The Chill
Winner: Brett L
What was your thought process in coming up with your photo?
This week there wasn’t much thought process involved. I was running out of time so I went outside on my front step to shoot. I do try and have some idea of what I would like or what would fit the assignment for the week, but I usually take pictures and then try and figure out which one I can use for the assignment.
What settings did you use (shutter/aperture, ISO, etc)?
shutter: 1/25
aperture: F/5.6
ISO:100
Did you do any Post Production? If so, what did you do?
The photo was shot in RAW. In Photoshop I did a couple things to make the picture more pleasing to the eye. First I adjusted the contrast to make the texture of the concrete stand out more in the foreground. I then created two layers. One the first layer I colored the leaf a more interesting deep red, because in the original picture it was a dead yellowish brown color. One the second layer I made the image black and white and created a layer mask so that the red color of the first layer could be seen.
What tools did you use (flash, lens, meter, etc)?
The only tool I used was a tiny 5 inch tall tripod that came with a Laser Level that Rob and Marla got Andrea for her birthday a couple years back. I use it some times if I want to be extra close to the ground when shooting. I do look like an idiot though, either kneeling or laying on the ground/floor looking through the viewfinder, so I try not to use it in public all that much.
What have you learned from this assignment?
I’ve learned from this assignment that everyday things around me can be interesting in the right setting and with a little creativity. The first two weeks I wanted to go to interesting places to get “cool” shots that I thought would be fun to look at. This week I didn’t have much time so I walked off my front door step and found the leaf in the grass. The sleet or ice was already on it so I just carefully moved it to my concrete porch and took the picture.
What would you have done differently now that it’s over?
Nothing I guess. I just shoot really, and hope the pictures turn out okay.
Anything else?
Yeah, I’d like to know how Devon and Brian set up their shots. Everybody had really cool photos this week.
3 Comments
I used a colander and a water bottle. I tried just pouring water from a cup, but the water would stream. I wanted water droplets. So, the colander was the ticket. For the background I had a white poster board that stood up on it’s own because it was hinged on the sides (that’s why you see two vertical lines near the edge). I lit the background with one of my dad’s flash units. I also used my flash unit off to the left to light the water. I had Marla pour the water while I took a photo. I had to Photoshop some rogue drops and also some light glare on one of the droplets. That was the strangest part. Some lighting situations would cause what looked like a motion blur below the droplets. It was weird because it made the water look like it was falling up. But, it couldn’t have been motion blur, rather, some kind of light spill. Weird.
Nice job brett!
hey- you guys should get to sleep at night. In my picture I was trying to get the lighting and color dialed in- I am getting better, so look out in the future. I think I am learning that I need crisp detail and interesting lighting along with cool subject and composition. I love the way I have begun to look at people and places- looking for hidden beauty and uniqueness. Thanks for letting me play;-)