I have been collecting now for over 30 years, though admittedly, most of it was post- university. I collect by rare localities, rare minerals (though they need to be somewhat showey) and thumbnail to cabinet sized specimens. Just started into micros, so some of those specimens may end up here as well, dependent on how they photograph. I'll experiment some in that regard.

Favourite sites to collect: Dundas quarry in Ontario and Bancroft, Ontario.
Favourite minerals: Vanadinites, Wulfenites, and anything in cavities, particularly colourful.

Oh, and fluorescent minerals as well. Where possible, I also include UV photos.

Currently, I am using a Canon SX30IS digital camera with 35x optical zoom, 14.1 mp, which seems to take pretty good photos from across the room, but with macro, can zoom in to 2 mm crystals with clarity. See the Wheal Edward Torbernite closeup for example.



I have started taking micro photos starting with the Dundas Quarry in Ontario, and the Sugar Grove locality in West Virginia. I find that there is more to think about in setting up micro photos, than with the larger pieces. I have two (2) microscopes, one of which gives x1 or x3, and the other is x2 or x4, which combines with a 15x optical microscope camera to give a range of 15x to 60x. Lighting is the more difficult part with the micros, as it is so easy to end up with light flashes on metallic specimens, or flares on gemmy material. Working on this.