A Worm's-eye View for C&C (BESP)

[kundalini]

Intent:
A worm's-eye view of the world with the rule of thirst applied. That's why I'm not overly concerned that the glass wasn't completely spotless. Unfortunately one of the streaks ran right over the poor girl's face. The assignment was to hit 3 out of the 4 points in the RoTs using a beverage as the main subject.

Settings:
Shutter Speed - 1/80, Aperture - f/11, ISO 200, EV +0.3, Focal Length 20mm (Nikkor 14-24mm), manual shooting mode, matrix metering.
Laying on my back with an old stereo cabinet glass door above resting on bar stools on each end. Prefocused at ~15". 1x SB-800 snooted and precariously hanging from one of the rungs of said bar stool firing at the ground to bounce back up.

The whole point of the BESP, if I got it right, was to think creatively on each assignment. What do you think?​

Comments always welcomed. Critique always appreciated. Thanks for looking.​

 

[DRoberts]

Good job on the creativity...my main issue is the contrast of the dark jeans against the light shirt. Being in the corner that way is a major distraction to me. Might try to crop that out.

 

[Josh66]

Unlike anything I have seen before!

And, what wine is that?

Nice work!

 

[bazooka]

Certainly an interesting POV. The glasses and crackers appear to be floating... I'll add this to my growing box of tools.

The drink,crackers and cheese are well matched and look appetizing.... it very much feels like a picnic.

I see a few minor distractions. Firstly, there seems to be reflections off the glass of the ground dead center and in the trees to the right. Also, the loss of sharpness around the bottom corners of the frame... was this from the glass or the lens? There is a white pixel or something on her face. Finally, there is a top of the glass on the left side that I'm guessing was not intended to be there. It kind of looks like someone lost their contact lens on your table. Finally, there is a light blue line in the upper left corner that looks like it may be the edge of the glass, or perhaps a crease in her jeans.

The light on the trees is a bit harsh. I wonder if it would have come out better closer to sunset?

Overall, it's a pretty cool shot that is interesting to look at.

 

[iBats]

crazy angle (love that part) but not a fan of the shot seems a bit to spread out for my tastes

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

I was totally stunned by the perpective.

In all of the projects turned in so far, I am loving how each person interpreted the assignment. The biggest drawback to yours, however, is not achieving the goal of "present it in a manner that makes the viewer want that beverage". That said...

I love the viewing angle. It is refreshing to see here. I like how the lines of the trees draw you into the center, as well as the woman, and the cheese. It is unfortunate about the smudge across her face. It is quite distracting. I also agree with DrRoberts that maybe the jeans could be lightened up a little.

Very fun image overall. :thumbup:

 

[Natural_Disaster]

Very creative idea! Defiantly the kind of shot i would want to try sometime just for fun!
The things that caught my attention are the spots on the glass, the jeans, and the reflection/shadow area under the ladies face and in the trees...
And maybe the crackers and cheese could have been on the right and the glasses on the left, or just moved down and over a bit? I just don't like the way the crackers are right against the ladies face....
With all that said..i think you put a lot of thought and effort into the shot and came out with a pretty darn good creative photo!
It may not make me want to grab the drink and drink it, it does make me want to go outside and have a nice relaxing time enjoying the simple pleasures in life. (fresh air, blue skies, and a snack)

 

[fast eddie]

Very cool perspective! I love the light coming through the wine glasses, the bottom right of the picture is favorite part with the translucent wine and distorted trees in the base.

The pants seem dark in contrast to the shirt, but the most distracting part for me is the girl's face (not in a derogatory way). Her looking at the camera makes it feel like an assignment (I know it is) rather than a moment. For example: This same perspective with a couple of people in conversation.

Thanks for bringing your creativity to this one.

I think the reverse of this photo - from the top looking down on you on the ground getting the shot, would be equally entertaining.

 

[mrmacedonian]

O_O what a perspective!

I think this shot is wonderfully creative. I can’t help but wonder how it would look if the person pouring were out of the frame and only the arm were visible pouring the wine.. I think it would be fun. Good focus and choice of aperture vis-a-vis DoF. You wouldn’t happen to have a fisheye you could take this with again do you?

Great work. /bow

Disclaimer – C&C given without reading any previous comments in the thread, per the instructions of the group; redundant comments possible and probable.

 

[Shelly1204]

When Chase Jarvis did his series of shooting dancers suspended above him by shooting underneath through plexiglass, he laid underneath a huge black foam core board and cut out a hole for just his lens to cut down on the reflections. I would have tried something similar here after viewing the shot, since the reflections really distract from what you're trying to capture.

 

[gpardo64]

Different, odd, rare, random.

I am sorry but I am speechless.

 

[K.Li]

very unique concept! It might not highlight the drink as much but its a fun image.

 

[pharmakon]

I like it. I think it's a really creative idea and kinda looks like something that would be on the inside cover of an alternative band's cd case (don't know where that came from).

I don't think I can offer much to improve your shot. I find the reflections of the leaves a little distracting, but they would still be there if I was physically under the table looking up, and I don't see the camera reflected so I can't complain much.

The woman appears to be looking at the camera and not the glass? Not sure if I would change that either as it kind of adds to the mood.

I see the edge of your glass door in the top left corner.

Good photo.

I didn't read the other critiques yet, so sorry if anything is duplicated.