Kate

[Kate]

HI everyone! I'm putting myself out there and want to know all. I'm pretty tough and if you hold back I won't learn. I'm still working on the photos too. It seems I'm spending way too much time on photos but I know how important they are. Thanks to Tela that has helped. My first cab, this was a tut for a triangular cab called Simple Elegance (seems like this is my style) by Anna Lemons. This is a brecciated mookaite in copper.

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[Renate]

Kate, the wrap looks pretty good to me, and for a first: very well done! Beautiful pattern, btw. I love brecciated.

My issue would be with the photography, or better: the post-photography processing. The thumbnail is ok, but on my screen the full photo looks blurry and pixelized, as if it was enlarged beyond its original size.
I agree completely, photography takes by far too much time. I’m struggling myself, but practice and experimenting with various settings and asking questions helps.

Which program do you use to edit your photos?

[Tela]

Hi Kate-- Wow, I have to tell you- you did a GREAT job!! I like how you made the side wires come out on opposite sides. The bail looks great, the bindings look good, the way the wires are holding the stone looks good-- I can't see any room to complain ;D

The picture looks like you used too much contrast. I spend way too much time working on pictures and not making stuff, too. It's a learning process, you'll get there. It will always be time away from jewelry, but you'll get to the point where it isn't too much time away. The important thing is you are learning both and doing a great job!

[Kate]

Thanks Renate, I'm having a rough time getting a good picture too. I made a photo box and have a light on each side and on top. The photos keep coming out orange. Then I tried taking a picture with the flash on and that helped. I am using Gimp for post processing and following Tela's tutorial. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I have a bunch of pieces I need to take pictures of. I am at the point that I would like to try selling on Etsy. This part of the process has been holding me up.

[Tela]

Kate- go to eBay or somewhere else and get a "digital gray card". They are worth their weight in gold, cheap, easy to use and sooooo low tech. The instructions will be obvious. The card will help you eliminate the color cast. Really, it is ridiculously easy to use and you will save so much trouble, time and aggravation, as well as have better pictures.

[Kate]

Thank you Tela. I'll look for that card. I think when I attached my photo I grabbed the wrong one. I need to use the one for the web, right? I'll try again and see if that helps. I also did the post processing again. Hopefully this one is better.

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[Renate]

Kate, I'm sorry that I cannot help with Gimp (I use Irfan View for resizing), but my pictures also had that yellow hue, until I discovered the AWB, the Automatic White Balance. There should be an AWB menu on your camera, and some symbols indicating sun, shadow, artificial light etc. Depending on which light source you use, you choose that symbol. When taking pictures in normal lamp light, using the bulb symbol fixed the yellow hue for me.
Of course every camera is different, but maybe you could give it a try until the gray card arrives.

Actually I prefer your first photo, the second is a bit on the small side. Btw, I don't use the "for the web" settings. I prefer to take my pictures in a high resolution (4MB), it gives me more "flesh" for editing and the option to zoom in on details. I resize them later to a picture size between 600 to 1000pixel, and a file size of 80-200KB.
But then, I'm still a beginner myself, and my photos leave much room for improvement, so you are probably better off if you follow Tela's advice. ;D

[Tela]

I like the first picture, too. What kind of camera do you have?

Renate is right. If you have some manual settings on your camera, find the white balance and try different settings with that. The beauty of the gray card is that it takes the guessing out of it. You use the gray card to set the white balance manually for your exact lighting.

The save for web function merely decreases the weight in kilobytes. It does not change the overall dimensions of the picture- just the size of the file . I think it is very useful to think of that as the weight. It gets very confusing otherwise.

It is useful to remember, too, that the internet can only be viewed at 72 dpi. It does you no good at all to post a picture with a larger dpi- it is a waste of valuable webspace. If you post a picture online that is 300 dpi, the file will be online, but you will only view it at 72 dpi quality. 300 dpi is good for printing but a waste of space for web work.

Save for web optimizes files to view online. It creates the right dpi and converts to the color management best suited to the web.

I hope I made sense.

[Kate]

Hi all!

I worked with stainless steel today. This is now my second cab! I'm so excited that it's not loose and doesn't look too bad. This is a tutorial from Pat Capoposto called Waterfall Pendant. I had to redo parts of it but I learned from my mistakes. When it came time to twisting the bail into position, I twisted one side opposite the other. I was able to tear it apart and fix it. I think I'm liking the stainless steel! It was OK to work with.
The cab is not a favorite of mine and I think I would like it better in copper but I am thrilled that I could do it. I feel like a little kid! ;D Attached are pics of front and back. I'm still working on the pictures and post processing. I'm not quite sure why I'm having such a hard time with it.

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[Kate]

Sorry for some reason the other didn't upload.

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[Tela]

Wow! Hats off to you! I find the stainless hard to work with. As a newbie, to tackle this wrap with stainless tells me you aren't going to have much trouble becoming a great wire wrapper. You picked a good teacher, too. Pat does very good traditional wire wrapping. I always say one should start with the basics. I actually like your rock a lot. African Queen is a pretty and affordable jasper.

Keep up the good work- your on your way!!

[glenda]

I love the stone too, looks like the desert!!

Your wrapping looks very neat. I haven't tried stainless but from what I can gather it isn't easy!

Well done!

