Want critique Inside a Quartz Crystal Geode

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Greg Shchepanek

Greg
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One of the hardest to represent in a photo but a more beautiful sample of a quartz crystal geode from Northern Ontario. The lighting is very different in this capture. The light source is actually outside of the geode and it is being dispersed through the rock surface into the sample.
Please let me know what you think. I am experimenting with lighting & would love your take on my effects.
IMG_3134_ds.jpg
Canon EOS M100 • EF-M28mm f/3.5 MACRO IS STM • ƒ/4.0 28.0 mm 1/60 200 Flash (off, did not fire)
 

Dangerspouse

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Aug 27, 2021
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Great job shooting a difficult subject! They certainly are beautiful formations, aren't they?

Since you asked for a critique, I'll add my thoughts. This is just for your first photo.

It's a really nifty effect, casting the light through the back of the geode to give a softer, more diffuse light. I think though that you have to be careful when your subject is backlit, because you can lose contrast. Especially when there is not much contrast to begin with, like these white crystals being lit by white light. If you are not going to adjust for that in camera, then it is certainly easy enough to play with in post processing to see if you like it better when contrast is added.

I hope you don't mind, but I just did a quick edit in Lightroom to see what it would look like that way. I also cropped a bit of the negative space off the left side. See what you think:

Geode-1.jpg
 

Greg Shchepanek

Greg
Monthly VIP
5 3 3
Apr 20, 2020
4,114
2
5,304
1,448
Great job shooting a difficult subject! They certainly are beautiful formations, aren't they?

Since you asked for a critique, I'll add my thoughts. This is just for your first photo.

It's a really nifty effect, casting the light through the back of the geode to give a softer, more diffuse light. I think though that you have to be careful when your subject is backlit, because you can lose contrast. Especially when there is not much contrast to begin with, like these white crystals being lit by white light. If you are not going to adjust for that in camera, then it is certainly easy enough to play with in post processing to see if you like it better when contrast is added.

I hope you don't mind, but I just did a quick edit in Lightroom to see what it would look like that way. I also cropped a bit of the negative space off the left side. See what you think:

View attachment 19174
Thank you very much Dangerspouse Dangerspouse
 
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