Project 52 by Frank Miller

[FrankMi]

For the final week of this project I am once again trying something different.

Sometimes you see something so stunning that you just want to capture an image of it. That was the situation with the Petri Dish art work produced by Klari Reis. This artistry is based on biological inspired views as seen through an electron microscope observing how cells react to pharmaceuticals.

The exhibit I saw is called Hypochondria and consisted of 1,500 individual Perti dishes of various sizes. I was able to photograph over 150 of them but for this week’s project I tried, unsuccessfully, to limit my presentation to just five of the most interesting ones I saw.

Klari uses reflective epoxy polymers to hand paint the plexiglass images depicting microscopic images while the epoxy is curing.

Photographing these objects was a challenge. The lighting was from multiple glairing halogen lamps and with the surface of the objects being highly reflective, controlling glair and reflections was a major pain. In a number of cases there simply wasn’t a place I could position the camera for a decent shot. Fortunately, with 1,500 targets to choose from I could simply select another object and try again.

Here are nine of the art objects Klari created for your viewing pleasure.



















If you would like more background on Klari and her work, please see the following links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR6GphMpfUA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzncEwGR7rw

Whew! That 52 week project only took 2 ½ years to complete! It was fun and I have learned a lot thanks to the helpful members of Cambridge in Colour! Thank you one and all! You assistance has truly been very much appreciated.

[bnnrcn]

This is a superb image Frank I think no need for photomatix if a person is able to use layers and masks properly

I have wanted to do a ‘real’ HDR image for some time where the EV range was large enough to require tone-mapping techniques. My choice for this project was the 380’ long Buck Springs Tunnel on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. This is what I started with and from here I took several images at different exposure levels trying to capture the correct exposure for each part of the scene as I saw it.



The 469 mile long Blue Ridge Parkway has a total of 26 vehicle tunnels. The majority of the tunnels were designed to avoid scaring the mountainsides that open cuts would have produced. They are used in areas of steep terrain where ridges run perpendicular to the roadway alignment.

The tunnels were started in the 1930’s and when concrete lining was done during construction to control tunnel cave-ins, the lining was also discovered that it enhanced the tunnel’s interior lighting. The lining also eliminated most of moisture entering the tunnel in the winter that would cause ice problems.

The tunnels are not illuminated so this image is done entirely with natural light. I would have liked to get a some motorcycles leaning into the curve while exiting the tunnel but their appearance was extremely random so I didn’t have the camera configured properly to capture them as they flew by in the darkness. Mainly I was trying to avoid getting hit!

After merging the images in post processing, the result came out looking like this...



My goal was to capture the exposure range, but more importantly to me, to try to get a pleasing composition. I hope you like it!

[bnnrcn]

Very interesting and nice images Frank, thanks for sharing . I watched the videos and I liked Klari's art , she is very creative .

I would also like to thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge about photography in this great thread. It is actually like a book about photography for me which I can look at from time to time to refresh things or to learn more.

THANK YOU !!

For the final week of this project I am once again trying something different.

Sometimes you see something so stunning that you just want to capture an image of it. That was the situation with the Petri Dish art work produced by Klari Reis. This artistry is based on biological inspired views as seen through an electron microscope observing how cells react to pharmaceuticals.

The exhibit I saw is called Hypochondria and consisted of 1,500 individual Perti dishes of various sizes. I was able to photograph over 150 of them but for this week’s project I tried, unsuccessfully, to limit my presentation to just five of the most interesting ones I saw.

Klari uses reflective epoxy polymers to hand paint the plexiglass images depicting microscopic images while the epoxy is curing.

Photographing these objects was a challenge. The lighting was from multiple glairing halogen lamps and with the surface of the objects being highly reflective, controlling glair and reflections was a major pain. In a number of cases there simply wasn’t a place I could position the camera for a decent shot. Fortunately, with 1,500 targets to choose from I could simply select another object and try again.

Here are nine of the art objects Klari created for your viewing pleasure.



















If you would like more background on Klari and her work, please see the following links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR6GphMpfUA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzncEwGR7rw

Whew! That 52 week project only took 2 ½ years to complete! It was fun and I have learned a lot thanks to the helpful members of Cambridge in Colour! Thank you one and all! You assistance has truly been very much appreciated.

[deetheturk]

What a way to finish Frank, great images!

[FrankMi]

Thank you Binnur and David.

Hopefully many of you can benefit from this exercise. I learned a lot of new things about my cameras, post processing and about myself during this process.

Of the things that I have learned about myself is that I am an armature photographer that loves to take vacation snapshots. By constantly asking myself 'what if' questions, I try to present what I photograph in the most interesting way possible. I shoot almost exclusively by natural light so I have not mastered studio lighting or flash as yet.

My budget doesn't allow for my equipment to be very expensive and in many ways I'm not yet up to mastering all the countless features that they have, so in many respects, I am not yet able to make use of more expensive equipment. On the other hand, I would love to be able to get a Nikon D7100 as once in a while there are times when I do bump against the limitations of what my equipment can do.

As I don't print images larger than 8x10 inches and rarely even do that, I'm guessing that it may be some time before I could justify better equipment.

This hobby does provide an interesting way to explore the world and meet many wonderful folks, particularly here at Cambridge in Colour.

In wrapping up this thread, I'd like to include a checklist of "Photography Hints and Tips" I've learned over the past 2 1/2 years but I fear the list may be too long for the posting and much of it may only apply to beginners. So instead, if anyone wants a copy, please send me a PM and I'll provide it to you in exchange for a smile. A word of warning, however. The list has grown to 27 Word Document pages so be careful what you wish for!

[Downrigger]

Just spent some time surveying various of your entries on this thread, Frank, and really, this should be a book, which I would buy right off, if I ever got up the gumption to plunge on to PS. Congratulations on this great achievement.

[FrankMi]

Just spent some time surveying various of your entries on this thread, Frank, and really, this should be a book, which I would buy right off, if I ever got up the gumption to plunge on to PS. Congratulations on this great achievement.

Thank you for the complement! No need to buy the book Mark, just copy the thread link and reference it any time you wish!

Part of the goal for Project 52 was sharing what we had learned so that others would benefit. If this has helped you, even if it is only by encouragement to get out and try new adventures, then it has been a success.

[FrankMi]

Although the 2012 Project 52 has come to an end, the 2015 Project 52 is just getting underway. My first 2015 Project 52 posting for can be found here.

Hopefully, many of you will take up the 2015 Project 52 challenge to compete against your own last year's successes and strive for the new improved photographically proficient YOU.

We are all l ooking forward to seeing what new exciting results you bring to the table! Cheers!