Ch 32 - second & third photo

dkoyanagi · February 13, 2005

Orange
Taken: 2005-02-11

ISO 64, f/5.0, 1/15s, focal length 19.4 mm (76mm) flash bounced off ceiling. Taken with Canon 250D closeup lens. Brightness and contrast adjustment in post.

Black Coffee
Taken: 2005-02-13

Shot against a black background. ISO 64, f/8.0, 1/100s, focal length 14mm (54mm) single flash from left side. Brightness and contrast adjustment in post.

Comments and suggestions welcome.

Angelo · February 13, 2005

these are both fantastic shots

dkoyanagi · February 13, 2005

Angelo wrote:

these are both fantastic shots

Thanks Angelo. The coffee photo took 75 takes before I got everything right.

:

davev · February 13, 2005

Hey Dan,
The orange pic is great. I think the coffee picture is good, but not as good
as the orange. I'm thinking this challenge is about color. The coffee
pic is just to black and white. Now if the cup were say red, yellow, etc..........

dave.

Jenny · February 14, 2005

mmmm, that orange looks so good! I can almost taste it. The color is spectacular! I love the coffee shot too, but I agree with Dave...it is really too b&w for a predominent color challenge. Color aside though, Both of the shots are amazing!

jwear · February 14, 2005

davev wrote:

Hey Dan,
The orange pic is great. I think the coffee picture is good, but not as good
as the orange. I'm thinking this challenge is about color. The coffee
pic is just to black and white. Now if the cup were say red, yellow, etc..........

dave.

not sure about red yello cup but i will second JEFF

dkoyanagi · February 14, 2005

Thanks Dave, Jenny and Jeff. I see your point 'bout black and white. I guess I'll go with either the first coffee shot or Orange. Thanks for the feedback!

hqsbud · February 14, 2005

The coffee cup is spectacular! Reminds me of scenes from 2001:A Space Odyssey. But I agree with others; the oranges are probably more appropriate for this challenge. Wonderful shot!

gus · February 14, 2005

coffee cup

gubbs · February 14, 2005

The coffee cup! The orange is succulent and colourful and a great photo, but I prefer the cup, its more individual and original, simple, with strong contrasts and shapes. Black and White are still colours

Both great shots

gus · February 14, 2005

gubbs wrote:

The coffee cup! The orange is succulent and colourful and a great photo,

Just wish i could get a pick of the mango i just had for tea mate. Too big to hold in one hand & dark orange fading to red all over. Got anotherie in the ridgy didg that im quietly contemplating.

Yuri Pautov · February 14, 2005

For me the coffe cup is a winner!
Perfect!

lynnma · February 14, 2005

Yuri Pautov wrote:

For me the coffe cup is a winner!
Perfect!

I like the orange but I took a lot of shots of oranges for one challenge and now have an aversion to them I think.. the coffee cup is a surprise to me.. a wow.. look at that. I can just imagine that matted and on my wall...

Nir · February 14, 2005

The orange is an orange.

The coffeee cup is art! Congratulations!

digital faerie · February 14, 2005

dkoyanagi wrote:

Orange
Taken: 2005-02-11

ISO 64, f/5.0, 1/15s, focal length 19.4 mm (76mm) flash bounced off ceiling. Taken with Canon 250D closeup lens. Brightness and contrast adjustment in post.

Black Coffee
Taken: 2005-02-13

Shot against a black background. ISO 64, f/8.0, 1/100s, focal length 14mm (54mm) single flash from left side. Brightness and contrast adjustment in post.

Comments and suggestions welcome.

both of these shots are extremely nice, and my vote goes to the orange for the challenge. It has excellent composition, the DOF is perfect, and it's just so pleasing. Although the coffee beans come a very close second, it's just lacking the depth of the orange pic. nice work!

4labs · February 14, 2005

Tough choices.. The orange is making my mouth water I'd opt for that one.

snapapple · February 14, 2005

Tough choice! They're (all three) great shots. I love the coffee cup. As an image, it's my first choice. It's wonderfully creative and well executed art. But, I'm not sure about the color for the challenge. Strictly speaking, black is not a color. But then, it is the most original of the shots. Black is predominant. The orange is nice, but it's been done. The coffee beans are beautiful, but also done. Hmm, how about a coffee cup on top of a bed of coffee beans?

