[meteorite-list] Re: THE ART OF PHOTOGRAPHING Pictures 101

[Impactika at aol.com]

In a message dated 5/21/2005 12:40:37 P.M. Mountain Standard Time,  
dfreeman at fascination.com writes:
Here we go.    Get a dark  (black felt) non reflective cloth square maybe 
a couple of feet in  diameter...black or dark old wool blanket, worn old 
sheet,   old  sweatshirt.    Set up your card table or picnic table out 
of  doors where you have plenty of room and light.  Get your chair and 
set  it at the table. One end of the table put your cloth back drop.  Set 
a  rock on it so the wind doesn't blow it away. On the other end of the 
table  place your yellow ruler, tiny plastic stand or something to set  
<snip>
 
A couple comments.
 
I take all my pictures inside, on a corner of my desk, with a flash  balanced 
by a couple desk lamps. Waiting for the weather to be just right is too  
time-consuming and unreliable.
 
And I never use a black background, it just drowns out the specimens. I  
found some file folders in a very soft, neutral shade of gray and I find that it  
does not distort the color of whatever pieces you put on it, being a green  
Tatahouine, a very dark Kainsaz or a yellow Libyan glass. Then I  down-load the 
pictures in Macromedia-Fireworks where I can trim the picture,  adjust the 
size and resolution, without touching the color balance. I want  my pictures to 
give a true image of the specimens, not improve  them.  

And I do use a Nikon CoolPix 950. Older, but reliable.

Anne M. Black
www.IMPACTIKA.com
IMPACTIKA at aol.com
President,  I.M.C.A. Inc.
www.IMCA.cc