[Kate]

Thank you! With each piece I do, I learn something new. I am obsessed with wire. I haven't even put up Christmas decorations because I don't want to take time off! teehee

[Tela]

YOU'VE BEEN BIT BY THE WIRE BUG!! Don't be alarmed, relax, go with the flow, have fun and enjoy it.

[sarahsequins]

Kate,

You're doing an excellent job with the wire wrapping! I'm especially impressed that you worked with stainless steel -- you must have a lot of hand strength!

I wish I could give you some photography tips, but I'm pretty clueless. Looks like other people have given you good information, though!

[Kate]

Thanks Sarah! I think I'm getting a little better with the photography. After the Christmas I'll post some pictures for critiquing. I learn so much that way and I want to start listing some of my pieces on Etsy. I'm just loving this and so happy I discovered wire. It's funny, when my father retired (he taught high school electric shop) he worked with copper sheets and wire making them into figurines and wall hangings. Now, I'm obsessed with wire!

[Kate]

Tela, I've attempted your tutorial "Fusion Weave Traditional Ring". Notice I say attempted. I had several things to figure out. I used a smaller stone, 18 X 13, and the size of my ring is larger, 7 1/2. I also worked with stainless steel. I've fallen in love with it! I had no trouble with the weaving and the stone fit nicely. Where my problems started was sizing the shank. The stone was resting too high on the platform and I also had trouble wrapping the frame of the platform. The wire kept slipping. When I began finishing the ring, I scratched the stone while trying to tuck the wires in. Your tutorial was very well written and easy to follow. I'm not at that stage yet but I don't want to give up. I'm going to tear it apart and use copper. Any suggestions on the sizing since I'm using a smaller stone? Any other suggestions? Once I get this mastered I'll post in JL.

[Tela]

Hi Kate- thanks for getting the tute

I haven't done this ring with stainless steel. I am wondering if the wire is too hard by the time you get to the end to be able to easily tuck it?

I'll have a look at the tute again with your questions in mind because off hand, I'm not sure what the problems could be. 7 1/2 isn't too small and 18x13 should be workable.

I will get back to you, but today I have to go out for awhile so it might be tomorrow morning till I do.

In the meantime, I think trying this in copper is a good idea. It will be easier to get the moves down.

[Tela]

Kate, feel free to email me with questions- I'll get you though it. Tela[dot]Formosa at gmail Let me know if copper worked better for you, that will help me to know what the problem might be. I'm going to look over the tute now. (I was busy today.)

[Kate]

Thank you Tela, I will do that. I've just finished the weaving and I will have to say it was a bit easier. I'll be working on it again tomorrow. Your instructions are so precise and I just love the ring. Actually the copper already looks better. I've had the tutorial for quite some time.

[maryalece]

Kate- you are doing a wonderful job!! I don't know enough to be able to tell you what to do better, but you are definitely starting out great! Keep up the good work :-D And pictures are definitely my Achilles' heel. Very frustrating for me- I waste tons of time, and would rather make things than figure out how to photograph them. Aaarrrghh- I know I will have to get to it one of these days...

[Kate]

MaryAlece, thank you. You're right, I would much rather play with wire. My poor camera is getting a good work out. I'm taking and retaking so many pictures and constantly recharging batteries! uhgg!

[Tela]

It has taken me years to get decent pictures. Much, much longer than it did to do a decent wrap!

Taking good pictures is an art in itself and not just a point and shoot venture.

I implore everyone to make sure their camera is up to the job before you invest much time in getting a good shot. Often times one is limited by their camera, not their skills. If your camera doesn't take good macro shots--- honestly, look for another camera that will. Odds are very good that will never get a decent picture, no matter how hard you try.

Before one can do post production on a picture, one needs a good picture to start with- something you can work with.

I think that using a gray card is the quickest, easiest and cheapest way of getting a color corrected shot. Google "digital gray card". I picked one up on eBay for cheap and won't do anything without it. Basically, you use it to tell your camera what color of light you are shooting under. You need a camera that has manual white balance on it. It's super easy to do and will remove most, if not all, of the color casts in your photos.

I'm not trying to be a know it all or tell you something you already know. I just think that most people aren't aware of the gray card and it really will boost your picture quality immediately, cheaply and easily.

[Kate]

I'm still having difficulty with the pictures. Just getting these pictures took at least fifty shots! I definitely need a grey card. I see that in my future. This is the ring I've been working on. It's one of Tela's tutorials. I had such fun doing it! The copper was much easier to work with and I think looks better that the stainless steel I tried first time around. I can see where it needs improvement and can't wait to make another. I learned so much with this tutorial!

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[Kate]

Sorry I need to learn how to post more than one picture!

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[Tela]

Kate, I have to tell you- this is really impressive! This ring and tute are what I consider advanced. There are a lot of different techniques in it that required some proficiency. However, you did a really, really nice job! I can see you are going to be a wire wrapping force to be reckoned with. This is NOT the wrap of your average newbie ;D

Now that you have tried the stainless and copper, do you think you can pull it off in stainless again? Just curious. They are much different to work with. I think you would manage silver very nicely.

;D

[Kate]

I'm thinking I may have to try stainless again! I think you're pushing my buttons! teehee I'm still too scared to try silver. The copper had some nicks in it but after tumbling they improved.

[Tela]

Are you suuuuure you don't want to try silver?? The prices are really low right now and I'm sure will be going back up.