Weekly Assignment #104: Take a Match

Nikolai · January 9, 2009

Those of you old enough remember the Asimov's story. Them yongun ones can use google... :-)
Anyways... This time around we're gonna catch a match flare.
Make it artsy. Make it look great.. Make it look "nukular". Use PS if you feel like it.
But, beoynd everything - make it safe! :deal

One, two, three - strike!

Let's take a match!

Jeremy Winterberg · January 9, 2009

OK, so I guess I'm the first entree. I gave up on the High Key assignment. Never got a chance to go outside again, and I didn't want to, waaay too cold outside.

Two pictures for this one.

#1:

And

#2

Its really hard to take pictures of yourself lighting a match when you only have two hands

. I guess that's why there's a timer on cameras

.

It looks like I'm trying to set my keys on fire... but dont worry, none of my precious desk clutter was set on fire in the making of these photos.

Nikolai · January 10, 2009

Jeremy Winterberg wrote:

OK, so I guess I'm the first entree. I gave up on the High Key assignment. Never got a chance to go outside again, and I didn't want to, waaay too cold outside.

Two pictures for this one.

Its really hard to take pictures of yourself lighting a match when you only have two hands . I guess that's why there's a timer on cameras .

It looks like I'm trying to set my keys on fire... but dont worry, none of my precious desk clutter was set on fire in the making of these photos.

Jeremy, thank you! Glad no one was hurt and nothing was burnt!

You got the snaps alright. Now relax, get some rest and try to capture a great pictuire!

Jeremy Winterberg · January 10, 2009

Nikolai wrote:

Jeremy, thank you! Glad no one was hurt and nothing was burnt!
You got the snaps alright. Now relax, get some rest and try to capture a great pictuire!

Sounds good to me. I'll do some new ones tomorrow night after work. and this time they will be great! maybe an example by you to show us what great looks like

...

mc-photo · January 11, 2009

Match to a Candle

www.michaelcostable.com

Nikolai · January 11, 2009

mc-photo wrote:

www.michaelcostable.com

It's nice but this is the light, not the original flare! Timing is everything!

baldmountain · January 12, 2009

Striking a match and clicking the shutter are not so easy. Getting the timing right is hard. You really need two people. Although I managed this one on my own...

Nikolai · January 12, 2009

baldmountain wrote:

Striking a match and clicking the shutter are not so easy. Getting the timing right is hard. You really need two people. Although I managed this one on my own...

Great job! Thank you for the entry!

One idea you guys can try is to use alternative methods of igniting the flare

Or use the "self-registration" method (hint: initial flare is *much* brighter than everything else) and long/bulb shutter.

mc-photo · January 12, 2009

Nikolai · January 12, 2009

Thank you!

It would be a much better one without the object in the bottom-rigth corner...

shutterbunny · January 12, 2009

Ignite - My First Assignment Post Ever !!
Hey Nikolai,

Been browsing this category for a few weeks and really wanted to take part in your assignments. Didn't realize how tough they were until I started with this one (the match). I actually ended up taking like 30-40 shots, played around with the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO... man !!! Awesome Assignment!!! You Rock

Now for my entry. I hope it qualifies.

thanks much.

Nikolai · January 13, 2009

shutterbunny wrote:

Hey Nikolai,

Been browsing this category for a few weeks and really wanted to take part in your assignments. Didn't realize how tough they were until I started with this one (the match). I actually ended up taking like 30-40 shots, played around with the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO... man !!! Awesome Assignment!!! You Rock

Now for my entry. I hope it qualifies.

thanks much.

Hi Kanu, welcome to the Class!

Nice entry, great flare!

Jeremy Winterberg · January 13, 2009

OK, heres my redo... Hopefully its a Great picture. I think its pretty sweet. No PP other than converting to jpeg from RAW, white balance correction, and cropping.

Nikolai · January 13, 2009

Jeremy Winterberg wrote:

OK, heres my redo... Hopefully its a Great picture. I think its pretty sweet. No PP other than converting to jpeg from RAW, white balance correction, and cropping.

