Saturday, June 6, 2009

Photo Challenge #19 Light

I tried to stay away from the Weekly Photo Challenge when my camera broke, but I just couldn't do it. I took the plunge and bought a Cannon Rebel DSLR and I love it! I have a ton to learn, but here is my first attempt at a photo challenge with the SLR.

The challenge:

Pick an object, pick a window in your place of residence and photograph that object at different times of the day at said window.

My Object: I chose an object that I've had for many years and have always cherished...No, wait. That's not true. I just went to Good Will and picked out something random.

Rules:
1. Your object can be anything really, someone's head, a glass jar...whatever you'd like, just make sure it's the same thing in every photo.
2. At the end of the week you will have to Submit 6 photos-three sets of two images.
3. Photograph your object at three different times of the day. * One photo is to be the same angle (so you'll have three total that look the same but that were taken at different times) and for the second photo of each set try and use the light available in the best possible way.
4. Please no tweaking since this is an exercise in light.
5. Submissions due between Friday, June 5 and Sat., June 6.
6. B/W or colour
7. If this is confusing leave a comment and I'll try and clarify!
Em will probably laugh when she reads this one since she knows I love the morning light that comes in through my windows. You'll find it's amazing what you can accomplish with just a little natural light!

Have fun!

*Since I teach all day, I really only had morning and night, but there is a dramatic change in light as the morning light comes and moves so I captured two different stages of the morning light and one from the evening.

Lighting 1: Full Light!
Since there was a bright beam of morning light on my subject, I decided to get close to one tiny detail and the illuminated glass beads would make for a nice blurry background.


Lighting #2: The morning light is going away and hitting the subject at a different angle. Since it did not have as much direct light, I decided to switch to B&W and get the detail of the beads of the necklace.



Lighting #3: Now the light has gone away. Since there was no light coming in from the window that I was shooting from, I changed the angle to get the light from a window in the next room.


I hope you like it! I had fun with the new camera, but I am looking forward to your experience and telling me what I'm doing wrong.

5 comments:

  1. These are SO cool! Already I can tell you're going to put that new camera of yours to very good use! :D

    The first set - lovely lighting indeed - nice angle and direction of lighting there - and the wood background is very beautiful. In the 2nd photo where only a teensy bit is in focus leaving lots of lovely blurry colors in the background - very delicate. Bokeh-tastic.

    The 2nd set - I think the first one is even lovelier than previous - The bubbly beads surrouning it are perfect - there's a wistful, fairy-tale feeling about this :) The 2nd one - actually, I wish it were in color so I could see all the lovely colors of the beads but good that you gave the black and white a try. It is a pretty photo.

    As for the last one - good that you solved the lack of light problem - I'm not sure what I would have done about that or if I could have come up with anything as good! Those blues in the first one are spectacular. As for the last photo, great angle - wonderful detail. Just stunning.

    Great job with these :D

    ReplyDelete
  2. These are great Erica!! I love the subject matter, and that you got it at GoodWill :) And the different times of day really do make a difference in your set. Great job of capturing the shininess of the bowl and everything inside. For the second one, you have good reason for choosing B/W, but I too would like to see it in color. My favorite may be the very last one. I like how the bowl bends the light coming in through the other window; and the reflection (refraction??) in the thicker bottom. It's a bit abstract, and very interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  3. 2nd, 3rd, and 6th are my favorites. I prefer the angles of the subject not being from directly on top of it. Like, I guess I prefer it when it isn't like BAM! its a heart! does that make sense. hehe.......

    oh man......you got some great light though.....the sunny ones are awesome as far as light go! Really nice composition and close up on the 3rd.....a very lovely exposure as well. Can I say that I really don't dig the B&W here.....it isn't contrasty enough or somthing. sorry...im being blunt....but hopefully my love of the others will make up for it....lol fingers crossed. I also think that your choice of moving around the dish to capture more light in the last set was a smart smart choice! I prefer the second photo much much more! So great job and way to demonstrate your using the light to its full potential! I think you hit the brief this week really well!!! YAY!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Fear not, Erin. You may sleep in peace. I do not hold it against you that you did not like the B&W. In fact, it makes me believe the positive comments even more. "That Erin's not just blowin' sunshine up my tuchus on my great pictures because she told me she hated that one black & white picture. That means she REALLY means it when she says she loves the others!"

    I think you should choose 1 photo/week to hate to make me feel better about loving other ones.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Erica- these are absolutely beautiful- great back story behind it too- this was a family heirloom, right?! ;)
    Anyway, great job setting up the stil life- you made it lok very natural and random- and the sparklies inside were a great choice- they just added SO much to understanding the different light situations.
    My favorites are the same angle shots with sunlight hitting the glass (morning and afternoon) and the detail shot from the morning- great shallow depth of field.
    Again.. Beautiful!!
    Em

    ReplyDelete