By the way, I appreciate all the time that goes into setting these up and shooting them. 75 shots! Wow! I've done almost that many. 64, I think.

dkoyanagi · February 15, 2005

Thanks hqsbud, Gus, Gubbs, 4labs, and Snappy.

snapapple wrote:

Hmm, how about a coffee cup on top of a bed of coffee beans?

Hmmm... you might be on to something.... How's this?

Coffee Time
Taken: 2005-02-14

ISO 64, f/8.0, 1/100s, focal length 51mm (200mm), single flash from right, reflector to the left.

I think I'll play around with the lighting a little bit more on this one. I don't think it's as good as the other coffee cup photo. But then this only only took 12 takes.

:

dkoyanagi · February 15, 2005

Thanks Yuri, Lynn, Nir and Tanna. Interesting responses. So far six people like the Orange better, six like the Coffee Cup better, and two like the coffee cup but think orange is better for this challenge, their main objection being black isn't a color. The coffee cup is definitely back in the running.

:

ginger_55 · February 15, 2005

dkoyanagi wrote:

Orange
Taken: 2005-02-11

ISO 64, f/5.0, 1/15s, focal length 19.4 mm (76mm) flash bounced off ceiling. Taken with Canon 250D closeup lens. Brightness and contrast adjustment in post.

Black Coffee
Taken: 2005-02-13

Shot against a black background. ISO 64, f/8.0, 1/100s, focal length 14mm (54mm) single flash from left side. Brightness and contrast adjustment in post.

Comments and suggestions welcome.

I like both of those alot. You do well!

I don't much like oranges, but they are a nice rich color and certainly fit the theme. The black coffee, I love that, and I think that is how that one will be, either loved or hated. I think everyone will like the oranges a lot, but I don't know that they have the WOW affect that the black coffee does.

good luck.

ginger

TristanP · February 15, 2005

dkoyanagi wrote:

The coffee photo took 75 takes before I got everything right.

I know the feeling. I think my mortar and pestle still life last month took that many. The orange is nice, but I like the coffee more. Technically, since black is the absence of color, IMHO it doesn't fit this particular challenge, but I still think its an awesome shot. The later one you posted of the cup and beans has some great potential. I'd like to see what you can do to refine it.

digital faerie · February 15, 2005

dkoyanagi wrote:

Thanks Yuri, Lynn, Nir and Tanna. Interesting responses. So far six people like the Orange better, six like the Coffee Cup better, and two like the coffee cup but think orange is better for this challenge, their main objection being black isn't a color. The coffee cup is definitely back in the running. :

looking at it again, I'd say that black still counts as a "color" for this challenge....and it certainly is a striking photo! it's tough to choose sometimes, eh?

I'm also thinking that the coffee cup (black) is now stronger than the orange....something about it screams "you can't deny my creativity" and now I like the coffee cup and beans, too. You also got that line of rich reddish brown in the coffee to come out so nicely, too.

I really like your stuff!

snapapple · February 15, 2005

Hey, I like the coffee cup on the bed of beans. It's not quite right though. I think the light needs to be on the other side. I mean the shadow of the cup needs to be on the other side. The beans look good though. Show us some more.

DoctorIt · February 15, 2005

I really like the "black and white coffee", which I think you already entered in the challenge. I just wanted to give it another thumbs up because it is the most simple and abstract to me. To be blunt, abstract hasn't done well in our challenges (for the most part), and I'd like to see that change. This one could do it.

DawnLand · February 16, 2005

You are amazing!
I am new to this forum and contests, but I have to say that you are amazing!

All photos are "win" quality! The coffee , the first image, is very artistic and well thought out. The orange is perfect for this catagory, but it holds no pizzaze to set it apart from the rest. The coffee cup does. Actually, both coffee images can be winners!

Where do you think up this stuff! Totally amazing! DAwn

Michael Allen · February 16, 2005

dkoyanagi wrote:

Orange
Taken: 2005-02-11

ISO 64, f/5.0, 1/15s, focal length 19.4 mm (76mm) flash bounced off ceiling. Taken with Canon 250D closeup lens. Brightness and contrast adjustment in post.

Comments and suggestions welcome.

I didn't see your orange when I put mine up, not that they compare but if it's a problem let me know, I'm gonna try something else if I have time(big if at this point) so it might change anyway.

dkoyanagi · February 16, 2005

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Tanna, Snappy, Erik and Dawn. I decided to go with the one I like best.

dkoyanagi · February 16, 2005

Thanks Ginger, Tristan and Michael.
BTW Michael, I've decided to go with the coffee photo so feel free to post your orange.