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"Improve your Glass, Bead & Jewelry Photographs"
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Author: Dale_Lynn, Contributing Editor

FIRST OFF, LIGHT is what it's all about. If your pictures have hotspots, severe shadows, dark subjects with bright backgrounds, or other lighting problems hopefully this article will help you address and correct so you can take photographs with ease.

Light is naturally from the sun. It is "color balanced" to what the human eye's see. The human eye can also adjust to artificial light, either fluorescent or incandescent. The eye and brain can balance the colors of these artificial light sources so that the color temperature of light is correct.

A camera is not so forgiving or adaptable, a camera likes natural light. It's really a film function in film cameras or a "white balance" in digital cameras. A strobe or flash on a camera is usually color balanced to daylight color temperatures so it compensates for light sources that are not true sunlight. This is true for film and digital cameras.

Now you are saying "it's good, we have light".... not always. A flash or strobe is the worst source of light during close up (macro) photography of jewelry beads, marbles or anything else you want to photograph. You want a even light that is the same intensity from every angle as it strikes the object and does not cast any shadows or show up as reflections.

There are also some color balance problems to be worked out, but more about that later.

THE STUDIO

We will now build the mini studio that will cost around 75 dollars. But first we are off to some places to get a few items. Most are available in home improvement store or the local hardware store or lumber yard.
1. TWO "BROODER LAMPS"

These are clip on, CERAMIC socket fixtures with a 10 inch aluminum reflector. I prefer these because they are inexpensive ($10 each for mine), and they can handle a lamp up to 300 watts.

These do not burn up like some house lamp sockets when you go over rated wattage. Plus they have a spring clip to attach them to anything.
2. PLASTIC PIPE

Corner "tees's have one side threaded, so you will needed some threaded to slip fit adapters. I use 4 corner tee's plus 4 adapter and 4 ells's, and two 10 ft length of pipe. You do not need glue, as we are not going to glue them together. We are going to just "slip fit" them like we did as a kid with "tinker toys". I used 1/2 inch PVC water pipe.
3. SOME PLASTIC SHEETS FOR DIFFUSERS

I choose some "Styrene" Lighting Panels in the 2 ft x 4 ft size. They come in clear and opaque white. I got one of each. They also come in several designs, I chose "Cracked Ice" as one side is smooth and the other is, well, like cracked ice. The thought is the varied shape and texture of the panel would diffuse the light better. These panels are somewhat brittle so take care in handling. (note: clear sheets are there, it's hard to photograph something "clear").
4. An assortment of plastic clips and clamps

You can get this from stationary stores or hardware stores. I actually found a assortment of 6 mini clips at Sears, a department store, that work quite well (black ones on right).
Don't wait - discuss this topic with fellow artists now in our forum!
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