Flower & Seashell Collection

Tony BrittonTony Britton Registered Users Posts: 345 Major grins
edited January 7, 2017 in Other Cool Shots
Hello,

I wanted to share a few of my favorite photos featuring flowers & seashells. Playing with light & shadow and bursts of color is the inspiration behind these photos.

The seashell & flower images featuring a black background involved the use of black foam core board. These are enjoyable indoor projects, especially on rainy days. I Hope you like them!

Tony

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Comments

  • StumblebumStumblebum Registered Users Posts: 8,480 Major grins
    edited May 8, 2016
    Astounding work!clap.gif
  • Tony BrittonTony Britton Registered Users Posts: 345 Major grins
    edited May 8, 2016
    Stumblebum wrote: »
    Astounding work!clap.gif
    I always appreciate you taking the time to comment on my photographs. I hope those reading this response will take the time to click on your name and visit your Homepage. Now, that's astounding work!

    Best regards,

    Tony
    https://tonybritton.smugmug.com/
  • Tony BrittonTony Britton Registered Users Posts: 345 Major grins
    edited January 7, 2017
    A few more that include "illuminated" seashells. Thanks for looking.


    Even Broken Hearts Can Shine Again
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    latestflowers.jpg-M.jpg

    Illuminated%20Seashell%20%282%29-M.jpg

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  • JuanoJuano Registered Users Posts: 4,878 Major grins
    edited May 8, 2016
    Very nice work! Great lighting.clap.gifclap
  • StumblebumStumblebum Registered Users Posts: 8,480 Major grins
    edited May 9, 2016
    Works of art....second set maybe even better! As mentioned by Cristobal....light is fantastic! Bravo!
  • Tony BrittonTony Britton Registered Users Posts: 345 Major grins
    edited January 7, 2017
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    septshells%20%282%29%20%282%29-M.jpg
  • Tony BrittonTony Britton Registered Users Posts: 345 Major grins
    edited May 9, 2016
    Juano wrote: »
    Very nice work! Great lighting.clap.gifclap
    Thanks for looking and especially for commenting!

    Tony
  • Tony BrittonTony Britton Registered Users Posts: 345 Major grins
    edited May 9, 2016
    Stumblebum wrote: »
    Works of art....second set maybe even better! As mentioned by Cristobal....light is fantastic! Bravo!
    Thank you very much! The black foam core photos are especially fun projects.

    Tony
  • EiaEia Registered Users Posts: 3,627 Major grins
    edited May 9, 2016
    Oh my lands!!!! Absolutely exquisite detail in all of them. All are so different. Awesome. I wish you could share your set up.
  • SamSam Registered Users Posts: 7,419 Major grins
    edited May 9, 2016
    Incredible color and tone artfully woven on to intricate subjects. clap.gifclapclap.gif

    Sam
  • Tony BrittonTony Britton Registered Users Posts: 345 Major grins
    edited May 9, 2016
    Eia wrote: »
    Oh my lands!!!! Absolutely exquisite detail in all of them. All are so different. Awesome. I wish you could share your set up.
    Hi Eia,

    I'm glad you like these photos! I'd be happy to share!

    When projects like these turn out well, the photos can convey a sense of time consuming, technically demanding "studio" shots, suggesting the use of exotic lighting equipment, for example. Yet in fact, these photos were taken on a card table. And the room needn't be terribly dark to create these types of images. Fast shutter speeds and high aperture values along with generous amounts of negative Exposure Compensation provide enough reduction in ambient light to make that so.

    I use sheets of black foam core board, one of which has a small hole punched through it. I place the seashell directly on the foam core and I usually hand-hold a high lumen flashlight to light my seashells. For my "illuminated" seashell shots I place the shell over the hole in the foam core and light the shell from underneath. Of course, it works best with "thin-walled" shells. With my flower photos I can even preserve the flower, stem and all, by passing the stem through the hole. I place the seashells on a small mirror, then the mirror on the foam core to achieve the wonderful reflection style images.

    I use a tripod, select Macro Mode and frame the shot by means of the LCD. Enabling the 10 second self-timer allows me enough time to aim the light source and experiment with different angles until I see the desired effect I want in the LCD. If I'm using my Canon SX50 then I'll temporarily DEACTIVATE the Image-Stabilization, which is recommended in the manual when using a tripod. I just have to remember to activate it before I go back to my preferred bird photography!

