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PGoeth

Heatsink11

Discarded CPU heat sink shot with Canon 5d MKII, 100mm 2.8 Macro, 5X Hoya macro filter, and Canon twin light macro flash....
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Discarded CPU heat sink shot with Canon 5d MKII, 100mm 2.8 Macro, 5X Hoya macro filter, and Canon twin light macro flash.
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Canon EOS 5D Mark II

settings

Aperture f/32.0 ISO 200 Shutter 1/200

upload_date

Aug, 2014

Views

219

Likes

Awards

Member Selection Award

Staff Winter Selection 2015

Good job

Outstanding Creativity

Top Choice

Absolute Masterpiece

Peer Award

Superb Composition

Magnificent Capture

Emotions

Impressed

Top Ranks

Top 30 rank

Top 10 rank

Top 30 rank

Top 30 rank week 2

Top 30 rank week 1

Behind The Lens

Location

This shot was taken in my make-shift studio at home, which consists of cardboard backgrounds and other improvised items purchased from craft stores and hardware stores. This particular photo is a macro abstract shot of two computer heat sinks reflected in an unused shower head.

Time

This was taken at about 11:05AM on August 5th of this year.

Lighting

The light used for this was the Canon MT-24EX Macro Twin Light set on manual with the 'A' light (left) set to 1/8th power and the 'B' light (right) set to 1/32nd or 1/16th (I can't remember exactly which I finally settled on) because the ambient light was coming from the window to the right of the setup, and I wanted to even out the lighting as much as possible, without causing too many blown highlights. I also used a black tri-fold to block as much of the light coming from the window as possible.

Equipment

This was shot with a Canon 5D Mk II, a Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro, and the aforementioned macro twin light. I used a Manfroto tripod and a dedicated Canon wired remote trigger.

Inspiration

I have always been fascinated by the different patterns and abstractions that can be found in everyday objects shot close up. I believe this stems from my childhood and the science magazines I'd read, which would have a shot of an ordinary object that was shot at extreme close-up so that it was hard to tell exactly what it was. Readers were then challenged to guess what the object was.

Editing

I did very minimal tonal adjustments to this image, but very extensive dust and spot removals. It was impossible to get the heat sinks clean from the years of accumulated dust, and the shower head had slight scratches and imperfections that needed to be fixed in post.

In my camera bag

My camera bag is normally packed for event/wedding photography. I pack my 5D Mk II, my Canon 60D, 24-70mm f/2.8L, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS, 100mm, Sigma 14mm f/2.8, Canon 580EX II speedlight, the MT-24EX Twin Light, extra batteries, extra memory cards, and a portable tripod.

Feedback

My advice for trying to capture something similar is to practice. Experiment with different lighting techniques and compositions. And finally, look closely at ordinary, everyday objects to see what interesting patterns emerge. To paraphrase a famous 20th century photographer whose name escapes me at the moment, don't just shoot an object for what it is, shoot it for what else it is.

See more amazing photos, follow PGoeth

PGoeth

PGoeth

Heatsink11

Discarded CPU heat sink shot with Canon 5d MKII, 100mm 2.8 Macro, 5X Hoya macro filter, and Canon twin light macro flash.... Read more

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow PGoeth

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Discarded CPU heat sink shot with Canon 5d MKII, 100mm 2.8 Macro, 5X Hoya macro filter, and Canon twin light macro flash....
Read more

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