crystal flower

[Davey]

I took this today as an image to put on my dads birthday card. Hehehe that makes me sound like such a cheap swine that I wont even shell out on a card for my dad.........well that's true but my reason was I wanted to make him a nice card as all the shop ones were rubbish. All gaudy and mostly the only worthwhile stuff was for females and kids and he's neither of those unless someones being lying to me. Ignore the artifacts and due to compression and particular the scale down (it's taken sitting on my shirt and the weave lines only look fine at 100% view and unscaled).

It's kind of what I wanted but missing something I can't put my finger on. All ideas welcome, well except criticism about the amount of white fluff on my shirt, a white towel sneaked in with my black load ( I had to fill the machine somehow).

[Brigitte]

Dear Davey!

That´s very beauiful. Great shot

regards,
Brigitte

[Blazing fire]

Hi there! I must say it's a nice photo but it does lack something. To me, I don't like the look of the diffused light source you used. Perhaps illuminate only half of the flower with a white laser and the rest with another colour?

Just a suggestion .

[Davey]

Ah that's an idea, I have a narrow beam torch and lighting gels that could come in handy for split lighting, thanks.

The lighting for this was direct flash from overhead, seemed to catch the crystal nicely where as bounces didn't. I think I flashed it twice i don't remember. Wont be on the exif as I use a point and shoot and this was manually triggered external flash. The slight colour is due to the background lights in the hall and dinning room, the flash almost completely cancels them out but when I took same pic in blackout conditions with just flash it loses the colour and looks monochromatic.

[Geoff F]

Creating a personal Birthday/Christmas Card doesn't make you a cheapskate. In fact quite the opposite. It takes a lot of care and dedication to create something special. Anybody can go into a shop and buy a card.

Just an idea here; would a polarizing filter reduce the glare? Not too much though, as you need a bit of sparkle. Or maybe just a little touch of minus exposure compensation.

[Davey]

Maybe polariser would but unfortunately I don't own one and doubt could get one to fit my camera (a fuji finepix s5600) or I would try it. I made him the card already now but might take again in future with a torch instead of flash for the lighting to get sparkly look, perhaps with little bits of different colour lighting gel to add more tiny colour sparkles.

Tried bouncing the flash from various angles but didn't look as good. I think some of what I'm after is more limited by the material of the flower, it's obviously never going to have the brilliance and fire that gemstone would no matter how I light it and the more I think about it that's what I feel it's missing.

[Dave Humphries]

Maybe polariser would but unfortunately I don't own one and doubt could get one to fit my camera (a fuji finepix s5600) or I would try it.

Hi Davey,

What's your filter thread diameter? Mine (on S6500) is 58mm, had no problem getting a polariser for it.
Not sure if it would help in this case though.

We have a much smaller, egg shaped crystal which hangs in front of a window, when the sun catches it, by nature of it being exceedingly directional light, lots of miniature rainbows are thrown around the room, as the facets act as prisms and split the light into component colours.

I was thinking if you could get directionality (discounting white lasers, which though excellent in principle, are hard to come by), perhaps a homemade snoot on the flash or torch might work. the aim being to light it with one or two, thin as possible, beams of light.

That might be kinda pretty.

Cheers,

[Davey]

Unsure of the thread size, will have to look in the manual for specs. Maybe your lens is similar size to mine, I know more likely to get stuff for slr lenses but sounds like might be able to find one for mine after all, I'll take a look around. I'm poor again at the moment as had to buy new shoes so that's one for the future (but admit it would come in handy having a polariser).

Yeah if it was possible to split it in that way it would be great, I have very narrow beam torch (halo bulb, don't think my led one would do it due it due to producing funny spectrum but might do). Sunlight would be ideal but directing it is the problem. Funny you mention the crystal things because have a tiny crystal drop does that (hence it's hanging in a south facing window). Don't know if this flower will refract the light enough though due to shape and material, white laser would be cool. Lasers not popular here lately as been trouble because some scally was shining one on the police helicopter and temporarily blinded the pilot, police apparently caught them and were none too happy and been calls for banning them (problems at football matches too nationwide I'm sure you've heard). I want a green 250mW laser tha cuts electrical tape, hehehe I'd bring a copter down with that. Only kidding I think shining them at people is stupid, and at pilots/drivers etc is just as brainless as you can get.

I think if works (refracts enough to look pretty) for torch/flash etc then I could move the light source around in the dark on long exposure to get desired effect I think.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Davey,

I looked up an old review of Fuji S5600, and your filter size is 55mm. Mainly for benefit of other's, it's the number at the end of the lower set of text when you look straight into the lens in this photo link.

When you're more solvent, you now know you can get them, I saw a HOYA advertised at £15 (GBP) for that size, but to pre-empt a flurry of posts, you get what you pay for. However, it may not do what we want, it may just kill the sparklies we're after.

So I might have a go with torches and polarisers on my 'egg' (which is nowhere near hens egg size) and more like one of your petals, to see what happens.

I'll put the results here if that's ok.

BTW I never said, but I do like you pic.

Cheers,

[Davey]

thanks again Dave, ah I now see the 55mm on my lens hehe. I looked on amazon and found some and £15 is free p&p too. I will pick one up sometime anyway as will come in handy for water shots and a few times I have thought a polar filter would cut a little of the glare.

Quality isn't that much of an issue as you've probably more than guessed judging by my camera. I doubt a great filter (which would likely cost more than the camera hehehe) would produce much better image on than cheap one, a bit like pearls on a pig as the saying goes. Low end doesn't bother me, I'm not pro (even slightly) and as far as amateurs/hobbyists go I am more in it for the fun rather than hardcore passion or love. I'd say I heartily enjoy both the technical and artistic side but it's not a burning passion and more of a clean way to enjoy myself and pass the time. Also it comes in handy to be able to take pics sometimes so it's a practical. Sometimes I have funny requirements for a pic where people I know who are serious amateurs or semi-pro with great gear don't understand what I need technically from an image and although they could take better photo it wouldn't be what I needed.

I look forward to seeing how your egg turns out (that sounds like a weird statement........anyone joining the thread at this point will be wondering now hehehe). If you could include a little info about lighting you used or similar relevant details that would be great. On another note I'd agree with personalised cards made this way are more special than shop bought ones hence I looked at shop ones and thought they are all rubbish i wanna give him something better (I'm still working on a 44" pano for him as late present). Saying that maybe that proves not only am I a cheapskate but i justify it hehehe guilty as charged!