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Jacks
Jacks
banmorn


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Games II (Advanced Editing VII)
Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Date: Apr 27, 2008
Aperture: f/ 6.3
ISO: 250
Shutter: 1/200 sec.
Galleries: Abstract, Macro
Date Uploaded: Apr 27, 2008

I tried three things in this challenge that I have not really tried before....so no matter what the outcome, it was a good learning expeirence and the result is not toooo awful, I hope.

First....Well have this Nikon SB-600 flash that I have taken maybe 10 shots with since I got it over 6 months ago. I do not understand flash photography and it it something I really need to learn. But what I was trying to get sort of required it.

Second: I know I didn't do the Games I Challenge because of my apparently inability to successfully photograph anything either live or with motion. Not sure how to do it at all. But I tried that in this.

Third: Hi Key....I not a hi key type of guy....very low key as it were. But I had to use it for this and I like the result.

So last Wednesday, Bev and I did a Targét run. While there I went through the party paraphenalia and found a bag of individual sets of a ball and jacks. There were like 10 sets in the bag that I bought and I didn't see any with less so I went with it. I checked out something other items in the party aisles and in the toy section and stuck with this choice.

I shot this on my light box. I placed a set of jacks on the top and held the ball just out of the frame. The camera was on a tripod and I used the cable remote and, yes, the Flash. I played with the flash settings and then with the camera settings eventuall ending up with a moderately high ISO and mid aperture and shutter speed. I took over 50 shots and got rid of over a dozen and ended up with 36 on the card. I wanted some motion in the ball but the higher I went, the darker the color and white of the jacks and light box and the higher the shutter speed meant less chance of getting the ball above the jacks totally in the frame. At some point in the shooting, I lost the first ball, so I opened up another set for the ball and added the second set of jacks to the first on the light box. I eventuall got two shots about where I wanted the ball and many with the ball partially out the top of the frame. Of the two two totally in the frame, I chose this one.

Enjoy....have fun....after you vote, go play a game or something. If you are interested in any of the 8 sets of unopened sets of jacks that I have....send me a PM. LOL!

Post: Camera Raw adjustments in PSElements 6.0. Convert to jpeg. Layer adjustments for levels, brightness/contrast and hue/saturation. Cropped down from the top above the ball and then again on each side. The tip of my finger was in the frame but the top crop rid the image of all but a shadow which I cloned out. I selected the white in the image and did two more layers of levels reselecting the white balance each time to get the background as white as possible. Sharpen, Resize. Sharpen.

Statistics
Place: 67 out of 123
Avg (all users): 5.4826
Avg (commenters): 6.0000
Avg (participants): 5.3208
Avg (non-participants): 5.5546
Views since voting: 816
Views during voting: 274
Votes: 172
Comments: 3
Favorites: 0


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AuthorThread
 Comments Made During the Challenge
05/02/2008 11:52:37 PM
Excellent everything. Congrats! An eight for you.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
04/29/2008 03:07:22 PM
Nice colours and composition. Lighting looks a bit harsh though, and think it may look better if the ball was sharp?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
04/28/2008 01:00:46 AM
Great photo but I really wish the ball was in good focus.
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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