Melting Ice Cube -- Take 2 with thanks to Robbie

[Mike Buckley]

The photo shown below is an improvement on my previous attempt. The water dripping below the ice cube is a product called Aqua Gel that I learned about from a video Robbie posted in the first thread. It worked really great and made the task so much easier, so a big "thank you" goes to Robbie!

Setup
Essentially the same as in the other photo except that slightly repositioning the primary lamp made it possible to eliminate the reflector on the right side and the small continuous-light lamp that was shining light onto that reflector. That also made it possible to light the ice cube using a simpler setup, which then allowed more of it to appear clear. Now that I no longer needed the space previously taken up by the reflector, I was also able to draw a black curtain that prevented colors in the room from being reflected in the ice cube. The colors that are still shown in the ice cube are the result of prismatic diffraction and look natural to my eye. The Aqua Gel worked so well on its own that, unlike the first photo, I added no liquid to the surface of the ice cube.


Take 2 Original



Take 2 Revised

[Shadowman]

Very cool!

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Mike,

I prefer this one, so yes, this is an improvement.

To be sure; I opened the previous thread in another browser tab (thanks for the link), clicked on that image to view in Lytebox, then swapped to this tab and clicked this thread's image, so that was also visible in the Lytebox - which allowed me to switch between them via tab selection.

The one negative that strikes me regarding this image is that my eyes are pulled to the middle and third fingers which are too brightly lit, my guess is due to too close proximity to the illumination. Perhaps that could be locally brought down in PP - or perhaps an overall exposure reduction of say 2/3 stop might help - or moving the lamp away from subject a little, if re-shooting.

On the plus sides, the 'ice' cube and gel 'rivulet' are much better in this version and I prefer the better defined hand shape with this angle of view and illumination.

HTH, Dave

[Mike Buckley]

Thank you to John and Dave!

Dave, I replaced the original photo with one that is revised to tone down the five bright areas on the right side of the hand. I could go with either stylistic preference on a given day but settled on the revised version because it tends to place a little more attention on the ice cube. Thanks for the suggestion!

Thanks also for teaching me the word, rivulet.

[Rob Ekins]

Glad I could help Mike.

I also prefer this one, the new composition combined with the change in lighting works well. This shot appears sharper over all, which I like. Is this a result of the new composition with the fingers being closer to the same plane or a by product of the way you shot, or different post technique? I can never see your EXIF data to work out those small points for myself.

EDIT: We were typing at the same time, could you post the original again in the first post for Lytebox comparison

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks, Robbie! By the way, I also bought the other products explained in the video for use with other photos.

My guess is that your perception of increased sharpness is because the revised lighting increased the contrast.

I don't know why you're having trouble seeing the EXIF data, as it's not being stripped when it's uploaded using TinyPic.
First photo: ISO 800, 1/60, f/8
Second photo: ISO 200, 1/4, f/11

Thanks to the Aqua Gel, I was able to shoot the second photo at a much slower shutter speed. So, I reduced the ISO and, just for safety's sake, increased the depth of field. I didn't feel comfortable using an even slower shutter speed because I noticed that over time the drop at the bottom of the Aqua Gel was moving very slowly. In the video, the guy says it doesn't move. Perhaps that's true on glass that has been treated with spray or wax, but it was definitely moving on this plastic hand, though very slowly.

[Rob Ekins]

By the way, I also bought the other products explained in the video for use with other photos.

I went shopping for glycerine, an atomizer and an interesting beer bottle today as I have a very slow work week. Hopefully after I get the chores done I can start on an image.

By the way, It is harder than one would think to find a beer bottle with labels aligned and in good condition, no seams or batch number on the front face, visible blemishes and may look good on a dark background.

[AndrewMcD]

This one is a significant improvement to my eye. While I'm not qualified to discuss the technical improvements, on first viewing the original, I found it confusing. This one seems a little simpler visually and, for me, has a vaguely nightmarish emotional impact. Very effective image and of course, as with so much of your work, absolutely stunning technique.

[Mike Buckley]

could you post the original again in the first post for Lytebox comparison

Done!

[Mike Buckley]

It is harder than one would think to find a beer bottle with labels aligned and in good condition, no seams or batch number on the front face, visible blemishes and may look good on a dark background.

Those issues are true for wine bottles, so I'm not surprised.

[Mike Buckley]

a vaguely nightmarish emotional impact.

Thanks, Andrew! Glad to know that it affected you that way! I'm actually planning an off-beat holiday card that hopefully will be similar in that regard.

[Donald]

Haven't read all the comments above yet, so don't know what opinion is. However, for me, this image has got a much greater clarity and 'pop' than the first version (in the thread to which there is a link). The lighting is more vibrant, more exciting.

And of the two copies above, the second shows us just what an impact a subtle change can make. I think the second one is less brash and more refined with just that small adjustment.

Now I'll read what everyone else has said.

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks, Donald. I completely agree with everything you mentioned.

[bnnrcn]

I wasn't logged in yesterday, so I didn't see the image , otherwise I would have been the first one to comment and say 'yes , it looks great now!'. Big improvement and super shot Mike

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks, Binnur!