#54 How about this?

Jenn · June 30, 2010

How about this:

"I'm Putting my ..."

ghinson · July 1, 2010

Good concept. I got the cliche right away.

Now here's my two cents. I hope you take this constructively. The flash is still a problem. The reflection on the jar is distracting, as is the shadow it casts. A wide aperture would blur the background and make the subject more interesting. Try shooting this again with an eye towards a composition that allows us to see more of the wrist and places the jar less centered in the frame. Lastly, consider switching to manual focus to make sure that the most tack-sharp item in the picture is the actual two pennies you're dropping.

kdotaylor · July 1, 2010

I agree. I also think a plain background might look better. Try hanging some fabric, or even use a piece of posterboard behind your subject. Be sure to watch out for creases/wrinkles. Nice concept/idea!

Jenn · July 1, 2010

ghinson wrote: »

Good concept. I got the cliche right away.

Now here's my two cents. I hope you take this constructively. The flash is still a problem. The reflection on the jar is distracting, as is the shadow it casts. A wide aperture would blur the background and make the subject more interesting. Try shooting this again with an eye towards a composition that allows us to see more of the wrist and places the jar less centered in the frame. Lastly, consider switching to manual focus to make sure that the most tack-sharp item in the picture is the actual two pennies you're dropping.

thanks! question: Why's the flash a problem? I kind of like it there.

I don't understand why ya'll don't like the flash because it adds interest, for me anyway.

It's glass and everytime I took the photo the glass showed some flash reflection. I don't know how to do the apeture thing, and I can't do a manual focus with this particular camera. It auto focus's.

I can crop the image showing more of the hand and edit so the background is solid black... I could clone and edit out the flash... is that allowed?

quark · July 1, 2010

I like your concept as well.

The fun challenge of photography is controlling the viewer's eye. When someone looks at this image, they see the flash on the glass first and then the eye wanders around the scene. If you can reduce the glare and get the pennies in focus the viewer will see them first and understand that they are the focus of the photo and story.

Try taking the photo on a table near a bright window and you won't need the flash.

WhatSheSaw · July 1, 2010

You are allowed to do as much PP as you like in this round.

The light from the flash is too harsh. Try using an off camera light source - a lamp, a flashlight, a candle.

You may have a close-up setting on your camera that will blur the background. I have one on my Kodak. It has a flower symbol.

If you place the pennies in the middle of the frame and hold the shutter halfway down, it will lock the focus. You can then shift to create the composition you want.

Jenn · July 1, 2010

hmmm I'll try it again and see if I can do it better. I am right handed and was trying to put the pennies in the jar with my right hand and snap the photo with my left hand, which was kind of funny if someone had seen me trying to do that .. lol

I guess I could put the pennies in with my left hand hahaha I dunno.

I'm a bit of a clutz trying to figure out how to arrange stuff to take a photo. I was trying to take a pic of something in my daughters room last week and got my leg caught under her bed frame and cut it as I was getting up from taking the pic!

SeascapeS · July 1, 2010

Jenn:

It is a very cute idea, and I agree with the others. Controlling the lighting is one of the most important, and one of the hardest, things to learn. Reflections and shadows should be minimized so that you end up with a clear shot of the subject and the background. There are times when reflections or shadows are good, but you have to know when they are appropriate and when they are just distracting.

I'll try to post two examples for you later.

SeascapeS · July 1, 2010

Okay, here are examples. Not great ones, because by the time I took these, it was dark and I lost the light. Anyway, you can really see the difference.

No shadow (well, very little).

shadow

<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://tinypic.com/i/input.swf" style="" id="flash-html-code" bgcolor="transparent" quality="high" name="flash-html-code" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" swliveconnect="true" allowscriptaccess="always" flashvars="ipt=%5BIMG%5Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fi50.tinypic.com%2F2vn3pr6.jpg%5B%2FIMG%5D&trk=copy_details_img" width="262" height="19">

Here are perfect examples of when shadows and reflections are great in a shot. Look through these and you'll find them.

http://challenges.smugmug.com/Other/DSS-Mega-Challenge-8/12550110_Z9Qwc#911283973_qmjtU

SeascapeS · July 1, 2010

Sorry they are so big. Not intended.

Jenn · July 2, 2010

I'm not having much luck. I hate the light because it comes out looking yellow. I'm betting one of ya'll would do it much better than me, so someone else give it a try.

dlscott56 · July 2, 2010

Jenn wrote: »

I'm not having much luck. I hate the light because it comes out looking yellow. I'm betting one of ya'll would do it much better than me, so someone else give it a try.

Don't give up Jenn, you're doing great! If you only can use on camera flash, try from different angles to see how it effects the reflection. Or, as someone else suggested, use natural lighting. No matter what, keep shooting! You've got a great idea here.

