DSS #90 (J) - 2nd try

Jenn

This is my 2nd try ... 2 different ideas for the word "Jewels". Opinions and input welcome... and needed! Thanks........

1. Classic Jewels



2. Family Jewels

PedalGirl

#1 just isn't grabbing me... and even tho you focus on the jeweled button... it's saying "sweater" to me. The idea with the ring has promise... but I'm not sure about the background. Maybe a different background? Or even B&W?

DonRicklin

PedalGirl wrote: »

#1 just isn't grabbing me... and even tho you focus on the jeweled button... it's saying "sweater" to me. The idea with the ring has promise... but I'm not sure about the background. Maybe a different background? Or even B&W?

Or crop in on the ring in #2 and lose the top background!

Don


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SeascapeS

#1 wouldn't be bad, but there is a lot of empty space and the jewelry is cut off, plus the V neck of the sweater is too prevalent. Reshoot it using the back of the sweater so you can't tell what it is. Rearrange the jewelry.

#2 needs a bit more...not sure what. Something to make the shot stand out.

kdotaylor

I like how in #2 you've eliminated the other jewels to focus on the ring. I don't care for the fuzzy sweater--the fuzz distracts me from the jewels. Can you reshoot this ring, maybe even closer, on a plain background?

Jenn

PedalGirl wrote: »

#1 just isn't grabbing me... and even tho you focus on the jeweled button... it's saying "sweater" to me. The idea with the ring has promise... but I'm not sure about the background. Maybe a different background? Or even B&W?

I don't know what to use.

DonRicklin wrote: »

Or crop in on the ring in #2 and lose the top background!
Don

I thought about cropping the ring. Do you think it would make it a lot better, or should I just start all over?

SeascapeS wrote: »

#1 wouldn't be bad, but there is a lot of empty space and the jewelry is cut off, plus the V neck of the sweater is too prevalent. Reshoot it using the back of the sweater so you can't tell what it is. Rearrange the jewelry.
#2 needs a bit more...not sure what. Something to make the shot stand out.

On #1 the jewels are sewn to the front of this button front sweater, so I can't use the back of the sweater or rearrange the jewels. I could crop #2. What do you think?

kdotaylor wrote: »

I like how in #2 you've eliminated the other jewels to focus on the ring. I don't care for the fuzzy sweater--the fuzz distracts me from the jewels. Can you reshoot this ring, maybe even closer, on a plain background?

I don't have many options for backgrounds, but I have a black sweater I took a few shots with the ring. I wish I could see what you all are seeing.

lkbart

I like the ring better - try shooting it on a table or counter, or maybe on a pretty plate, the bottom of a casserole dish or spray paint a carboard box. You don't need much of a background with the angle you're shooting, try a dark towel or blanket. Really nice focus & DOF.

kdotaylor

Yah, or a piece of white typing paper or black paper or even a Kleenex...you don't need anything fancy...just something that does not take away from the subject by being too fuzzy, colorful or textured.

Jenn

lkbart wrote: »

I like the ring better - try shooting it on a table or counter, or maybe on a pretty plate, the bottom of a casserole dish or spray paint a carboard box. You don't need much of a background with the angle you're shooting, try a dark towel or blanket. Really nice focus & DOF.

kdotaylor wrote: »

Yah, or a piece of white typing paper or black paper or even a Kleenex...you don't need anything fancy...just something that does not take away from the subject by being too fuzzy, colorful or textured.

Ok.. I've edited one of my originals, and taken some more shots and have a 3rd try to offer... Are either one keepers, or even close?

2b. Family Jewels


3. Family Jewels

DonRicklin

2b or not 2b is the question? I say it is an improvement! :tumb

Don

Jenn

DonRicklin wrote: »

2b or not 2b is the question? I say it is an improvement! :tumb

Don

woohoo! Do you think #3 is good, or 2b is better? I can't decide which one to enter.

DonRicklin

2b

Don


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GretaPics

Of these I think 2b is the better choice as it is simpler. I still agree with the others though that a background even more plain would help the ring stand out. Also, playing with the light on the ring in some way as to highlight the ring's attributes might also be fun to try. I get the idea of #3, but it's too busy I think and the colors and shapes distract from the ring. GP

cbbr

2B. If you are still shooting, shoot it on black.

Jenn

GretaPics wrote: »

Of these I think 2b is the better choice as it is simpler. I still agree with the others though that a background even more plain would help the ring stand out. Also, playing with the light on the ring in some way as to highlight the ring's attributes might also be fun to try. I get the idea of #3, but it's too busy I think and the colors and shapes distract from the ring. GP

cbbr wrote: »

2B. If you are still shooting, shoot it on black.

