Weekly Assignment #78: Upside Down

NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
edited May 21, 2008 in Assignments
Long time ago I learned about this great composition trick: if you picture looks good upside down, it should look even better in a normal way :deal.

For this class you have to compose your entries having your camera or your target upside down. The easiest way to do that is to shoot downwards or upwards at a steep angle for a position inverse to your final projected view. But there may be other applications as well, e.g. having your camera on the inverted tripod column to get really low, or simply shooting while lying on your back.
Each entry should consist of both original (upside down) and final (upside up) images. One pair per entry. Multiple entries are OK, provided they are totally different.
Remember, the idea is have both inverted and normal images look good, so try to avoid snapshots.
Moderate postprocessing OK.

Let's get upside down!

EDIT:
* the image should have a clear notion of where "up" and "down" really are, as opposed to abstracts, closeups, etc.
* both images in pair should have identical cropping/treatment
"May the f/stop be with you!"

Comments

  • DonRicklinDonRicklin Registered Users Posts: 5,551 Major grins
    edited May 13, 2008
    Nikolai, I'll post one soon. Just wanted to note some of my recent Rust ones fit this catagory!

    I'll now go do something fresh!

    Don
    Don Ricklin - Gear: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, was Pentax K7
    'I was older then, I'm younger than that now' ....
    My Blog | Q+ | Moderator, Lightroom Forums | My Amateur Smugmug Stuff | My Blurb book Rust and Whimsy. More Rust , FaceBook
    .
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited May 13, 2008
    DonRicklin wrote:
    Nikolai, I'll post one soon. Just wanted to note some of my recent Rust ones fit this catagory!

    I'll now go do something fresh!

    Don

    Don, thank you for the reminder, I adjusted the lead post. mwink.gif
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • spb13spb13 Registered Users Posts: 133 Major grins
    edited May 13, 2008
    It is very interesting trying to work the dials on the camera when it is upside down...

    As shot
    294981400_qJVAx-L.jpg

    Flipped
    294981221_WfJXR-L.jpg
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited May 14, 2008
    spb13 wrote:
    It is very interesting trying to work the dials on the camera when it is upside down...
    As shot
    Flipped

    Sean, thank you, nice entry!
    I love the lighting!thumb.gif
    You've also pulled a very nice diagonal theme with the tomatos!
    I only don't get which way is up:-) mwink.gifrolleyes1.gif
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • spb13spb13 Registered Users Posts: 133 Major grins
    edited May 14, 2008
    Nikolai wrote:
    I only don't get which way is up:-) mwink.gifrolleyes1.gif

    Yeah I guess there isn't quite enough light to see the stems on the top of the tomatoes. :)
  • LilyJackLilyJack Registered Users Posts: 25 Big grins
    edited May 14, 2008
    spb13 wrote:
    Yeah I guess there isn't quite enough light to see the stems on the top of the tomatoes. :)

    Neat idea, I never thought to do this with photos. I'm also a painter and when I have trouble with a composition, I turn it upside down and work for a while.

    Tomato composition looks good. Purple background is a great contrast with orange fruit. The leaves clued me in to which was upside down.

    Take care,
    Kate
  • spb13spb13 Registered Users Posts: 133 Major grins
    edited May 14, 2008
    This one is a little less abstract...

    Camera and car inverted...
    295452665_cBqq3-L.jpg

    Flipped
    295452577_TDLVW-L.jpg
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited May 15, 2008
    spb13 wrote:
    This one is a little less abstract...
    Camera and car inverted...
    Flipped
    Thank you! thumb.gif
    Funny, I ike inverted image much better! mwink.gifrolleyes1.gif
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • colfraglesscolfragless Registered Users Posts: 128 Major grins
    edited May 17, 2008
    Here is my attempted at this Assignment.. the more i do I think the better Ill get....

    Inverted
    296733696_vPH3M-L-1.jpg

    right side up
    296732583_keuCr-L-1.jpg

    inverted Kinda reminds me of a space ship or Lantern... right side up a Fire Flower....
    A Day where One can Spend all day doing something they Love is a wonderful day in deed... ~sparky~

    Sparkyphotography.net
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited May 17, 2008
    Here is my attempted at this Assignment.. the more i do I think the better Ill get....
    Inverted
    right side up
    inverted Kinda reminds me of a space ship or Lantern... right side up a Fire Flower....
    Thank you! thumb.gif
    I can see the upside down technique working...
    What I can't see is the requested overall image quality ne_nau.gif
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • DonRicklinDonRicklin Registered Users Posts: 5,551 Major grins
    edited May 18, 2008
    My try! fresh stuff!
    297303984_V6dS6-L.jpg

    297307464_PBXiX-L.jpg

    Don
    Don Ricklin - Gear: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, was Pentax K7
    'I was older then, I'm younger than that now' ....
    My Blog | Q+ | Moderator, Lightroom Forums | My Amateur Smugmug Stuff | My Blurb book Rust and Whimsy. More Rust , FaceBook
    .
  • MooreDrivenMooreDriven Registered Users Posts: 260 Major grins
    edited May 19, 2008
    Bird House
    Nikolai,

    NOTE: Edited from original post.

