Orange Eclipse

shorty6049 · Apr 2, 2007

So i'm sorry for putting up so many of these, but i'm really trying to learn how to take better photos. So whats everyone think of this? it doesnt look as apealing as i was hoping for... if anyone wants to edit it, go ahead. thanks- Tony

xfloggingkylex · Apr 2, 2007

what are you using for light? It looks fairly harsh so Im guessing direct light? You may want to diffuse the light some so it is softer on the orange.

Thor06 · Apr 2, 2007

Comp looks good to me, but I think it would benefit from a single light source so there is only one shadow. Having the other ones makes me a little dizzy.

bullykai · Apr 2, 2007

crop a bit off the top about a inch from the top of the orange.

shorty6049 · Apr 2, 2007

the light was pretty direct, i wanted to make a shadow, I used a halogen desk lamp for most of the light, but i also had a ceiling light on which made the second shadow, as well as possibly light from a window. I feel like it doesnt have a professional feel to it though... Does anyone else get that feeling when they take photos? like everyone else takes really nice looking photos but you dont? could it just be becasue i'm the photographer and dont see my work the way someone looking at it would?

xfloggingkylex · Apr 2, 2007

shorty6049 said:
the light was pretty direct, i wanted to make a shadow, I used a halogen desk lamp for most of the light, but i also had a ceiling light on which made the second shadow, as well as possibly light from a window. I feel like it doesnt have a professional feel to it though... Does anyone else get that feeling when they take photos? like everyone else takes really nice looking photos but you dont? could it just be becasue i'm the photographer and dont see my work the way someone looking at it would?

You've hit the nail on the head. Only in the case when you get a picture that you REALLY enjoy will you honestly feel that your work is any good. It's the idea that we judge ourselves harder than the rest, and this goes for just about everything in life.

As for you light source, a diffusor would soften the light... you wouldn't get such a dramatic shadow, but you also wouldn't burn out the part of the orange that is directly lit. The other option is a faster shutter speed to make everything darker and avoid blowing out the highlights (if you want that strong shadow).

craig · Apr 2, 2007

I love the composition and shadow of this shot. Again slightly harsh on the light. That can be avoided with some diffusion on the main. A bounce card to open the shadows is almost mandatory. Try your meter on center weighted or center average.

Love & Bass

Alpha · Apr 2, 2007

I think that your problem is in trying to make something out of nothing...i.e. I don't think that you're really paying attention to your subject matter. If what you were hoping for was a photo of an orange, then well done. But what's so interesting about an orange? Even perfect technique wouldn't make it anything else.

This obviously isn't some kind of statement, like say, a Dylan song, or the Red Wheelbarrow, or My Last Duchess. It's just an orange. So be satisfied if you wanted to take a photo of an orange. If you aren't satisfied with a photo of an orange, then find something interesting to shoot.

shorty6049 · Apr 2, 2007

lol... well.. i guess thats all i was going for, but it just doesnt make me all that hungry for an orange... i think it was too dark on the left, i would have liked more even lighting on it...

xfloggingkylex · Apr 2, 2007

if "hunger for oranges" is your goal, soften the light and then bump the saturation on the new shot. Yum.

shorty6049 · Apr 3, 2007

lol, ok, well, i'll be sure not to eat the orange before i try that... i have it sitting on my desk right now. What does this photo say to you? solitary? mysterious fruit maybe? lol

xfloggingkylex · Apr 3, 2007

shorty6049 said:
lol, ok, well, i'll be sure not to eat the orange before i try that... i have it sitting on my desk right now. What does this photo say to you? solitary? mysterious fruit maybe? lol

to me it just simply says "orange" nothing more and nothing less.

shorty6049 · Apr 3, 2007

lol... i can agree with that

zendianah · Apr 3, 2007

I like that the orange looks like its coming off the page. Yes it is "just an orange" like Max says . However...I like oranges therefore I like the picture.

It makes ME feel hungry for an orange. To me the picture signifies.. Vitamin C.

-- This is my non-photographer orange liking view.