3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Session

[chrono]

Encouraged by a few posters' tips on flower photography, I gave it a shot despite the rainy day outside. I risked strange looks from my colleagues, photographing these in my car, office and by the sidewalk. It is quite a task to get it right, with the stone wanting to spin, fall off the accessory, head and camera shadowing and rickety shaky hands. The sun is supposed to come out tomorrow so I will try again then as well.

The lighting is very poor as evidence by how dark the overall pictures are. Tips and critique are welcome.

 

[chrono]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess

Picture 1
A huge challenge trying to balance the ring on the flower but I did it. I had to hold the flower though so that left me with only one hand to hold and click the iPhone, which makes for shaky pictures.

Picture 2
There is a cardboard paperweight of sorts to help stabilize the flower. Unfortunately all the surfaces around me are dark, which did not help, so the colours are muted. Not good for colour accuracy but acceptable for viewing the setting design. Despite having 2 hands free to hold the iPhone, the shaky hand syndrome continues to be evident in this picture.

Picture 3
Not pleased with this one at all. It was taken in my office where there isn't sufficient light and I could not capture the details of the setting. But it's here because it is the only decent profile picture.

 

[chrono]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess

Next up is a different prop, which I think is slightly more successful.

Picture 1
Sharp clear picture but the colours are all off because the hairpin is a rich buttery yellow, not a pale yellow. I am pleased that the iPhone was able to capture the details of the flower petals.

Picture 2
One handed again since I am holding the pin up with my left hand. At least with the ring slipped over one of the tines, there is no worry about the ring falling off and getting damaged. Details are fabulous, colours not so.

Picture 3
Back in my office. The colour is good because the pin is a healthy rich yellow but there is shadowing on the spinel. I WILL get it right.

 

[T L]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess

Chrono,
I think the biggest problem I have with taking photos is camera shadow on the stone. It's almost impossible to get a photo of the gem with the plane of the table perpendicular to the line of sight from the camera lens. It drive me nuts. If anyone has any tips on that, they're welcome too. It's always nice to have a bright shot of the stone without a tilt window.

 

[RTFrog]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess

Try Red_Flower_2, outside and indirect sunlight. Maybe bring a rose, tulip, daisy, or some random fresh cut flower if need be. Try standing in various positions around it to see what you get. If using an iPhone, try Camera+ or a similar app. If not, then try clicking the screen a bit to get different exposure effects. It might help. Good start, especially with the lighting!

TL - That dastardly shadow. And that darn tilt window. Combine them, and Ruins so many good pictures. I hide, squat, and position into weird angles to get a good shot. Bet it's amazing to watch.

 

[JewelFreak]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess

For shaky camera -- get a little tripod. My hands have always trembled, runs in the family. I got a maybe-8-inch or so tripod -- camera stores have more selection. You need one that will allow you to tilt the camera while it's on it. Makes a huge difference -- and with that, you can somewhat avoid the shadow if you use the macro setting because the camera is not close enough to the subject.

The other simple trick is to crop the supports, hands, etc., out of the pic. The impression is the important part -- viewer doesn't need to see the entire flower (unless it comes out perfect, we all hope!).

--- Laurie

 

[kenny]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess

Since you've asked for feedback ... and only since you asked ...

IMO both props are too complex, attenion-grabbing and uncomplimentary so they dominate the ring and become the subject, and the ring appears to be an afterthought.
The ring should be the subject.

A more subtle (in terms of size, color, form, and pattern) prop would work better ... or the prop being mostly out of focus would help.
I'd remove those white parts out of the center of the red flower.
Then I'd move in closer (or crop in using software) so no background, fingers, holder/clip/thingie or paper show behind the flower.
Simple compositions are usually best with little or nothing for the eye to be drawn to beyond the subject and perhaps the prop.
As a photographer you are guiding eyes.

Pushing most of the flower out of focus can be achieved by moving in closer (if your camera can) and using a wider aperture, like f2.8 instead of f11.
If your camera does not have adjustable aperture try using a bit less light, which may open the aperture up which reduces depth of focus.
If you don't have a tripod you can use your camera's timer and place the camera on a variable-height stack of books.

Rule 2 is that all rules are BS.
After getting rules down, you are then free to violate them ... if it works.

Clear as mud?

Google up some youtube videos on photography composition.

 

[T L]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess

I would also say in this photo, if you got up close and cropped, this would be a nice image that shows the luster of the gem well.



Make sure you also have your white balance set to fluorescents if you can do that on your camera/phone.

I do like the violet against the red, although I think Kenny said they are uncomplimentary. I like cool colors against hot ones.

