I'm helping my friend out with photography of small objects, namely gemstones, coins, etc. I quickly determined that we should start with a light shed and found some black/white acrylic sheets that are matte on one side, glossy on the other.
The camera we have (no choice in the matter) is a slightly older model (still brand new) Nikon D7000 DSLR, which will be used with a macro lens.
My question is about lighting. I've consulted some friends who have been taking photographs for years, but have never done what I'm attempting. It seems that fluorescent lights have become the norm, but we need incandescent daylight bulbs as the fluorescent lights can have adverse effects on the color of rubies and emeralds. One friend, surprisingly, said he uses nothing but the cheapest of lights, this clamp light [http://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-150-Watt-Incandescent-Clamp-Light-CE-300PDQ/100354511#] from Home Depot. That was surprising to say the least.
The daylight bulb I've decided on is this one [http://www.amazon.com/Bulbrite-72A19FR-ECO-72-Watt-Daylight/dp/B007BNAE5K/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top].
I've checked out lighting options but anything relatively high-end seems to be sold in pieces, namely stands, light fixture, reflective umbrella/diffuser. But I can't even find lights or light kits that can take incandescent bulbs. Am I too late here? Has everything truly shifted to fluorescent? The budget would be somewhere around $1,000 max, but that has to be for at least three lights.
Thanks.
The camera we have (no choice in the matter) is a slightly older model (still brand new) Nikon D7000 DSLR, which will be used with a macro lens.
My question is about lighting. I've consulted some friends who have been taking photographs for years, but have never done what I'm attempting. It seems that fluorescent lights have become the norm, but we need incandescent daylight bulbs as the fluorescent lights can have adverse effects on the color of rubies and emeralds. One friend, surprisingly, said he uses nothing but the cheapest of lights, this clamp light [http://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-150-Watt-Incandescent-Clamp-Light-CE-300PDQ/100354511#] from Home Depot. That was surprising to say the least.
The daylight bulb I've decided on is this one [http://www.amazon.com/Bulbrite-72A19FR-ECO-72-Watt-Daylight/dp/B007BNAE5K/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top].
I've checked out lighting options but anything relatively high-end seems to be sold in pieces, namely stands, light fixture, reflective umbrella/diffuser. But I can't even find lights or light kits that can take incandescent bulbs. Am I too late here? Has everything truly shifted to fluorescent? The budget would be somewhere around $1,000 max, but that has to be for at least three lights.
Thanks.