# Photographing cobalt bottles



## mrbottles (Dec 28, 2005)

need help.  I'm trying to do a bottle gallery of all Wisconsin pre Hutchinson Wisconsin's soda bottles at my web site.  I have a backlight and am getting some good pictures.  it seams like my pictures of cobalt bottles just don't look true to the color of the bottles.

 I have a bunch of them loaded at the page http://www.mrbottles.com/galleryBlobSodas.asp   I am already redoing photo's of dozens of bottles.  I want this to be my last redo.  

 Thanks,

 Steven


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## mrbottles (Dec 28, 2005)

That last one is a deep dark cobalt blue and this one is a deep saphire blue.  I don't know what i'm doing wrong but the color just isn't right.


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## capsoda (Dec 28, 2005)

Hey Steven, Compaired to some I've done and some I've seen your are pretty darn good. Don't know how you could do any better. Maybe slightly less back light or a slightly grayer back drop?



 Hope you had a great Christmas.


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## mrbottles (Dec 28, 2005)

Hi Warren,

 Christmas was great hope yours was too.

 The problem looking at these pictures for me is that they don't look as awesome as the true bottle does.  The cobalt early soda and mineral waters are some of the very best bottles Wisconsin has.  I want to show them as well as I can.  I have the backlight and that lights them up pretty good.  Then I use the flash so the bottle doesn't look like a ghost image.  It looks like I am getting a reflection of the inside back wall of the bottle or some thing.  

 A good friend and fellow collector told me the images in my personal gallery didn't look right.  I was so disappointed after spending hours taking those photos that I may be imagining things but I want to get this done this time and move on. He was right too.  If you look at the ones im my gallery under host collector you can see the ones that I tried to use the sun as a back light for and now the ones thati have redone.  The originals look like crap.  Most of the pictures on the site came from this same camera.  It's just these individual cobalt bottles that are giving me trouble.  

 That top hat Hopkins pontil mineral water looks purple or some thing in that picture.  It's actually a beautiful deep blue.  

 I was just hoping some one would see those pictures and know what I need to do to make it perfect.  

 Thanks Warren,

 Steven


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## Flaschenjager (Dec 28, 2005)

Hi *mrbottles* - Steven,
 First of all, for those trying the link in your post, leave off the period at the end of the sentence and it works fine. (You can edit it - included in your thread). 

 Your photos look great and better than most that post here. For true color, I use all natural lighting for those better pictures. Meaning a good sunny day, but not direct sunlight. You don't have to go outside, just near some large windows for those winter photos. [] If you're still not happy w/ them adjust slightly and use some brightness and contrast in your editing program. You probably already use or do this, but may help some readers. 

 I've just spent a great deal of time at your site and must say that I enjoyed the many pages. I'd love to add your site to my links page w/ your permission. My sites are scheduled to be updated on the first and will have many changes. A much needed update since my collecting interests change annually.


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## mrbottles (Dec 28, 2005)

Hi Meech,

 Yes please add the link.  We are trying to make the site spectacular.  I'm lucky to have the ongoing help of two hard core collectors and input form many more.  Content is huge.  It's an effort to keep good content coming. You can see me begging for it all over the site.  I have even made a story for the site a part of trades to get content out of motivated people. These bottle galleries are very cool.  They will eventually be on of the best resources on bottles any where even though they are limited to Wisconsin.  

 I haven't played with editing the color because I just feel that would be a deception of sorts.  The photo's in sunlight haven't gone so well although I have got some decent images that way in the past.  You can see under host collector.  I was so anxious to pound out that gallery including the descriptions in less than a day that I didn't stop to look at the quality of my images.  The new ones are much better except I don't like the cobalt images.  The thing that stinks is that almost all of the Wisconsin cobalt bottles are very rare or extremely rare.  Those galleries are the only place a lot of people are going to get to see them. 

 Thanks,

 Steven

 I'll be checking your site out tonight.  I have to get back to work!


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## mrbottles (Dec 28, 2005)

Hey Meech,

 I already looked at your website last week.  I found this site one night looking at bottle sites on the internet.  I don't know if I found your site from here or on my own.  It's pretty cool.  I filled out your request for a link there when i found it.  I had noticed another bottle web site from Wisconsin had a link there.  It's the We Dig Wisconsin site.  That's a fun one during the digging season.  The guys that built it put up their days events after they go digging.  Every weekend means more information


 If you have any ideas that would make the mrbottles site better please  let me know.  

