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09/07/2008 06:16:13 PM · #1 |
I tried to duplicate  levyj413's Sonata in Blue 
and this is the best that I can do.
In which I am even MORE impressed with his, as for the life of me I couldn't get the lighting.... |
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09/07/2008 06:59:40 PM · #2 |
| Part of the main difference is the angle of the shot. He didn't include the table at all. Your shot has you looking down on the table. |
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09/07/2008 07:03:45 PM · #3 |
Aww, c'mon dassilem -- don't give up now - you are almost there!
I think part of the impact of Jeffrey's shot is also the complimentary colors rather than the monochrome - maybe that is something to play around with next time, too. :)
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09/07/2008 08:19:19 PM · #4 |
| Thanks....I still am in awe of his....I have to make some more jello!! |
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09/07/2008 09:06:50 PM · #5 |
Not a bad start. I love attempting to duplicate shots that I like. It's a great way to learn. I spent a whole week on  one time. I never quite got it, but I learned a whole lot from it.
Get a copy of "Light, Science & Magic", and read the glass chapter. To get the dark contrasty edges on the glasses, you need to have a dark background around the outside of your light background, just outside of the camera's view. |
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09/07/2008 11:01:11 PM · #6 |
Hey, don't be so hard on yourself. Your shot is 90% of the way there, and I think you got the lighting perfect, with a nice gradient from bottom to top. Your composition is also nice, and I don't think the table matters too much. But I will say that DPC LOVES reflections, like I used for Rondo in Red (the surface is a photo album with a plastic cover).
Mostly, your shot just needs a little editing. Remember that my shot was in Advanced editing, so I did some of the same things:
1) Cloned out many spots (I see now there are some more, but this was a quick job). I don't know whether they were on the glass or in the jello, and the amount I cloned out might be DQable in a challenge, but for a learning shot, go for it! For challenges, though, make sure your glasses are literally spotless - wash in very warm water and dry immediately.
2) Cloned out the reflections. Don't put any light where it can reflect off the glasses.
3) Ran noise reduction a couple of times, followed by some mild sharpening, like 45, 2.5, 0.
4) Ran sharpening to enhance contrast - a great trick. I used 20, 50, 0. This is what makes it pop, to my eye. I didn't do anything else to increase the contrast.
Now, aside from editing, I tried in both shots (Sonata in Blue and Rondo in Red) to keep the glasses turned so you don't see the surface of the jello - those nice clean lines look better to me. So that affects how you set up and where you put the camera. One thing that might have mattered is that I had the camera far across the room and used telephoto to fill the frame. That gives you a narrower angle.
I do think the color scheme in my shot is more interesting, but then again, Rondo in Red scored almost as high and it's monochromatic. As for personal taste, I prefer it more as a solid red or blue than green.
I also think the delicacy of my glasses adds to the barely-balanced feel of the shot, whereas the more ornate glasses have a more solid feel. But that's probably just another matter of taste.
Anyway, here's my edit of your shot. I think you had the raw materials, and I think with this edit you would have picked up quite a bit in a challenge score:
[thumb]719176[/thumb]
Message edited by author 2008-09-07 23:05:16.
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09/08/2008 07:30:24 AM · #7 |
Wow, THANKS for all your advice. I do plan to attempt this again.
I'm sure while editing you noticed the bottom glass was cracked? It was a 'balanced' glass in a few of the early shots..hehehehehe
I really appreciate your time...
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