Steve'sDigicams

mtngal · Mar 22, 2012, 10:57 PM

One Sunday morning I was awake before dawn. So I decided to play around in the dark house, using an LED flashlight as my main light. My two subjects are small Swarovski crystal figurines.

Here the light is resting on the table, I was trying to get the multifaceted surfaces to break up the light into different colors, if I could. I like how this one came out:

I then moved the flashlight around while using a slow shutter speed, trying to minimize shadows. Somewhat to my surprise, it actually worked reasonably well.

I'm beginning to think that a small LED flashlight is going to end up living in my camera bag, what an excellent small, lightweight source of extra light. Not much experience with product type photography, but I love these figurines and I plan on spending more time trying out ideas for photographing them.

saly · Mar 23, 2012, 2:09 AM

Really like that first shot, mtngal! I've tried similar things with my crystal figures without success. Will try again! Thanks for posting these.

Walter C · Mar 23, 2012, 10:14 AM

Well done. I like them both.

calr · Mar 23, 2012, 12:19 PM

Beautiful shots, especially the first. I will accept these for the challenge even though I don't think Swarovsky crystal is actually glass. I think it is quartz. Someone please prove me wrong!! These photos definitely meet the intent of the challenge.

Cal

mtngal · Mar 23, 2012, 5:41 PM

It is definitely glass, not quartz, and not really crystal - some have a very high lead content, which my hubby noticed when we were unpacking some that had been my Mom's. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swarovski . When I was in Germany I bought quite a few figurines for reasonable prices. Got back to the States and didn't buy so many, though it was always a fun gift to give to my Mom. These two were two of hers.

Curmudgeon · Mar 24, 2012, 2:28 PM

Calr:

Crystal is also primarily made of quartz just as regular glass is. However, regular glass uses calcium in the form of potash in the process. "Crystal" uses lead oxide to replace the calcium. "Crystal" is actually a misnomer for any type of glass as it is an amorphous form of quartz with impurities and lacks crystalline structure.

The photog geologist,

Bill

mtngal · Mar 25, 2012, 8:39 PM

Thanks for the information about glass - never knew what crystal glass had that regular glass didn't. Love all the things I learn around here.

Tullio · Mar 26, 2012, 10:52 AM

I like that first shot...pretty cool lighting effect.

Mar 22, 2012, 10:57 PM	#1
mtngal Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Frazier Park, CA Posts: 14,943	Glass - and an LED Flashlight One Sunday morning I was awake before dawn. So I decided to play around in the dark house, using an LED flashlight as my main light. My two subjects are small Swarovski crystal figurines. Here the light is resting on the table, I was trying to get the multifaceted surfaces to break up the light into different colors, if I could. I like how this one came out: I then moved the flashlight around while using a slow shutter speed, trying to minimize shadows. Somewhat to my surprise, it actually worked reasonably well. I'm beginning to think that a small LED flashlight is going to end up living in my camera bag, what an excellent small, lightweight source of extra light. Not much experience with product type photography, but I love these figurines and I plan on spending more time trying out ideas for photographing them.

Mar 23, 2012, 2:09 AM	#2
saly Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: near Los Angeles, CA USA Posts: 4,607	Really like that first shot, mtngal! I've tried similar things with my crystal figures without success. Will try again! Thanks for posting these. __________________ Panasonic FZ150, FZ35 and GF1; Nikonos V when underwater ~~Art is in the eye of the camera holder~~

Mar 26, 2012, 10:52 AM	#8
Tullio Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 7,355	I like that first shot...pretty cool lighting effect. __________________ Tullio

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Mar 23, 2012, 10:14 AM	#3
Walter C Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Huntington Beach, CA USA Posts: 6,530	Well done. I like them both.

Mar 23, 2012, 12:19 PM	#4
calr Moderator Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Beaverton, OR Posts: 8,167	Beautiful shots, especially the first. I will accept these for the challenge even though I don't think Swarovsky crystal is actually glass. I think it is quartz. Someone please prove me wrong!! These photos definitely meet the intent of the challenge. Cal

Mar 23, 2012, 5:41 PM	#5
mtngal Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Frazier Park, CA Posts: 14,943	It is definitely glass, not quartz, and not really crystal - some have a very high lead content, which my hubby noticed when we were unpacking some that had been my Mom's. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swarovski . When I was in Germany I bought quite a few figurines for reasonable prices. Got back to the States and didn't buy so many, though it was always a fun gift to give to my Mom. These two were two of hers.

Mar 24, 2012, 2:28 PM	#6
Curmudgeon Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: East Bay, San Francisco, CA Posts: 724	Calr: Crystal is also primarily made of quartz just as regular glass is. However, regular glass uses calcium in the form of potash in the process. "Crystal" uses lead oxide to replace the calcium. "Crystal" is actually a misnomer for any type of glass as it is an amorphous form of quartz with impurities and lacks crystalline structure. The photog geologist, Bill

Mar 25, 2012, 8:39 PM	#7
mtngal Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Frazier Park, CA Posts: 14,943	Thanks for the information about glass - never knew what crystal glass had that regular glass didn't. Love all the things I learn around here.