 Thanks,

 Steven


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## tombstone (Dec 28, 2005)

Color correcting a photo to better reflect a true color wouldn't be deception.  If you turned the bottle this color it would be deception []


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## mrbottles (Dec 28, 2005)

Ha Tombstone,

 Your color is way worse than mine.  I guess that's a good example of the glass half full thing.  

 I figured out that because I was taking the picture so close it was distorting them.  The blob looks like you are looking up at it and the base looks like you are looking down at it.  I couldn't see it at first but the more i played with distance trying to figure out the lighting I finally saw it.  While the color isn't perfect it's more true from farther away zooming in than from up close zoomed out.  Now I just have to retake and reload all the ones I did last night that were redoes from a month ago.

 Thanks for the sweet purple Wolf!

 Steven


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## capsoda (Dec 28, 2005)

Hey Steven, Quit playing with that camera an check you email. [sm=lol.gif]I found your stopper.[]


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## mrbottles (Dec 28, 2005)

Ah i checked my email....  NOTHING!

 Is this some sort of Alabamie trick?

 Steven


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## capsoda (Dec 28, 2005)

No, You would definetly know if it was. Sent you a Email Just after 2 this PM. Just sent it again.[]


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## mrbottles (Dec 28, 2005)

Hey Warren,

 Are you watching those images come up perfect in the blob soda gallery?  and in my gallery?  Man it must be like fireworks out there on the rest of the internet.  Big beautiful cobalt fireworks!  The next two will be the dark cobalt blue Hopkins bottles.  

 I saw your email, you sent it to my wife!! That's because i sent you an email from her account.  It was open when i hit the email link under you name and i never checked what address i sent from.  Very cool thanks!  I will send the address tonight!

 Steven


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## capsoda (Dec 28, 2005)

Well Now, The wifes Email. This could be fun![sm=lol.gif]


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## mrbottles (Dec 28, 2005)

Don't get excited she doesn't hardly use it.  Plus she's five month pregnant with our first kid!  How cool is that!  Have to reboot my camera software is stuck

 See ya soon!

 Steven


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## mrbottles (Dec 28, 2005)

Hey Warren,

 Look at the difference in the two images for 5006 hopkins the one on the LEFT is the one that looked wrong to me http://www.mrbottles.com/gallery.asp much better hey?

 Steven

 Look tonight i'll delete the second in the morning


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## Flaschenjager (Dec 28, 2005)

Hey Steven - 
 I was just working on my links page and checking some earlier emails and bookmarks for this. I must say, I apologize, because you wrote to me some time ago and I've been so out of it and forgot to reply. To make a long story short, your site has been added and will be uploaded around the first of the year (next year []) or slightly before. 

 PS - Congrats on the new diver in the months ahead. You better do all you can now...your free time is about to be cut in half or more. []


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## capsoda (Dec 29, 2005)

Hey Steven, You can't afford me so theres no charge for the stopper and I'll throw in a couple extra regular hutch stoppers.

 I see what you meant about the pics, they are starting to look great. I'm always happy to just get a fuzzy pic.[&o]

 I'd pull all that your wife my kid stuff but I know how touchy you new pops are.[sm=lol.gif]Hope the baby looks like mom![sm=lol.gif] Congrats to you and your wife and remember the phrase " YOU LOOK BEAUTIFUL BABY". It becomes really important after 6 months.[:-]


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## mrbottles (Dec 29, 2005)

How much better is this!!!  Holy cow am i glad!  It's sucks doing it twice but then still having junk is worse!

 If any one wants to know how to photograph cobalt bottles give me a holla!

 Oh and Meech no messing with the color on this!!

 Steven


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## capsoda (Dec 29, 2005)

You stepped back and use your editer to bring it in? Looks good.


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## mrbottles (Dec 29, 2005)

Why you getting all tekinkal like on my shizay?  

 OH NO YOU Diiiiiii ENT!

 Whatever dude!

 Bob is very reluctant to cut loose and tell you his glass stopper story.  He dropped a goodie bad FULL of them.  Found a pile with thousands!!! 

