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giantmike


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Technology III (Advanced Editing VII)
Camera: Canon EOS-50D
Lens: Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro IS USM
Location: Madison, WI
Date: Jul 15, 2012
Aperture: 9.0
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/200
Date Uploaded: Jul 15, 2012

 I was excited when I saw this challenge as it was an opportunity to use lighting equipment again. During the summer months I do about 98% of my shots with natural light. Just love the way the sun hits the scene with different intensities and angles. Where in the winter, my job keeps me from shooting much during the light hours, and I do a lot more indoors photos.

For this challenge I had a few ideas, though none of them were really turning into a winner. Then I remembered I had a stash of old hard drives that I was never going to use again. For instance, this drive from 1993 that I imagine had 160 MB of space. In fact, this drive was so old that the case is held on by philips head screws, and the brake for the head is this silly little piece of plastic.

But the drive itself was only a little interesting. I had to turn up the intensity. So I pulled out the lighter fluid, and starting having some fun. Small flames at first, that really were not doing what I wanted to the image. So I dumped a bunch of lighter fluid on, started it up, and watched as the flames jumped 6-8 inches and a cloud of dark smoke was forming. Took a few shots, and blew the fire out. I got what I wanted :)

Post processing:
* Crop
* White Balance
* Clone out some spots
* Decrease black point
* Increase brightness
* Increase definition
* Increase saturation and vibrancy
* Export as TIFF
* Resize
* Sharpen Edges
* Save as JPEG

Statistics
Place: 17 out of 81
Avg (all users): 6.1977
Avg (commenters): 7.0000
Avg (participants): 6.1429
Avg (non-participants): 6.2500
Views since voting: 754
Views during voting: 203
Votes: 86
Comments: 3
Favorites: 0

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AuthorThread
 Comments Made During the Challenge
07/20/2012 07:07:39 PM
Clever idea
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Sony DSLR-A580
Sony DT 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical ED
 07/19/2012 12:37:06 AM
This feels very technology somehow - probably because I don't have the foggiest what I'm looking at. Love the tones, the glow, the smoothness in combination with the textures of that circular area. Voted earlier.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM
 07/17/2012 11:52:26 PM
water drops are awesome looking. But... This isn't water drops. So.. What do I see... Honestly? I'm left wondering if you wanted to try the water drop thing and just failed at it? Sorry to say, but the concept could have been expressed in so many ways, why this mess of partially evaporated water.

But then wait! I look at this more and notice that the "water" seems to be alcohol that is burning.. Ok.. Kinda cool... And I like the orange coloration of the image too... But.. Yeah, sorry, but... I still just don't love the image! My sincerest apologies. But it does make me want to see this done with droplets of burning liquid - just have to be darn short between lighting and shooting.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
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