Removing the cork

[Mike Buckley]

I'll be interested in and will appreciate all comments about this but don't want to influence anybody's thoughts by asking about the image.

[TonyW]

OK I'll stick my neck out. A couple of comments (not criticisms) come to mind.

Comparing this image with the one from the other thread, it appears that the camera eye level was below the level of the bottle top so that the higher edge of the top is the nearer one (with reference to the discussion about an earlier image of a glass where it was not at all obvious). The blurring of the hand and cork are clearly due to the motion rather than being out of focus.

The EXIF data tells me that this image is suitable for adults aged 20-64. Since I am outside that range, perhaps I should not be looking it.

[flashback]

Mike,
I *expect* to see a cork flying out of a champagne bottle, maybe even a blurred hand removing a wine cork, but for tequila it just seems out of place. I just don't expect to see a cork flying. I'm reminded of the saying; one tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor. It's just not working for me. Technically, a great image, conceptually (IMHO) not so much.

[Mike Buckley]

The blurring of the hand and cork are clearly due to the motion rather than being out of focus.

That's good to know. Thanks!

The EXIF data tells me that this image is suitable for adults aged 20-64.

No. That describes the person's hand in the image, mine. The implication that once we are no longer adults, we are senior citizens. I'm 63, so you can pretty much count on me changing that keyword next year to "Adult (20 - 65)."

I *expect* to see a cork flying out of a champagne bottle, maybe even a blurred hand removing a wine cork, but for tequila it just seems out of place.

Interesting, Jack. You have probably already surmised that I've never had a drop of tequila. This particular cork is really difficult to remove from the bottle. I have to pull on it so hard that it sort of flies out of the bottle once it is removed. Maybe this cork is an exception.

[FootLoose]

I agree with Jack about the blurred hand, Mike. If you wanted to give the impression of movement it would need a little more blur. Also, the way you are holding the cork between forefinger finger and thumb suggests it was pretty easy to remove. Although I am prepared to accept that you have extremely well-developed muscles in your fingers from all your years of pressing a shutter button.

[Manfred M]

My first thought was "why is Mike trying to push a mushroom into the bottle?"

[terrib]

Others have already said what I'm thinking. If I was pulling a cork out of a Patron bottle, I'd probably have it in my fist. And the sense of movement if that's what you were trying for is not enough. Sorry. One of the very few of yours that is not working for me.

[Mike Buckley]

Continued thanks to everyone! Your thoughts about the ineffective display of motion, the nature of the grip, etc., confirm my own suspicions about that. I was shooting at 1/4 second and did everything that I could think of to get the right amount of blur but never came close in my mind. I was wondering if you folks would agree with my misgivings about the image and you do. Adding to all of that the information that Manfred thought the cork is a mushroom is now sending me to find the image and make use of my Delete key.

Thanks again!

[AndrewMcD]

My thought was that the hand was putting the cork back in the bottle after a few to many that resulted in the blurring of vision!

Andrew

[Manfred M]

Mike - I almost think that you need to do a photocomposite to get the effect that you want.

1. Shot of the bottle without the cork;

2. Shot of the hand and cork, shot using a combination of ambient light and flash. Drag the shutter and use the rear-curtain setting on the shot to then freeze the hand, with a blur of the hand with the cork in it away from the bottle. Rear curtain will give a nice blured trail to the frozen hand.

My guess is that a 1/2 sec exposure for the motion would be a good place to start and you would want to have the hand with the cork away from the bottle a bit (at least a 1/2" - 1" gap?).

3. Composite the shot of the bottle and shot of the moving hand / cork together in post. The nice white background you shoot with would make that really easy.

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks especially for Step #2, Manfred. I used a composite of two shots but didn't use the flash. I remember reading about using the rear curtain decades ago but have never used it. You saved me a lot of time looking that stuff up.

[Manfred M]

Thanks especially for Step #2, Manfred. I used a composite of two shots but didn't use the flash. I remember reading about using the rear curtain decades ago but have never used it. You saved me a lot of time looking that stuff up.

I'm looking forward to seeing how things work out.