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IreneM


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Abstract Macro III (Advanced Editing VII)
Collection: Portfolio
Camera: Nikon D50
Lens: Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f2.8D
Location: My kitchen
Date: Aug 20, 2009
Aperture: f16
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/500 s
Galleries: Abstract, Still Life
Date Uploaded: Aug 23, 2009

 What can I say... I’m completely floored by the score… 7.4+, Wow! The last time I was this nervous was when my “Coffee with a drop of milk” shot was in voting ;-)

Before I describe how I did this image I wanted to tell you that I very, very seldom end up with the photo that I first have in mind…

So, here’s how it went: While out for a walk during my lunchbreak a couple of weeks ago I found a small, clear plastic spring lying on the pavement. I picked it up thinking I might be able to use it for a photo sometime. When this challenge was announced I knew my find would come in handy. In my minds eye I could see the spring floating gracefully on the surface of some coloured water. Perfect. Not!
I got everything set up and put the spring into the bowl of water and what happened? It sank like a stone! No floating gracefully, no surface tension, no nothing. I took a couple of shots of it lying underwater at the bottom of the bowl but they were totally crap ;-)
Because I’d spent ages setting everything up I didn’t want to go too far away from my original idea so I got some glasses out of the cupboard and started experimenting. I stood glasses in the water, stood upeneded glasses in the water, lay glasses in the water. The shots were all o.k. but nothing to write home about.
I suddenly remembered the glasses with the unusual stems I’d used for this shot so I stood one of them in the water, then stood it upended in the water, lay it in the water (hope I’m not boring you ;-) and discovered it was too long to lie properly… Soooo I lay the goblet end over the rim of the bowl and the rest in/over the water. Bingo!!
What you see in the image is the curved stem of the glass. I wanted to get as low down and close as I could so I had to tilt the camera to keep it out of the water which meant my ear was often very close to having a swim ;-) Once I even dipped the lens into the water. Aaarrggghhh!
I had orange coloured water in the bowl and draped a blue transparent sheet over the flash. Made for some great colours.

Thanks SO much for the ribbon, the comments, the faves and the fantastic score.

Statistics
Place: 1 out of 177
Avg (all users): 7.4483
Avg (commenters): 8.6000
Avg (participants): 7.3333
Avg (non-participants): 7.5714
Views since voting: 7808
Views during voting: 305
Votes: 145
Comments: 73
Favorites: 28 (view)

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AuthorThread
 08/28/2011 06:17:22 PM
YEP....A WINNER in my BOOK THANK YOU for all your amazing photography...I am in AWE of all your work ...Love from shez xox
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 10/24/2009 07:24:01 PM
Wonderufl, I will have to try this. thanks for th eexplanation.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/06/2009 11:33:55 PM
Fabulous colour, great image, and well deserved blue. Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/02/2009 07:54:35 AM
another favorite for my colection, Irene what a great shot with so much color which is what i realy love any how. and i also enjoy reading the how tos never boreing for me, keep the great shots comming we love um
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/02/2009 12:10:27 AM
Very beautiful photo!! Congratulations!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 09/01/2009 09:14:12 AM
WOW, another excellent work.
Congrates.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 11:37:04 PM
Damn you are so good at these type shots. Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 09:34:52 PM
Just stunning, I gave this a 9 when voting, well done on the ribbon!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 07:45:00 PM
Congratulations!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 07:41:52 PM
The complimentary colours you captured are most pleasing to my eye. Ho-hum, just another 7.4+ Blue ribbon for the Master! ;-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 06:50:22 PM
Double WOW!
Debbi
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 06:28:16 PM
Such amazing colors! Beautiful. Congrats on the blue.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 04:11:47 PM
It's a beauty. Congratulations!
A few years back I once tried a similar idea with a glass stem but it was not as near as beauitful as this. I didn't end up posting it ;)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 02:51:07 PM
Irene... you always surprise me with your shots.. or should I say I'm not surprised anymore!? Do you realize you are by far the BEST photographer in here? I will never get tired of congratulating you, and I greatly appreciate your patience in explaining how you achieve your shots! NO, you are not boring!!!! :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 02:06:01 PM
The colors make this one! Congrats on another blue.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 02:02:58 PM
Great work Irene - the colours and curves in this are a real delight.