    Here's my entry for this assignment. I wanted to show something with movement and action.

    298095129_pTe3H-M.jpg

    298475345_Z5iJK-M.jpg

    Dale
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited May 19, 2008
    DonRicklin wrote:
    hatch
    Don
    Don, thank you!
    While it's a valid entry technically, the lack of context makes it fairly non-interesting for this technique. If it were not for the letters, no one would be able to tell which side is up or, uhm, side...mwink.gif
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited May 19, 2008
    Nikolai,

    Here's my entry for this assignment. I wanted to show something with movement and action.

    Dale

    Dale, wait a second, it was supposed to be the same shot, flipped in post... these are two different ones...
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • MooreDrivenMooreDriven Registered Users Posts: 260 Major grins
    edited May 20, 2008
    Nikolai wrote:
    Dale, wait a second, it was supposed to be the same shot, flipped in post... these are two different ones...

    I've edited my original post. I missed the fact that it was the same shot just inverted. I thought it would be more challenging trying to capture the same subject in a normal composure, and an inverted one.
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited May 20, 2008
    I've edited my original post. I missed the fact that it was the same shot just inverted. I thought it would be more challenging trying to capture the same subject in a normal composure, and an inverted one.
    Thanks Dale! thumb.gif
    Now, what was your stance here? Just inverted the camera, or...mwink.gif
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • MooreDrivenMooreDriven Registered Users Posts: 260 Major grins
    edited May 20, 2008
    Nikolai wrote:
    Thanks Dale! thumb.gif
    Now, what was your stance here? Just inverted the camera, or...mwink.gif

    The camera was inverted, Scouts honor, thus my original post. One with the camera correctly composed, and the other inverted. That's why I posted two separate images. It's easy to just flip an image PP. I can see why you might think that based on the images. Both have the watermark on the bottom left corner.
  • DonRicklinDonRicklin Registered Users Posts: 5,551 Major grins
    edited May 20, 2008
    The camera was inverted, Scouts honor, thus my original post. One with the camera correctly composed, and the other inverted. That's why I posted two separate images. It's easy to just flip an image PP. I can see why you might think that based on the images. Both have the watermark on the bottom left corner.
    Fom the size of that watermark it appears you used Lightroom.

    Don
    Don Ricklin - Gear: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, was Pentax K7
    'I was older then, I'm younger than that now' ....
    My Blog | Q+ | Moderator, Lightroom Forums | My Amateur Smugmug Stuff | My Blurb book Rust and Whimsy. More Rust , FaceBook
    .
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited May 20, 2008
    The camera was inverted, Scouts honor, thus my original post. One with the camera correctly composed, and the other inverted. That's why I posted two separate images. It's easy to just flip an image PP. I can see why you might think that based on the images. Both have the watermark on the bottom left corner.
    Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to imply you didn't invert it this way or another. I was honestly interested in how, and most importantly, why you did it.
    You see, this technique is not what you call a panacea or a regular shooting mode. It is usually used when the regular shot is not possible or plain boring. However, then the idea is that with the inverted position you do get it, or at least get it less boring. The tomato plant on top of this thread is a perfect example of the latter case.
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • MooreDrivenMooreDriven Registered Users Posts: 260 Major grins
    edited May 21, 2008
    Nikolai wrote:
    Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to imply you didn't invert it this way or another. I was honestly interested in how, and most importantly, why you did it.
    You see, this technique is not what you call a panacea or a regular shooting mode. It is usually used when the regular shot is not possible or plain boring. However, then the idea is that with the inverted position you do get it, or at least get it less boring. The tomato plant on top of this thread is a perfect example of the latter case.

    My stance for the first post was upright, with the camera flipped. I was remembering the assignment while on a walk around a park where the birdhouse was located. I picked the birdhouse because of the action in the shot (less boring in my eyes). I believe I understand now why it's not what you were looking for.

    How about this one. I took this while laying on my back, as close to my bike as I could get, looking up towards the cylinder. I'm trying to duplicate the view while working underneath the bike. A car would have been better, but I could not get under my car (too low to the ground!). While not the best shot, is this closer to what you were looking for?

    As shot
    299376580_YHr8C-M.jpg

    Flipped
    299377554_vJkNZ-M.jpg

    Oh, I'm using LR for PP.

    Thanks for the feedback.

    Dale
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited May 21, 2008
    My stance for the first post was upright, with the camera flipped. I was remembering the assignment while on a walk around a park where the birdhouse was located. I picked the birdhouse because of the action in the shot (less boring in my eyes). I believe I understand now why it's not what you were looking for.

    How about this one. I took this while laying on my back, as close to my bike as I could get, looking up towards the cylinder. I'm trying to duplicate the view while working underneath the bike. A car would have been better, but I could not get under my car (too low to the ground!). While not the best shot, is this closer to what you were looking for?
    Thanks for the feedback.

    Dale
    Dale, thank you!
    This is exactly what I was looking for. thumb.gif
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
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