77 System: My idea so far

Granit

My project for this officially starts today
I think some people enjoyed the description of my last challenge...so I will try and do this again.

These little challenges are getting expensive !!!

My first challenge "75:Corner" was a picture taken in Dallas...I am from Montreal. Ok I didn't go there just for the picture...but still....
Result: I finished 5th

My second Challenge "76:Inside-Out", it cost me 45$ Canadian to get 3x bottles cut.
Result: I finished 2nd (Well I think I will finish 2nd)

And now this third challenge...This will be a tough one. two ideas so far.

1) A picture of the inside of a big clock towers...The big gears inside.
I made a few calla, there is such a tower in the Montreal docks....I ended up talking to a woman who deals with film crews. She told me sure you can come and take pictures, that will be 300$ !!! :huh
So I passed on this idea.
If someone wants to use it go for it.

2) Solar System (So far I am going for this)
How can I get a picture of this ?
Easy I will buy one....But where...
I cannot find this locally, I need to order on the web, I would get it only on Monday/Tuesday next week. This will cost me 58$ If I go for it. :rolleyes

If this work out....
I will try and get my daughter involved in this project again, by setting her up behind the sun, part of her face hidden by it, maybe her hands stretch out as if she is holding the solar system in her arms.
I will turn off the lights too.
Then I may have to Photoshop out the pedestal and the bars holding the planets.

What do you think?
(That picture is from the web...Mine will be better....I hope...)

Sandy

I think this photo fits the challenge perfectly and it looks good to me just the way it is. The modifications you suggest might even make it better. You are to be congratulated for the energy you are putting into your work, I am sure it will pay off. Some of my best photos were taken for submissions.

Granit

Sandy wrote:

I think this photo fits the challenge perfectly and it looks good to me just the way it is. The modifications you suggest might even make it better. You are to be congratulated for the energy you are putting into your work, I am sure it will pay off. Some of my best photos were taken for submissions.

As I worte above this is not my photo...I was looking for a Solar System toy on the web and found this one above. I do not have it yet, I will probably order it this evening.

I do not want to reproduce the shot above either, I had the idea before I found this picture, I want to do something more with it.

bham

It could be disqualified if it has that no longer a planet Pluto in it.


Just Kidding. Good idea.

friartuc

Great idea.
I think this idea captures the theme perfectly. I can't wait to see it.

Flyinggina

bham wrote:

It could be disqualified if it has that no longer a planet Pluto in it.


Just Kidding. Good idea.

That is what photoshop is for. Great idea Granit. Go for it!

Virginia

Granit

UPDATE...

I ordered my Solar System today.
I paid for express delivery, I should get it on Tuesday or Wednesday.

My current plan is:
-Thursday evening: Performing test, only with the Solar System.
-Friday evening: Shoot with my daughter
-Saturday evening: Backup in case I need to reshoot.

twinbnj

Can't wait to see the results. You are off to a wonderful start! Wonderful idea.

rosselliot

good luck! I like the idea - solar SYSTEM......creative!!!



- RE

nalvarez

Pretty elaborate planning going there.......

Granit

I received my solar system !!!

I am a little bit disappointed, it's nice and I will use it to teach my daughter about it...But for the picture....not sure I will make it look good.

My original idea might not be possible, this SUN is not bright enough...I will have a better look this evening in the bark, but it looks like it will not even shed light on Pluto...Yeah Pluto is still there. I will leave it there too.

Granit

OK...Well I guess it make sense...There is no way to get a clear picture as above (the one found on the web) when the light source (SUN) is Yellow. It was obviously manipulated quite a lot.

But I like my results so far, all orange like that it almost feels more real, like it should look in space from far away.

Exposure time needs to be long and she cannot move, this one is the best I could get out of her. I might keep it like that, I will not even remove the bars holding the planets. I have done no modification at all except for the crop, no touch up on contrast, brightness, colors, this is what came out. I try to avoid manipulations normally.

After 1x quick photo shoot with my impatient daughter.

What do you think?