 Steven


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## capsoda (Dec 30, 2005)

Yeah, I checked. You can tell he's not lettin lose but he wants to.[sm=lol.gif]I'll get him to tell me the whole story eventually.


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## mrbottles (Dec 31, 2005)

Hey Warren,

 Now that you and Bob are best friends I think you should know...  He has a termite farm and may be trying to use you for wood! [] 

 I just think you should be careful is all!

 Steven


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## capsoda (Dec 31, 2005)

Thats ok Steven, My left leg is made of ELUEDIAM PEW32 and its space lazer proof.[sm=lol.gif]The rest of me is.... well....my wife says poop with sugar on it.[sm=rolleyes.gif]

 Your not feeling peu de chose are you. [sm=lol.gif]Your still my #1 Wisconsin bottle buddy little gipper.[sm=lol.gif]

 Wisconsin sure is way to hell and gone up north.


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## mrbottles (Dec 31, 2005)

Good morning Warren!

 Well, I was feeling a little left out since Bob called me yesterday and tells me you guys are going bottle hunting and he'll let me know what you find! I may go diving this weekend in a place where I found an unlisted Fire grenade!  The freezing water is nice and clear. [] 

 I have a probe out of ELUEDIAM PEW32.  (I suppose you do too)  Or I should say HAD.  Remember that little Martian on bugs bunny?  He was after some rare Wisconsin bottles and attacked me and my digging partner while we were out on a dig.  He actually said something like, "I'VE COME TO COLLECT ALL THE BOTTLES IN YOUR STATE...  TAKE ME TO THE BLOSSOMS BADGER ALE"  (In a very weird voice) Sure he was pointing his space laser at us so we were like okay okay we'll take you.  In reality there was no way we were going to hand over the Blossoms to that little son of a &^&*(^@!  I picked up four alabamie bottles we had just found and starting juggling.  (Juggling is mesmerizing to the little Martians you know.)  While he was distracted my partner threw a digging tarp over him and we made off.  He fired his laser repeatedly before he was able to free himself and go back to his little ship to flee.  

 When we went back to the scene the next day with a bunch of space abducty freaks.[:'(]  (You know the kind you see on sixty minutes and 20/20.)  The probe made of ELUEDIAM PEW32 Was vaporized.  It must have taken a direct hit from the little guys space laser!

 Again I'm only trying to help here.  I don't want to hear you got into a tussle with a space alien and ended up vaporized because you tried to attack with your left leg leading! 

 Steven

 P.S. I used the alabamie bottles so i wouldn't have to feel bad if i dropped and broke them...  I'm a terrible juggler![]


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## southern Maine diver (Jan 1, 2006)

MrBottles...

 Hey Steven, congratulations on the upcoming addition to your family![] I guess your diving time will be a little less, but when you do get underwater, the peacefulness... the quiet... the relaxation... you'll be falling asleep![]

 I'm going through bottle withdrawal... my drysuits aren't back from being repaired yet, (I had them stored in a dive bag out in the garage and mice ate a hole through both of them!!) So I'm still wet suitin it[&:]  Water temp is down to 40 degrees now oh well...

 Your web site is super...  I'm glad you found us here on the forum. It's quite a family we have here... Have a Happy New Year and the best to you and your family,

 Wayne[]


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## mrbottles (Jan 2, 2006)

Wayne,

 Thanks for the feedback and the kind wishes!!!  I thought you had given up on the bottle chat thing.  

 The site is taking shape even as we speak.  Just today I completed a redo of a bunch of images in my personal gallery and in the Wisconsin blob soda gallery.  I'm back to moving forward instead of redoing!  If you have any ideas that would make the site better let me know.  We will soon have a Wisconsin bitters gallery and whisky gallery.  Getting photographs of as many different bottles is tough and putting them up takes time!  

 We used to dive wet in water that was only open because of high current with air temperatures near zero!  It would take hours to warm back up and the dives would suck the energy right out of you.  I was going to hit a river today in a rapids area but we have unusually warm temperatures today and a ton of rain so I'll loose the benefit of being able to see.  It's an area where I found some good stuff but with basically rapids you need to see to dive it effectively.  I'm going to put it off until next weekend.

