Post your photography skills! (self-gloss)

Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim

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It has an actual purpose, a clear emotional component, and a story.

No, you're telling me all this (which I appreciate), the picture isn't—at least, not to me. I think we're stuck here though...

Originally Posted by taxgenius

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Noob with a Rebel T1i and a question. In taking a pic of jewelry I used an LED light to make the diamonds sparkle which is working nicely. Problem is that the camera is not picking up the sparkle. What am I doing wrong?

Angle you are taking the photo is the problem. The Diamond is refracting light at different angles and you must adjust the camera to that. I suggest using a tripod with a remote, arrange the diamond so that the camera can pickup the sparkle.

Camera could also be on the wrong exposure. If you have a lightmeter you fix the problem pretty easy. if you want more blown out over expose so that the diamonds sparkle.

Originally Posted by NOBD

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No, you're telling me all this (which I appreciate), the picture isn't"”at least, not to me. I think we're stuck here though...

Wow. So you don't see anything? Seriously? You must be seriously metaphor nearsighted, cause I feel like if I explain to you what the picture is, it will ******* up for everyone else who's actually looking at it. I feel like I'm sitting here talking to someone about how they can't see a gigantic purple whale floating mere feet above their head. Now I know how Banksy (apparently) feels.

My secrets... revealed!


The sky is blank white on purpose. People are always complaining about the cloud cover and how brutal it is to go months without a "sunny day" here. A blank white sky is a metaphor for the oppressive and never ending featureless sky here. I set it up so that it looked like all the color and textural elements of the sky are coming out of the chimneys of the old gas works. Like reverse pollution. I did all that in-camera, so it's not perfect, but I thought it was pretty damn obvious. I could go in photoshop and try to shadow it in or whatever, but I don't think this is that complicated. I shouldn't have to draw you a diagram or slap you in the face with it like this... I'm 99% sure that when it's 5 feet wide and you are looking at it hanging on a wall, most people will be able to see it.

When you look at it upside down, you can clearly see all the sky elements leading into the smokestacks. It's like a path next to a river in the snow. It's absurdly obvious.

This wouldn't have worked with a darker sky. It also doesn't work with the sky being cropped down and the focus being taken off it. So yeah. Now you know.

Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim

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Wow. So you don't see anything? Seriously? You must be seriously metaphor nearsighted, cause I feel like if I explain to you what the picture is, it will ******* up for everyone else who's actually looking at it. I feel like I'm sitting here talking to someone about how they can't see a gigantic purple whale floating mere feet above their head. Now I know how Banksy (apparently) feels.

Wow indeed. I don't mean this in a bad way, but your (the photographer's) explanation isn't relevant. When you show it, it's out of your hands and into the viewer's. He decides/feels (whatever mechanism is provoked), what the picture means to him. I like the picture, the location is great, but that's all"”for me. I'm not speaking for humanity.

Originally Posted by NOBD

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Wow indeed. I don't mean this in a bad way, but your (the photographer's) explanation isn't relevant. When you show it, it's out of your hands and into the viewer's. He decides/feels (whatever mechanism is provoked), what the picture means to him. I like the picture, the location is great, but that's all"”for me. I'm not speaking for humanity.

I'm sure.

Anyway, I didn't mean to offend you with my comments. You gave me your view (and explanation, which I read), I gave you mine. That's it.

Originally Posted by jfclarky

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Angle you are taking the photo is the problem. The Diamond is refracting light at different angles and you must adjust the camera to that. I suggest using a tripod with a remote, arrange the diamond so that the camera can pickup the sparkle.

Camera could also be on the wrong exposure. If you have a lightmeter you fix the problem pretty easy. if you want more blown out over expose so that the diamonds sparkle.

Thanks. I will try the first option.

I don't have a light meter but I do have an expo disk (not sure if you are referring to white balance issues).

Originally Posted by taxgenius

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Thanks. I will try the first option.

