People
occasionally tell us that they think we take "the most
beautiful crystal photos on the internet." We enjoy
the compliments, but in truth, the stars of the show are
the minerals themselves - bright red rhodochrosite, canary
yellow sulfur, emerald green fluorite, and so on. When we
take pictures, our eyes are focused on accurately capturing
the true colors of these amazing minerals. So, here’s
the deal on the colors in our photos.
We
take all the pictures ourselves, and we try really hard
to capture the exact color of each specimen in my photos.
To do this, we start by using special lights which deliver
light waves at 4700º Kelvin - as close as you can get
to the wavelength of natural sunlight, which is 5000º
Kelvin. That's the standard we shoot for. Other lighting,
such as incandescent and fluorescent lights, gives out light
at different wavelengths, which distorts the true daylight
color. These lights make mineral specimens appear to be
different colors than they are in natural sunlight. Incandescent
lighting exaggerates the yellows, while fluorescent lights
exaggerate the blue (“cool” light bulbs) or
the reds (ordinary tubes).
After
we’ve taken the photos, we adjust the resulting digital
image using Photoshop software. This is necessary because
even using 4700º lights, variations in the brightness
of the light, the lens opening, and the shutter speed produce
images which are different than what the eye perceives in
full sunlight (too dark, too light, over-saturated, washed
out, etc.). Before we make any adjustments, we have already
color-corrected our monitors to professional red-green-blue
(rgb) standards, ensuring that the colors we see on my monitor
are as close to the "ideal" as possible. Then,
if necessary, we make adjustments in Photoshop to bring
the colors we are seeing on our monitors as close as possible
to the perceived colors of the mineral specimen in full
sunlight.
Naturally,
we always try to make each mineral specimen look as good
as it can look. We think of this step as the equivalent
to posing for a picture in a professional photographers
studio. A portrait photographer’s goal is to make
his or her subject look their best, capturing an exact likeness
in as flattering a light as possible. Think of the movie
star who wants to be photographed on his or her "good"
side." Similarly, we want the viewer to see each mineral
specimen in its most flattering natural beauty. And, we
purposely avoid pitfalls such as color exaggeration, distortion,
or air brushing of blemishes. If we’ve done our job
well, the result is a photograph that captures the specimen
at its very best.
If
your specimen does not look as good in your display area
as it does in our photos, the first thing to check is the
lighting. Are your specimens displayed under incandescent
or fluorescent light? If so, that may be the source of the
problem. For example, we've had customers complain that
the specimen they received is not the same color as the
photos showed. We usually ask them if they looked at the
specimen in natural daylight, and when they answer "no,"
I tell them to go outside in the sunlight. Invariably they've
called back sheepishly to apologize. To see if your specimens
are being shown in their "true colors," try taking
them out in the sun, and see if the colors look the same
as on your monitor, or are they being distorted by your
lighting.
Another
common problem is the brightness of the lightning. We photograph
our specimens using plenty of bright light - again, to show
them at their best. Many people do not have bright, color
accurate lighting for their mineral display. If you value
color accuracy, you may want to consider investing in a
good lighting system, using 4700º Kelvin SoLux M16
12V bulbs. If you do, I'm sure you'll be delighted seeing
your specimens in their "true colors" - perhaps
for the first time!
If
you have any questions about this issue, please contact
us
for more information.