 You know we have a forum at mrbottles too, right?  It would be nice to see you there!

 Happy new year!  

 Steven


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## southern Maine diver (Jan 2, 2006)

MrBottles...

 Steven, I didn't give up the bottle forum chat thing, I was just away on vacation.  [&:]

 I brought the lap top with me but for some reason, I couldn't get hooked up and when I did, the keyboard letters were so small that I kept hitting wrong ones or doubles, so I just gave up[]

 I'm back home now and just got back in from a couple of service calls.  Boy the water is frigid...[&:]  But this is how I make my living, so the work must go on.  I can't wait till the dry suits get back!  Talk to you soon,

 Wayne


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## mrbottles (Jan 2, 2006)

Oh My!

 The tears are welling up in my eyes![]  You have to go in the cool water to make a living?  That's only one step away from having the sleepy relaxed life of Warren.  Do you ever find treasure (bottles) on the job?  

 Man what a life!

 Steven


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## southern Maine diver (Jan 2, 2006)

Hey Steven...

 Yes, I've found a couple of nice things while working... I bring some up and put them aside.  I found that Iberian/Spanish olive jar on a job, the Stoddard Double Eagle half pint on another[8D]  I write down the GPS numbers and then return to the exact site later on and scour the area!  It has worked real well.  When I'm working with my boat, I try to take a lunch hour and burn a tank of air in a new spot to see what I can find...

 It makes the day go by fast. As long as I get my work done, then everybody is happy![]

 Wayne


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## mrbottles (Jan 2, 2006)

Iberian Spanish olive hey?  Sounds interesting?  Was it pontiled?  Was Milwaukee spelled Milwaukie on it?  Now that would be some thing if it was!!! Did Warren tell you he spells Alabamy F-L-O-R-I-D-A?  What the hell is Iberian anyway?  Does that mean 'extra spicy' Spanish olives?  If so can you get original recipe too?  

 GPS?  You dive for work AND have all the technical gizmos.  Warren must get sick with envy in the time between his naps and bingo games!  

 Steven


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## southern Maine diver (Jan 2, 2006)

Steven...

 I think Warren is joke writer for big time "Sit Com"!! He always has a great one line comeback...

 I've been practicing with my wife's digital again. [:-]  I got some bottles back from being cleaned, so I was going to throw a couple up on the forum... Tell me what you think and how I can improve them..

 Wayne


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## capsoda (Jan 2, 2006)

Hey Steven, If you or anyone else wants to learn the true secret to early retirement they way I did, I have a BAR. [ thats Browning Automatic Rifle ][8D]All YOU have to do is not move wile I show you.[sm=lol.gif][sm=lol.gif][sm=lol.gif] We will forego the 12+ G impact with ground.

  I believe seal season is open here in Alabamy so dress in your little seal like suit and come on down.[sm=lol.gif]

 Hey Wayne, don't let him snow ya, BINGO was invented in Ogaboogasheewa Westconsin.[:-]


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## mrbottles (Jan 2, 2006)

Whoa Warren!

 You can't shoot Wisconsin bottle collectors.  We're the hunters not the hunted.  Besides who's going to find you all those floribama or bamiflora Pepsi bottles if you shoot me?  Remember 1 Blossoms Badger Ale ="s 6 Pepsi bottles!  Who would shoot a poor helpless seal anyway?  

 What exactly happened to you Warren?  Did they have you in the air force circus and you missed the landing pad after being shot out of the human cannon ball thingy?  Did you do cartwheel off a curb and land funny while doing those cool training runs they always show on TV or what?  

 Warren you're getting you activities confused again...  Cross stitching was invented in Ogaboogasheewa not BINGO!  That was more of that James Carvel speak on the Wisconsin too.  I get goose bumps when you do that! 

 Wayne i'm not sure i'd be much help on the pictures.  I am having better luck but still figuring it out myself.  I'd love to see some glass though!

 Steven


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## capsoda (Jan 2, 2006)

Hey Steven, the government told me that flying is fun and safe and then we got shot down.[&:]You know? There are very few places to duck in an airplane and when your only moving at 500mph it can be a real bummer.[8|]


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## mrbottles (Jan 2, 2006)

WOW!!!

 What conflict were you in?  At least you are alive!!!  

 Steven


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