Mug Shot

[Mike Buckley]

If you had noticed that this thread is not located in the People & Pets forum, you wouldn't have been deceived by the thread's title.

You might think that I made this photo in my makeshift studio. Instead, I came upon the scene in one of the most popular tourist destinations in Lofoten, Norway. It's in Henningsvaer, a fishing village that is now heavily commercialized with lots of restaurants and small stores selling wares including these mugs to tourists. I loved the light, the two cool and warm colors, and the reflections of the lower mugs on the subject. So I shot it handheld (no cropping or straightening was required) and changed the background to the blue gradient.

EDIT: I realize that some people are understandably attracted to color. Indeed, that's one of the characteristics as I mentioned above that attracted me to the scene. Even so, I gotta tell ya that I really like the monochrome version that I created later.

[Mark von Kanel]

Bet they got a little annoyed when you set the tripod up? lovely image mike, you right the light is beautiful. i love the reflections around the bottom of the vase

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks, Mark! It actually would have been fine if I had set up the tripod, as the display was on the sidewalk. I didn't have it with me so I shot it handheld.

[HaseebM]

Excellent. These types of images are inspirational when we run out of ideas.

[ST1]

I like the composition, colours and your processing Mike. The mug doesn't look like its dishwasher safe to me 😉

[Wavelength]

Master crafts

[dje]

Phew, for a minute there Mike I thought you'd been thrown in the cooler !

Nice mug, nice shot, I think it works well. The colours do draw the eye but the mono version is all about form and pattern and I think that is my preference for this shot.

Dave

[Brownbear]

Beautiful image! I love the colour version for the beautiful capture of the varying shades of the gorgeous colours and the reflections. I gotta tell you that I also love the b&w version, perhaps a wee bit more. I'm not exactly sure why but may it is because the curved lines stand out more.

[Mike Buckley]

Thank you everyone!

I gotta tell you that also love the b&w version, perhaps a wee bit more

Now that I've seen that, I've gotta go take my heart attack meds.

[flashback]

I think this is a great example of color versus b&w.

What I think is that, in the color version our brain is captivated by the colors in the image and that is where our brain concentrates. And I think because of the color we tend to miss detail.

In the b&w version our brain is left to decipher the image based solely on shades of grey and so our brain tends to notice more of the fine detail since it's not distracted by color.

That said, I think there are people who, whether a result of hard wiring in their brain (image interpretation, color preference(s)) or a learned preference, will be inclined towards one or the other version. Some may even think they're right but of course, those of us that prefer the b&w do so simply because it's a better (more esthetic) image. Rail on if you will but you know I'm right

[Mike Buckley]

Rail on if you will but you know I'm right

I for one could never come up with anything to counter such a viable argument.

[FrankMi]

I certainly can't knock the B&W version but for me the color version is an outstanding winner. OK, let's face it, they are BOTH winners!

[Teton Chuck]

Very nice Mike. I'm impressed that you saw this shot when walking down the street. I have suffered brain damage and that might explain why I like the color version the best.

[Shadowman]

Nice capture, glad to see you are still law abiding.

[ShaneS]

Very nicely seen, captured and processed Mike. It is all about the color for me though...

[ied]

A simple mug - yet so beautifully captured to show patterns and light. I like the gradient background.
Irene

[TonyW]

Absolutely crazy!

[Mike Buckley]

Continued thanks to everyone! Glad to see that some prefer one version and some prefer the other; both are viable for me for completely different reasons.

glad to see you are still law abiding.

The absence of my mug shot indicates only that I haven't been caught.

[Paniaa]

Love the colour version, but do like the B&W also, just not as much. I can see the forms and patterns and texture in the colour as well as in the B&W. This is the kind of pottery I adore. Thanks Mike.

[terrib]

I, too, like them both. The color for the reasons you described. I like the B&W because it seems to bring out the textures more. Good eye for spotting this one!