DavidTO

Granit wrote:

OK...Well I guess it make sense...There is no way to get a clear picture as above (the one found on the web) when the light source (SUN) is Yellow. It was obviously manipulated quite a lot.

That's not a photograph, but a computer graphic, illustration.

And you'll note that they got the lighting wrong. The light on the planets is not falling from the sun, but from some other, unidentifiable source.

Granit

It is not exaclly what I had in mind, I still like it but I do not think it will win or even be picked for the top 10. It's on topic but something is missing.

A friend of mine turned into Simon from American Idol...And told me it sucked :cry. I do not think it sucks, but it's not a winner shot.

Since I cannot get what I want from my daughter, I will try other things tonight, without her in the shot. What I have in mind is a top down angle with some rotation in the picture. The planets can move.

Granit

I have a lot of hot on this thread, some comments would be appreciated.

I did more shots this evening. Here is what I got.
Should I keep working on the long exposure with moving planets?
I think I like the first one below, I like the DOF and I played with the saturation for the earth. Then the Brightness and contrast of the other planet in the background.

System

I like the motion and the angle of the last shot. I also like the "real" color in the first shot though I think the glare and the DOF hurt the image. So...I'd try the thrid shot but with more ambient light. I'd also try to create a black background that hides the base of the solar system model. Because this is essentially a still life, you need to get the details as close to perfect as possible. For example in the first pic I can see the arms that hold the planets and the seam on the earth. The DOF in that shot makes identifying the other planets all but imposible and the framing forces too many palnets to one side of the solar system.

Bendr

Perhaps a long exposure with a flash, That way you get the motion blur, but still have it frozen at one point from the flash....

Good luck!
Ben

petesopete

I think it stands a great chance!

Granit

These project are great for learning, it gives me an opportunity to take pictures I would not take normally.

Ok...I think I am down to those two pics.

One is the same one with my daughter, but I just played more with it in Capture NX and also Gimp

The other one is a variation of the planets only, with less DOF and more space right of the sun.


BEFORE:


AFTER:


I like the colors of the planets I think I will go with this one:

System

I think you ended up with an excellent result. Very cool to see the progression. The rings of saturn being visible really make the shot. The only things I'd change would be to smooth out the seam that runs through the middle of Earth and to clone out the hot spots of the light source on Earth and the Sun. , that just sounds odd. Both would be a very easy fix in photoshop.

mstrmick

and accurate too.... is that Mercury transitting the Sun?
AFTER:


I like the colors of the planets I think I will go with this one:

[/quote]

Granit

mstrmick wrote:

and accurate too.... is that Mercury transitting the Sun?quote]

No that is earth

Granit

truth wrote:

I think you ended up with an excellent result. Very cool to see the progression. The rings of saturn being visible really make the shot. The only things I'd change would be to smooth out the seam that runs through the middle of Earth and to clone out the hot spots of the light source on Earth and the Sun. , that just sounds odd. Both would be a very easy fix in photoshop.

Good point for the earth I will work on that. As for the Sun, do you mean the shadow of the earth? I may have problem doing this because it is on the edged of the sun, I hate touching edges, it's never seems perfect to me...I'll give it a try.

I also noticed something odd in a modification I did (I'm not sayin what, because once you see it it kills the pictures). I have to rework it a little.

Granit

Ok....This is the best I can do...Is it better...It's hard for me because I know where all the little defects are. I will submit it.

System

Granit wrote:

Ok....This is the best I can do...Is it better...It's hard for me because I know where all the little defects are. I will submit it.

Allright, the earth looks much better, but where the shadow was on the sun the edge is worse. Same goes for the mess you made around Saturn trying to get rid of the black squares in the background. What tool where you using to fix these spots? It looks like you tried to color out the Saturn area with a very narrow tipped pen which left little squiggly lines. Try using a larger brush in an added masked layer so you can easily remove it if it does not help. The area around the sun needs a very steady hand with the clone too, or mght be best left untouched.

Granit

Ok this is it....I juts have to stop or I will be at it al day

I will keep the SUN as is. Photo is submitted. Thx for all the feedback.