DSS 27 - The Truth is Out There!

MarkR

Here's my idea for DSS 27, and I admit I'm in a bit of a silly mood this week. C&C Welcome, reshoots possible.

Title: The Eggs-Files: Fight the Future!
#1

#2

DsrtVW

Very interesting works both singular and plural #2 seems better to my eye

MarkR

OOPS .. #1 is way too dark. Let's add #3 in the mix.

Katmitchell

You are cracking me up.. too much x-files Mark...

I like the second one best... but I am thinking you can bring more to the table than this.. waiting to see......:D



still waiting..........

not enough impact here...there is just something missing for me in these.... what other ideas do you have... we see eggs every morning... give us something unique..thumb

Kat

richtersl

...there goes my idea for shooting eggs.

I like #2 & #3. I like the way the light is hitting the lid in #3 but you have a cleaner glowing egg in #2. Is there any way you can combine the best of both of those to come up with a #4?

MarkR

richtersl wrote:

...there goes my idea for shooting eggs.

You're joking, right?

I like #2 & #3. I like the way the light is hitting the lid in #3 but you have a cleaner glowing egg in #2. Is there any way you can combine the best of both of those to come up with a #4?

I agree, actually! I'm gonna try some new techniques tomorrow that my brain just thought up to give a more realistic glow "SOOC" and reduce my dependency on Lightroom and Lightzone for the effect. Stay tuned!

MarkR

Katmitchell wrote:

You are cracking me up.. too much x-files Mark...

I like the second one best... but I am thinking you can bring more to the table than this.. waiting to see......:D



still waiting..........

not enough impact here...there is just something missing for me in these.... what other ideas do you have... we see eggs every morning... give us something unique..thumb

Kat

Kat, sorry you don't get excited about eggs ... but I already spent the $1.29, and am determined to get value for my money spent.

Any ideas you have for adding impact, I'm all !

richtersl

MarkR wrote:

You're joking, right?

Nope not at all. I also wanted to try to shoot eggs in an egg container for this challenge. Great minds think alike, eh?

Can't wait to see what you come up with for the more realistic glow!

Katmitchell

MarkR wrote:

Kat, sorry you don't get excited about eggs ... but I already spent the $1.29, and am determined to get value for my money spent.

Any ideas you have for adding impact, I'm all !

>>> Ok... well Mr. Determined... lets try to make that investment pay off then..

Perhaps it is because I collect over 20 eggs a day from my chickens.. I am always giving away eggs.. too many eggs.........eggs eggs and more eggs.. husband is always saying, you need to use them eggs up.!

hmmmmmmmm.. ok, lets think... if it were me and I had to shoot eggs.. I would put them in a metal egg basket and make good use of the silver in the metal for black and white impact.. however, if you dont have a metal basket for them, then... well.....



I am thinking..........................



what about cracked, maybe add to the shadow effect cracked or maybe egg shells.. or..... I dont know.. but if you look at the pictures (carefully) you will see why I am saying what I am... there is -NO- contrast MArk.. a lot of greys, no blacks and whites to work with here to give it depth.. so at least keep this in mind when your shooting them again and processing them.. and are you saying "one" or many for the theme? it kind of says both with that lit up egg..

WAIT...... I just had an idea...

ok.. how about slip some of the eggs into a large Metal Whisk? then lay that on a white backdrop, like a counter top and then get some harsh light casting on them to bring out the white shells and the metal silver and it will cast harsh shadows too for black appeal on the white backdrop... I think natural harsh daylight from a window is best...

There that is my best advice.. what ever you do.. Good luck with it...


Kat

MarkR

Katmitchell wrote:

>>> Ok... well Mr. Determined... lets try to make that investment pay off then..

Perhaps it is because I collect over 20 eggs a day from my chickens.. I am always giving away eggs.. too many eggs.........eggs eggs and more eggs.. husband is always saying, you need to use them eggs up.!

hmmmmmmmm.. ok, lets think... if it were me and I had to shoot eggs.. I would put them in a metal egg basket and make good use of the silver in the metal for black and white impact.. however, if you dont have a metal basket for them, then... well.....



I am thinking..........................



what about cracked, maybe add to the shadow effect cracked or maybe egg shells.. or..... I dont know.. but if you look at the pictures (carefully) you will see why I am saying what I am... there is -NO- contrast MArk.. a lot of greys, no blacks and whites to work with here to give it depth.. so at least keep this in mind when your shooting them again and processing them.. and are you saying "one" or many for the theme? it kind of says both with that lit up egg..

WAIT...... I just had an idea...

ok.. how about slip some of the eggs into a large Metal Whisk? then lay that on a white backdrop, like a counter top and then get some harsh light casting on them to bring out the white shells and the metal silver and it will cast harsh shadows too for black appeal on the white backdrop... I think natural harsh daylight from a window is best...

There that is my best advice.. what ever you do.. Good luck with it...


Kat

Kat, point taken about the flat lighting .. will try to add some "depth" to them there eggs.

And, just for the record, these are just picture-taking eggs. I only cook--and eat--organic free range. Wouldn't want anyone to think I don't know what good eggs is!

MarkR

richtersl wrote:

Nope not at all. I also wanted to try to shoot eggs in an egg container for this challenge. Great minds think alike, eh?

Can't wait to see what you come up with for the more realistic glow!

I suspect there's enough room in this challenge for more than one picture of an egg. And I have a feeling anything you enter will outshine my poor efforts.

One thing I've found, these things are highly reflective. The hard part isn't making one of them glow, it's making the other eleven NOT glow!

