Celebrations -- Regionally appropriate!

[Rachel Foster]

It occurred to me it might be fun to show images symbolizing celebrations, but appropriate to a particular region and season.

So, my entry is winter celebration in the upper American Midwest.

ISO 1000, f/5.6, 1/3200, 93mm, hand held.

P.S. Edited to replace image (edited consistent with Charles Webster's suggestions.)

 

[Charles L Webster]

Rachel, this isn't half bad... (a compliment in my book). A little pop with some contrast and curves enhancement and a bit more color saturation and it's gold.

Clone out the dirt, sticks, and dark spots and you'll have an excellent still life.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Rachel Foster]

Thanks, Charles. I've been just looking at the curves chapter in my photoshop book. And I know how to clone already.

 

[james sperry]

i would love to comment on this but i'm at work and this monitor is worthless. i'll come back when i get home!!!!

 

[Mike Shimwell]

Hi Rachel

This is great fun and looks technically nice as well. The colours are now (post edit) spot on in my view.

Is there a particular significance to burying your method champenoise in the snow, or is this an abstraction of the American Northwest celebration?

Mike

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

..ISO 1000, f/5.6, 1/3200, 93mm, hand held.

Hi Rachel,

I like the image and find that this a good idea. But (here comes that dreaded word again), you still need to think a bit more on the technicalities when taking a still life picture like this one. IMO, there is no need at all to shoot this one with a shutter speed of 1/3200s whereas your ISO is a whopping 1000! You should have put the ISO at 100 and shoot at 1/250s instead. You are not exacly a starter any more so I expect from you more attention to such details .

Cheers,

 

[Rachel Foster]

Yup, Cem, I've been clicking down on the ISO a lot more. I'm still playing with the new cam and I was seeing what it can do.

I think a lower ISO might make it a bit cleaner, but what else do you see that it would fix up?

I'm probably going to reshoot this, by the way. The local wine/gourmet store wants to hang it in their shop. I only have to wait for another sunny day after a fresh snow.

The champagne in the snow was only to symbolize the region and time (we had more snow last month than in 100+ years) and there was an oblique political angle I didn't want to get into. It was shot just before Inauguration bringing up the thought of celebrations. I decided to open it up to celebrations in general as anyone's reason for celebrating is worthy of commemorating.

 

[Ken Tanaka]

Rachel; A brainstorm for "next time"...

One of the issues with this image is that it looks flat (no pun). The texture of the snow, and the holes, are rather distracting.

Snow turns out to be a terrific light diffuser. Try using a strong flashlight, or a pocket strobe in a Baggie, to blow a blast of light through the snow from the bottom. This will give the subject much more of a celebratory feeling and help with eye control. Also, experiment with different compositions. The angle and arrangement of the bottle and glass makes them look like refuse. Be very careful when tilting inanimate subjects at angles. They can often suggest unintentional anthropomorphic qualities. It many, for example, be part of your objective to portray this bottle and glass as two drunks leaning on each other...or not intentional at all.

 

[Rachel Foster]

Great suggestions! I love the flashlight in a baggie. And do you mean the snow should go right up to the bottles?

I see what you mean about the tilt. But straight up and down would not be pleasing to the eye, at least not in snow, I think.

 

[Ken Tanaka]

Great suggestions! I love the flashlight in a baggie. And do you mean the snow should go right up to the bottles?

Experiment. Start by asking your eye what purpose the snow serves in the scene at all. Then work towards that goal.

I see what you mean about the tilt. But straight up and down would not be pleasing to the eye, at least not in snow, I think.

Ah, more experimentation.

Fun facts:
1. The bottle and glass are transparent/translucent.
2. The bottle and glass are immediately recognizable shapes world-wide.
3. The specific brand of wine is not an issue, nor is the specific glass design.

Does this lead you to any conclusions?

Photographers can be such boring visual literalists. <g>

 

[Rachel Foster]

Well, the snow we currently have must be too wet. It completely obscured the light. I'll need to wait til we have some fresh powder I think.

The local wine/gourmet shop wants four more wine/champagne oriented shots in addition to this one. It will be fun! Thanks.

 

[james sperry]

hi rachel,
sorry it took so long for me to get back to you! i couldn't find the thread ( i forgot the name). anywhoooo .............

did you try the shot with two glasses? and if so, did it have a different feeling to it? (i'm getting the feeling i have a different mindset than other members here, but this is just an opinion or my feeling ... please don't get mad ).... when i think of celebration, i have always been with at least one other person. the idea of the subject matter is awsome!! it reminds me of europe. but, only one glass with the bottle, in the snow ..... well, i get a feeling that maybe somebody left the party alone..... now, if there were two glasses in the snow ..... an individual could have met the right person and ..... well, celebrated....

i don't know what kind of effect it would have on the snow or if it would at all, but i wonder what would happen if you put some kind of crystal (with a whole bunch of cuts in it) in the wine glass. and then set up a laser pointer to hit the crystal (through the bottle opening) and refract the laser into different directions. i would try it, but i'm not in montana anymore and oklahoma doesn't have snow.

 

[Rachel Foster]

Thanks, James. I love your ideas. I tried the shoot again yesterday with a larger aperture but wasn't satisified.

I'd love to see what you could do appropriate to your region.

 

[james sperry]

Thanks, James. I love your ideas. I tried the shoot again yesterday with a larger aperture but wasn't satisified.

I'd love to see what you could do appropriate to your region.

lol ....... appropriate for my region ..... i'm having a vision of an open truck tailgate with a six-pack sitting on it (bottles or cans ... it would depend on the truck).... and maybe a beercan chicken in the background..... lol

 

[doug anderson]

At present, I think we are limited to indoor celebrations. Although I wouldn't mind getting a bunch of skiiers to go down a mountain holding torches...

D

 

[Rachel Foster]

Sounds like a photo to me!