flower first always helps. Sometimes this gets overlooked. Almost all information here on photography can be applied, with a similar setup working for flowers. Combine the two – and bam! I guess if you do not have the proper conditions, you have to make them! Nice flower, beautiful ring – check. Just the right amount of light and a steady hand? Go for it. Can always practice with something more supportive, like an Apple. I did that to show the differences with sunlight and shadows and how gems shift/change/hide their colors. The background color, your camera’s sensor, and so much more will dictate how they turn out.

Picture with a fresh bunch of flowers, no light manipulation or tricks, and no other materials besides a shiny surface:

 

[davi_el_mejor]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

It takes me about 45 shots to get about 3-4 decent pictures.

Gold is heavy. When photographing jewelry I like to go with my indoor plants in a sunny window. The jades and cacti are great for it. I also find the window sill above my kitchen sink to be AMAZING for pictures. Lots of ambient white light. Not the most glamorous but dang it's a nice picture.

If I were to photograph your ring in Buffalo, I'd find a maple that's in fall colors and slip the ring over a leaf (far enough up the branch so it just doesn't bend down and slide off) and position it in the joint where leaf meets branch. You would have a lot of support and contrast (Auto focus loves contrast). You could even snap off a branch and find the perfect lighting and where you can move around it to get the right angle.

You could even gather a hand full of leaves and pebble. The pebble should be big enough to support the head of the ring and have the shank rest of the table. I'd find a flat surface that would give me an interesting blurry background. Doesn't matter what it is, just so long as you like the end result of it being blurry . Plop the pebble down, cover with leaves and place the ring.

Just plain ole gemstones... the sky is the limit. A 5 carat stone isn't exactly heavy. I like zinnias, gazennas, lupine leaves and the dimpled glass of the patio table. Now that fall/winter is approaching Buffalo, I settle for fall leaves and whatever perenials we haven't cut down for winter. Soon it will be stones sitting in snow

 

[JewelFreak]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

Davi's ideas are good ones. Chrono, to answer your question, that's a camellia, which I cut off the bush & put on the ground on the patio where light is right for photos. Had to try a few ideas, but in that pic a petal goes through the ring, which sits on lower ones far enough toward the center so it wouldn't tip or fall over.

Like Davi, I take about a million pics to get 3 decent ones (the reason I haven't put up my acquisitions in a while; it takes so long to do). The advantage of detaching a flower or foliage from the plant is that you can mess around with propping, say, one side up on a few pebbles if you need to, or adding leaves, whatever -- and you can move it around for better light. For me it works better than photo-ing on the plant & having the stone drop on the ground, shudder.

I've tried some that didn't work. You just have to try various things & swear a little. Do you have any mums, especially the daisy-type-looking ones? Fall-blooming camellias. Even a few shades & textures of different greenery, like ferns, could be combined. I'd still take them off the plant & pose them on the ground, makes me feel more in control.

--- Laurie

 

[kenny]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

I'm hesitent to post.
I post so much about this, get carried away, scare off other posters, and end up talking to myself.

Alas, I'm but a moth who cannot resist a flame.

To hold the ring try a tiny dot of wax.
Here's one brand, but I've not tried it.
http://holdingwax.com

 

[T L]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

I'm hesitent to post.
I post so much about this, get carried away, scare off other posters, and end up talking to myself.

Alas, I'm but a moth who cannot resist a flame.

To hold the ring try a tiny dot of wax.
Here's one brand, but I've not tried it.
http://holdingwax.com

Didn't you write a long thread on how to take pics of gems? You should repost the link, if so.

My big huge tip is that I take photos in my car. For some odd reason, being in my car with its neutral grey interior, really helps to obtain the correct amount of light. I would not take a pic of a loose gem in my car because of the obvious reasons. I have not yet attempted flower photography because 1) I'm a serial plant murderer and 2) I'm really afraid to drop my gem, even if it's from a petal set upright on my table.