DonRicklin wrote: »

2b

Don


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Thanks for all the suggestions.

Here is Try #4 taken with a black background. Is #4 better than 2b? Thanks for your input.


4. Family Jewels

DonRicklin

I like the black background, but the orientation of the ring in 2b is better. i.e. leading line of the rest of the ring left to right to the large diamond. If that could be reshot similarly and canted for top left to bottom right diagonal, you'd have a winning image, IMHO.

Don

divamum

DonRicklin wrote: »

I like the black background, but the orientation of the ring in 2b is better. i.e. leading line of the rest of the ring left to right to the large diamond. If that could be reshot similarly and canted for top left to bottom right diagonal, you'd have a winning image, IMHO.

Don

I agree. Black is much better, but the angle/lighting in the previous attempt was better. Combine them and you're on the right track!

Btw, think of the halogen spots they use in jewellers windows - there's a reason... REALLY makes teh facets in the gems sparkle. Play around maybe using an led flashlight or something - you might be able to really pick out the sparkle in it

ETA: The other thing which could be fun would be a background which reflects some light back up into the ring and adds even more sparkle. Haven't tried this, so don't know how/if it would work but could be fun to play with. Some sparkly silver wrapping or scrapbook paper, something like that? Just musings - may or may not work.

red_zone

I'm going to be contrarian here, and say I like #3 best so far. There is something funny going on in both 2b and 4 that bugs me - it looks like the ring and parts of the background are stippled, textured like a statue that's been out in the rain for ages. I'm not sure what's causing it (are either of those cropped way in?), but the effect is less pronounced in #3, and I personally like the card background.

Jenn

DonRicklin wrote: »

I like the black background, but the orientation of the ring in 2b is better. i.e. leading line of the rest of the ring left to right to the large diamond. If that could be reshot similarly and canted for top left to bottom right diagonal, you'd have a winning image, IMHO.

Don

divamum wrote: »

I agree. Black is much better, but the angle/lighting in the previous attempt was better. Combine them and you're on the right track!

Btw, think of the halogen spots they use in jewellers windows - there's a reason... REALLY makes teh facets in the gems sparkle. Play around maybe using an led flashlight or something - you might be able to really pick out the sparkle in it

ETA: The other thing which could be fun would be a background which reflects some light back up into the ring and adds even more sparkle. Haven't tried this, so don't know how/if it would work but could be fun to play with. Some sparkly silver wrapping or scrapbook paper, something like that? Just musings - may or may not work.

You want me to re-shoot it again? ;-) I may never get it right. This is the best I can do, I think. I used a halogen light to light the black background one and I must have taken 50 shots of it to get one image that was in focus just right. It may never happen again. There's amazing sparkle in both images plus reflected colors.

I don't understand why the grey background or the black bg aren't winning photos? They are both beautiful just like they are... Why aren't they good enough?

Jenn

red_zone wrote: »

I'm going to be contrarian here, and say I like #3 best so far. There is something funny going on in both 2b and 4 that bugs me - it looks like the ring and parts of the background are stippled, textured like a statue that's been out in the rain for ages. I'm not sure what's causing it (are either of those cropped way in?), but the effect is less pronounced in #3, and I personally like the card background.

Contrarian? I'm confused really good now anyway. ;-)

I blurred the grey bg a bit so the ring would be more pronounced. The bg is actually a closeup of a knit sweater. I'm a poor photog, meaning I don't have much to work with as far as backgrounds or any special tools... so I use what I've got, which meant a sweater at the time I took the photo. The black bg was a black blanket, but I took out the texture of it because no one seems to like it when I have texture in the bg.

You're the first to like #3... I liked it too. That's my problem. I like my 3 images as they are. Well, it's not like any of them are going to *win* anyway!

Jenn

Well... I took some more shots on a white bg and some outside in my backyard with natural light.... I ran out of camera battery and can't edit til I charge up my battery! LoL I've been bitten by a bug with this ring photo. You guys and ladies haveinspired me to keep trying.

angevin1

WoW! Jenn! Your Photos have changed since last we met! Nice work!

Jenn

angevin1 wrote: »

WoW! Jenn! Your Photos have changed since last we met! Nice work!

Really? :-D now, I'm excited!
Thanks, Tom... I'm trying.

SeascapeS

Ha - I'm agreeing with Jake here. I also like #3, but I'd like to see it in B&W.

