Photo of the day September 2014

[Goftrey]

Drop of Milk

Image

Incredible.

 

[AlexH]

Open My Eyes by ALXPhotog, on Flickr

 

[Cheese&Apple]

Really really nice timing! Wow!

I love it! Awesome shot fella.

Incredible.

Thanks guys. kenoh, I would like to be able to claim lighting reflexes but in all honesty it's a result of persistence and burst shooting - translated: a lot of shots through trial and error.

I'll put one up tomorrow that I like more than the one I posted today. I did these for Alexander's Black and White, Form and Light contest a couple weeks ago but work got in the way and I just started processing them today.

~ Peter

 

[Alexander.Of.Oz]

Drop of Milk

Image

Thanks guys. kenoh, I would like to be able to claim lighting reflexes but in all honesty it's a result of persistence and burst shooting - translated: a lot of shots through trial and error.

I'll put one up tomorrow that I like more than the one I posted today. I did these for Alexander's Black and White, Form and Light contest a couple weeks ago but work got in the way and I just started processing them today.

~ Peter

WOW! Stunning, Peter! I love the overall appearance of simplicity to this. Clever use of selective colour too, which I actually really like, in this instance.

 

[someoldguy]

Drop of Milk

Image

Amazing shot !!!! Nothing left to say!!!

 

[StephenF]

Some more lights.

 

[kenoh]

Thanks ... It's one of those places where it's pretty hard to get a bad image , although I succeeded a few times

LOL, hopefully one day I can test that statement... I would love to visit Monument Valley.

 

[The Bad Guy]

Yeah, once again…depending on where you work, this may not be work safe. Sorry 'bout that.


Alternate Candy Edit by Adam_Campbell, on Flickr

 

[Parkin Pig]

Drop of Milk

Image

Not much I can add from what's already been said - stunning!

The gardens at Levens Hall in Cumbria...

Image

Topiary by Dr. Seuss?

 

[someoldguy]

So I arranged for a Navajo guide to take me out into Monument Valley for a sunrise photo trip . Into the valley at 5:30 to get here for sunrise . Everyone else gets in at 8:00 or so . The guides also have permission from some of the private landowners in the valley to cross their property ; which enables them to get into a lot of interesting places everyone else can't . Anyway , this is the sunrise at the Totem Pole and Yei Bi Chei .

50D , 15-85@85 , f9.5@1/125 , ISO 100

 

[fcortese]

A selfie taken with my wife. We were at the Loop on the Going To The Sun road enjoying the amazing scenery present throughout Glacier National Park.

 

[kenoh]

So I arranged for a Navajo guide to take me out into Monument Valley for a sunrise photo trip . Into the valley at 5:30 to get here for sunrise . Everyone else gets in at 8:00 or so . The guides also have permission from some of the private landowners in the valley to cross their property ; which enables them to get into a lot of interesting places everyone else can't . Anyway , this is the sunrise at the Totem Pole and Yei Bi Chei .

Image

50D , 15-85@85 , f9.5@1/125 , ISO 100

Another stonker! very very nice! but maybe just maybe if you had waited a few minutes longer, it looks like the sun was about to give you a sunstar there no? still beautiful though.

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Yeah, once again…depending on where you work, this may not be work safe. Sorry 'bout that.

[url=https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3862/15132919089_11d922708f_b.jpg]Image[/url]
Alternate Candy Edit by Adam_Campbell, on Flickr

Nature Curves! Nice low key picture.

 

[Cheese&Apple]

WOW! Stunning, Peter! I love the overall appearance of simplicity to this. Clever use of selective colour too, which I actually really like, in this instance.

Amazing shot !!!! Nothing left to say!!!

Not much I can add from what's already been said - stunning!

Thank you very much guys.

Btw, I didn't use selective colouring Alex but it does appear that way. It's an effect caused by my speedlight firing straight across and parallel to the surface of the milk (which was actually 5% "light coffee cream" for added opacity and viscosity). It highlighted the drop itself more than the surface of the milk.

~ Peter

 

[Cheese&Apple]

Drop of Milk - 2

 

[Apple fanboy]

Drop of Milk - 2

Image

Stunning shot.

 

[kenoh]

Drop of Milk - 2

Image

Stunning... Just jaw drop stunning.

So come on, bragging time... what was your setup or are you keeping it secret?

How do you get it so pin sharp? incredible.

 

[Hughmac]

Cricket

Yesterday evening we had a visitor to our kitchen

Cheers

Hugh

 

[kingalexthe1st]

Drop of Milk - 2

Image

Amazing! Well done. The more I look at it, the more 'other world'-ly it looks. Whatever effort you put in to this it's clearly paid off.

Alex

 

[Apple fanboy]

Yesterday evening we had a visitor to our kitchen

Cheers

Hugh

My wife and daughter would insist on new cups after that.

Mine from yesterday's trip to the Malvern Hills. My body is killing me today, but then I'm not as fit as this lady.

_DSC7534 by apple fanboy1, on Flickr

Comments always welcome.

 

[Joe King]

Have you set up a light in there? Or was that already there? Anyway I like it.

