My latest bit of photography gear - a blowtorch!

[ashcroft]

Some of us are born mad, others have madness thrust upon them. I'm in the first group.

Used a gas powered blow-torch to 'agitate' a blank DVD, then shot it under studio flash. The distortions are where the surface bubbled under heat.

[Kyle]

I never would have guessed it was a DVD. Very creative idea and fantastic photo.

[Mike Buckley]

Very nice, Rob! Welcome to CiC!

[bnnrcn]

Very interesting idea and nice shot , welcome

[vaez]

Very creative idea and fantastic photo.

[Manfred M]

Interesting techniqe, Rob. I'm sure the smell of the melting polycarbonate was not all the nice. The things some people do to get a great shot!

Welcome to CiC, and I'm looking forward to more of your creative work.

[ashcroft]

... I'm sure the smell of the melting polycarbonate was not all the nice ...

"I love the smell of melting polycarbonate in the morning..." (Col Kilgore, Apocalypse Now)

[GBO25]

Fabulous idea and a great outcome. Love it.

[Shadowman]

Very cool!

[Signguy Gary]

Great job. I don't have a studio lighting setup so forgive me if this is a stupid question. Is it lit with straight wrote light or do you use gels?

[FootLoose]

Good idea, Rob, and great result

[Loose Canon]

Used a gas powered blow-torch to 'agitate' a blank DVD, then shot it under studio flash. The distortions are where the surface bubbled under heat.

Welcome Rob!

Nice shot.

Any shots taken of the actual "agitating"? (Torching, bubbling, etc?)

[Stagecoach]

That's certainly novel, and well executed Rob.

[ashcroft]

Great job. I don't have a studio lighting setup so forgive me if this is a stupid question. Is it lit with straight wrote light or do you use gels?

I used a single studio flash head with a large diffuser box. I use that a lot, even for small objects, as it gives a very soft light. The larger the light source in relation to the subject the softer the light. I didn't use gels. The colours come from the DVD - if you shine an angled light against a DVD you can see the colours. The fact that the surface was bubbled by the heat probably added to that effect.

[ashcroft]

Any shots taken of the actual "agitating"? (Torching, bubbling, etc?)

That would have been interesting, wouldn't it! I was in the garage with the blowtorch and small cloud of (probably toxic) smoke were rising up.

[deetheturk]

Great idea Rob, I love it!

[IzzieK]

Now we (I) haven't seen this one done before here at CiC, (specially by a madman scientist) you just gave Terry a good idea, different by any means...