Expert photographer and mineral collector from Austria, Andreas Schmid has recently being showing some excellent photographs using a light source at an extreme angle to the faces of the subject crystals.
I would have trouble explaining the physics behind resulting images; a combination of refraction, diffraction, reflection and dispersion just about covers everything!
In the main shot you can see a 16mm magnetite group from Felbertal, Austria shot at an angle of incidence of (+- 2°) of a direct light source.
You can see the light bounce produces some pretty special and beautiful patterns to the crystals.
The photo right shows a side by side comparison.
With Andreas's permission also incuded in the gallery below are some spessartine garnet crystals from Skardu, Pakistan given the same treatment.
Link below is to Andreas's Facebook Mineral Photo Album
