globe shot

[papart1]

This looks better to me...

 

[papart1]

in case our resident herpotoligist didn't recognise this one...............it is the black mamba

 

[DKanger]

Quite frankly, your photography sucks and your snake looks like a child's sock puppet. If you want any useful feedback, a detailed close-up is what's required. The snake's head should fill the frame. Learn from the nickel coin that is posted concurrently with your thread.

 

[papart1]

the resulting pic was shot through a 2.5" hole of a 10 x 10"high glass dome, yeah I know my pics suck but I am still working on it. Exaxtly what is this nickel coin posted concurrently all about? paps

 

[SamW]

You need to learn to position/tilt the engraved piece until you see no shadows on the metal and the engraving stands out. Also you may need more lights.

 

[SilviaDanner]

This is an interesting topic, I'm also looking for something like that.

 

[Goldjockey]

Quite frankly, your photography sucks and your snake looks like a child's sock puppet. If you want any useful feedback, a detailed close-up is what's required. The snake's head should fill the frame. Learn from the nickel coin that is posted concurrently with your thread.

Dang! Tough crowd here!!!

The Snake looks good to me, but I do wish the shot was clearer.

Metals are always tough to shoot, because they literally reflect everything around them. Back in the day (1970's and 80's), I had to build my own light boxes out of picture frame parts with layers of white fabric stretched over them. There was no easy way to adjust factors like hue, saturation , and brightness, contrast. So one had to use special daylight colored bulbs, with special films and bracketed exposures, and depth of field for each shot. Lighting was always bounced of of white, or 18% grey foam board reflectors to get the right balance of dark and light.

Anymore, I just use an iPhone X, outside in the shade, preferably on a cloudy day, and occasionally shoot inside a white pop up light tent I bought on Amazon for around $15. Jewelry and metals are still a little tricky to get just right, but often changing cameral angles slightly does the trick without the need for additional gymnastics.

Sometimes it's helpful to mask the camera (and my hand) so that there isn't an undesired reflection on the piece I'm shooting. Often all that's required is a lens cutout in a sheet of ordinary paper affixed to the photographic device with a couple of pieces of scotch tape.

The small lens surface practically disappears when surrounded by white or grey space.

I'm really amazed at how well modern smartphone cameras perform in all kinds of conditions. Low light performance is especially worth mentioning because it all but eliminates the need for supplemental lighting with a decent diffused natural light source like a reasonably bright cloudy day, or shooting in a neutral fully shaded environment where there is no direct reflection from a light source.

 

[Greg Derse]

I think your photo is fairly good. Definitely readable for what it is. later model iPhones will take pretty nice pics up close. I have taken may pics of jewelry with real old iPhone and have had good results. All suggestions above are pretty valid. I say just keep on experimenting, different angle of camera and maybe shifting light a bit. Good background you used.

 

[monk]

an old, white lampshade can get you very nice fotos for almost no expenditure to speak of. visit yer local thrift store. you'll likely find a few there for maybe a buck.

 

[papart1]

it was shot under a white/cream sheet tying to follow TOS"s protocol. With no camera stand or square in front the draped sheet it is still problematic. I am working on it. Thanks for all the pointers. Rob

 

[SamW]

In looking at your photo it appears the lighting is coming from the right side. If you lift the left end of the slide a little you should get a better image of the whole slide. It is important to move the item around until you can see the best look/lighting possible and then prop up the item in that position. Of course, looking from the position that the camera will assume.

 

[papart1]

It is......a pedestal lamp. Have not yet got the lowered 2-4 bulb directly above. Thanks Sam

 

[Adder]

Maybe you can try this: Make a hole in the bottom of a white bucket. Pull it over what you need to photograph. Take a photo with your cellphone through the hole in the bucket.

 

[mitch]

Maybe you can try this: Make a hole in the bottom of a white bucket. Pull it over what you need to photograph. Take a photo with your cellphone through the hole in the bucket.

that's what i do.

 

[Adder]

I've got the "buckettrick" from this forum and it works, can't remember from who, maybe from you Mitch ?

 

[Chujybear]

that's what i do.

Same

 

[allan621]

Adder

Thanks for mentioning the bucket for photographs. I do a lot of gold and silver work, highly polished and dealing with the reflections has driven me crazy for years . Found a white bucket, drilled a hole in the top,- problem solved.

Allan

 

[Doctorslava]

I also want to share another way of making photos. I use a manual settings and set camera's shutter open for few seconds (5-10) in a dark environment. With a little flash lite during the time my shutter open I accent some places of interest by moving flash lite around. It requires some training but results look like a studio shooting. Photo studio of a poor man

 

[John B.]

I also want to share another way of making photos. It requires some training but results look like a studio shooting.
Photo studio of a poor man

My friend Ray Phillips, owner of Ngraver Company showed me this clever technique.
He said many professional photographers called it "Painting with Light."
Ray is quite a photographer among his many other skills. He used this technique to get a perfect shot of a round or highly curved object, such as a ball vise, for his catalog.
Ray also has three front covers for the American Rifleman magazine to his credit, I believe.