RCCL Crystal Blocks

Does anyone have suggestions for taking a photo of the laser etched crystal blocks that Royal gives as Milestone awards. I am interested in the best camera settings, light source or direction and background choices

thanks

I just got a family portrait in a similar medium - three dimensional busts etched into the center of a crystal block.

So far I've had the best luck using a black background, lighting the block from below, and shooting from the side about 20 degrees off center and slightly above the horizontal center line of the subject. I set the aperture to get full depth of field of the block.

Be sure to wipe it down thoroughly: every fingerprint, smudge, and dust speck seems to leap out in my pictures.

I just got a family portrait in a similar medium - three dimensional busts etched into the center of a crystal block.

 

So far I've had the best luck using a black background, lighting the block from below, and shooting from the side about 20 degrees off center and slightly above the horizontal center line of the subject. I set the aperture to get full depth of field of the block.

 

Be sure to wipe it down thoroughly: every fingerprint, smudge, and dust speck seems to leap out in my pictures.

Thanks, I'll experiment with those suggestions. So far I've used no direct background, red background and navy. Lit from above in a cabinet with LED's. Have not been using any manual settings, just the automatic for close up. I've also been using a 60MM macro and a 10-22 wide angle.

Mine came with a lit base so it is sitting directly on the light source - don't know if that is possible with yours but might be worth a shot. That way, in a darkened room, most of the light is inside the cube rather trying to enter it from sides or above and causing reflections.

I'll try to post my efforts tonight. I would think the 60mm would work better, I'd try for f8 at whatever shutter speed that equates to for your camera.

Mine came with a lit base so it is sitting directly on the light source - don't know if that is possible with yours but might be worth a shot. That way, in a darkened room, most of the light is inside the cube rather trying to enter it from sides or above and causing reflections.

 

I'll try to post my efforts tonight. I would think the 60mm would work better, I'd try for f8 at whatever shutter speed that equates to for your camera.

I do have a lite up base, but it changes colors, I'll try that as well. Thanks again

Mine too and I can't make it stop! I just keep firing away until I catch one that is the color I want.

Mine came with a lit base so it is sitting directly on the light source - don't know if that is possible with yours but might be worth a shot. That way, in a darkened room, most of the light is inside the cube rather trying to enter it from sides or above and causing reflections.

 

I'll try to post my efforts tonight. I would think the 60mm would work better, I'd try for f8 at whatever shutter speed that equates to for your camera.

here is my first attempt using your suggestions. I did shoot straight on, i wasn't happy with the off angle you suggested earlier

They make a tricky subject, don't they!

I ended up liking the different colors

I have a rocket launch in the morning. 6AM if it goes on time. Going to get a streak shot from the beach. Timer max out at 30 seconds. Need to get a remote for a longer shot next time

Oh man, please post the result in the picture a week thread!

This is what I got tonight - you had me trying again to improve my efforts!

Wound up a loooong exposure to take the color out of the colored led's, put a white diffuser over the light pad, and a black cloth with a hole in it to cover the whole base except the lights.

That the thing is sitting on it's corner makes it impossible to eliminate some reflection somewhere...

Those RCCL awards are quite spectacular - very nice way for them to mark the event.

This is what I got tonight - you had me trying again to improve my efforts!

 

Wound up a loooong exposure to take the color out of the colored led's, put a white diffuser over the light pad, and a black cloth with a hole in it to cover the whole base except the lights.

 

That the thing is sitting on it's corner makes it impossible to eliminate some reflection somewhere...

 

 

Those RCCL awards are quite spectacular - very nice way for them to mark the event.

Cool block, where do you gt that from

Oh man, please post the result in the picture a week thread!

These are the jpegs, untouched. may play with them later this week

Best shot would have been the plume as she headed east, didn't get it as I had already taken tripod down. :o did not realize it had such a low trajectory

Cool block, where do you gt that from

A kiosk in Las Vegas of all places - kinda of a whim, but the family was all for it and technology like that fascinates me.

NASA was all about the Soyuz launch last night, I couldn't even find a tiny blurb about the launch you saw.

A spacecraft launch - such a bucket list item for me. Did the Canaveral tour after a Carnival cruise out of that port - I was thoroughly geeked out.

A kiosk in Las Vegas of all places - kinda of a whim, but the family was all for it and technology like that fascinates me.

 

NASA was all about the Soyuz launch last night, I couldn't even find a tiny blurb about the launch you saw.

 

A spacecraft launch - such a bucket list item for me. Did the Canaveral tour after a Carnival cruise out of that port - I was thoroughly geeked out.

http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/launch-schedule/

Try that