Pre-Dinner Cheese? (BESP)

iBats · Mar 7, 2010

So all of these shots have the same lighting:

Overhead chandelier, and an SB-600 on camera tilt at 30 degrees, point top right

Convert to B&W
stack info: ISO: 400 f/4.0 Focal: 50mm Speed: 1/60
Like I said all of these have the same lighting

Did some frosting on the glass, it had a fingerprint and thats the best i could do to cover it up
stack info: ISO: 400 f/4.0 Focal: 50mm Speed: 1/60

No PP
Stack info: ISO: 400 f/2.8 Focal: 50mm Speed: 1/60

PP includes: Applying preset and screwing with it, which means i dramatizited the lighting desaturated the colors, and brought up the vibrancy
Stack info: ISO: 400 f/2.8 Focal: 50mm Speed: 1/60

PP includes: Putting a holga toy camera affect on the shot
Stack info: ISO: 400 f/2.8 Focal: 50mm Speed: 1/60

JeffieLove · Mar 7, 2010

I think the first one is my favorite, except that the reflection of the glass in the drink is a little bit distracting...

Bitter Jeweler · Mar 7, 2010

Soooo...which single image are you submitting for this project?

Josh66 · Mar 7, 2010

1 & 5 do it for me... The only thing missing is some caviar & crackers.

Not sure exactly of the rules for Bitter's school, but if you have to pick one, you have some thinking to do - lol!

Bitter Jeweler · Mar 7, 2010

Well, one image wasn't a rule, but with 10 people in the group, I think CC on 5 images is a bit much. I'd like to know which image iBats feels is the strongest, and best meets the criteria for the project. That is the one I will critique. Throwing B&W's and color of the same image shows some indecisiveness.

I will add that this seems hurried, or rushed, and I don't think a lot of thought went into it.

bazooka · Mar 7, 2010

I agree, I'm going to hold off on my CC until one shot is chosen. Don't want to write a book.

kundalini · Mar 7, 2010

When you decide on which one is for C&C, bump the thread.

iBats · Mar 7, 2010

number 1/2 please they are the same image just one is B&W

Bitter Jeweler · Mar 7, 2010

iBats said:
So all of these shots have the same lighting:

Overhead chandelier, and an SB-600 on camera tilt at 30 degrees, point top right

Convert to B&W
stack info: ISO: 400 f/4.0 Focal: 50mm Speed: 1/60
Like I said all of these have the same lighting

Did some frosting on the glass, it had a fingerprint and thats the best i could do to cover it up
stack info: ISO: 400 f/4.0 Focal: 50mm Speed: 1/60

The composition seems really compressed to the center. The glass is dirty. The B&W version helps obscure this, but not entirely. The grapes and wine glass hide too much of the cheese. The marble base is blown/ lacks detail. The reflection of the glass into the wine makes it difficult to tell for sure that it is indeed wine. A circular polarizer could help that.

I do find the B&W version more striking.

This image does not make me want a glass of wine. It makes me want to finish clearing the table after dinner.

A question for everyone else...
The project requires that the image "provide interest at 3 of the 4 golden sections, or hot spots" of the rule of thirds. Has this image achieved that requirement?

bazooka · Mar 7, 2010

I also would have chosen #1. The light on the grapes in #2 looks...well, I'm not sure... perhaps the light is too close? I can see the reflection of the light on the grapes. My focus is more drawn to the grapes than the wine. Also, the B&W covers up the smudges on the glass much much better. I'm guessing the fingerprints were overlooked when the shot was taken and were not intended.

So back to #1, overall, I like the shot. It's well balanced, the B&W works for me, the shapes hold my attention.

I want to say something about the knife though... because the top of the knife is in focus, and much more so than the bottom of the knife, my attention is drawn upward to the top of the knife, which happens to be very close to the edge of the frame... which takes my eyes right out of the frame. The first thing I'd recommend is to keep that prominent subject away from the edge. A few other things to try would be to use a shallower DOF, tilt the knife away so it's more OOF, or rearrange it so the more-in-focus part is pointing toward the subject or toward the areas of interest which is the center of the frame in this shot.

Secondly, and don't get me wrong, I feel like the thing to the right of the glass helps to balance the shot, but I have no idea what it is. Maybe it's obvious to people who eat cheese and wine a lot, but I'm not that sophisticated so I have no idea what it is. Perhaps rearrange it so it's less covered?

Finally, the plate, although it does provide a good, and necassary contrast to the subjects, it seems just a touch too bright for me, but this may come down to personal taste.

Bitter Jeweler · Mar 7, 2010

The other angle posted, is much stronger in my opinion, and meets the requirements for the project far more than the first. The background is a bit distracting, especially the line of molding bisecting the winglass. I think if you turned a bit, you would have had more solid colored wall to work with, and the picture frame could have helped the image. (get rid of the knife)

iBats · Mar 7, 2010

Bitter Jeweler said:
I will add that this seems hurried, or rushed, and I don't think a lot of thought went into it.

well i put some thought into it but i was rushed, i was trying to get the assignment in before the monday, like i said in the social group, my sister is visiting from seattle, (im in PA) so i dont get to see her often

Natural_Disaster · Mar 8, 2010

Is it just me? I like this one best. Maybe its the simplicity of it. A simple glass of wine with cheese and grapes...a simple evening home alone...That is what i get from it. I would have liked to see a lighter color drink though maybe. Maybe filled up a little more but not to the top. The glass has some purple spots on it which is a bit distracting. I think a little less blur in the background may have worked. Maybe move the grapes and cheese a little to the left and back from the glass?

mrmacedonian · Mar 8, 2010

I have to say whether in color or b&w I really like the angle. Im not sure if its my monitors but the marble setting seems very bright to me and there is a bit of a distraction in the reflection of the glass. I wonder how it would differ if you tried it with a Polarized filter? May be bit blue so you might have to dial in the temp but it may help with the reflective surfaces in the shot. I wish you had used a bit smaller aperture, the DoF is a bit shallow. I know the subject is the glass and it does well to isolate it, but inevitably my eye is drawn to the grapes and utensil and I kind of wish it were in focus more. The bottom left is a bit empty and has a shadow I believe perhaps try a tighter crop and instead leave some room top-right instead -- just a smidge bothered by the cutoff of the marble (tray?) on the right side I think. Also with the empty space on the outsides of the image the vignette in #1 works

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