    The critical factor is simply finding the best angle from which to light the subject. For a polished seashell it can take a few attempts to minimize or prevent "hot spot" reflections on the shell from the light source. In my case, I don't want to work any harder than I have to in an effort to completely eliminate hot spots so I don't use shades or attempt to diffuse or bounce the light and I don't mind a little shine on the shell. I simply position the light source at the angle that produces the most dramatic effect. I find the most pleasing and dramatic results come from "side-lighting" the seashell. I rarely hold the light source directly above the seashell, for example. Also, finding the best angle helps prevent the black foam core from being easily detected. Even if the foam core appears in the initial capture, that can easily be corrected in post by decreasing the "Levels." This style of "side-lighting" of the subject is how I use natural sunlight to begin the process of creating many of my bird photographs that feature a black background. Working with early morning or late afternoon sunlight, in this case. You can view examples of this technique in the Wildlife Section here under my thread titled "Strictly For The Birds."

    I use Photoshop Elements 12. During post-processing the tool I use the most is "Levels." I decrease the levels until the black foam core goes completely black. Occasionally, I'll need to select Auto Levels or adjust Shadows / Highlights to allow the image to really "pop." I don't do these black foam core projects too often so if the seashells have been on display and the foam core stored away, I make extra sure they're completely dust-free. Since these are lighted macro shots every flaw or speck of dust will be captured!

    Best regards,
    Tony
    https://tonybritton.smugmug.com/
  • Tony BrittonTony Britton Registered Users Posts: 345 Major grins
    edited May 9, 2016
    Sam wrote: »
    Incredible color and tone artfully woven on to intricate subjects. clap.gifclapclap.gif

    Sam
    Thank you very much, Sam. I appreciate your comments!

    Tony
    https://tonybritton.smugmug.com/
  • Tony BrittonTony Britton Registered Users Posts: 345 Major grins
    edited January 7, 2017
    cambridegeshell-M.jpg

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  • GSPePGSPeP Registered Users Posts: 3,728 Major grins
    edited May 10, 2016
  • Tony BrittonTony Britton Registered Users Posts: 345 Major grins
    edited May 10, 2016
    GSPeP wrote: »
    Wow, great work thumb.gif
    Hello Peter,

    Thanks for looking and especially for commenting!

    Tony
    https://tonybritton.smugmug.com/
  • Tony BrittonTony Britton Registered Users Posts: 345 Major grins
    edited January 7, 2017

    2016dgrinbritton%20%282%29-L.jpg

  • StumblebumStumblebum Registered Users Posts: 8,480 Major grins
    edited July 7, 2016
    Fantastic!!
  • travelwaystravelways Registered Users Posts: 7,854 Major grins
    edited July 8, 2016
    Beautiful work! clap.gif
    Tatiana - Seeing the world through my camera
    TravelwaysPhotos.com ...... Facebook
    VegasGreatAttractions.com
    Travelways.com
  • Tony BrittonTony Britton Registered Users Posts: 345 Major grins

    A few more.

  • Tony BrittonTony Britton Registered Users Posts: 345 Major grins
    edited August 2, 2018

    I hope you'll enjoy these!

  • David_S85David_S85 Administrators Posts: 13,167 moderator

    ^ only four of those images are showing for me. The second, fourth and sixth are not resolving.

    My Smugmug
    "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" - Wayne Gretzky
  • Tony BrittonTony Britton Registered Users Posts: 345 Major grins
    edited August 2, 2018

    @David_S85 said:
    ^ only four of those images are showing for me. The second, fourth and sixth are not resolving.

    This has happened before. I do see all of them on my screen. I edited the post and hope at least four images appear this time!

    Thanks for alerting me to the problem!

    Tony

  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,319 Major grins

    This is an outstanding body of work. Any number of these, blown up big, could make for an impressive gallery showing. Thanks for commenting on the techniques you employed in their production.

    Tom

    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • StumblebumStumblebum Registered Users Posts: 8,480 Major grins

    Love these!

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