Depression and Elegant Glass

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  • Depression Glass
    • Index to Depression Glass Posts by Pattern
    • Identify Your Depression Glass Patterns with Photos – Pattern Identification Guide
    • Federal Depression Glass
      • Normandie
      • Patrician Spoke
      • Sharon Cabbage Rose
      • Other Federal Patterns
    • Hazel Atlas Depression Glass
      • Floral Poinsettia
      • Florentine #1 and #2 Poppy
      • Hazel Atlas Other Patterns
      • Royal Lace – Green, Pink, Blue and Clear
    • Hocking Depression Glass
      • Block Optic
      • Cameo Ballerina Depression Glass
      • Mayfair Depression Glass
      • Princess Depression Glass
      • Other Hocking Patterns
    • Jeannette Depression Glass
      • Cherry Blossom
      • Petal Swirl
      • Iris and Herringbone
      • Winsdor
      • Other Jeannette Patterns
    • Indiana Glass
    • Lancaster Glass
    • MacBeth Evans Depression Glass
      • American Sweetheart
      • Petalware Depression Glass White or Pink
    • US Glass
    • Other Depression Era Glass
    • Glass Colors – Pink, Green, Amber, Topaz, Blue and More
    • Vintage Tumblers & Swanky Swigs
  • Cambridge Glass
    • Cambridge Glass Pattern Photo Guide
    • Cambridge Diane
    • Cambridge Glass Rose Point
    • Other Cambridge Glass
  • Fostoria Glass
    • Fostoria Glass Patterns Photo Identification Guide
    • Fostoria Century
    • Fostoria Chintz
    • Fostoria Romance
    • Other Fostoria Glass
  • Elegant Glass
    • Elegant Glass Photo Gallery Identification Guide
    • Central Glass
    • Duncan Miller
    • Heisey Glass
    • Imperial Glass
    • Monongah Glass
    • Morgantown Glass
    • New Martinsville Glass
    • Paden City
    • Tiffin Elegant Glass
    • Viking Glass
    • Westmoreland
    • Other Elegant Glass
  • Glass Pieces
    • Cake Plates and Serving Platters
    • Candy Dishes
    • Center Handled Serving Trays
    • Comports and Compotes
    • Console & Serving Bowls
    • Dinnerware and Luncheon Ware
    • Mayo Sets
    • Pitchers
    • Vintage Glass Candle Holders
    • Vintage Relish Trays
    • Vintage Stemware & Goblets
  • Glass Tips and Guides
    • Gift Buying Guide – Collectible Glass
    • Glass Book Reviews
    • How to Buy Glassware
    • How to Clean Glass
    • How to Enjoy Your Glass
    • How to Sell Glass
    • Let’s Reduce Confusion
    • Reproductions and Fakes
    • Tips to Identify Glass
      • Pattern Guides
        • Birds
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      • Why Collect Glass?
      • Tablescapes
        • Depression Glass Tables
        • Elegant Glass Tables
        • China and Crystal
        • Pink Saturday
          • Pink Depression Glass
          • Pink Elegant Glass
          • Pink China and Other
  • 1940s and Later
    • Glass Patterns from the 1940s, 50s, 60s and 70s Identification Guide
  • Let’s Go Antiquing
    • Tablescapes
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You are here: Home / Glass Tips and Guides / Tips to Identify Glass / How to Photograph Glass Part 2: 4 Tips to Get Clear Pictures of Glass Designs

How to Photograph Glass Part 2: 4 Tips to Get Clear Pictures of Glass Designs

April 3, 2017 by Kathy Leave a Comment

If you want to identify or sell your glassware you need good, clear photos that show the design.  It is very difficult to show some designs and here are tips that may help.

Background

We covered this in our previous post, Photographing Glass Part 1, and it needs repeating.  Use a plain, solid colored background.  Dark backgrounds work better than light for most patterns.

Here is a Paden City pink vase photographed on dark and light colored backgrounds.  Can you see the difference, how the dark background gives enough contrast that we can identify the etch?

