Studio Shot: Broken II

[Mike Buckley]

Very helpful people offered the constructive critique about the photo in the thread found here that the broken pieces of glass were too organized. So, I made a different photo with that in mind. I also changed the tabletop from black felt to black acrylic with the idea that just a few reflections would provide wanted but subtle chaos to the composition.

Does this new concept work better for you?

[Bobobird]

Excellent shot.

I might have done it a bit differently - perhaps more subtle with just the edges of the broken pieces and the hanging filament entirely in focus.

[MilT0s]

Very nice!

The four edges of the frame I think are not balanced. Neiter chaotic nor organised or even organised chaos :-) .

Bobo's idea could also work nicely.

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks, everyone! I'll try limiting the depth of field. As for photographing airborne glass, that would require an entirely different skill set and learning it would prevent me from moving onto other photos I have in mind.

[Digital]

Mike, I like the original "Broken" better. This photo appears to me to be to cluttered IMHO. Bruce

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks for your vote for organization and less clutter, Bruce.

[Mike Buckley]

This photo is exactly the same as the first one in the thread except for depth of field and point of focus. As you move back and forth between the two photos in the Lytebox, the primary change is due to a change in the focal length caused by changing the point of focus in the second photo.

The first one was shot at f/22 and everything in it is in the depth of field. The second photo was shot at f/4 to ensure that the depth of field includes only all but one of the metallic pieces of broken filament and whatever happens to be in that range of sharpness. (Not sure that last sentence is understandable.)

I like this one better and thank Bobo and Miltos for the suggestion. To fully appreciate the results of their suggestion, view the image in the largest possible size in the Lytebox.

[Brownbear]

Me, too. I can see the small but different details now that you have placed them side by side. Thank you for showing this.

[Loose Canon]

Hi Mike!

Very nice shot.

Good choice on the acrylic tabletop. I think it adds more depth and dimensionality.

Your composition works as far as I am concerned and I really don’t feel a compelling imbalance. What I do wonder (and only marginally) about is if possibly the highlights that close to the edge of the frame might be a concern. You know, what with grabbing the eye at the edge of the frame and all! Just a Theory with that

Your other highlights look nice and well placed to me. As do your gradients and shadows.

From a product standpoint (my recent glass shoot) it was important to make sure the entire subject was well within the plane. So I am presently used to seeing the entire subject in focus right now and prefer that of yours, Mike. But hey, that’s just me at this time!

After just coming off a multi-day glass shoot, I’d feel okay saying that it’s pretty easy to sit back and comment on a glass subject image. It’s an entirely different story when you get said glass in front of a lens and try to get it lit and photographed properly.

[Mike Buckley]

I’d feel okay saying that it’s pretty easy to sit back and comment on a glass subject image. It’s an entirely different story when you get said glass in front of a lens and try to get it lit and photographed properly.

Amen to both parts of that.

if possibly the highlights that close to the edge of the frame might be a concern. You know, what with grabbing the eye at the edge of the frame and all!

Thanks for mentioning that. This photo corrects it.

[Manfred M]

Nice shots Mike - you sure are getting a lot of mileage out of that one broken light bulb.

[Mike Buckley]

you sure are getting a lot of mileage out of that one broken light bulb.

I have another shot in mind with it...and I have another burned out bulb to break.

[Bobobird]

Excellent reshoot.
Oh get a bottle down before smashing the next bulb. Or -- smash both for greater working material.

Btw, your electrical system seems to be eating bulbs, better have it checked.

[terrib]

I definitely like this better than the organized pieces. I have a slight preference of the F22 DOF over the F4 but without the comparison I'm not sure I would have had any criticism for the latter on its own.

I admire the time and thought you put into these shots.

[Mike Buckley]

Btw, your electrical system seems to be eating bulbs, better have it checked.

If I fixed it, I would have no subjects to photograph.

[Bobobird]

If I fixed it, I would have no subjects to photograph.

But getting it fixed = $$$ saved = just buy what you want. No constraints.

[Mike Buckley]

Thank you, Terri! The reason I prefer the smaller depth of field: The pieces of glass are large and distinct enough that the fact that they are broken is immediately apparent without them being sharp. Yet the metallic parts of the filament, which are the most important parts of the subject, stand out more when the other stuff is out of focus. Just my way of thinking.

just buy what you want

Tell my wife that.

[Rob Ekins]

Mike,

Still a bit to organised for my liking, I have seen a lot of blown globes in my day. When I saw your first shot in the other thread a few days ago I for some reason instantly thought of George Martin the producer of The Beatles, he used to splice up the four track tapes from a days recordings put them in a bag, shake it and then pour the tape on to a table and work with what he had. Might be worth a try along those lines if you felt that way inclined.

I have been experimenting with trying to break a globe and not damage the filament so that it still glows... It's lucky I have an account at the wholesaler..

As for your blown globes, most people are not aware that finger prints are a killer for globes that get extremely hot. The oil in the finger print that is left on the glass heats at a different rate to the envelope and can cause a weak spot, any small vibration from movement etc can cause it to fail prematurely. A wipe with some alcohol after touching the globe is recommended.

Robbie.

[Mike Buckley]

Robbie,

I always wondered why there were instructions not to touch the glass of these hot lights. It's interesting that they didn't provide your information about using alcohol to clean off finger prints, so I always held the bulb in a cloth or paper towel when removing it from the box and screwing it into the socket. If you noticed the finger prints, which are more prevalent in "Blown I," those were caused when holding the bulb after it had stopped working.

The reason I'm not inclined to literally let the pieces of broken glass fall where they may is that I need a black background or at the most a reflection of the glass in the black background behind the filament to properly display it; when the broken glass is behind the filament, it's far less noticeable.

[FootLoose]

When I open that image in Lytebox at max size, it crops about half the glass pieces off the bottom. The shot doesn't look nearly so 'organised' then.