My hardest part is getting dispersion, and since I know that gem is very dispersive, you have your work cut out for you there. It may not show up as much in dim office lighting.

 

[pregcurious]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess

My big issue is taking pictures on a bright day...the pictures look horrible because of the shadows and harshness of the light. Overcast but with bright light is the way to go. To address the reflection of the camera, I've seen that some photographers put a white card over their camera, except for at the lens.

 

[chrono]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess

I was in the midst of posting these yesterday when PS went down and I did not have time to check PS again until this morning. I have a meeting to attend shortly and will return to respond to the posts above.

These are the last set of pictures taken yesterday prior to the rainfall. Why are these better? I have no clue what I did right.

Picture 1
Excellent detail; crisp and sharp. Both the setting and stone are well showcased even though the lighting is dim because it was taken in my car. I am proud to say I did it one handed on the iPhone too.

Picture 2
Taken by the sidewalk (over the mulch) in case the ring drops. The colours are still muted but other than that, fairly accurate. The clarity of the picture is not there yet but is still far better than the red flower and gold flower attempts. Some shadowing but not too shabby.

Picture 3
At last! You can tell that there is sufficient brightness in this picture compared to all those above. Unfortunately, the shaky hand syndrome struck at an inopportune time. The ring did not droop or drop, and the colours are true. 2 out of 3 isn't bad at all.

 

[T L]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess

I'm so happy you're finally really getting into photography Chrono. I remember a time, many many years ago when you refused to even take one picture of your rings, and we all had to plead with you.

In any case, I really like the crispness of the first photo, and although the second and third photos aren't as crisp, the stone looks bright. I would love to see your ring inside a real flower or a piece of fruit, much like the beautiful pics in this thread.

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/master-cuts-big-sale.194120/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/master-cuts-big-sale.194120/[/URL]

 

[chrono]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess

TL,
Yes, tilt windows and shadowing are problematic. For me, the thing I dislike the most is glare. Glare off the table, glare off the shiny metal, glare off the diamonds, glare to the point where my picture looks like a great shiny blob. It's not that I am more interested in photography these days but RTFrog's beautiful and artistic pictures in that thread fired up something within me strong enough to attempt it.

RTFrog,
I was outside in the Red_Flower_2 picture. I think the lack of sufficient lighting at that time played a role in the poor quality end result. What do you mean by "different exposure effects"?

JF,
I know a tripod isn't all that expensive and works very well to stabilize the camera but I admit to being stingy when it comes to spending money on things that I feel are more important, such as more gems. I could certainly get a tripod and a better camera but for now, I would like to see how far I can push my iPhone camera's capabilities. Please grin and bear with me on this. As of now, I am moving the camera and myself into various position in order to avoid shadowing and bracing my arms against a solid structure for support.

 

[chrono]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess

Kenny,
Your post is so long I have to quote it in my reply box to make sure I've answered everything. Okay, I need plainer props so that the focus remains on the ring. I am not skilled enough to make the prop out of focus; if that happens, it is purely coincidental. As for the red flower prop, that is a rather expensive kanzashi purchased on my last trip to Japan which there is no way I am messing with it. Given that it is both distracting and has "stuff" in the way, I will abandon it as a prop.

For the purpose of technique critique to show how I took the picture, I did not crop out the fingers, clips, paper holder or whatever background. I was also debating how much should I show; the entire flower or only part of it. Your advise is noted though and I will keep that in mind moving forward.

Another challenge for you and others reading / chiming in, is that I want to limit myself to using only a simple iPhone sans tripod. I'd like to keep it as simple as possible, understanding that it will not be a great picture but I want to do the best I can with what I have. This means having no control of the aperture or timer.

TL,
I don't know if the iPhone has any white balance adjustment setting. And yes, catching dispersion on camera is difficult. I see it but my camera doesn't.

Pregcurious,
Today looks like a good day to try again. It is supposed to be sunny so I will play around with body position to see what I can do. Again, I have the limitation of a black iPhone in a black case and am not yet ready to paste a white card over it.....yet. Never say never.

 

[chrono]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess

I have to leave now, having spent a good hour outdoors taking quite a few pictures. Here is a teaser picture.

 

[T L]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess

LOL Chrono,
You're having way too much fun. My husband always comments that I'm crazy because he keeps finding gem pics on the camera and does the eye roll thing. Only us CS'ers know what fun it is.

 

[Kelli]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess

I know even less about photography than I do about gems, but thanks for the eye candy!