A very well deserved Blue.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 12:39:40 PM
Beautiful colors
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 12:01:44 PM
As abstract as abstract can be. Just colours. Great job and imaginative shot. Congratulations
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 11:19:46 AM
Amazing colours Irene, congratulations on your blue.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 11:16:58 AM
your decription is fascinating!and the resoult is Irene all the way..
well done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 11:08:25 AM
Awesome array of colors and design, Great Work! Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 11:05:02 AM
Gorgeous shot. Congatulations, Irene.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 09:54:49 AM
BEAUTIFUL, Irene! One of my top picks. Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 09:36:03 AM
Awesome score Irene. Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 09:15:11 AM
OK, that gets a fave just for the story. Hehe... we're going to have to put a "no liquids" special rule in every challenge to slow you down. ;-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 08:16:46 AM
Congratulations on the ribbon, honoured to share the front page with you. Once again my favourite photo of the challenge wins a ribbon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 08:01:34 AM
CONGRATULATIONS...AWESOME... & also PERFECTION as well, my dear friend...love shez
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 07:06:29 AM
Irene, congrats on a fantastic image!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 06:51:29 AM
Hey Hey, muchos congrate
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 06:37:46 AM
excellent work Irene - love the sweep of the colors
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 06:35:26 AM
Congratulations girl...fantastic creation.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 06:11:19 AM
Congrats on the nice score, very well done and truly abstract.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 05:34:02 AM
Excellent shot ! Love it ! Congrats on your ribbon; well deserved !
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 05:12:12 AM
This is a beauty Irene.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 03:20:05 AM
This is a fabulous image , the colours are superb and composition fantastic , appreciate you giving some insight into the process of producing such a high quality photo it enables and helps us to learn.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 03:01:15 AM
Brilliant colours and just overall lovely image I gave you a 10 Congratulations on your Blue
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 02:47:56 AM
Hey, congratulations Irene on another fantastic image:-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 02:41:06 AM
Oh, wow...once again Irene, you AMAZE ME! Thanks also for the detailed explanation of the shot. You're awesome
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 02:08:09 AM
Huge congrats Irene!!! Superb
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 02:06:39 AM
Brilliant shot Irene!!! Congrats on your well deserved blue!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 02:03:55 AM
Congratulations on the win. This shot is so elegant and the colours are just beautiful.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 01:50:01 AM
Ich habe geahnt, dass dieses Bild der Gewinner sein wird, aber ich habe nicht geahnt, dass es Dein Bild ist :-)

Irene, this is a really beautiful image and a really creatic work! Big Gongrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 01:42:37 AM
Huge congrats Irene! Very creative. Love the great colors (plus your usual technical excellence)!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 01:36:20 AM
Sheesh, Irene - you may have a boatload of ribbons, but nobody can say you don't work hard for each one! Congrats - it is beautiful!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 01:20:04 AM
Told you gonna get a ribbon! Big congrats! This is as good as it gets here on DPC.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 12:25:25 AM
This is so very beautifully composed and executed.
Well done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 12:24:58 AM
The only "10" gave in the challenge -- I'm so pleased you won and got such a favorable score. Thanks for your explanation of the shots that failed and then how you achieved what you got. Terrific work.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 12:19:51 AM
congrats.. it's lovely
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 12:14:43 AM
congrats on the blue irene
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 12:09:46 AM
once again...Great image Irene :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 12:08:40 AM
Very creative! Congrats on another ribbon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 12:07:40 AM
Congratulations, wonderful image!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 12:02:16 AM
Congratulations! My favorite & 10 was from me :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2009 12:01:21 AM
again lol
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
08/30/2009 08:33:49 PM
I hope this ribbons.. it's really fabulous!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/29/2009 02:17:56 PM
My favourite of all the entries. I love the flow and the vibrant colours.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/29/2009 12:45:13 PM
An appealing abstract.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/28/2009 08:29:01 PM
Absolutely abstract. Macro? Good enough for me: 10. Excellent combination of sharp, defined lines and smooth curves.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/27/2009 08:47:18 PM
Wow the colors are vivid and nice lines
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/27/2009 07:06:09 PM
Eye catching movement and color. My pick for the blue! Good luck!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/27/2009 06:34:55 PM
this is true "abstract macro"...excellent job and such wonderful curves...will be very, very interested to know what you used to get this picture...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/27/2009 05:36:23 AM
This is an real abstract. Good work.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/26/2009 11:52:06 AM
Yes. Abstract - definately. Beautiful - for sure! Don't know what it is but it's well shot and edited. 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/25/2009 11:01:37 PM
This is lovely - all the colors work together and the falling light is beautiful.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/24/2009 09:24:06 PM
Beautiful piece of art. I can see this hanging in a gallery somewhere. I predict a ribbon for this one! 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/24/2009 08:36:39 PM
luscious colors and curves. Love it!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/24/2009 02:10:07 PM
really beautiful image! Love the lines in composition with the colrs. For me it's the best in challenge. - Good luck!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/24/2009 01:37:30 PM
Very nice curved line and crop. Solid 6
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/24/2009 10:04:10 AM
FABULOUS! It's almost too good to be true. Congrats! (not voting)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/24/2009 06:27:43 AM
Eyecatching
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/24/2009 02:49:52 AM
Really interesting! Very nice shapes & colors..10!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/24/2009 12:48:06 AM
Gorgeous image! A HUGE 10 from me!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/24/2009 12:18:22 AM
stunning colour and light...nice 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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