dust on glass
 

Just wondering how you keep your glass clean enough to take photos. I clean it with window cleaner and that is good to get fingerprints off, but those marbles seem to magneticly attract dust. The more I clean, the more I get on it. I tried tissues and micro fiber cloth - nothing worked good.
How do you do it?

56 views and no comment - maybe my house is so dusty or noone else has the same problem . . but I clean always and wipe down all surfaces - still have problems. I clean off dust and it virtually does a u-turn and sticks to my marbles. Ruins all my pics and you can see it in the latest video I posted on "Bushbeds" facebook page.

It's probably the window cleaner that attracts the dust on your marbles. They just want you to use more of it. The greedy little beggars.
Paper towels can also leave dust particles use a clothe instead.
Try some white vinegar its a lot better for cleaning glass to start with.
Also your glass is likely to have a static electric charge on the surface by it's very nature.
I don't recommend shooting in a macro mode. Macro modes will show every spec of dust and magnify every imperfection there is and may even invent some of its own.
Today's digital cameras are way overkill for most purposes. Shoot in another mode and crop the image down, it will still be a large image with better results.
Lots of people think that they need to be really close up to get a good shot of something small. Not so when your photo is the size of a movie poster.

In other words where I used to fish, the photographs alone weighed over 3 pounds!

I use 90% rubbing alcohol and try to touch with gloves when taking pictures. A can of compressed air helps as well as going over the surface I will put the marble or pendant on with one of those sticky rollers and more canned air. I still get dust and hair, but oh well.

Bernhard, try using one of these!

I tried one of those, but by the time I got all situated it was time to quit

:) good tip about the air in a can idea.

Good idea of het air! they have these little handpumps for air for camera lenses ;)

here is a picture.

Thank you for the advice - I will try that. And Marcel, that cloth is exactly what I have - doesn't work for me, but the blowy thing looks good :)

Bernhard, I think I saw somewhere that some people put their marbles and/or pendants in water. I wondered why, but maybe dust was the reason. Seems like a PITA to me. A little "Dust On The Bottle" never hurt anyone.

would you believe, my camera with "auto sharp" always focuses sharpest on the dust? And I think we all want to show our work nice and clean. The water trick . . I heard about it too, but I think it was supposed to help with the glare from the lights - but well worth trying - I forgot all about that :)

Cant say I have an issue with this one...the few times a stray dog/cat/human hair ends up in the shot. I'll blur it out.

I did notice your using a fuzzy cloth for a back ground, thats bound to collect hairs. I'd suggest something like slate(think cheese plate off amazon), or white painted wood. Least those two background have worked the best for me.

Have you tried spectacle cleaning solution? And the cloths the optometrist gives you to use?

Dust remover :)
 

I wash all my glass in car wax/polish - the liquid kind - I put a dab of it in hot water and wash my glass - then let the beads or marbles etc... dry - if any water spots are left (usually not) I just rub the design with my microfiber towel and they sparkle like diamonds - dust and fingerprints just disappear and seem to be repelled by this little technique. This worked so well on my beads that I ended up washing my shower glass with this solution and my bathroom mirrors - they all came out amazing and the shower glass stayed spot free for over a month :)

omg - that sounds wonderful and I give it a go for sure - I was wondering if cleaning with a micro fibre cloth might do the same as rubbing metal with silk to make it like a magnet - maybe its the water that kills the static magnatism.
But when ever I tried to get rid of some dust particles, I got more on it - thats why I was so frustrated :)

Bernard,

Most cameras today will let you set them to focus on a spot of your choosing on the subject being photographed. Or there may be another setting on your camera which will make it sample a slightly larger are for choosing its focus.

maybe I have to upgrade my camera. I find it very hard to get good focus on marbles.

and just for the fun of it . . here is my cat, - on my display cloth, - and my cleaning cloth :)

A camera upgrade is never a bad thing. Get the best you can afford. What is really important in this kind of photography is the quality of the lens. Also I always use manual focus and manual aperature mode so I can control the location of focus and the depth of field. Dust is always an issue but Windex and lintless cloths help. Any left I Photoshop out.

How about using a swiffer on the glass?

Larry, you sound like a professional - I am nothing like this. Still can't use photoshop. But your picture is absolutely awesome (the work and the photography) - just stunning :)

Larry, that is an incredible image. Could to show us couple of pics more?
Thanks, Dave

Larry, What lens are you using for this pic?

Thanks! but no not a pro. This picture was taken on my desk using simple lighting. You can do this. The marble is 2.25 across, all silver and gold fume with a touch of sparkle thrown in, and a 4mm opal sphere from profound.

Its a Nikon 60mm macro lens on a D300 body. Best lens I have found for this kind of stuff. If you want I can get you the rest of the details on the glass.

I'd steer away from using any paper products on glass - the cellulose in the fibres will leave micro scratches. At least my optometrist says so.

Better using a magic cloth or a simple clean dishtowel.

Always love seeing your photos Larry, great job on the fuming and photography.

One more

Thanks Larry! Is that a marble or a pendant?

marble.

Nikkor AFS Micro 60mm F2.8 G ED lens. I think it was $600 a few years ago. Pricy but worth every penny. In good glass there are no bargains.