Paden City Peacock and Wild Rose Pink Elegant Depression Glass Vase
Paden City Peacock and Wild Rose Pink Elegant Depression Glass Vase

This photo is on very light gray photo paper.  It is even harder to see the design on white.

Paden City Peacock and Wild Rose Pink Vase on White Background
Paden City Peacock and Wild Rose Pink Vase on White Background

eBay prefers white backgrounds and you can find a few sellers that are able to get good pictures even against white.  However, even Replacements pictures are a little harder to see than if they used dark backgrounds. Some etches show up much better than others; they look crisper, more white to our eyes and are a tiny bit deeper. Fostoria etches tend to be easier than some.

Angle

You’ll notice the photos above are profile shots, shown straight on.  When the piece has a design all around it’s difficult to discern the pattern in this angle.  Here’s my photo of a Fostoria Chintz tumbler on black and looking straight across.  If you’re familiar with Chintz you could probably tell that’s what you are seeing, but this angle does not show the design.

Fostoria Chintz Etched Iced Tea Footed Tumbler
Fostoria Chintz Etched Iced Tea Footed Tumbler

Here’s a photo looking down into the bowl of the tumbler, photographing just one side, looking out.  Notice it’s much easier to see the details of the design.

Fostoria Chintz Iced Tea Tumbler
Fostoria Chintz Iced Tea Tumbler

Some Patterns Just Don’t Photograph Well

Some designs are soft and don’t photograph well no matter what you do.  This Cameo green depression glass vase is one example.  The mold etched pattern is quite large and the edges are rounded smooth.

Cameo Green Vase
Cameo Green Vase

Some cut patterns are very hard to capture well but I’ve had the most trouble with certain depression patterns and colors.

Rub Chalk Into Design

I’ve not tried this personally.  Some of my glass group have rubbed white or black chalk into the cut or etched designs.  This will give you a clearer photo of the design, good for identification.  I wouldn’t recommend this if you are trying to sell your piece.

Next post we’ll look at photographing colored glass.

Related

Filed Under: Tips to Identify Glass Tagged With: Collecting Depression Glass, Depression Glass

Use Photos to Identify Your Glass

Depression Glass Photo Identification Guide

Depression Glass Index by Pattern

Fostoria Glass Photo Identification Guide

Cambridge Glass Photo Identification Guide

Everyday Glassware from 1940s to 1970s Photo Guide

Recommended Glass Reference Books

These are the books I use the most and recommend.  These are affiliate links which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through links.

Favorite Depression Glass Book 

Collector’s Encyclopedia of Depression Glass by Gene and Cathy Florence, 2007 edition 

Collector’s Encyclopedia of Depression Glass by Gene and Cathy Florence, 2010 edition

Favorite Elegant Glass Books

Elegant Glass: Early, Depression, & Beyond, Revised & Expanded 4th Edition Hardcover – July 28, 2013 by Debbie and Randy Coe

Collector’s Encyclopedia of Depression Glass, 19th Edition Hardcover – Illustrated, July 10, 2009 by Gene and Cathy Florence

Best for 1940s-1970s

Collectible Glassware From the 40s, 50s, 60s: An Illustrated Value Guide, 10th Edition – Illustrated, July 14, 2009 by Gene and Cathy Florence

Favorite Fostoria Books

Best Overall:  Fostoria: Its First Fifty Years Hardcover – January 1, 1972 by Hazel Marie Weatherman 

Best for Stemware:  Fostoria Stemware: The Crystal for America – January 1, 1994
by Milbra Long and Emily Seate

Best for Fostoria Tableware pre 1943:  Fostoria Tableware: 1924-1943 – January 1, 1999 by Milbra Long and Emily Seate

Best for Fostoria Tableware After 1943:  Fostoria Tableware: 1924-1943 – January 1, 1999 by Milbra Long and Emile Seate

 

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This site shares my love for American vintage glass from the late 1920s on.   It is a blog with lots of pictures (eye candy!), information and opinions.

I do not buy nor sell glass, this is strictly an Enjoy! site.

Users agree that anything posted here is said to the best of my knowledge but I am not responsible for any loss you may experience from using the content.

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