In any case, if you do take photos in the sun, with your rings on your fingers, always hold the hand with the palm facing the sun, otherwise, you will get too much glare, and don't photograph the table of your gem parallel to the sky, unless of course, it's a cloudy day (not as much glare). Also make sure your white balance is on the proper setting. You wouldn't want to use "sunny day" white balance in a room with fluorescent lighting, for example. You will know your white balance is off if your skin color looks strange.

I have no luck with taking photos indoors in my ugly energy saving fluorescents. The lighting makes the gem look too blurry because it's super dim.

 

[kenny]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

Didn't you write a long thread on how to take pics of gems? You should repost the link, if so.

Yeah, about 30 of them, over the last 10 years, in various PS fora.

 

[T L]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

Didn't you write a long thread on how to take pics of gems? You should repost the link, if so.

Yeah, about 30 of them, over the last 10 years, in various PS fora.

It's hard to find them because you have 44 pages of topics. If you have a search term, it might be helpful. I really never go into any other forums except once in a while to SMTB, so if you have any stickys, that would be great. Perhaps the mods can make a sticky in this forum .

 

[chrono]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

I'm not ashamed! Folks, bling on my dirty table!!

My dirty table which I obviously didn't clean up prior to taking pictures.

 

[chrono]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

RTFrog,
This endeavour requires more work / practise that I initially anticipated. I will try with one of my orchids when it finally blooms. One of them is budding right now and although it will look odd for the spray be a missing flower, the phalaenopsis should honoured to sacrifice a single bloom to my cause. Should I pluck it early before it is fully unfolded? I have trouble showing the dispersion of the spinel but you seem to have overcome this. I will try again shortly past noon today. If today's prop does not work, I will get an apple over the weekend. Your pictures are what inspired me; the composition, artistry and colours are fantastic.

Davi,
45 shots for 3 pictures? Ummm....I think I need to re-evaluate how great a picture I want. I thought that this is something I can do quickly; walk around the yard, spy a flowering plant, plonk the ring on, snap a few pictures and viola! Obviously not. Your suggestion of a fall leaf as a prop and support structure is not too difficult to do, so I will also try that. Additional leaves and pebbles are a bit of a challenge for where I am.

JF,
As mentioned above and the other thread, I did not realize that flower heads and branches are cut off and that so many trial and errors are required. So you put a petal through the ring as a support structure to make it face the camera? I have little interest in flowers and gardening so there are no mums, daisies or camelias in my yard. Orchids are the only flowers I have. I might have to wait until spring for the lilies and irises to bloom.

Kenny,
Have you tried any type / brand of wax? I wonder how clearly the wax will show up in the macro pictures.

TL,
The only reason I photograph my rings in the car is so that people are less likely to see me contorting myself in an effort to get a decent picture. Unfortunately, black is predominant colour for me. I like wearing dark colours, my iPhone is black, my car interior is black and all these make for a challenging car photoshoot.

 

[minousbijoux]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

Wow, this has turned into a great thread, Chrono! Thank you so much for asking the questions.

All the ideas are awesome. I too, take copious pics to get a few that work. Kenny and others have shown us that unexpected backgrounds - rock salt, frozen peas, pebbles, wood grain, cacti, make excellent background material (I personally would avoid the cactus for klutz reasons). I LOVE Davi's idea of maple leaves - or any beautiful fall leaves for that matter - as background; I think they would make for gorgeous photos, especially with the bright fall colors right now.

RTFrog's set up advice is great to have. RTF, you take some of the most beautiful photos I've seen. I love everyone of your shots and if by following your advice we all ended up with shots like that, it would be well worth it. One side note and question to you: your pictures take longer than anyone else's on here to load - do you know why that is? Are they very high resolution? Perhaps you can drop them down to something like 120 ppi?

Kenny, I agree with TL - you would be doing us a real service if you would look through your photography thread and pick one or two that you think are the most relevant to Chrono's questions. You have created excellent tutorials but sometimes, just in response to someone's questions, you post answers that elaborate and teach. Can you dig up any where you are talking less about the camera (since you have such an elaborate setup) and more about the other factors, like lighting, background, focus? For example, you recently helped me problem solve in one thread where I was trying to figure out why, even though I thought I had proper equipment, I could not get satisfactory pics (answer: my Nikon does not focus close enough). That topic is not exactly germane here, but the way you answered was spot on for me. Have you had one of those Q&A-like threads with someone looking for help setting up the shot?

