ANOTHER ADDICTION

Thanks once again to Bobbie, I've been having some more online fun with "scrapblogging". Just like scrapbooking but done on a computer. It's really quite addicting! Which is precisely why I don't dare start into scrap booking, the expense I can't do ~ so this is a very nice alternative.

I've only done a couple of really personal things for some people but I'm working on a 16 page scrapblog for myself. I will share it with you here once it's finished though. *wink* I am in dire need of a few family photographs that one of my sisters has in her possession, and until I get them the project is blank on one page, you see.


Another addiction I have is my camera. I can be minding my own business, spot something and think "oh I need to grab my camera"; this happens to me a lot.

Yesterday evening I got an idea.


"Light Painting" is a form of photography where you use a small source of light (small meaning not the sun or an overhead light) to "paint" a subject with for shooting purposes. And the area surrounding the object should be in mostly darkness; that's the whole idea.

Not long ago I took this shot of my diamond ring using a small LED light to light paint it with and email to a friend who was looking to photograph jewellry. She was doing so in order to be able to post pics of them.

I was impressed with how clearly I could see "into" the diamond itself, even being able to see the rather large inclusion. (the whiteish mark on the left) And being well worn, of course you can see all the scratches and marks in the gold, although that wouldn't be the case with new jewellry, of course.


So last evening I grabbed a few more things and my little LED light and went to town.


These next 2 shots are taken of some of the flowers I got from my niece and nephews last weekend for my birthday. There were reds, pinks and whites; but I mostly enjoyed concentrating on the whites as they came out so much "softer" in the lighting. In the larger (un-resized) versions, you can actually see "sparkles" in the white flower petals.




I did a few shots lighting them from underneath the petals too and they turned out okay, but the overhead ones were better I think.



The next items I DID light paint from behind or beside, not just overhead.



Here is an interesting one. This is just some Lavender bath salts, part of an order I just made for someone. But the interesting part was lighting through glass. AND shooting through glass that has many distortions in it! This one is lit from the side so that the light hits the crystals and not just the glass at the front of the shot. As looking through glass can distort (not unlike water) it made it a fun subject to play with.















Here's an example of 2 different ways of lighting a subject. This is my amethyst, again obviously well worn! In the first shot it is lit from the side and a little to the front. It's okay.




But in the second shot I lit it from behind, and now you can see through the amethyst which makes it interesting.








Here is Mom's family ring, and once again I chose to light it a little from behind, liking the way the light shines through some of the stones.

There is a shot lit from the side, and it looks "just like a ring" if you know what I mean. I guess I'm perpetually looking for the "different" shot.











Mom's wedding rings, not enough exposed jewels to "see through", so I lit this from the side and slightly overhead.

Mom had lost the center diamond quite some time ago, and she replaced it with her birthstone, peridot. This one and her family ring are in my safe keeping until my 11 yr. old niece is old enough (in her 20's?) to take good care of them. I do wear them now and then but only for special occasions. Especially her wedding set, as the bands are quite thin from years of being worn.





I loved how this turned out. These are just a few of my many crystals and light painting with these I thought would be fun. This is a rose quartz, a clear quartz and a flourite.

I like the way you can see right through the clear quartz including all of it's little inner imperfections; and I also like the reflection of it against the front end of the flourite. Coolness!










Lastly, here is a sea shell that I lit from behind. Quite startling to see the clarity of the ridges and colours of the lines in it. It's SO much plainer when lit from the front!




Sometimes I wish I could just retire from work yet still have the funds to travel world wide, getting all manner of photography in. What fun!

A special Happy Mother's Day to my Mom, may she rest in peace. And for all you Mom's out there, hope you have a great day today! I hope you all have a good week, and don't forget to take good care of each other.

PEACE!
Love Jude