"James Adams" writes:
>While out walking, I saw a brilliant flash from a small piece of rock.
Using
>my 10x field lens, I was amazed to find a cluster of small (micro)diamonds.
>Would it be possible to use macro-photography to take photos of this, and
>some native gold on the other rocks I found.
>What equipment would I need?
>Would a bellows be better than extension tubes?
If you've never done any macro before, I'd suggest a set of close-up lenses
that fit a 50mm. If you also have a 100mm-ish lens and might want to do
macros with it too, consider getting a set of close-up lenses for the bigger
diameter lens and an adaptor for the smaller lens. You will also want a
flash or a very sturdy tripod (tripod recommended for this subject). If you
get a flash, a TTL flash will make exposures significantly easier. With the
close-up lenses, you might not feel the need for a bellows or extension
tubes, but if you do, I'd recommend the extension tubes as they create a
much more convenient portable macro setup (IMO).
For reflective, sparkly stuff like this though, you may find that it is the
momentary glint of (intense) light that you get as you move that is catching
your eye. You'll never quite catch that with a still and one light, and
never be able to estimate what you'll get on film using a flash, so a tripod
and several continuous light sources are probably in order. Assuming you
are not going to move the subject into a studio, I'd recommend some
foil-covered pieces of cardboard -- with any luck, you can get the foil to
be poor mirrors of sunlight and use them to produce secondary glints without
creating strong extra shadows. I've taken shots of sparkly jewelry using a
light tent and while it did allow me to get the creases in the design
illuminated, it also provided sparkles that lacked oomph, however, play with
the idea a bit and see how it works for your subject.
hope this helps,
patbob ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
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