Vintage Alarm Clock

eL eSs Vee · June 20, 2009

I took this in the studio, using a single strobe. Ever-so-slight crop (more to level the image than anything), mild saturation adjustments and sharpening at 147%. No other processing. C&C welcome.

Jack'll do · June 20, 2009

Excellent detail Lee. I think I see a fingerprint in the black just above the 2 !
Is there an advantage to sharpening at > 100% ? Judging from this image I guess there is.

Nikolai · June 20, 2009

Nice shot!

Did you try sepia or tri-x bw?

Wil Davis · June 20, 2009

Nice detail; have you tried softening the light (diffuser?) to try and remove the harsh edges of the shadows?

- Wil

Nikolai · June 20, 2009

Wil Davis wrote:

Nice detail; have you tried softening the light (diffuser?) to try and remove the harsh edges of the shadows?

- Wil

I personally think harsh shadows are integral part of this shot. It's an alarm clock for chrissake, it is supposed to be lit with a bedlamp, not with a 8 light glamour setup...

Wil Davis · June 20, 2009

Nikolai wrote:

I personally think harsh shadows are integral part of this shot. It's an alarm clock for chrissake, it is supposed to be lit with a bedlamp, not with a 8 light glamour setup...

My mistake, I thought the OP was asking for C&C, not just sycophantic "Me Too!!!"s

- Wil

black mamba · June 20, 2009

Hi Lee,

I find this picture to be evocative of mixed reactions. I, at first, did not care too much for the vast black space on the right. On reflection, however, I consider it an important element of the overall image. I think the stark difference between the bright white and pitch black, along with the crisp line definitions, are the very aspects that give the picture its power.

Very well conceived and executed.

Tom

eL eSs Vee · June 21, 2009

Jack'll do wrote:

Excellent detail Lee. I think I see a fingerprint in the black just above the 2 !
Is there an advantage to sharpening at > 100% ? Judging from this image I guess there is.

Thank you, Jack. You think right. I was going to dust it and wipe off the print, but then decided that the schmutz added to the image.

The way I generally sharpen an image is to start at 100% (sharpening and image size), then oscillate the percentage slider up and down until I like it.

Nikolai wrote:

Nice shot!
Did you try sepia or tri-x bw?

What? I thought the stains already were sepia!

Actually, no, I hadn't thought about converting it to mono, because it pretty much already is.

Besides, I like the yellowish stains on the face. For an image like this one, though, sometimes I may desaturate it by fifty to eighty percent, thus leaving just a touch of those colors. This time, though, I chose not to. Thank you, Nikolai.

Wil Davis wrote:

Nice detail; have you tried softening the light (diffuser?) to try and remove the harsh edges of the shadows?

- Wil

Thanks. You must have been channeling me, Wil.

While planning this shot I was considering a soft box, but I wanted the harsh-edged shadows. Also, the larger size of a soft box would have made avoiding reflections in the curved glass very difficult. So for those two reasons - but 98% the first one - I decided to go with the bare bulb. As it was, that single light was almost directly above the clock; nearly a foot out and close to three feet up.

And believe me, Nikolai isn't one for sycophantic "me too" C&Cs. I should know; when I participate in his assignments, I usually get some of his harshest responses. He expects his Dgrin Assignments students to do their very best. So, in this case, I consider his words a great compliment.

And speaking of eight-light glamour set-ups. . . .

black mamba wrote:

Hi Lee,

I find this picture to be evocative of mixed reactions. I, at first, did not care too much for the vast black space on the right. On reflection, however, I consider it an important element of the overall image. I think the stark difference between the bright white and pitch black, along with the crisp line definitions, are the very aspects that give the picture its power.

Very well conceived and executed.

Tom

Thank you very much, Tom. You saw it exactly as I'd intended it.

Jack'll do · June 21, 2009

eL eSs Vee wrote:

Thank you, Jack. You think right. I was going to dust it and wipe off the print, but then decided that the schmutz added to the image.

The way I generally sharpen an image is to start at 100% (sharpening and image size), then oscillate the percentage slider up and down until I like it.

Oh of course (the sharpening), I was thinking you viewed the image at 147% (although how you'd do that I don't know) while sharpening. Guess I was having one of those increasingly frequent "senior moments".

eL eSs Vee · June 21, 2009

Jack'll do wrote:

Oh of course (the sharpening), I was thinking you viewed the image at 147% (although how you'd do that I don't know) while sharpening. Guess I was having one of those increasingly frequent "senior moments".

Heh! Yeah, I just pick random magnification numbers while sharpening my images.

Actually, while sharpening, I'll view an image at a size near that which it will be when finished. That way I have a pretty good idea of how it'll look.

Vintage Alarm Clock

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