Rack of Lamb - Take 2

[Mike Buckley]

I saw a fabulous exhibition awhile back of photos by Irving Penn and one of them was one of his photos of frozen vegetables. So, that image inspired me to make the photo shown below of raw, frozen rack of lamb.

Please click the image to view it at a larger size for displaying the detail.

Setup
The background is translucent white acrylic lit from behind by a medium continuous-light lamp fitted with two layers of diffusion material to reduce the brightness. I chose that combination as the background so I could create the vignette easily within the limitations of my makeshift studio; using an opaque background and lighting it from the near rather than the rear side would have been far more difficult due to limited space. Even so, I had to enhance the vignette during post-processing.

A flash unit is positioned on the tabletop immediately behind and hidden by the subject. I used it rather than continuous light because I wanted the powerfully bright light the flash provides that the continuous-light lamp doesn't. I wanted the flash to shine through the translucent areas of the lamb and to create a bright rim light around the bones. Indeed, I configured the flash at full power.

A medium continuous-light lamp on the right side lights the near side of the subject. Positioning it on the side allowed the light to rake across the ice crystals to enhance their texture.

Manual exposure of the scene allowed me to easily capture the effect created by the flash unit and make the ideal exposure of the ambient light in the scene created by the two continuous-light lamps.

[Shadowman]

Nicely captured, has a translucent, paper look to it. Positioned very well.

[AlwaysOnAuto]

Mike, what are the exposure settings for this image?

[DanK]

An interesting shot. I have to say, however, that IMHO, this one is not up to your usual standards. Your use of lighting is usually really outstanding and subtle. This seems less so. It seems harsh in places--e.g., the top edges of the meat.

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks, everyone!

[The lighting] seems harsh in places--e.g., the top edges of the meat.

I wonder if it's the nature of the food and the ice that is different from what you're used to seeing. I wouldn't expect the lighting of subjects I usually (and others) photograph to display the same characteristics as meat and ice particles.

Mike, what are the exposure settings for this image?

For future reference, the EXIF data is always available for your perusal in the images I upload. The info is shown below:
Flash unit: Nikon SB600 full power (though I don't know whether the power setting will ever be displayed in the EXIF data)
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1 second
Aperture: f/22
Focal length: 35mm on a 1.5 crop factor. The subject is relatively close to the lens.

has a translucent, paper look to it.

Exactly what I was going for. Glad you noticed!

[FootLoose]

I like the translucent affect.

FWIW when I view at max size in Lytebox, the darker area is cropped off the lower edge. I think it looks better that way.

[Mike Buckley]

FWIW when I view at max size in Lytebox, the darker area is cropped off the lower edge. I think it looks better that way.

If I understand you correctly, the bottom part of the curved shape of the ends of the bones would be missing. I initially thought I needed to include the entire curve. Now that you mention it, it's very dynamic to leave the bottom part of the curve to the viewer's imagination. I like that a lot!

Due to the crop, I also changed the tone curve a bit.

[george013]

Unlike your wine photo's which gave me the feeling to try the wine, I wouldn't try this meat.
I just don't associate the shining through and pale color with good food, or just food.

George

[pnodrog]

Interesting but not very appealing to me. Leave it there for a week and then take some even more interesting and less appealing photographs (sorry no longer still life)...

I have a slight preference for the cropped version.

[Mike Buckley]

Thank you to George and Paul!

Unlike your wine photo's which gave me the feeling to try the wine, I wouldn't try this meat. I just don't associate the shining through and pale color with good food, or just food.

Perfect! The whole point of this project is to display raw food in a context we don't normally see or at least don't notice. Rhetorical question: When was the last time you studied a piece of frozen meat with frost on it and light shining through it, and decided that you couldn't wait for it to thaw so you could eat it? Probably never...for good reason.

Leave it there for a week

You apparently want me to be divorced.

[george013]

Thank you to George and Paul!



Perfect! The whole point of this project is to display raw food in a context we don't normally see or at least don't notice. Rhetorical question: When was the last time you studied a piece of frozen meat with frost on it and light shining through it, and decided that you couldn't wait for it to thaw so you could eat it? Probably never...for good reason.

Since you asked.


Seriously. They might be ok technical. They just don't invite me to eat them.

George

[Mike Buckley]

What a fun photo, George!

They just don't invite me to eat them.

That's not their intended purpose. As another example, I could make macro photos of food that would make the idea of eating it repulsive.

[bnnrcn]

I prefer the cropped version Mike