Jeremy,
it's much better!

Now, as you can see the flare is still blown out while the rest is soft due to the mothion blur. Why not try to catch it at a much (MUCH) shorter shutter speed? You can use self-registration technique (see above) or simply faste drive...

Jeremy Winterberg · January 13, 2009

Nikolai wrote:

Jeremy,
it's much better!
Now, as you can see the flare is still blown out while the rest is soft due to the mothion blur. Why not try to catch it at a much (MUCH) shorter shutter speed? You can use self-registration technique (see above) or simply faste drive...

I was told that I can't take any more match pictures, so I hope this is good... Shutter speed 1/250s, f/2.8, ISO 100, Shot in Raw...

Nikolai · January 13, 2009

Jeremy Winterberg wrote:

I was told that I can't take any more match pictures, so I hope this is good... Shutter speed 1/250s, f/2.8, ISO 100, Shot in Raw...

*MUCH* better!

Jeremy Winterberg · January 13, 2009

Good, cause I was getting light headed from all the smoke

spb13 · January 13, 2009

I realized that this would be a lot easier if the match wasn't moving. I experimented with this a few nights ago without much luck. Tonight I had a stroke of inspiration. I took a heavy board and drilled a small hole in it providing a stable base for the match. From there it was just a matter of dialing in the exposure and timing.

Nikolai · January 13, 2009

spb13 wrote:

I realized that this would be a lot easier if the match wasn't moving. I experimented with this a few nights ago without much luck. Tonight I had a stroke of inspiration. I took a heavy board and drilled a small hole in it providing a stable base for the match. From there it was just a matter of dialing in the exposure and timing.

Good approach, great picture!

BTW, paper clip, a piece of cord tie or a piece of gum would work, too:-)

spb13 · January 13, 2009

Nikolai wrote:

Good approach, great picture!
BTW, paper clip, a piece of cord tie or a piece of gum would work, too:-)

My first approach was along those lines, but the match wasn't stable enough for me to strike it in place. So I needed something with a bit more weight.

Nikolai · January 13, 2009

spb13 wrote:

My first approach was along those lines, but the match wasn't stable enough for me to strike it in place. So I needed something with a bit more weight.

Well, true, but you could have also had it ignited some other way:-)

shutterbunny · January 13, 2009

Nikolai wrote:

Hi Kanu, welcome to the Class!
Nice entry, great flare!

Sorry Nikolai but I couldn't help myself and wanted to take another photograph... wasn't quite satisfied with myself... here's a self imposed redo... let me know what you think.

thanks
-kanu.

MooreDriven · January 13, 2009

I must admit that my entry is not what I had in mind. Even though it's a flare, there are a lot of thing wrong with the image. About the only thing working for it is the smokes mushroom formation. You can also see the reflection of the aperture blades, which confuses me a bit.

Nikolai · January 14, 2009

MooreDriven wrote:

I must admit that my entry is not what I had in mind. Even though it's a flare, there are a lot of thing wrong with the image. About the only thing working for it is the smokes mushroom formation. You can also see the reflection of the aperture blades, which confuses me a bit.

Thank you!
I think you're overexposing by at least two stops, if not more. Crank the shutter speed up. Maybe close the aperture a bit too.

Nikolai · January 14, 2009

shutterbunny wrote:

Sorry Nikolai but I couldn't help myself and wanted to take another photograph... wasn't quite satisfied with myself... here's a self imposed redo... let me know what you think.
thanks
-kanu.

Kanu,
I think you're getting a hold of it:-)

Thank you, nice entry, much closer to the artistic side!

MooreDriven · January 14, 2009

2nd attempt. I had not realized how overexposed my previous post was until after I uploaded it.

These are a little better, but it's all I had time to prepare tonight.

I'll wait for the next assignment and hopefully redeem myself. Thanks for the challenge.

