Art shot

[Manfred M]

After my teapots and trying to play with shadows there, I took one of the pieces of sculpture (leather and feathers) and tried to see how it would turnout.

Instead of trying to light the base, this time I tried to get the shadow to follow the sweep as the seamless paper transitions for horizontal to perpendicular to the subject. The hard part is trying to get a balance of light; too much and the shadows disappear and too much and the seamless looks gray.

[Mark von Kanel]

you certainly cracked that one Manfred, well done.

[Mike Buckley]

This photo should be used to define the term, "dramatic." Well done!

Determining the difference between the shadow and background tones is highly personal. My guess is that if you would have made much more of a difference, the shadow would have looked like a big blob with interesting edges. For me, making the image more about the subject and less about the shadow as you have done works really well.

[nimitzbenedicto]

Awesome! The shadow is spot on.

The anime-manga inspired subject and its color - grabs the viewers attention.

An unknown dimension of your portfolio emerges.......

[bnnrcn]

It is really artistic Manfred

[Manfred M]

Awesome! The shadow is spot on.

The anime-manga inspired subject and its color - grabs the viewers attention.

An unknown dimension of your portfolio emerges.......

Thanks Victor - as you can probably guess, I've had some formal studio lighting training. It has taken me some time to assemble the equipment to do this work (stands, lights and especially light modifiers); so on a rainy weekend, with no one else around I brought out my toys and did some serious practicing.

[Manfred M]

This photo should be used to define the term, "dramatic." Well done!

Determining the difference between the shadow and background tones is highly personal. My guess is that if you would have made much more of a difference, the shadow would have looked like a big blob with interesting edges. For me, making the image more about the subject and less about the shadow as you have done works really well.

Exactly right Mike; I was trying to find the balance where the shadow had enough definition, without blowing out the colours of the figuring and not having let the background settle into a total gray. On top of that, I wanted the shadow to do a certain thing, i.e. move along the sweep of the seamless paper.

In the end I took well over a hundred shots (each one had a small adjustement). Tethered shooting really helps for this kind of work.

[Kodiak]

… For me, making the image more about the subject and less about the shadow as you have done works really well.

Hi Mike,
I think Manfred's concern about the shadow is very well justified! …since,
the way I see it, the shadow is part of the subject and, as such, holds a not
negligible part of his composition.

I totally agree, though, with the rest of your assessment.

[Shadowman]

Artfully done.

[Mike Buckley]

Hi Mike,...the way I see it, the shadow is part of the subject and, as such, holds a not
negligible part of his composition.

We seem to be in complete agreement, Kodiak. When I mentioned that the image is more about the subject and less about the shadow, I was not intending to imply that the shadow is unimportant. Just the opposite, it's supporting role to the subject is vital to the success of the subject and thus the image.