Fluorescent Mineral Photography Wiki



Welcome to the FluoroPhotography Wiki
The FluoroPhotography Wiki provides hints, tips, equipment, software, and setups for photographing minerals which are fluorescent under ultraviolet light (UV).

What is a fluorescent mineral? "All minerals have the ability to reflect light. That is what makes them visible to the human eye. A few minerals have an interesting physical property known as "fluorescence". These minerals have the ability to temporarily absorb a small amount of light and an instant later release a small amount of light of a different wavelength. This change in wavelength causes a temporary color change of the mineral in the eye of a human observer. The color change of fluorescent minerals is most spectacular when they are illuminated in darkness by ultraviolet light (which is not visible to humans) and they release visible light." (http://geology.com/articles/fluorescent-minerals/)

Additional information on fluorescent minerals and photography can be found on Nature's Rainbows - (http://www.naturesrainbows.com)

Photographing Fluorescent Minerals


Fluorescent mineral photography is a challenge. People (and cameras) usually take pictures of well lit scenes and rarely have to worry about overexposing an image. When photographing fluorescent minerals the game is changed dramatically. The camera now has to capture vividly glowing, saturated colors in a dark room. Cameras just aren't designed to do this. Some handle it better than others, but most must be tweaked to produce an acceptable image.



Shooting in the dark usually requires long time-exposures of a widely variable subject. Many specimens have  multiple minerals fluorescing different colors - some much brighter than others. For example, one of the hardest pieces to photograph is the classic combination of calcite, willemite, hardystonite, and esperite. The esperite ( a bright yellow fluorescing mineral) often appears green, the willemite appears white (a bright green in reality), while the calcite might be captured as its normal orange, and the dark blue/purple fluorescing hardystonite might not even be visible. But with careful attention to camera settings, a few tricks (and lots of hair pulling) an acceptable shot can be taken.

Some of the most important considerations for successful fluorescent mineral photography include:
 * Camera selection
 * UV lights
 * Tripod
 * A clean, dark, environment

Throw in a few critical camera settings, sometimes a few skillfully applied adjustments in software, and some artistic talent and your photos can easily have that professional appearance.

The Basics
This section is an overview of FluoroPhotography covering many basic subjects. Differences between various types of cameras (DSLR, Point and Click, Smartphone) are discussed. Equipment (tripods, lenses, backgrounds, white light, etc.) which can be critical to a good shot is covered. Lenses often make the difference between an "OK" shot and a spectacular one (some lenses fluoresce, focal length is important and composition critical).

A basic photography studio can be as simple as a dark bathroom or an elaborate "blackbox". UV lighting, the more the better, wattage, wavelength all contribute to a great photo. Careful attention must be paid to limiting dust and lint, and picking an appropriate background.

Many other topics are covered, including the basics of shooting a fluorescent mineral, selecting pieces to be shot (easy rocks/hard rocks), phosphorescent rocks, camera settings, low light focus, and RAW vs.  jpg files

Developing and editing software, computer monitor calibration, "print ready" pictures, and storing/uploading to online galleries are covered.

Finally, a section on typical problems with a solutions/troubleshooting guide should help you solve many typical issues.

Intermediate
Expand on RAW, layering, HDR, focus layers, and more. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laboru

Advanced
iso discussion, lenses, camera design, thermal considerations, dark field subtraction, and best for the job, and more. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laboru ====

Smartphones
Shooting with a smartphone, software and apps, best phones, Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laboru

Troubleshooting Guide/Solutions to Common Fluorescent Photography Issues
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Image Galleries
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Other Resources
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