The No. 2 Pencil
by EddyG

Comment by xhoss:
nice shot. I gave out 2 nines...and this was one of 'em. Should have done better.

The No. 2 Pencil
by EddyG

Comment by EddyG:
Thanks to everyone who left comments!

This pencil is one of those that are made from compressed wood chips (or something) and not "solid wood", so when you sharpen it, you don't get the thin, continuous curly shaving -- you get a bunch of saw dust. So that explains why the pencil looks the way it does. I hate those kind of pencils, but I kind of liked it for this photo because of the texture.

As far as putting the pencil on an angle, I did try some shots like that, but it resulted in a lot less of the pencil being in the "plane of sharp focus", so only a portion of the pencil was "sharp". In retrospect, I should have tried some shots where I rotated (and then cropped) the image so I could have had the best of both worlds (all of the pencil in focus and at an angle). Hopefully I'll remember to try that next time I'm in a similar situation.

The No. 2 Pencil
by EddyG

Comment by Drake:
Love the texture of the wood

Two Outs, Bottom of the Ninth
by EddyG

Comment by timj351:
Very nice job Eddy! I love shots like this. A well deserved win.

Nº 04 Bench Plane
by EddyG

Comment by dovey:
Dunno if this is photography jargin, but here gores.
Nice combination of shapes and textures, shiny and dull surfaces. I can smell the shaved wood.

Two Outs, Bottom of the Ninth
by EddyG

Comment by swaroskji:
incredible picture. breathless composition. congratulations..

Nº 04 Bench Plane
by EddyG

Comment by buzzrock:
A great stock image-- everything looks perfect to me-- 10+-- and good luck

The No. 2 Pencil
by EddyG

Comment by sonnyh:
You need a new pencil sharpener.

The No. 2 Pencil
by EddyG

Comment by moodville:
The DOF on this is really good, and the sharpness of the pencil is equally as good. At first I thought the background was a lottery ticket, but thankfully the 'exam date' at the top isnt too blurred and can still be read, although it was clearly not a ticket after that first initial glance. It's a good image, meets the challenge.

The No. 2 Pencil
by EddyG

Comment by clues56:
Good clear shot. Looks like the pencil went through a grinder, tho. Still an excellent selection for the challenge. (Looking at it I can almost smell the pencil)