Questions: Colors in Abalone

by Isabel Roeder

Originally published in American Lutherie #109, 2012



Roger Alan Skipper of Oakland, Maryland asks:

Do you know any way to keep the colors in abalone and MOP from washing out in a digital photo? I’ve tried everything I can think of, and can never recapture the intense greens and blues, even with some pretty intense color adjustments.

Isabel Roeder of Newton, Massachusetts replies:

There are many things that can make an image or part of one appear washed out, so first let me cover the basics. First, never use flash or other harsh, direct light. Indirect sunlight works best. If your camera has a saturation and contrast control (Nikon cameras call this “picture control” and generally have an option called “vivid”) you can try increasing both in the camera. You can also try this with photo editing software. Another thing to try in the camera or with editing software is sharpening.