Hey all,

I typically use a 6" scale ruler with inches/centimeters in my photos.  But 
that's clunky sometimes, e.g. when you need to prop it up when getting side 
shots.  I have one of the new cubes from down under which I will be working 
with from now off I think.  

Great points Richard - the important part is to communicate the relative size 
of something, not the object you use.  And if the scale isn't marked, you can 
only assume.  There have been 1" cubes used in the past, so you can never 
assume what is being used in a poorly prepared photo.  And interesting that you 
mention dice.  My brother manufacturers dice from 5mm up to 50mm in size and 
lots of non-standard sizes in between (mixes of imperial and SI units).  Some 
have sharp edges and some rounded (the latter are difficult to use b/c they are 
difficult to judge from a photo).  So if you use dice, measure them and scratch 
the size into the faces of the die.

Clear skies,
Mark B.
Vail, AZ



----- Original Message ----
From: Richard Kowalski <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Mon, March 15, 2010 4:40:10 AM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Scale Cubes used by the Smithsonian Institution

Sorry all. Just one more.

Shawn, just because the Smithsonian does it doesn't make it correct.
A scale cube, or scale whatever, is just that. To show the scale of the object. 
If you don't see the scale's measurement, you have no way on knowing what the 
scale is. Again. You can assume what it is, but you don't know.

My previous sentences were incomplete. I should not have said the cubes did not 
have the scale on them. I meant that the scale must be visible in the 
photograph. Without it, having it in the image is worth almost as much as not 
having one in the image at all.

My point here is that the object itself is what is important, not the scale, be 
it a cube or anything else. It is simply there to let the viewer know the 
scale. You can only assume you know the scale if the marking is not visible. 
You may be correct, maybe most of the time, but the assumption that every cube 
is 1cm is wrong and a photo that has a scale cube in it that does not show the 
scale shows the photographer failed to use the cube properly. To accurately and 
completely show the scale of the object being photographed with no ambiguity.

Less than an hour before dawn. Crunch time.

Cheers

--
Richard Kowalski
Full Moon Photography
IMCA #1081



      
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