Yep. Off-camera flash to give the subject a bit of illumination. Same technique here:


Bathing Shelter, North Bull Wall by picturesbyJOE, on Flickr

 

[Apple fanboy]

Yep. Off-camera flash to give the subject a bit of illumination. Same technique here:

[url=https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5554/15136695739_2567492256_c.jpg]Image[/url]
Bathing Shelter, North Bull Wall by picturesbyJOE, on Flickr

Thought as much. I really don't use my flash as often as I should.
Nice natural framing with this one.

 

[AlaskaMoose]

 

[Doylem]

 

[Cheese&Apple]

Stunning shot.

Stunning... Just jaw drop stunning.

So come on, bragging time... what was your setup or are you keeping it secret?

How do you get it so pin sharp? incredible.

Amazing! Well done. The more I look at it, the more 'other world'-ly it looks. Whatever effort you put in to this it's clearly paid off.

Alex

Thanks guys and kenoh, I don't mind sharing at all...

- I used a Nikon 105mm micro (macro) lens on a D600 and one SB910 speedlight
- 1/200 sec. at f/40 and ISO 100 – burst shooting with a corded remote
- The speedlight was off camera using a sync cord (you have to use the cord because the on camera flash doesn’t cycle fast enough to trigger the flash in commander mode when burst shooting)
- I used only the one flash because I only have one and, as it turns out, I like the uneven shadows and deep contrast created by using only the one flash
- The flash was set on manual at 1/64 of full power
- I used my Gitzo tripod with Jobu gimbal head that I normally use with a 500 f/4.0 because it’s very rigid and sturdy for this type of thing. I put a long Arca–Swiss plate that I had on the camera to adapt it to the gimbal head. This actually worked really well. I have a “very good” Manfrotto tripod and ball head but adjusting it is a p.i.t.a. as it’s just not rigid and supportive enough. I ended up using it just to support the flash
- The trick to this is using milk (cream). Using a clear liquid such as water is very difficult because imperfections like air bubbles show very clearly and would take forever to clean-up when processing
- I mucked around with both milk and cream and found that the 5% light coffee cream worked the best. 2% milk was not opaque enough and heavy 35% cream was too thick and caused bubbles on the surface of the cream I was dropping into
- I used a syringe style medicine dropper ($5.00 from the local pharmacy) to drop the cream into a puddle of cream. I tried an eyedropper but that was too hard to control the angle of the drops and the drops were generally oblong and not round in shape
- The pencil taped to the lens hood was used as a guide to help me drop the cream centered in the frame and within a the narrow depth of field
- The only thing that’s not showing in the bts shot is that I changed the container that I was dropping into. I didn’t like the look of the drops on the cookie/baking sheet because I wanted the falling drops to show against a black background and not the white cream on the baking sheet. I changed the baking sheet to a black round dinner plate that I picked-up at a local thrift store for $1.00 and it was just the right size
- In post, I used Aperture to recover some highlights, jack-up the contrast and black point, retouch, sharpen, crop and de-saturate

This may sound difficult but really wasn’t and was done a rainy weekend day and cost less than $10.00 including the cream.

~ Peter

 

[Apple fanboy]

Thanks guys and kenoh, I don't mind sharing at all...

- I used a Nikon 105mm micro (macro) lens on a D600 and one SB910 speedlight
- 1/200 sec. at f/40 and ISO 100 – burst shooting with a corded remote
- The speedlight was off camera using a sync cord (you have to use the cord because the on camera flash doesn’t cycle fast enough to trigger the flash in commander mode when burst shooting)
- I used only the one flash because I only have one and, as it turns out, I like the uneven shadows and deep contrast created by using only the one flash
- The flash was set on manual at 1/64 of full power
- I used my Gitzo tripod with Jobu gimbal head that I normally use with a 500 f/4.0 because it’s very rigid and sturdy for this type of thing. I put a long Arca–Swiss plate that I had on the camera to adapt it to the gimbal head. This actually worked really well. I have a “very good” Manfrotto tripod and ball head but adjusting it is a p.i.t.a. as it’s just not rigid and supportive enough. I ended up using it just to support the flash
- The trick to this is using milk (cream). Using a clear liquid such as water is very difficult because imperfections like air bubbles show very clearly and would take forever to clean-up when processing
- I mucked around with both milk and cream and found that the 5% light coffee cream worked the best. 2% milk was not opaque enough and heavy 35% cream was too thick and caused bubbles on the surface of the cream I was dropping into
- I used a syringe style medicine dropper ($5.00 from the local pharmacy) to drop the cream into a puddle of cream. I tried an eyedropper but that was too hard to control the angle of the drops and the drops were generally oblong and not round in shape
- The pencil taped to the lens hood was used as a guide to help me drop the cream centered in the frame and within a the narrow depth of field
- The only thing that’s not showing in the bts shot is that I changed the container that I was dropping into. I didn’t like the look of the drops on the cookie/baking sheet because I wanted the falling drops to show against a black background and not the white cream on the baking sheet. I changed the baking sheet to a black round dinner plate that I picked-up at a local thrift store for $1.00 and it was just the right size
- In post, I used Aperture to recover some highlights, jack-up the contrast and black point, retouch, sharpen, crop and de-saturate

This may sound difficult but really wasn’t and was done a rainy weekend day and cost less than $10.00 including the cream.

~ Peter

Great background information. Thanks. I'm always looking for a wet weather project. Im going to set something up in the garage this year.

Is the white circle thing a desk lamp?