DsrtVW · July 2, 2010

Has nothing to do with luck Jenn, it does have to do with shooting over and over again and trying different settings on your camera til you are happy with the results .
It is tough at first because you may be doing something you do not normally shoot.
I had to go look up the specs on your camera you have in your profile. If you are getting yellowish casts then try different white balance settings to get rid of that color cast. Or different scene mode settings. I am sorry I cant give you specifics because I am not familiar with your camera.
Do you have a tripod or put the camera on something solid and use the shutter timers so it frees up your hands to do the action you need.
We have all been there, it gets frustrating.
But "Persistence pays off", another cliche that fits your subject
Please do not give just have fun with it.

photosbyjd2 · July 2, 2010

hit me up if you need some help. I cant afford a flash and built on flashes are junk, so i have learned to shoot only in natural light.

Jenn · July 2, 2010

dlscott56 wrote: »

Don't give up Jenn, you're doing great! If you only can use on camera flash, try from different angles to see how it effects the reflection. Or, as someone else suggested, use natural lighting. No matter what, keep shooting! You've got a great idea here.

I've tried different setting with the flash.. even turning it off altogether.. just not putting 2 n 2 together to get the picture right, yet. I try for a while and then get really tired. Shouldn't it be easier than it is to get a good picture of me dropping 2 pennies in a jar?

Jenn · July 2, 2010

DsrtVW wrote: »

Has nothing to do with luck Jenn, it does have to do with shooting over and over again and trying different settings on your camera til you are happy with the results .
It is tough at first because you may be doing something you do not normally shoot.
I had to go look up the specs on your camera you have in your profile. If you are getting yellowish casts then try different white balance settings to get rid of that color cast. Or different scene mode settings. I am sorry I cant give you specifics because I am not familiar with your camera.
Do you have a tripod or put the camera on something solid and use the shutter timers so it frees up your hands to do the action you need.
We have all been there, it gets frustrating.
But "Persistence pays off", another cliche that fits your subject
Please do not give just have fun with it.

I'm just not sure how the white balance effects the picture and getting the yellow out of it. I'm not even sure how to pose my hand dropping the 2 pennies in. My first try just felt natural.. now I'm turning my hand in different ways and it just feels like I'm over thinking it.

Jenn · July 2, 2010

photosbyjd2 wrote: »

hit me up if you need some help. I cant afford a flash and built on flashes are junk, so i have learned to shoot only in natural light.

How do I hit you up?

cuz I obviously need help!

sweetharmony · July 2, 2010

Jenn, you sure have got some good support on this thread. Your concept is a fine one and I think you'll be able to get it right. It'd help tons if you had someone else put the coins in for you.....it'd take some of the pressure off of you so you can concentrate on setting up the shot. I think, as Kate pointed out, that a plain background would simplify things and good natural light should take care of the flash problem.

Jenn · July 2, 2010

sweetharmony wrote: »

Jenn, you sure have got some good support on this thread. Your concept is a fine one and I think you'll be able to get it right. It'd help tons if you had someone else put the coins in for you.....it'd take some of the pressure off of you so you can concentrate on setting up the shot. I think, as Kate pointed out, that a plain background would simplify things and good natural light should take care of the flash problem.

hmmm if someone else puts the pennies in.. then I can't say "I'm putting my 2cents worth in!"

dahn8 · July 2, 2010

If you decide to use a flash and can get a "hand model" for your shoot (freeing up a hand), you can also soften the flash using various household objects. Sometimes I hold a white handkerchief or toilet paper in front of my flash if I have no other options. Or on a point and shoot, sometimes I put several layers of scotch tape in front of the flash.

I don't know if that will help or not but figured I'd mention it to you

Jenn · July 2, 2010

dahn8 wrote: »

If you decide to use a flash and can get a "hand model" for your shoot (freeing up a hand), you can also soften the flash using various household objects. Sometimes I hold a white handkerchief or toilet paper in front of my flash if I have no other options. Or on a point and shoot, sometimes I put several layers of scotch tape in front of the flash.

I don't know if that will help or not but figured I'd mention it to you

I've tried about 20 more times and if I do good and have no flash on the glass.. I get a shadow when I put in the pennies. I'm thinking it can't be done without getting some shadow or some flash on the glass.

ilbcnu · July 2, 2010

What about trying to get some light from below? maybe a flashlight under the jar. Not even sure what that would do but may be interesting. Keep trying! It is all part of the learning process!!

Jenn · July 2, 2010

ilbcnu wrote: »

What about trying to get some light from below? maybe a flashlight under the jar. Not even sure what that would do but may be interesting. Keep trying! It is all part of the learning process!!

