Re: photographing diamonds so they don't look dull?

wrybread@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
> I'm trying to take some pictures of diamonds, and am having problems
> with the pictures looking very dull. I'm seeing the same problem with
> most of the diamond pictures on teh web: they lack sparkle.
>
> Does anyone have any tips to take good pictures of diamonds?
>
> I found this thread, which was very helpful, but as yet nothing that
> specifically addressed the problem of an absence of sparkle:
>
> http://groups.google.com/group/rec.crafts.jewelry/browse_thread/thread/85baa1cc930307e6/178243ab903abcee?lnk=st&q=photographing+diamonds+for+the+web&rnum=3&hl=en#178243ab903abcee
>
>
A stone won't show much sparkle without a _point_ light source.
Point light sources include the sun on a clear day, clear bulbs with
visible filaments, laser light, and light focused to a point with a lens.

Unfortunately, the metal in jewelry needs exactly the opposite: very
soft _diffuse_ light, to cut down reflections. Light passing through a
light tent, white paper, or the light on a very overcast day. Light
coming in from all sides almost equally.


So you're faced with two reasonable choices:

A) get the point light focused on the stone _only_, or
B) retouching with Gimp (free from gimp.org) or Photoshop.


The retouching in software can be done by taking a diffuse photo and
adding highlights to the stone. This is the easiest way.

The following method is also possible:
1)Set camera on sturdy tripod and light piece diffusely.
Take a shot.
2)Leave camera in place, and light with point light source.
Take a second shot.
3) Gimp and Photoshop have "layers"
that are kind of like stacked sheets of paper. Place
diffuse shot on the bottom layer.
4) Place point source shot on next higher layer.
Be sure the shots are lined up precisely.
5) Erase all of layer with point source shot except the stone,
leaving the rest of the layer transparent.
6) Flatten the layers together and save your image.
--
mbstevens
http://www.mbstevens.com/

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