Nikolai · January 14, 2009

MooreDriven wrote:

2nd attempt. I had not realized how overexposed my previous post was until after I uploaded it.
These are a little better, but it's all I had time to prepare tonight.
I'll wait for the next assignment and hopefully redeem myself. Thanks for the challenge.

I like it! Still a bit hot, but I like the base a lot!

NateW · January 16, 2009

Jeremy Winterberg wrote:

I was told that I can't take any more match pictures, so I hope this is good... Shutter speed 1/250s, f/2.8, ISO 100, ...

Thanks for posting your settings! I used them as a baseline to get mine.

I've gotta finish editing (not too much, but gotta get 'em out), and then I'll have a few to post.
Having done it, I now have new respect for your shot of flare and fingers. It's harder to do a self-shot at flare up timing than I thought.

One thing I learned: flare is a _lot_ brighter than the average 100W bulb 10-15 feet away. Still, it's tough to get over the fear/normal-reactions and put the flare too close to your face..... (Don't do it! I'm a trained professional! Well, not at fire, but at something, and I like fire a lot.)
(Seriously, and I'll say it again after I post the shot: be very careful how you take your shots. The flare is hot enough to melt various metals and skin gets damaged a lot easier than metal does.)

OK, I'll be back with images...

NateW · January 16, 2009

Here we go. 1/3: (uncropped)

2/3:

3/3:

So: don't get this schtuff too close to your skin. It's hot. Like really hot.

Also: it's really hard to take a self shot from a tripos in the near dark while you need both hands already. I found out that the IR LED on the remote trigger will be picked up by the camera.

All it meant for me: couble duty with my one hand to run the striker and the trigger at the same time.

Also found out: f1.8 is really a very short depth of field when you can't look through the lens to see what up and there's no auto focus....:D I managed to get the shot by upping the ISO 2 stops, slowing the shutter a couple stops, and opening the aperture by the necessary compensation to keep it the same. (Thanks again to Jeremy for posting his settings so I could blatantly copy them...)

Have fun! I did! (I don't think I got the theme so well on the first one, I just really liked the idea. Comments on any of them?)

Nikolai · January 16, 2009

NateW wrote:

Here we go. 1/3: (uncropped)

Also: it's really hard to take a self shot from a tripos in the near dark while you need both hands already. I found out that the IR LED on the remote trigger will be picked up by the camera. All it meant for me: couble duty with my one hand to run the striker and the trigger at the same time.
Also found out: f1.8 is really a very short depth of field when you can't look through the lens to see what up and there's no auto focus....:D I managed to get the shot by upping the ISO 2 stops, slowing the shutter a couple stops, and opening the aperture by the necessary compensation to keep it the same. (Thanks again to Jeremy for posting his settings so I could blatantly copy them...)

Have fun! I did! (I don't think I got the theme so well on the first one, I just really liked the idea. Comments on any of them?)

Hey Nate,
thank you for playing!
Out of three one first one "matches" (pun intended:-) the theme (it looks like it flares), the other two are "just burning" :-(
Good idea to intoduce another subject (face) into the frame.
Unfortunately, it also made the match flare only an auxiliarry object (it's even not in focus), while the idea was to concentrate on it specifically..
Still a rather good attempt though:-)

Jeremy Winterberg · January 16, 2009

NateW wrote:

Thanks for posting your settings! I used them as a baseline to get mine.

I've gotta finish editing (not too much, but gotta get 'em out), and then I'll have a few to post.
Having done it, I now have new respect for your shot of flare and fingers. It's harder to do a self-shot at flare up timing than I thought.

Your welcome! yeah I'm a bit of a Pyro myself, so I had no problem with fear of burning myself.

Its really hard to get it in focus, What I did, was I sat behind my camera (it was on a tripod) and extended my arm as far as I could, and changed how I was sitting till the distance between my hand and the lens was where I wanted it (about 5" away) then I focused on the match with the lights on, and then turned the lights off, sat in the same spot, put the 10 second timer on and had it set to take a 2 picture burst. and bam, after many failures I got a decent looking picture.