So there shouldn't be any shadow at all and no flash reflection at all either? Is that the goal?

ilbcnu · July 2, 2010

I think flash/shadows help bring depth but shouldn't distract. If your eye goes there first then it would be distracting...if it pulls out a static object then it enhances-what ever works for the image - just an opinion here- I was on another thread with an image I worked on & getting alot of help from others to enhance it and make it a stronger image so it is some trial & error with your own taste added

Jenn · July 2, 2010

ilbcnu wrote: »

I think flash/shadows help bring depth but shouldn't distract. If your eye goes there first then it would be distracting...if it pulls out a static object then it enhances-what ever works for the image - just an opinion here- I was on another thread with an image I worked on & getting alot of help from others to enhance it and make it a stronger image so it is some trial & error with your own taste added

ok so some shadow is good then.. I thought I wasn't supposed to have any shadow at all... Also.. I don't know how to position my hand dropping in the 2 cents.. Does it matter?

SeascapeS · July 2, 2010

Jenn - try taking it outside in the shade. Turn the flash off. You shouldn't get reflection or shadows if you're in the right spot.

Jenn · July 2, 2010

SeascapeS wrote: »

Jenn - try taking it outside in the shade. Turn the flash off. You shouldn't get reflection or shadows if you're in the right spot.

If I do that, I don't think I can set up a solid drap for a background. Does it matter if there's other stuff in the bg?

HaveCameraWillTravel · July 2, 2010

White balance

Jenn wrote: »

I'm just not sure how the white balance effects the picture and getting the yellow out of it. I'm not even sure how to pose my hand dropping the 2 pennies in. My first try just felt natural.. now I'm turning my hand in different ways and it just feels like I'm over thinking it.

Jenn,

See if you have some kind of scene setting that says "indoors", "incandescent", or has a picture of a lightbulb somewhere. Try that.
Let me see if I can explain "white balance" without getting too technical.

What your camera "sees" is mainly reflected light. Whatever the dominant color of that light, that color will tint your picture. If you take a white sheet of paper, regardless of the light falling on it, your brain will automatically make you see that paper as white (and cancel out most of the tint from the rest of the scene.) Your brain is doing a kind of "white balance" automatically.

Now, many cameras can do that trick themselves, but they can get fooled.
Especially indoors with the flash off. The light coming from incandescent bulbs is very yellow-orange to a camera, even though it looks golden-white to us.
When you select "incandescent" / "tungsten" / "indoor" white balance, what you are doing is boosting the opposite color (blue) which is lacking in the reflected light from your scene, and this will restore the balance of colors, so that a white or gray object will appear that way. (and all the colors as well)

Your camera senses three basic colors - red, green, and blue. White light has the same amount of all three colors - they are balanced. That's mainly why it's called a white balance. The goal is to cancel out the color cast of the light so the scene looks as if it were lit with pure white light.

I hope this helps - and keep on trying with your picture. Edison, it is said, failed 3,000 times before he found the right filament for his electric light.
I also agree that shooting the image using natural light, perhaps even outdoors with a plain background, would make the lighting less of a problem. Maybe you could have someone else drop the pennies, while you compose and take the shot.

Another idea, if you really need to use a flash, is to take a piece of wax paper and stick it over the flash bulb. When the flash goes off, the wax paper will spread out the light so it's less harsh. This is a trick I've seen some photographers use. It's cheap and often does the trick.

Art.

SeascapeS · July 2, 2010

Cheap way to do a backdrop: Buy some thick poster paper and put some solid color fabric over it. Use a fabric that will absorb light, like a crushed velvet. Don't use anything shiny or too bright.

I don't think it matters whose hand you use. It still counts if you use someone else's hand and would be much easier for you.

Jenn · July 2, 2010

try #2

it has some shadows, but I think the eye goes to the pennies... and I didn't get much of the flash. I covered it with some tissues.

TLVoDra · July 3, 2010

Hi Jenn,
Your newest shot is getting better!!! No glare from flash, nice sharp focus on the 2 cents. Hey, one thing I noticed is that the image has a lot of "noise" in it. ISO setting can affect this. I checked your camera manual online and fortunately, you CAN manually set the ISO setting on your camera model! One of the reviews I read indicated that with this particular camera, they try to keep the ISO at 100 and not above 800. Your camera can go as high as 3200, which will let you shoot in low light but will give you the more grainy/noisy image. To change the ISO, go into the menu, find ISO settings...click through options. The one thing to watch for is "Intelligent ISO" and "Auto ISO". Both of these should be set at 800 so that your camera doesn't automatically set them higher in low light. What this means, is that you will not be able to focus or take a shot unless you have enough light, though....so if that happens and it's a shot you just really want to have and don't mind the noise, quickly reset the menu to higher ISO and then remember to change it back to 800 again.

I hope this helps. Keep trying!!! : )

#54 How about this?

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