Albite

microcollector · Post by **microcollector** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 9:14 pm

I have been looking on this site for several months. Having just registered, this is my first post. This is an albite crystal from the Poudrette Quarry, Mont Saint-Hilaire, Rouville County, Quebec, Canada. This is one of my favorite mineral localities due to its complex mineralogy. The photo was taken using a Nikon D50 on a Meiji EMZ-5TR and is compiled from 35 images using Combine ZM.

Doug

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 10:02 pm

Doug, welcome aboard! Another Washingtonian is always welcome, especially one that comes with an offering of fine crystal!

Afraid I can't comment on the mineral, but the photography is first-rate. The lighting works to show off the transparency and gloss, and if you hadn't mentioned CombineZM, I would not have even realized that it's a stack. Nice job -- hope to see lots more!

--Rik

Bruce Williams · Post by **Bruce Williams** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 2:56 am

Hi Doug and welcome to the Forum.

I'm very impressed with the lighting on this image. Levels are just about perfect for the subject, preserving transparency and highlights whilst achieving a real sense of three dimensionality and substance.

I also use the Meiji EMZ-5TR so would be very interested to know something of your set-up - light source(s) and positioning etc.

Bruce

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 5:06 am

Welcome aboard Doug, now we have two

Great photograph, yes it is very three dimensional and the lighting is excellent. I use a Meiji also, a EMZ-13TR, now that makes three of us Meiji stereomicroscope users...I think

bill henderson · Post by **bill henderson** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 5:25 am

Doug[/quote]
Doug,as a collector of minerals and a photographer,you have a great shot,Bill

microcollector · Post by **microcollector** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 6:45 pm

Thanks for the kind comments.

The lighting is done with a 9 lamp LED ring light which is diffused and two 19 lamp LED spots which I position to the best effect. I may or may not use a diffuser on the spots. Exposures typically run from 1/3 second to 1/20 second depending on subject and magnification. White balance is a custom measured setting.

I used to use a 150 watt halogen fiber optic illuminator. I was not happy with the photo results as it seemed too hard to control highlights off the crystal faces.

Doug

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 1:30 pm

Welcome to the forums Doug from another Doug. Please make yourself at home. We have a wonderful group here and I am sure by looking at this picture, we will be seeing some very interesting things from under your scope

Awesome crystal structure on this Albite mineral Doug and the stack came out very well.

Charles Krebs · Post by **Charles Krebs** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 12:03 pm

Greetings Doug... I suppose given the global reach of this group we're practically neighbors! Your mineral shots are very captivating and since these are subjects that are not familiar to me, I really appreciate the scale bar included in the picture.

microcollector · Post by **microcollector** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 8:28 pm

Charles,

I was over your way a few weeks ago to visit the mineral show there. As I recall, we met last November at the Kitsap Mineral and Gem Show. I was the guy with scope, camera, computer, and digital projector.

Doug

Albite

Albite

Re: Albite