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¡ CFLs ! -- Resistance is Futile
¡ CFLs ! -- Resistance is Futile
Dr.Confuser


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Curves II (Advanced Editing VII)
Camera: Nikon D3
Lens: Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8D
Location: Kirkland, Washington (USA)
Date: Mar 24, 2008
Aperture: F/8
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/13
Galleries: Black and White, Macro
Date Uploaded: Mar 24, 2008

 Photographer’s Notes
It's a simple image; one you may have to study to appreciate. Denigrate it as a "product shot." Elevate it as "Zen." You be the judge.

For reasons that would take too long to explain, I bought 68 CFL bulbs today and changed out all the incandescent bulbs on one floor of the house. They were on sale at Lowes for $0.99 each. One of the new bulbs was defective – this one. So I’ll have to take it back.

I had originally thought I’d make some compelling and interesting pattern out of the old bulbs. Turns out, they are profoundly uninteresting. But I liked the path of the glass tube in this bulb so I shot it for the Patterns II challenge. I was a little worried that it didn’t scream “Pattern!” Next I looked at the new challenge that opened Sunday (Curves II) and thought it would make a better Curves entry. So I reshot, re-edited and Bob’s Your Uncle – here’s my entry.

I don’t have very high hopes for this photo, but goofier shots have done well in past challenges. It is well focused and has a consciously shallow depth of field. Composition seems okay. Grain in the blue halo is on purpose ... maybe a mistake but I wanted to counteract the slick feel of the bulb. Border’s … benign. In the end, the photo suffers from a moderately uninteresting subject … like many of my photos. My prediction is … 5.9 at best. Maybe I’ll be surprised.

As you may know, most of the world’s countries are changing their laws to require you to use this kind of bulb over the next couple of years … hence the title. Funny – my titles are tending more toward political satire lately … must be election season.


Post Processing
• Convert from RAW (PS CS3)
• Reduce Noise (Neat Image)
• Crop
• Remove Specks (Clone Tool)
• Increase Contrast (Curves Layer)
• Desaturate (Channel Mixer layer)
• Dodge and Burn (masked Selective Color Layer)
• Reduce Brightness (Brightness/Contrast Layer)
• Resize (Bicubic Sharper)
• Sharpen (USM)
• Manage Background color (Gradient Fill Layer)
• Add Grain to Background (Noise - Add Noise)
• Manage Bulb blacks (Selective Color Layer)
• Border (Select & Stroke)
• Save for Web


Camera Data
• Camera: Nikon D3
• Lens: Nikor 105mm f/2.8
• Date: 2008-03-24
• ISO: 200
• Aperture: f/8
• Shutter: 1/13 (Tripod, self-timer)

Statistics
Place: 132 out of 206
Avg (all users): 5.4581
Avg (commenters): 5.5000
Avg (participants): 5.2267
Avg (non-participants): 5.6750
Views since voting: 692
Views during voting: 240
Votes: 155
Comments: 3
Favorites: 0

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AuthorThread
 Comments Made During the Challenge
04/04/2008 11:14:14 PM
Great title.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/04/2008 02:48:26 AM
They just don't have the same impact when you see them over someone's head when they get an idea.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/31/2008 09:38:39 AM
would like a little more sharpness here
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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