Rock and Mineral Treasures: Geological Digital Photography 

Featuring photos of otherworldly beauty from the Rice Museum collection. 

Julian Gray, Executive Director
Rice Northwest Rock and Mineral Museum 

Conichalcite

Geologists constantly need to depict rocks, minerals, and fossils for presentations and publications.  Digital photography has extended the range of possibilities in illustrating samples.  One common problem, reduced depth of field at high magnifications, is easily overcome using stacking techniques.  This technique uses sharply focused portions of sequential photographs focused on different slices or stacks to produce a synthesized images in which the subject is crisply focused.  Julian Gray, executive director of the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals, is a geologist and semi-professional photographer who has experimented with stacking techniques and others to produce stunning images.  Julian's specialty is photomicrography.  His images have been published in mineral magazines and books.

Rice Museum Executive Director Julian Gray

Julian Gray is the former Curator of the Tellus Science Museum in Cartersville, Georgia, where he oversaw the interpretation and care of the museum’s collections including collections management, exhibit fabrication, and research library. He served as final word on the scientific and technical accuracy of all exhibits, educational materials, and public communications. As an integral participant in nearly every major decision-making process concerning museum operations and strategic planning, Gray also was involved in numerous marketing campaigns, educational programs, and human resources matters, and was frequently sought out as local expert for science outreach, providing live interviews with and presentations for local media and civic groups.

Gray also is active in the mineralogical community locally, nationally, and internationally, currently serving on the board of the Society of Mineral Museum Professionals. He was also a past president of Friends of Mineralogy (national organization and Southeast chapter). Other leadership roles included the Atlanta Geological Society and Georgia Mineral Society. He is the co-author of chapters related to Georgia mineral localities in the widely-acclaimed book “American Mineral Treasures” and, along with Dr. Robert Cook, co-author of the 2nd edition of the revised edition of “Minerals of Georgia” (Jose Santamaria, editor), currently in press