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martinconrad

Rust Spot Abstraction 01

These were taken as close-ups of the side of a commercial dumpster.

These were taken as close-ups of the side of a commercial dumpster.
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PENTAX *ist DS

settings

Aperture 67/10 ISO 200 Shutter 1/90 Focal Length 32/1

upload_date

Oct, 2017

Views

820

Likes

+61

Awards

Zenith Award

Contest Finalist in Epic Abstractions Photo Contest

Peer Award

+12

Absolute Masterpiece

Top Choice

Outstanding Creativity

Superb Composition

Magnificent Capture

Emotions

Impressed

Top Ranks

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 20 rank

Top 20 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Behind The Lens

Location

Believe it or not, this is blistered and peeling paint on the side of a commercial dumpster that was parked about a block down the street from my apartment. It's one of several I took that day, some of the others of which are on my ViewBug.com profile. But, I admit that this one is my favorite.

Time

This was taken about mid-morning on the shady side of the dumpster as I was walking around the neighborhood, just being open to seeing the world from a new perspective, framed in the viewfinder of my camera.

Lighting

I wanted the lighting to be very even, so that the photo would ultimately have the feeling of an abstract painting, with as little depth-of-field as possible and an extremely flat impression. Being on the shaded side of the dumpster with only ambient light from the surroundings meant no shadows or dappling to interrupt the continuity of the colors.

Equipment

This was taken with a PENTAX *ist DS, using a Sigma Zoom 18-50mm 1:3.5-5.6 DC lens, Aperture: 67/10, ISO: 200, with a Shutter Speed of 1/90sec and a focal length of 32/1

Inspiration

As an art historian, I have long been fascinated with the concept of "finding art", looking at normal, everyday things in new ways, from new angles, with new perspectives, to see what one can learn about oneself and the world through the altered experience. I also loved the complementary nature of the colors, and the concentricity of the blister circles, broken so utterly by the triangular rust spot toward the center of the composition.

Editing

I used Affinity Photo 1.6.6 to process the RAW file (I always shoot RAW); I balanced the exposure and the white balance, as well as tweaking the brightness and contrast to enhance the already flat feel of the colors.

In my camera bag

I carry my Pentax *ist DS, my Sigma 18-50mm AF lens, a Sigma 70-200mm 1:4-5.6 AF telephoto lens, and Pentax-M 50mm 1:2 prime lens (which I usually use for macro shots). I also have an adjustable CPL filter, several grades of ND filters, and some screw-on macro lenses, as well as a 50mm reversing ring for doing macros with the Pentax-M 50mm. I have a variety of lens hoods, spare batteries (of course), and spare SD cards. I also keep a small notebook for jotting down facts and ideas for future photo shoots as I'm out-and-about.

Feedback

Stop and look. There is so much more to see in the everyday world, if we just take a mindful moment of presence to really look at things. See parts or sections of things as individual objects; it helps to be mindful that all things are composed of multiple parts and components, and looking at something from a different angle or distance than you normally see it can reveal interesting new shapes, colors, textures, and realities. And, finally, keep going out and keep shooting!

See more amazing photos, follow martinconrad

martinconrad

martinconrad

Rust Spot Abstraction 01

These were taken as close-ups of the side of a commercial dumpster.

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow martinconrad

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