 

[RTFrog]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess

Hi Chrono: I posted the link to the different exposure effects with the iPhone in your other thread, but wanted to also link to them here for reference. http://www.pinterest.com/PrettyGemstones/chrono-blue-violet-spinel/
There are several iphone shots in there where the exposure differed, showing the different effect.

 

[velouriaL]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess

That spinel is gorgeous! I love the setting, too.

My all-time favorite jewelry glamor shot was when someone stuck their ring on a head of broccoli. I guess it's technically a flower! Still, it was pretty funny. Chrono, I think the green might complement your spinel well!

 

[Indylady]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess

Chrono--your ring is truly stunning. I'm not sure if I commented on the original SMTB thread, but I'm glad you've posted this thread with more photos!

 

[mochi]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess



Beautiful stone and settings!!!

 

[T L]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess

Beautiful stone and settings!!!

Hi Mochi!! Long time no hear!

 

[chrono]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess

Oh, thank you all. I'm only experimenting with my iPhone to see if I can improve my photography skills and make for a more interesting picture. Although I love that particular picture, as Kenny advised, the butterly is too colourful and draws the eye away from the ring. In interest of trying to learn more and using this ring as my example, I will post the pictures uncropped for comments / review. Once I think I've got the hang of it, I will start cropping so that the focus is squarely on the ring.

I'm happy to see a few "old" names and faces come back to CS.

 

[chrono]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess

Trial 1
Although I love the bright pink and red butterfly, it is definitely distracting. I guess it is best that I retire this prop. The lustre of the spinel shows through superbly in this shot.

Trial 2
Yes, I squatted down at mulch level. I went for something earthy this time with a plain brown butterfly. The tilt window isn't attractive though.

 

[chrono]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess

Trial 3
I think PS is renaming my files because I'm calling it one thing but it is showing up as something else. In any case, this is NOT a good picture. Too much shadowing but I don't know why it is happening. Anyone cares to guess why?

Trial 4
Poor picture composition (ring is off to one side of the butterfly but darned it, it wouldn't balance!) and the light source is coming from a different direction. The clarity or sharpness is still lacking but I am over the moon to see some rainbow disperson in the lower right corner.

Trial 5
Very boring picture. Some lustre but it doesn't bring excitement to the eyes.

 

[RTFrog]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess

Hi Chrono,

The shots are coming along! I like it. Just a couple quick comments on what my eyes see in the pictures - especially with the focal point. I tried pointing out what seems to be more in focus instead of the stone in the ring... Can you try adjusting the box on the phone? Or try one of the other apps? I think you are more than halfway there, just a few more tweaks! Can you try putting the ring just on one of those leafs - or on the mirror alone to play around with the focus? These test shots should help when transferring to the flower.


Like!

 

[chrono]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess

RTFrog,
Thank you for continuing to put up with me. Can you explain what you mean by "adjusting the box on the phone"? What box are you talking about? When I look at the screen, I have an array of boxes. I always "touch" the ring on the screen so that the camera knows that I want the focus to be on the ring and not some other object. I don't have a mirror but will try a leaf this afternoon.

 

[RTFrog]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess

Hi Chrono,

I'm sitting here with my phone and the regular camera app. Sometimes the ring or box just doesn't seem to focus on what you want it too. If you watch it, it sometimes goes back to whatever focus it thinks is right. This is the paradox of autofocus. What - you want me to focus there and take a pretty picture? Click that button and find out I focused on something else. For future reference - are you using an iPhone 4, 4s, 5, 5s? And iOs version please. iOS7 seems to let you hold down the photo button and take many more shots. These rapid shots sometimes catch varying focuses while trying to keep the phone steady.

 

[chrono]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess

Yes! I've seen the auto-focus shift by itself if I wait long enough.

iPhone 4s
iOS 7.0.2

I will try the multiple "single" shot too.

 

[RTFrog]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess

Best recommendation for that setup is Camera+ app.

It allows you to set a focus point (turning off the auto focus) and a separate exposure.

Open the app to take a picture like normal, click on the screen to get a box with a + sign. Now you should have exposure on there. Drag that off the box. The exposure should now be in a circle and the focus point in a box.

Does that work?

There is also another App called Camera Awesome that has an in App editor. This might also help to do the edits right on the phone, with minimal obfuscation.

 

[chrono]

Re: 3.7 ct Lavender Blue Spinel ring by ERD Photography Sess

Perhaps this is the best I can do with my iPhone. I would prefer not to purchase and add apps to my work phone since it is technically not mine. Camera Awesome is a freeware though so I'll download it and see how it works.