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Pepper No. 31 (Weston)
Pepper No. 31 (Weston)
mycelium


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Tribute (Advanced Editing IV*)
Camera: Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT
Lens: Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
Location: San Jose, CA
Date: Jan 24, 2006
Aperture: 5.0
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/50 sec.
Galleries: Black and White, Traditional Art
Date Uploaded: Jan 24, 2006

 focal length 44.0mm

Tribute to Edward Weston, specifically his Pepper No. 30, 1930

Two word summary: very difficult!

One of my teachers from the Academy of Art said that the way Weston achieved the luminous effect in his Pepper No. 30 was by putting his pepper in a metal bucket. So I put mine in a metal bucket as well, with sunlight reflecting onto the pepper.

Getting a good angle was tough. So was getting the pepper to balance.

During post-processing, the more I worked on my own image, the more I developed an appreciation and respect for Weston's own photograph. He, aside from having found a particularly interesting pepper, was able to produce a beautiful image without the use of either black or white. That is really amazing and very difficult to replicate.

I have attempted to do the same here, and neither pure black nor pure white is present in this image. My tones run darker and lighter and over a broader range. I cannot get significantly closer to his style of processing without much more extended study.

Viewing the two side by side, I can't in any way pretend I've attained anything so artful as Weston did. No longer will I see Pepper No. 30 as 'just a photo of a pepper.'

Good challenge, this one


Statistics
Place: 66 out of 188
Avg (all users): 5.8170
Avg (commenters): 6.9333
Avg (participants): 5.7500
Avg (non-participants): 5.8466
Views since voting: 3382
Views during voting: 398
Votes: 235
Comments: 16
Favorites: 0

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AuthorThread
 Comments Made During the Challenge
Canon EOS-40D
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II
 01/31/2006 11:33:25 PM
Good choice to get a deformed pepper. Weston would've liked it.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS
 01/31/2006 07:20:05 PM
I think you did great finding a pepper that was twisted and contorted like a human body. Weston loved that. I can't decide about the background. I think I'd like it better if it competed less overall. Still a nice conversion to B&W.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT
Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
 01/31/2006 10:24:00 AM
Excellent shot. I am always intrigued by these little deformed, under-developed looking peppers inside the pepper when you cut it open. Almost like a twin that was absorbed wothin. Very nice textures.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-30D
Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon
 01/30/2006 09:03:35 PM
kind of looks like a melted hershey kiss and a deformed human ear all in one.
yet I still like it and it is amongst my top votes for this challenge.
sorry I couldn't give any constructive help with my comment.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-20D
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0 L USM
 01/30/2006 03:57:51 PM
Probably the best of all the Weston takes! Gotta love the look of this pepper and the shadows and background really makes this image a true tribute to Weston! He would be proud ;) Great image. 7
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT
Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
 01/30/2006 12:38:55 PM
looked at it for a minute.. but cant see what it is..
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-5D Mark III
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0 L USM
 01/29/2006 03:53:48 PM
good work on this striking image! back for another look; it almost has a tactile feeling in the skin texture..I love it!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT
Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
 01/29/2006 07:39:37 AM
It looks like a sculpture, quite amazing.....I love the shapes, and textures.....
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Fujifilm FinePix S9000
 01/27/2006 11:19:08 PM
Great job! Nice DOF and a perfectly homage to Weston!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS
 01/27/2006 11:15:27 PM
Very representative, well done. The texture is fascinating.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-7D
Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L USM
 01/27/2006 12:54:53 PM
by far the best weston, a top three in my book.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-300D Rebel
Tamron AF 100-300mm f/5-6.3 for Canon
 01/26/2006 11:03:53 AM
I keep coming back to this photo. The title really helped distinguish what it was. That poor pepper! LOL! Great job!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-300D Rebel
Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
 01/26/2006 09:39:36 AM
Awesome photo and perfect fit for the tribute challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Sony DSC-W5
 01/25/2006 07:51:19 PM
wut is it?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT
Canon EF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 V USM
 01/25/2006 04:18:26 PM
You nailed it..By far the best Weston "Pepper" entry. Good use of a flawed pepper and the BW conversion is one of the best Ive seen on this site! Upon review..I had to bump it up....
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Nikon D800
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
 01/25/2006 02:06:30 AM
A fine tribute photo in the style of Weston. Well conceived. Well composed. Well executed, especially the texture. Conveys well the sense of mystery I associate with Weston. Thanks.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
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