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Photography F.A.Q (Last Updated: 2025 Feb 03 6:38 am)




Subject: May Challenge...a magic ball

TomDart opened this issue on May 20, 2005 · 13 posts
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TomDart ( ) posted Fri, 20 May 2005 at 8:02 PM · edited Wed, 12 February 2025 at 9:47 AM

file_242493.jpg

This shows reflection, refraction but the color comes from diffraction of a sort. The magic ball is a bead of opal, about 12mm across. Inside this mysterious stuff are microscopic speheres of silica, spaced "just so" or then again "just so". The compactness and size of the miniature beads determines which color of light to reflect. That is how opal gems work, in the simple explanation. White light goes in and blue comes out..or red..or green..or yellow. Nature did a neat job with these gems.

TomDart ( ) posted Fri, 20 May 2005 at 8:03 PM

file_242496.jpg

thumbnail

DJB ( ) posted Fri, 20 May 2005 at 8:06 PM

Added to Challenge page
got_it.jpg

"The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions."


L8RDAZE ( ) posted Fri, 20 May 2005 at 8:12 PM

Tom, Thats PRETTY cool! Hey... is OPAL translucent? Just wonderin how it would look backlit with an LED light?





TomDart ( ) posted Fri, 20 May 2005 at 8:53 PM

file_242497.jpg

These images are for a piece of rough opal sold on eBay. The first is with normal light, showing the color play. The second is with light from below, showing that look. The reason for the second image on eBay was to show "no cracks" in the stone, something important to gem buyers. These gems may be put "underwater" and then using manual focus get a really good look. The water makes the uncut stone appear polished and the colors jump out. Just be sure there are no "cat hairs" floating in the water!

TomDart ( ) posted Fri, 20 May 2005 at 8:55 PM

file_242498.jpg

Lit from below, a light shining through a hole in black cardboard.

tibet2004uk ( ) posted Fri, 20 May 2005 at 10:02 PM

Oh wow!! Fascinating!! Such interesting infos here! Thx for sharing Tom!

randyrives ( ) posted Fri, 20 May 2005 at 11:37 PM

Love the 2nd shot with the light shinning through it.

tvernuccio ( ) posted Sat, 21 May 2005 at 12:24 AM

that's such a neat entry, Tom! It's another show and tell & I i love this! nice learning this stuff! Your other pictures are cool too! but you gotta tell me...how'd ya get that opal to stay on that pointy thing...whatever it is? LOL! Sorry...just can't figure out what it is and how you got the opal to stay. you glue it? thanks for showing and telling!!!!! :) (i'm in a silly mood tonight. sorry guys!)

cynlee ( ) posted Sat, 21 May 2005 at 3:03 AM

beautiful opal gem shot in the color & clarity tom!! have a few of them... very fragile... here you had a challenge subject right at your fingertips all along :]

Tedz ( ) posted Sat, 21 May 2005 at 1:05 PM

Top Shot Tom d'Art...I used to dig for Opals....in Coober Pedy Australia...but failed to find My Fortune :]

jimry ( ) posted Sat, 21 May 2005 at 6:42 PM

cool shots indeedy...wonder if nature will work for me!

coolj001 ( ) posted Mon, 23 May 2005 at 5:08 AM

Cool photo and fascinating about the opal. I also like that last one w/the light shining through the bottom. -Jeff :-)

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