Photographer’s Notes • This was fun!
• In September 2004 I entered my 20th photo in the Smoke Challenge which I titled WMD Pale Ale. It remains my highest viewed photo (over 1,500 as I write this) and the photo with the most favorites (14 as I write this). It was an obvious political pun at the time of the US entry into the Iraq war. It was my highest score to date (6.322), ranked 11th in the challenge, and drew more comments than any previous entry. I felt it was a good idea but it could have been better executed and better post processed.
• Now in June 2006, with a better camera and more experience composing, capturing and editing, I am entering my 81st challenge. I feel so much better about my command of camera and lighting. I feel so much better about my ability to use Photoshop to bring out the image I see in my head.
• Now we’ll see if any of these lessons pay off in the voting. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did.
Set Up • I took the label I did in Photoshop for the previous challenge and changed the name of the brew and some text. I printed it and stuck it to an empty Coors Light bottle.
• I set up on the bathroom counter with black paper for a background.
• I used three lights: 1) A reading light with a dimmer switch, bounced off the mirror and diffused with a piece of white paper between it and the subject; 2) A strong flashlight with wax paper over the lens to diffuse it; and 3) A red Glow Stick inside the bottle. There was a little ambient light leaking in from the doorway.
• Camera on a tri-pod.
• Dry ice + Glow Stick + Warm water in the bottle = Water vapor out the top. Water vapor is heavier than air so it sinks around the bottle.
• Set shutter speed to capture some movement from the vapor.
Post Processing • Convert from RAW (Capture One)
• Straighten (Rotate Arbitrary)
• Reduce Noise (Neat Image)
• Remove Distractions (Clone Tool)
• Correct Color (Curves)
• Resize (Image Size)
• Sharpen (USM)
• Save for Web
Camera Data • Nikon D200
• 2006/06/03 13:16:57.1
• RAW (12-bit)
• Image Size: Large (3872 x 2592)
• Color
• Lens: VR 24-120mm F/3.5-5.6 G
• Focal Length: 35mm
• Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority
• Metering Mode: Spot
• 1/6 sec - F/6.3
• Exposure Comp.: 0 EV
• Sensitivity: ISO 800
• Optimize Image: Vivid
• White Balance: Auto
• AF Mode: AF-S
• Flash Sync Mode: Not Attached
• Color Mode: Mode III (Adobe RGB)
• Tone Comp.: Normal
• Hue Adjustment: 0°
• Saturation: Enhanced
• Sharpening: Medium high
• Image Comment:
• Long Exposure NR: Off
• High ISO NR: On (High)
Statistics
Place: 23 out of 161 Avg (all users): 6.6352 Avg (commenters): 8.8000 Avg (participants): 6.3750 Avg (non-participants): 6.8105 Views since voting: 3318 Views during voting: 281 Votes: 159 Comments: 12 Favorites: 2 (view)
Sweet... I love dry ice. I bought some the other day to play around with the science challenge and I did some shots I didn't like, went to bed then work to come home ad find my ice was gone... hahhaa I forgot it had a 5 hour shelf life. hahah
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