Katmitchell

yep.. that is exactly why I raise my own... organic eggs are best..


oh. Linda.. when I think of you shooting a kitchen theme, that one in your gallery comes to mind with the lady making pie.. what a setting that would be to display eggs.. I absolutely " love" that photo...

divamum

Hmmm... "impact" + "eggs" sounds to me like a recipe for disaster.... ~ducks and runs~

VOte for #2 here.

And you're all ahead of me - best I've thought of so far is lonely peas (see Sandra Boynton for details), but I don't have the right dishes to make it work and my budget is SUB $1.29 at the moment ("LOOOXURY!!!").

Sigh. I'm reduced to taking my OWN %!&#*&$_!&#& headshots to keep my picture-taking going (and because I need new ones), but I can't do what I want there either because it's near impossible to successfully manage reflected natural light and shallow depth of field in a self-portrait....

But I digress. Trust no-one.

MarkR

divamum wrote:

Hmmm... "impact" + "eggs" sounds to me like a recipe for disaster.... ~ducks and runs~

VOte for #2 here.

And you're all ahead of me - best I've thought of so far is lonely peas (see Sandra Boynton for details), but I don't have the right dishes to make it work and my budget is SUB $1.29 at the moment ("LOOOXURY!!!").

Sigh. I'm reduced to taking my OWN %!&#*&$_!&#& headshots to keep my picture-taking going (and because I need new ones), but I can't do what I want there either because it's near impossible to successfully manage reflected natural light and shallow depth of field in a self-portrait....

But I digress. Trust no-one.

As the father of a rambunctious 4 year old, I can honestly say I Sandra Boynton. Moo, Baa, La La La was a lifesaver when he had colic as a baby. I can still (probably) recite it by heart: "The cow goes moo, the sheep goes baa, three singing pigs go la la la."

Wait, did I just hijack my own thread?

Katmitchell

oh. I am sure you will come up with something Diva.. ya always do..

How about using some of your get-ups? I am sure you have tons of stage costume stuff.. a pair of heels or maybe a sparkly stage dress? you get where I am going with this.. perhaps it is all around you there at home..

Best of luck to you..

Kat

Katmitchell

MarkR wrote:

Wait, did I just hijack my own thread?

Yep.. looks like you did.. but then that is your specialty..

divamum

MarkR wrote:

As the father of a rambunctious 4 year old, I can honestly say I Sandra Boynton.

I thought you might (it was the diaper-box-light-tent that gave you away ). But do you have the songbooks (from whence "Poor Lonely Peas" was derived?) - if not ... GET THEM IMMEDIATELY! Superb. Rhinoceros Tap, Philadelphia Chickens, Dog Train, and Blue Moo. Dog Train is the weakest IMO, but they're all worth having. Love, love, LOVE 'em.

/Hijack For Good Cause

dnie

Personally I like #2 and think the idea is great.

richtersl

MarkR wrote:

I suspect there's enough room in this challenge for more than one picture of an egg. And I have a feeling anything you enter will outshine my poor efforts.

One thing I've found, these things are highly reflective. The hard part isn't making one of them glow, it's making the other eleven NOT glow!

Nope. I'm going to look for something else. It's gorgeous outside over here in PA and I'm sure there's SOMEthing out there waiting to be photographed for this challenge. Right now your shot is unique. If I entered a similar one it won't do either one of us any good.

But getting back to your shot -- have you thought of removing the glowing one from the container and placing it in a different position in the shot? Like on the counter or something like that?

richtersl

Katmitchell wrote:

oh. Linda.. when I think of you shooting a kitchen theme, that one in your gallery comes to mind with the lady making pie.. what a setting that would be to display eggs.. I absolutely " love" that photo...

Thanks, Kat!

Benjer

Cool idea, Mark - love the punny title! Eggs are more challenging to light and shoot then they look, aren't they? I like what you have going, and sounds like you have some more tricks up your sleeve. I suggest maybe losing the lid - it's not hard to ignore, but it's not very attractive or necessary. And opening that up may give you more options for lighting as well. I'm eggscited to see what you come up with!

MarkR

:bash :bash :bash

Sorry, just needed to vent.

richtersl

:nono No giving up allowed.

lynnma

But a little potty-mouth is OK. :bread :flush

MarkR

I'm more concerned that I'll fly into a rage and smash my subject into scrambled eggs. Then what will I do? They don't grow on trees you know ...:D

richtersl

MarkR wrote:

I'm more concerned that I'll fly into a rage and smash my subject into scrambled eggs. Then what will I do?

Cook 'em up and eat 'em, of course -- with a little side of bacon! :eat

Just a thought -- have you tried photographing them in your frying pan as they're cooking? Like sunny side up?

MarkR

richtersl wrote:

Cook 'em up and eat 'em, of course -- with a little side of bacon! :eat

Just a thought -- have you tried photographing them in your frying pan as they're cooking? Like sunny side up?

I tried photographing food as I was cooking it exactly once. I'm a pretty good cook, if I do say so myself, but a bit chaotic. Add a tripod and a camera into the mix is a recipe for disaster!:hide

And I aint sure I wanna be crackin' open these eggs after they've been sitting under hot lights for a few hours at a time ...

Thanks for your thoughts tho. I'll think of something.

richtersl

MarkR wrote:

And I aint sure I wanna be crackin' open these eggs after they've been sitting under hot lights for a few hours at a time ...

:yikes Ewww...... I hear ya!

Katmitchell

:lurk