Gears

[Manfred M]

Two large gears from a steam powered tractor that I took last week at the Heritage Steam Museum.



I cheated and rotated the image 90 degrees clockwise, because I find the shot works better that way.

[bnnrcn]

IMO this is one of your best shots , great image!

[mknittle]

Very nice composition and lighting Manfred, As always

[DanK]

I like it. An interesting composition, and good lighting.

[Shadowman]

Very dynamic capture.

[Mike Buckley]

Wonderful composition! I often mention that direct reflection hides the color, texture and shape of an item but this is a great example of direct reflection being used in very small amounts to help define the shape even though it hides the color and texture.

[rpcrowe]

Wonderful image...

[NorthernFocus]

You picked a great perspective, Manfred. Awesome composition and well executed.

[Rebel]

Nice shot, love the POV.

[Manfred M]

Wonderful composition! I often mention that direct reflection hides the color, texture and shape of an item but this is a great example of direct reflection being used in very small amounts to help define the shape even though it hides the color and texture.

I did a version where I reduced the specular highlights in post, but found I didn't like it as much as the version with them in. I found that they helped define the edges quite nicely.

The other thing that bothered me a bit was that the foreground was a bit softer than I would have liked, but wanted to keep the point where the gears meshed tack sharp and wanted the background to be soft. As things turned out, the bit of softness in the foreground didn't impact things as negatively as I had feared. I was shooting with a tripod could easily have gone down to f/11 and maintained the image quality.

[Mike Buckley]

...wanted the background to be soft. As things turned out, the bit of softness in the foreground didn't impact things as negatively as I had feared. I was shooting with a tripod could easily have gone down to f/11 and maintained the image quality.

Yes, but doing so might have increased the image sharpness in the background more than you wanted to choose from. To be sure, it would have been best if you had captured the scene using a wider variety of aperture settings. I've been there and not done that, so I understand. Even if you had chosen a wider variety of apertures, you might have still selected the current aperture as the best of all compromises.

It's not as if your name is Margaret Bourke-White and you were given total access that would have allowed the ideal combination of distance from subject and aperture setting. You did exceptionally well with the circumstances made available to you. Indeed, I would be more than proud if I had taken advantage of the limited situation as much as you did.

The most important point for me is that this is a wonderful image to my taste. If we didn't have this forum that allows open communication about your desire and if you hadn't explained your your desire, I wouldn't know about how the image perhaps falls a bit short of your initially intended desires.

If I could mention one thing we all can learn from about your explanation of the image is that you had a very well-conceived impression of what you wanted the image to be before you released the shutter. Relatively few people have that and your image stands out exactly because of that.

[Wavelength]

Excellent image; i rotated my monitor 90 degree anticlockwise and observed it the way you saw it; your decision was very artist-sensed

[Manfred M]

Excellent image; i rotated my monitor 90 degree anticlockwise and observed it the way you saw it; your decision was very artist-sensed

Actually, it had more to do with the fact that horizontal / landscape format generally works better on a computer screen than vertical / portrait format!

[Wavelength]

Very very true...on most situations....