Table & chair
Just trying to make this picture look more interesting that it actually is.
Just trying to make this picture look more interesting that it actually is.
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Mar, 2018Views
113
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Awards
Winner in Chair + Table: one of each Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Outstanding Creativity
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
All Star
Emotions
Impressed
Top Ranks
Top 30 rank week 2Top 30 rank week 1
Top 30 rankTop 20 rank week 2Top 20 rank week 2Categories
AdirahsEyes
April 22, 2018
You succeeded in making the ordinary special. Congrats!! Your shot is the winner in my Challenge. Happy shooting....
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
Ironically, this a photo of part of a photography show I displayed in a nightclub with a rowdy reputation named Cooper's Aleworks in Nevada City, California, USA. I staged this shot specifically for AdirahsEyes' Chair + Table photo challenge. This was the first art show the bar ever hosted.Most artists would reject this as a showcase for their work because of the dim lighting and the risk of damage to these expensive metal prints. Nevertheless, this was a highly successful show (i.e., I sold well over a dozen prints).Time
This was shot at 12:30 p.m. March 21, 2018, shortly after the bar opened on a Wednesday. I chose this time of day simply because I happened to be there to check on the display and there was some natural light coming through a window.Lighting
The lighting was terrible and the green wall was hardly gallery quality. I had to use a diffused flash to get this shot. It was especially tricky, because the photographs were printed on glossy metal and a direct flash would have flared out on the metal prints.Equipment
This is a handheld shot using a Canon EOS Rebel T1i with a Canon EFS 18-55 mm kit lens. I used a camera-mounted 270EX Speedlite. I taped the white back of my business card to the Speedlite and,angled the flash upward so the light would bounce off the back of the card. I shot at 1/60 sec. at f/3.5. It worked!Inspiration
AdirahsEyes invited me to join her Chair + Table, one of each, photo challenge. I had nothing in my portfolio that matched her criteria. I needed to take pictures of my photography show anyway, so I bought a Blue Moon beer, put in on a table that was already there and took away one of the chairs at the table.Editing
As shot, this was a nothing burger. I didn't want to embarrass myself by even entering it, but I did want to honor AdirahsEyes kind invitation.First, I cropped it for the best composition (which meant cropping out several pictures from my show on the wall). Then I cloned out two electrical outlets, extension cords and part of an air-conditioning unit. I adjusted brightness, contrast and clarity overall, and lightened the shadow until the table. Still, there was nothing intriguing about the shot. It wasn't until applied Local Tone Mapping (Corel PaintShop Pro X9) that the photograph became an image. I like the grainy rawness and halos of the image. I still didn't think it was an award-winning shot, but it looked interesting enough to enter the challenge. I think that meeting the criteria of the challenge (one table, one chair) had a lot to do with it (that, and the beer).In my camera bag
It all depends on the shoot. I only carry what I need. I take my camera everywhere, so on an average day, it's just my Canon T1i and my go-to 55-250 mm EFS zoom lens with image stabilization and a polarizing filter. Fully geared up, I bring my 18-55 mm kit lens and a 85 mm prime lens. I have a 270EX Speedlite with an extension cord, a tripod, and remote shutter release. And of course, extra batteries and camera cards plus cleaning gear and a couple reference manuals. And oh yeah, I just added an umbrella studio lighting kit.Feedback
Your "eye" is more important than your gear. And the photograph that comes out of your camera is just a snapshot. Use post-processing to bring out the true potential of the photograph.Just as film from a camera had to be processed before you could print a picture. A digital photograph isn't finished until you run it through your digital darkroom. This award-winning photograph was just an ordinary snapshot when it came out of the camera. This image was created in post-processing. Sure, get -- and learn -- the best camera gear you can afford, but also invest in digital editing software and learn how to use that as well. Modern photography requires both camera and digital software.
