Pietersite macro art
by Mark ~ February 3rd, 2008. Filed under: abstracts, art, artistry, macro, nature photography, rock, stone.
Pietersite is one of the gemrocks I have become fascinated with lately, and have been photographing some samples as part of my ‘Inspired by Stone‘ project. I have added some more Pietersite pictures to my Lightroom project gallery, as well as in my Rock Art gallery. It is named after its discoverer, Sid Pieters, a farmer who discovered it in Namibia, Africa in 1962. Since then, it has also been found in China, but only within the past decade or so. Namibia and some regions in China are thought to be the only two places it is found. Pietersite remains an informal name for the brecciated form of tiger’s eye.
Its structure is faceted by complicated fibrous bands of color, and no two square inches seem the same. So you can develop quite a few different compositions from a small section of this mineral. It is probably surprising that the two images here are from the same type of gemrock (although different samples). The samples I have so far are from China, but I have my eye out for some from Namibia as well as they are supposed to be unique color variants. Samples from China are known to be stronger in reds and yellows, while samples from Namibia are supposed to have stronger blues and greens.
I am using cross-polarized lighting again on wet samples, using my two little wireless macro flashes, Nikon SB-R200’s. I am really starting to love these little guys. The possibilities for macro art from this particular stone are endless. I hope you enjoy the new additions. The colors lift my spirits some compared to the bleak, grey view out my window.
February 3rd, 2008 at
Mark,
Wonderful work. I especially like the ribbon banding effect you see in the second one. Any info on how this rock is formed? (Curious minds want to know…)
February 4th, 2008 at
Very inspirational! As someone who just recently acquired her first macro lens (Canon EF 100mm Macro USM) I am looking forward to all the “little” things in life I’ve been missing out on.
February 5th, 2008 at
Absolutely stunning! I love the vibrant colors!
February 5th, 2008 at
Hi Mark, you are really getting going - well getting up and running I should say - with this your ‘Inspired by Stone’ project! Great work. Interesting also to learn how you do this. So what type of polarizer is this that you put in front of the flashes? Of the two here I prefer the second version (the lower in the post) for its beautiful curves and strong contrasts.
P.S. Did you receive your new Mac yet? Hope the transition goes smooth for you.
February 5th, 2008 at
Hi again Mark, googled the sheet polarizer filter and understand what it is now. Anyway, thanks for sharing this information. Might come in handy one day - that is if I once get that extra little room or space for a little ‘home studio’ for those rainy or cold days
February 5th, 2008 at
Greg - I am not sure exactly how the rock is formed myself, looks like I might have to do a bit of research on it.
Hey Tom, seems you found the stuff. I bought a small 6×6 inch sheet from B&H and cut it up to fit inside the holders that come with these flashes. No Mac yet, the wait is killing me. Another couple of weeks.
Jules, I think you will really enjoy the macro world. It is quite amazing the things we normally don’t ’see.’
Lana, thank you for your comments.
February 6th, 2008 at
Being a photographer AND a studying geologist, lets see if i can help! The mineral is formed the same as Tigers Eye, but the fibrous structure is then broken and the fragments are cemented together by quartz (called brecciation, as you mentioned) as it replaces the blue and green mineral crocidolite.
Its a complicated process and only a few places in the world can produce the conditions needed to make those last alterations!
Very beautiful photography, it is quite unique to use rocks as your subject
February 6th, 2008 at
Really cool, Mark. My favorite feature is that ribbon-looking band in the second photo.
February 6th, 2008 at
Breathtaking color and lines. I would love to have a piece of that rock. You are certainly taking the best advantage of that geological gift. Wow!
February 7th, 2008 at
Beautiful images! I’ve tried placing interesting rocks I find under water to photograph. Will have to experiment with your technique. Thanks for sharing it!
February 21st, 2008 at
Just noticed that yes, I have e-mailed you about these little beauties but did not leave a message here.
Therefore, ….. “cool stuff dude!!”
March 6th, 2008 at
Those are beautiful photos, keep posting them please.
June 3rd, 2008 at
Hmm, Its a best One ! Very beautiful photography,exiting to look geological photo work. Seems you found the stuff. Ribbon-looking band is a very fine work in your second photo.
Curious minds want to know more………
looking for new postings …………
June 26th, 2008 at
You took great pictures! I like them a lot!
September 16th, 2008 at
That is a very nice rock! Thanks for the interesting pictures!
December 4th, 2008 at
Very very nice , the color of the gemrocks are so vivid and bright that they seem to leap out from the photograph. It’s almost as if the have been made by an artisan.
Are these gemrocks considered precious or semi-precious stones , can they be sculpted like amber and jade?