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Just for Fun No C&C will be given: Reflection

C

Charles L Webster

pro member
I recently bought a piece of black plex for some up-coming product shots, and thought I'd play around with a shell from my curio cabinet.

Lit with two softboxes, one on each side and a gridded strobe above and behind to provide the glow.

9553791-lg.jpg


Show with the 50D and EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro f/8 @ 1/200 @ ISO 100
 
Asher Kelman

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Charles,

I like the trans-illumination of the shell. It's so hard not of think of Edward Weston's work on shells for which he drove himself and his family quite nuts, scared that someone walking would unbalance his shells. Once he was drawn to tears while waiting hours for the right light, when something made his cardboard b.g. fall and ruined his composition!

Here your work is very symmetrical and centered. Maybe, just maybe, the reflection is too well shon. Have you considered perhaps also using much, much more empty black space as a compositional element?

Asher
 
R

Rachel Foster

New member
I love this, Charles, but I also love empty space and think that would make this even more stunning, especially if it rendered the image off-center.
 
C

Charles L Webster

pro member
Asher Kelman said:
Charles,

I like the trans-illumination of the shell. It's so hard not of think of Edward Weston's work on shells for which he drove himself and his family quite nuts, scared that someone walking would unbalance his shells. Once he was drawn to tears while waiting hours for the right light, when something made his cardboard b.g. fall and ruined his composition!

Here your work is very symmetrical and centered. Maybe, just maybe, the reflection is too well shon. Have you considered perhaps also using much, much more empty black space as a compositional element?

Asher
Click to expand...

I was striving for the horizontal symmetry to mirror the vertical one. Asher, I did increase the space around the shell from my first crop, which was very tight top and bottom.

One of the "features" that leads me to photograph so many reflections and reflected objects is that very symmetry and sameness.

As I was shooting the series, I often called to mind Weston's shells. Who can photograph shells, peppers, cala lilys and sea shores without thinking of, and being inspired by Weston?

Thanks for the comments
 
Asher Kelman

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Charles L Webster said:
I was striving for the horizontal symmetry to mirror the vertical one. Asher, I did increase the space around the shell from my first crop, which was very tight top and bottom.

One of the "features" that leads me to photograph so many reflections and reflected objects is that very symmetry and sameness.
Click to expand...
Hi Charles,

Yes, we want to emphasize the reflection and sameness. However, that might perhaps be subtle and within asymmetrical darkness, especially if the sameness is slightly hidden by the shadow being more subtle.

Just a different way of presenting the same great idea of symmetry, but allowing it to fight for its own recognition. You picture might, to my mind at least, be stronger.

I like this topic since what's apparently so easy, isn't!

Asher
 
C

Charles L Webster

pro member
Well, since all the elements are at hand, perhaps another examination of the subject is in order.

There are others, with and without reflections from the same sessions, but none struck me like this one.
 
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