Gold imaging

Hello,

This is an unsolvable problem Re: photography and i would like to
post my dilemma to orchid readers. Please post the following for
me…thanks :wink:

Question: I have been using a Nikon coolpix 4500 to shoot jewelry
with some success. However, I have encountered one obstacle when
taking pictures of images that have a large amount of gold in them.
On many occassions, the image that the camera takes has a distinct
reddish yellow hue to it. This includes the black background sheet
which changes color as well. Has anyone encountered this??

thanks, geoff
rw wise goldsmiths, inc.

Hi Geoff, I don’t know what would be causing your problem exactly but
here are a couple of possible solutions or things to check at least
I’ve got a Nikon Coolpix 950? don’t know how similar the 2 are. Is
your setting for lighting on automatic? You could try to set it
differently - like incandescent, sunny, flourescent etc. You could
try to set a white balance - use a piece of true white paper for
your camera to measure the white level. If you can’t get the camera
to shift it’s coloring… You could shift colors in photoshop using
color balance or hue/saturation this would take a bit of playing with
but could produce good results. You could even put a bit of white
paper in your photograph - off the side where you can crop it later
and use that as a target for adjusting colors in photoshop. Hope
something here helps, Michelle

Yes I have. Be aware of the clothing you are wearing. It reflects
in the jewelry. Always wear a white shirt.

LaVerne

    Question:  I have been using a Nikon coolpix 4500 to shoot
jewelry with some success.  However, I have encountered one
obstacle when taking pictures of images that have a large amount of
gold in them. On many occassions, the image that the camera takes
has a distinct reddish yellow hue to it.  This includes the black
background sheet which changes color as well.  Has anyone
encountered this?? 

I would think this is caused by the white balance being set to
automatic. It’s a “feature” of digital cameras. You should be able to
change this to a constant setting that will be compatible with your
lighting. Also, it’s best to switch to manual exposure to get
consistent results.

DMGreer, LLC

On many occassions, the image that the camera takes has a distinct
reddish yellow hue to it.  This includes the black background
sheet which changes color as well.  Has anyone encountered this?? 

I’ll bet you’ve got the white balance settings on the camera wrong
for your light source such as using tungsten lights with the camera
still set for ordinary daylight lighting…

With a film camera, it is a problem caused by using the wrong type
of lights for the film you’re using, such as tungsten lights with
daylight film, or even just ordinary tungsten lights when the film is
balanced for 3400 photofloods. One would need to then fool with
various filters on the lens to correct the color balance.

But since you’re using a digital camera, the fix is simple. You
probably are getting this result from using the wrong white balance
settings on the camera. Try setting the white balance to match the
type of lights you’re using. If this still results in reflections
coloring the overall shot, and you cannot find a tweak to the white
balance to fix it, then open the image files in photoshop or similar
image editing software, and change the color balance as needed.
Pretty simple to do… Many of even the simplest image editing
programs, perhaps even the one that came with the Nikon, can do this
sort of simple color balance adjustments.

Peter Rowe

Hi; As far as white balance - sometimes, not often, but sometimes -
especially if you have large expanses of a single color dominating -
the color balance can be fooled. The way around it is to take set
the camera to manual then (before you start you photographing, but
have the basic lighting set-up) place a piece of white paper in place
of the subject and white balance off of that.

Any little tweaks to lighting will not be noticeable and you can
keep this setting through-out the session. If you have to change the
light, re-balance. Especially if you have to replace a blown bulb
(some shift color as they age).

Use something you have around as the balancing target. I always use
the back of the script - I now work in video and not photography -
and there is always 8 1/2 x 11 paper floating around.

Eric