 

[minousbijoux]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

Another person who has helped me immensely is Vapid. He has not weighed in yet here, and I certainly hope he does because he takes excellent photos. He would be a great provider of tips at not only background but also how to set up the shot.

I hope some of our newer members join the discussion as well since many of them take drool-worthy photos.

 

[RTFrog]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

Hi Chrono: I went through my stones to find something "close" to yours, just to provide a couple of examples. I hope I can link to Pinterest, where I put the photos in an album, and where they are also available at full resolution: http://www.pinterest.com/PrettyGemstones/chrono-blue-violet-spinel/

Minous: I'm sorry about the images on here, it has been a learning experience. I recently tried dropping them, and am unsure why they are showing up like that. I recently added some of them to Pinterest to see if it would help, the above link will direct you there, please check out the other boards and let me know please if it works or loads faster. Thank you!

 

[minousbijoux]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

Hi Chrono: I went through my stones to find something "close" to yours, just to provide a couple of examples. I hope I can link to Pinterest, where I put the photos in an album, and where they are also available at full resolution: http://www.pinterest.com/PrettyGemstones/chrono-blue-violet-spinel/

Minous: I'm sorry about the images on here, it has been a learning experience. I recently tried dropping them, and am unsure why they are showing up like that. I recently added some of them to Pinterest to see if it would help, the above link will direct you there, please check out the other boards and let me know please if it works or loads faster. Thank you!

I'm not sure that's the way to go, but worth a try. I was also thinking that sometimes the sheer size (dimension-wise) is a problem as well, so I make mine typically 4.5" as the biggest dimension and then the other one automatically fills in. But that's me with little clue providing advice to someone who sounds like they're already more knowledgeable than I am!

 

[pregcurious]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

Here is a thread with tips from Kenny and Gene:

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/kenny-and-gene-photo-help-needed.186123/#post-3390893#p3390893']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/kenny-and-gene-photo-help-needed.186123/#post-3390893#p3390893[/URL]

 

[minousbijoux]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

Here is a thread with tips from Kenny and Gene:

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/kenny-and-gene-photo-help-needed.186123/#post-3390893#p3390893']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/kenny-and-gene-photo-help-needed.186123/#post-3390893#p3390893[/URL]

Preg: thanks so much for the thread, which I had forgotten had so much detail! I should go update it, as I did go buy all the paraphernalia and still have less than stellar results. But, there are other things in that thread I had forgotten to try, like the focus - Kenny's suggestion of using a piece of cardboard cut to the dimension of the sensor capacity. A trip to the hardware store might be in my future to get better photo lamps than the ones I have now.

Chrono, have you told us what camera you are using?

 

[chrono]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

I'd like to be able to take artistic and good pictures using only my iPhone, so that others can attempt the same with minimal added cost. I understand that there will be limitations but some of them can be minimized. For example, supporting the arms by resting them against an immovable structure and having both hands free isn't as good as a tripod but works in a pinch. I don't want to make it complicated with white cardboards, fancy camera with adjustable apertures and all that. If what I am asking about is impossible, please say so now. In the mean time, I will go through Kenny's thread again to see if I can pick up some helpful tips. I'm sure it's all there but it's not an easy read. Thanks to Pregcurious for digging that out.

 

[RTFrog]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

Hi Chrono,

Not impossible at all! Just wanted to note that when using phone cameras, there's often a bit of an issue with highlights, shawdows, and sharpness or definition. Hope you don't mind, but I took your shot from Freke's Periwinkle thread and adjusted those 3 things. Kenny recommends post processing - and if you have an image editor that can work with these three, they might help.

Edited

Original

 

[chrono]

Re: Question about Gemstone (flower) Photography. Please he

The difference is very noticeable. I guess that post processing is unavoidable if I want that crispness from a cellphone camera?