Photographing sea glass - Using Translucence and Refraction – Simple Photography Tips by Michael Blyth.

Five Simple Tips for Using Translucence and Refraction when Photographing Sea Glass Pebbles

1. Light them from behind

Glass comes alive when light passes through it. Place the pebbles on a windowsill, lightbox, pale board or thin wooden surface with light coming from behind or below. This reveals colour, translucency and tiny internal marks.

2. Use side light for texture

To show the frosted surface, use light from the side. Low side light catches the pits, scratches and softened edges, making the glass feel tactile rather than just pretty.

3. Avoid harsh overhead light

Direct light from above can flatten the image or create ugly bright spots. Softer light, such as window light or light diffused through paper, tracing paper or thin fabric, gives a calmer, more elegant result.

4. Look for shadows as well as colour

The shadows cast by glass pebbles can be as interesting as the pebbles themselves.

5. Move yourself, not the pebbles

Experiment with different angles

When I was young, early to mid-teens, i started developed an interest in rocks and minerals. I had a cousin who was older than me, he had a wonderful minerals collection which i was very envious of - he went on to be a geologist, as did I.

Somewhere in this early 'rocks' phase, my dad bought a book called 'Pebbles on the Beach' by Clarence Ellis which we pored through on holidays in Cornwall and the west coast of Scotland, and we were able to identify quite a number.

Every now and then, nestling amongst real pebbles were off white, light blue or green 'pebbles' frosted and translucent - made from pieces of glass worn smooth by the combined action of the sea and various bits of rock and sand.

This weekend just gone we were on a 'retreat' with others from our valley at a place called Lee Abbey on the north coast of devon close to Lynton.

Slipping away before lunch we ate instead at our fave place in Lynton Charlie Friday's, and then strolled around the town.

My wife sidled (always makes me nervous) into an arty looking shop, which turned out to be, apart from lunch, the best part of the exploration - called The Seaglassist, it is run by a lady called Lizzie.

Apart from some rather fun wall art, and jewelry, there were a couple of trays of glass pebbles on her counter. We chatted, and I asked if i could take some images because of the light shining through the pebbles.

My intention was to share them with you to illustrate the benefits of keeping your eyes open for opportunities to create art photos from the unusual.

Here are some of the images, and ramblings to go with them. Using translucence and refraction to your advantage is vital when photographing sea glass

Image One - Frosted icy green pebble with white flecks.

Image One is taken looking directly down, but with the shop lighting coming in from the top of image. What I'd point out is, that with translucent items like this worn glass, the light passes through them, so each 'pebble' contains 'inherent' light of it's own which is what gives them the beautiful nature combined with texture.

When I took this image it was the frosted texture on the icy green pebble that stood out, so I chose to place it on the top left intersecting third.

Notice how the lighting has left the lower pebbles in relative shade.

Image Two - Marked pebble giving texture

Image Two shows my attraction to a pebble close to the one in Image One. The wavy banding is another feature you might pick out given a similar situation.

I've chosen to place it in the middle of the image because of the way the light is refracted, although if my iphone would handle the closeness and remain in focus, I'd possibly crop in even closer.

Always worth the experiment!

Image Three - Wonderfully lit white glass pebble

With image three, like the previous two, shot from above, the light refracts far less than in the following images, meaning that it shows up as a real white, and makes it glow in the centre of those around which are in relative shade - hidden from the direct light by pebbles lying closer to the light source.

Again I placed it more or less centrally, as otherwise lesser items would detract.

Image Four - side lit pebble catches the light the rest are shaded from.

Image Four is the first of three where the camera is down low with different illumination.

The low angle catches the effect of refraction, where the light is bent by passing through the glass, in such a way that the glow is maximised, and sits wonderfully against the others. Probably my favourite image.

Image Five - Combination of sea glass pebbles with shadows.

Image Five, again a low angle shot with the light source beyond, but this time there space between the pebbles which allows shadows into the picture, and as the pebbles are translucent, the shadows themselves carry light.

The limits to what's in focus that result from the depth of field, mean that the eye is very much drawn to the centre of the scene, and the specks of dust that adhere to the pebbles are silhouetted.

Image Six - Variation in lighting

Image Six is quite an intriguing shot. The very top of the image is almost at the point where the shop lights are coming into the picture, the effect is a wonderful section of out of focus well lit pebbles where the dominant lighting is reflective rather than refractive - shining off rather than through.

The nearer pebbles have wonderful texture, and are a mixture of refraction from the translucence and reflection.

The wood grain adds an extra texture, and the lines of the grain lead the eye into the image.

I hope this article will encourage you to grab artistic moments that come to you as you learn to notice light and the way it leads into photographic opportunities.

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