Uploads from Grant is a Grant

Waxy Greens

nobody@flickr.com (Grant is a Grant) — Sat, 25 May 2013 04:47:32 -0700

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Strange Growth

nobody@flickr.com (Grant is a Grant) — Sat, 25 May 2013 04:47:31 -0700

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These things were very difficult to properly focus.

Sundew?

nobody@flickr.com (Grant is a Grant) — Sat, 25 May 2013 04:47:31 -0700

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It Came From Outer Space

nobody@flickr.com (Grant is a Grant) — Sat, 25 May 2013 04:47:30 -0700

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nobody@flickr.com (Grant is a Grant) — Sat, 25 May 2013 04:47:30 -0700

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This is a really tiny blossom and it was bobbing ever so slightly from the air circulating around the conservatory. Just couldn't get it tack sharp.

Om Nom Nom Photography

nobody@flickr.com (Grant is a Grant) — Fri, 24 May 2013 05:16:49 -0700

Grant is a Grant posted a photo:

Some beverage photography just in time for the weekend...

THE CONCEPT
I’d like to get into some household macro work since the weather has been pretty awful--I’m hoping to figure out the stereotypical coloured pencils shots that a lot of people do and give that ago soon, etc.

During a rather drole intermission during the Senators-Penguins games (bloody Pittsburgh…), I decided to give beverage photography a quick try, carefully selecting a bevy of curvaceous and very cooperative models. I’m in marketing, and as such I of course have an interest in advertising, so I thought I’d see what I could come up with on the spur of the moment. The shots were a bit rushed, as I had to finish up before the third period (ugh...I should have just kept shooting), but I thought some turned out kind of neat and I think this established sort of a ‘proof of concept’ for future shooting.

THE SETUP
I have an extremely advanced studio setup for indoor macro work.

• 1x Manfrotto travel tripod that is only rated for 3lbs of weight and whose head will consequently tip over from many angles when my D90 + macro lens combo is used.

• 3x Sylvania 60W CFL bulbs overhead bounced off yellow walls to give indoor photography that nice jaundiced colour we all strive for.

• 1x Frigidaire glass top oven w/Nutone range hood. The range hood provided critical overhead illumination for the shot...I like to think of it as a studio hair light that also helps my apartment smell less bad when I inevitably burn food.

• 1x white coroplast board. With enough light, these provide quite a nice white backdrop. I managed to spray water and spill a little beer on the one I used, so it’s probably best that I just used one behind the models and not one underneath.

However, unlike fabric, they do take up a little bit of space to store and they tend to dent and whatnot. They don’t show up if the objects are sufficiently far away/well lit/DOF is managed well.

• 1x spray bottle from Dollarama. This is not an original tip, but it is a very useful photographic investment: buy a spray bottle. It adds instant drama for a lot of close up work, although all my recent flower work has been natural.

NOTES
I know, the beer was not poured properly. I sprayed water on the glass and bottle and then had to pour straight down instead of holding the glass at an angle. Why did I not pour the beer first, then spray the water? Great question.

Drink responsibly, kids. Despite the glut of beer photos suddenly filling up my photostream, I’m actually a very light drinker. Hockey drives one to alcohol to soothe the pain, though.

Cool and Refreshing

nobody@flickr.com (Grant is a Grant) — Fri, 24 May 2013 05:16:49 -0700

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Not really a macro shot...and I couldn't get the whole bottle without revealing the rather uninteresting top of the stove. I thought this worked other than snipping the bottom of the label off.

The focus is a little bit off, again. As someone who has largely relied on autofocus, I'm finding focusing manually to be really tough to do accurately on a consistent basis. I thought having text to shoot at would make it pretty easy, but...

Quality Beer, Questionable Photography

nobody@flickr.com (Grant is a Grant) — Fri, 24 May 2013 05:16:48 -0700

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Label Closeup

nobody@flickr.com (Grant is a Grant) — Fri, 24 May 2013 05:16:48 -0700

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Played with the red curve to try to make this a little more interesting. One of the more proper actual "macro" shots here.

Do the Dew

nobody@flickr.com (Grant is a Grant) — Fri, 24 May 2013 05:16:47 -0700

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A little bit more of a proper macro.

Well Lit Lager

nobody@flickr.com (Grant is a Grant) — Fri, 24 May 2013 05:16:47 -0700

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I had to overexpose a few shots to properly light the backdrop and to make the beer look pleasant. Side lights would have helped. Not sure what I should have done with my flash here, potentially - I didn't end up using it at all for lack of ideas.

Conservatory Greens II

nobody@flickr.com (Grant is a Grant) — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:38:20 -0700

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Drip Drop

nobody@flickr.com (Grant is a Grant) — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:38:20 -0700

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First attempt at the usual "one droplet" shot. Handheld.

Bisected II

nobody@flickr.com (Grant is a Grant) — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:38:19 -0700

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Conservatory Greens

nobody@flickr.com (Grant is a Grant) — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:39:08 -0700

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Most of these look slightly out of focus when seen in the larger size of lightbox view. Damn.

I'm finding manual focus with such a shallow DOF very challenging when you're dealing with fairly large subject matter instead of, say, the differences between isolating different parts of a flower.

After the (Fake) Rainfall

nobody@flickr.com (Grant is a Grant) — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:39:08 -0700

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Bisected

nobody@flickr.com (Grant is a Grant) — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:39:08 -0700

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Subatomic - EXPLORED May 22

nobody@flickr.com (Grant is a Grant) — Tue, 21 May 2013 04:47:04 -0700

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Exoplanetary Organisms

nobody@flickr.com (Grant is a Grant) — Tue, 21 May 2013 04:47:04 -0700

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Leafy Greens

nobody@flickr.com (Grant is a Grant) — Tue, 21 May 2013 04:47:03 -0700

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