I don't have a light meter but I do have an expo disk (not sure if you are referring to white balance issues).

I am sorry I meant your camera has a built in light meter and if you want to blow the pics out a bit you can over expose a stop or two.

I suggest shooting in Manual. Set your ISO to 400 or 800 and if you have the kit lens it might be f/3.5 or f/2.8, open it up as much as you can meaning shoot at the smallest aperture, f/3.5 or f/2.8.

what lens are you using? what kind of lights do you have? do you want bokeh?

Originally Posted by jfclarky

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I am sorry I meant your camera has a built in light meter and if you want to blow the pics out a bit you can over expose a stop or two. I suggest shooting in Manual. Set your ISO to 400 or 800 and if you have the kit lens it might be f/3.5 or f/2.8, open it up as much as you can meaning shoot at the smallest aperture, f/3.5 or f/2.8. what lens are you using? what kind of lights do you have? do you want bokeh?
I'm using the 50mm Canon Macro lens. For lights, I have two florescent lights on the outside of a light tent. I don't care for the bokeh. My goal is to pick up the right color as well as the sparkle of the diamonds. I just tried it at 2.8 and ISO 400 and did not see any difference. ...and the actual color should be hot pink.

f/2.8 ISO 400 try 1/50 then 1/30 and so on. Hold the ring in a fixed spot, i am sure you know. look through your view finder till you see that sparkle. You have to move the LED till you see it. Now the problem is keeping the shutter open long enough to get that sparkle. Try above till you see it. This is trial and error. If at 1/50 a sec you are over exposed then speed it up.

not mine just thought these two pics were awesome

Originally Posted by taxgenius

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I'm using the 50mm Canon Macro lens. For lights, I have two florescent lights on the outside of a light tent. I don't care for the bokeh. My goal is to pick up the right color as well as the sparkle of the diamonds. I just tried it at 2.8 and ISO 400 and did not see any difference.

...and the actual color should be hot pink.
when shooting in a light tent you have to do a proper custom white balance adjust. also, you have to add a stop or so to exposure compensation. also, the light hitting your jewelry is diffused light coming through the light box. you should add another light in front (just above or below your camera) that doesn't get diffused to bring out that sparkle. just make sure it's a bit weaker than the other lights. give that a try ps. i've never photographed jewelry but that's what i would do if you want, you can send me a RAW file and i'll fix it for you oh ya, for my light box i use two 500 watt flood lights from home depot. 13 dollars each. lets you be able to use shorter shutter speeds for hand held here's an example of a properly exposed and white balanced photo from a light box (from my recent b&s thread) f/4, 1/125 sec, iso400, +1 exposure comp, custom WB, 100mm

Originally Posted by trader

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when shooting in a light tent you have to do a proper custom white balance adjust. also, you have to add a stop or so to exposure compensation. also, the light hitting your jewelry is diffused light coming through the light box. you should add another light in front (just above or below your camera) that doesn't get diffused to bring out that sparkle. just make sure it's a bit weaker than the other lights. give that a try

ps. i've never photographed jewelry but that's what i would do

if you want, you can send me a RAW file and i'll fix it for you


oh ya, for my light box i use two 500 watt flood lights from home depot. 13 dollars each. lets you be able to use shorter shutter speeds for hand held


I use an expo disk to set the custom W/B. In setting it, I set it to manual focus, AWB, and make sure the light meter is in the middle range by adjusting the ISO, aperture and speed. Am I doing it right?

For the light tent, I use two 30W spiral compact fluorescent bulbs (125 watt equivalent) and one LED sparkler in front which is indeed weaker than the diffused lighting. The jewelry does sparkle as seen by my naked eye but not in the camera screen or picture (and the resulting color is off too - not hot pink as it should be).

I may take you up on your offer to send it to you in RAW though I wish I knew what I was doing wrong. It hurts being a noob.

Thanks for your patience.