Poor Jen - do this, do that!

Jenn

SeascapeS wrote: »

Ha - I'm agreeing with Jake here. I also like #3, but I'd like to see it in B&W.

Poor Jen - do this, do that!

OK I've gone outside and taken about 200 more shots.. can you believe it?? 200? Anyway, I gathered up some fall leaves and took some shots. This one turned out real good, I think...?

Opinions? Help?

4. Family Jewels

red_zone

I really like the leaf background shot. The ring is nicely positioned on the 2/3 line, the depth of focus makes a nice foreground and background, and the leaf adds texture and reflected light. Also, I think because you're outside, there's more colors reflected in the diamond, which makes it a more dynamic subject.

Finally, though, it's what you want and like. My last entry got zero votes, but I still liked it very well.

Now for some technical camera stuff. I see from your post that you're using a panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3, with the settings on jpeg-fine... that would be about an 8.5 megapixel camera.
I wonder, though, about the pixelation I keep seeing on your photos. I went to your smugmug gallery and noticed that the size of the picture was only 717x581. I think you might be taking small pictures and that the camera can take much larger, clearer pictures if you set the size to something about twice that (or, the largest format available). If you aren't taking small pictures, then are you saving them smaller for the web? I know uploading large files can take some time and can be a pain, but I find that they view better when in larger formats. If you don't know what I'm talking about, there should be a menu on the camera that shows you the camera settings. One of those options is image quality (fine is the best) and one of those options is size.

Jenn

red_zone wrote: »

I really like the leaf background shot. The ring is nicely positioned on the 2/3 line, the depth of focus makes a nice foreground and background, and the leaf adds texture and reflected light. Also, I think because you're outside, there's more colors reflected in the diamond, which makes it a more dynamic subject.

Thanks for the input red_zone. I've seen others talk about how outdoor natural lighting is better if the conditions allow, so I gave it a try. I took shots of the ring with various outside backgrounds including those fall leaves. Shock was my reaction when I actually had one that turned out, which is the one I posted. I was hoping I was on the right track. I can't believe how many times I took a photo of that ring just to get one that was better than all the others. Is it me just not knowing what I'm doing? What's normal as far as how many shots you take before you get a good photo?

red_zone wrote: »

Finally, though, it's what you want and like. My last entry got zero votes, but I still liked it very well.

I think I got one vote on the last challenge... but I still liked my entry, too.

red_zone wrote: »

Now for some technical camera stuff. I see from your post that you're using a panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3, with the settings on jpeg-fine... that would be about an 8.5 megapixel camera.

I wonder, though, about the pixelation I keep seeing on your photos. I went to your smugmug gallery and noticed that the size of the picture was only 717x581. I think you might be taking small pictures and that the camera can take much larger, clearer pictures if you set the size to something about twice that (or, the largest format available). If you aren't taking small pictures, then are you saving them smaller for the web? I know uploading large files can take some time and can be a pain, but I find that they view better when in larger formats. If you don't know what I'm talking about, there should be a menu on the camera that shows you the camera settings. One of those options is image quality (fine is the best) and one of those options is size.

My settings allow me to go up to 7M. I was taking them at 1M, I think, then I tried 2M on this most recent set of photos. I'll try 5M for my next try. I've also been experimenting with different Metering & AF Mode combinations, too, along with different ways of steadying the camera so I won't move when I snap the shot. I've used the 2 second timer a lot and sitting the camera on something solid.

divamum

+1 for the leaf background.

Why not just use the camera at maximum resolution - is there a reason you don't want to bump it up to its highest quality?

Jenn

divamum wrote: »

+1 for the leaf background.

Thanks on the +1 ...

divamum wrote: »

Why not just use the camera at maximum resolution - is there a reason you don't want to bump it up to its highest quality?

I thought it was taking up too much memory in my camera... maybe it isn't. I can bump it up to the maximum... will it remove graininess? I thought it just made the photo larger in megabytes?

sapphire73

I second the recommendation to bump it up to the maximum. You like to do post-processing on some of your shots, and it's good to start with a high resolution image.

Good job on the ring, btw!

Gretchen

Jenn

sapphire73 wrote: »

I second the recommendation to bump it up to the maximum. You like to do post-processing on some of your shots, and it's good to start with a high resolution image.

Good job on the ring, btw!

Gretchen

Maybe that's why I've had such a hard time getting a good image.... hmmm ... Thanks for the advice everyone... and thanks for the 'good job' Gretchen.