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Beauty And The Beast (Solid Chocolate. Details In Photographer's Comments)
Beauty And The Beast (Solid Chocolate. Details In Photographer's Comments)
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Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Chocolate II (Standard Editing)
Collection: Portfolio
Camera: Canon EOS R5
Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS
Location: Home
Date: Feb 15, 2025
Aperture: 4.5
ISO: 500
Shutter: 1/250
Date Uploaded: Feb 15, 2025

 Yes, those are solid chocolate hands. This is how I did it.
1) I made a preliminary mold using grout (I had a bag left by workmen) mixed with water in a plastic container large enough for my hands and the impression material. The impression material was a can of dental impression alginate left over from my working days.
2) In order to get the proper positioning of my hands my index fingers and thumbs had to be closest to my chest so I had to lay flat on the ground and put the impression mold with the mixed alginate on my chest press my hands into the alginate and wait until the material set up. I had to practice this sequence of mixing the alginate at the sink, laying on the floor, putting the mold on my chest and positioning my hands to push into the impression material several times. It took the whole can of alginate. Luckily I used cold water to give me enough working time.
3) I had set up in the kitchen the chocolate to be melted in a glass bowl on the stove over simmering water. I used a large syringe to inject the hot melted chocolate into the impression. It took several layers as it was quite runny and I had to take the impression outside to cool enough and thicken before I could add more. Luckily I had bought plenty of cooking chocolate as I had no idea how much I would need. when finished it had to cool down for a few hours before the next step.
4) The alginate had to be carved out around the chocolate. This took a lot of time because I had to be delicate and cautious not to cut into the chocolate or break off the fingers. Alginate has a moist rubbery consistency when it is set.
5) When the finished product was released from the alginate I did not expect to find that although it was an excellent representation of my hands the hot melted chocolate had interacted with the alginate and there were surface defects and varying colorations in the chocolate. Some I was able to correct with a scalpel and painting the surface of the chocolate with vegetable oil to blend in the surface oxidation but I actually liked the texture and discolorations and it gave me the idea for the title of the finished picture.
6) The rest was coming up with a backround, lighting, setup with the flower, shooting the picture and editing. I don?t think it is edible. I?m not going to try!

Statistics
Place: 13 out of 17
Avg (all users): 5.5217
Avg (participants): 5.2500
Avg (non-participants): 5.6667
Views since voting: 186
Views during voting: 54
Votes: 23
Comments: 3
Favorites: 0

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AuthorThread
Canon EOS R5
Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM
 02/28/2025 05:19:44 AM
Originally posted by willem:
Wow, what an effort !!! I am just thinking what else you could have used to make the mold. Maybe clay or something from a DIY store? I understand your choice based on experience and availability, but it seems a lot work.


Thank you for the comments. The end result was not received as well as I had hoped. I never mind the effort. There is always something to be learned.
Sony Alpha a6700
Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS
 02/28/2025 02:04:05 AM
Wow, what an effort !!! I am just thinking what else you could have used to make the mold. Maybe clay or something from a DIY store? I understand your choice based on experience and availability, but it seems a lot work.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
Sony Alpha a6700
Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS
 02/21/2025 05:01:46 AM
Might be chocolate (as explained in the title) but it does not look very tasteful (I understand: the beast). Look like hands with heavy burns or a disease. Appreciation for the effort but it does not appeal to me.
Additional note: some color balance adjustment (more red and yellow) also would have made the hands look more like chocolate. There is a strong color cast as result of the blue/cyan fabric.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
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