photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Konica Minolta Users | all galleries >> KM Challenges >> KM C38 Chocolate: Hosted by Tom Pariz >> C38 Chocolate - Competition > The Ultimate Killing Machine - by MCsaba
previous | next
15-JUL-2005

The Ultimate Killing Machine - by MCsaba

Beware: the seduction of chocolate can be dangerious!

Konica-Minolta Maxxum 7 Digital
1/30s f/11.0 at 100.0mm iso200 with Flash full exif

other sizes: small medium original auto
comment | share
Konica Minolta Users25-Jul-2005 12:45
Csaba, I saw your previous entry and I believe this one is more charming, especially for its colour and atmosphere, which focuses us onto what really matters. Strong yet funny image -- thank you for posting this one. Btw, which chocolate brand is that one you used? In my shots I used Ferrero and Dorina, those that reflect my whereabouts.
- Tom Pariz
Richard Bird23-Jul-2005 11:48
Clever idea, with good impact, but alas I can't warm to to the subject matter. The low lightng works well, I like the long shadows. Nice textures and shading.
Richard.
Konica Minolta Users23-Jul-2005 09:43
Recaptured the picture in the attic at the wooden floor, using a tungsten spot light. I think the almost brown backround color tones are well suited for the theme and the two shadow spots in the opposite corners work well with the theme placed into the other diagonal. Thanks for the comments, MCsaba
Dennis Phillips18-Jul-2005 15:57
The background is unnecessary and distracting from this very clever photo. Traps are usually set in dark places, so a dark and unobtrusive background would fit both the theme and the compositional needs. How many fingers have you trapped so far? LOL

Tlaloc
Konica Minolta Users18-Jul-2005 12:21
Thanks for the comments. Originally the chocolate was folded into the foil and then to the paper. I will try to modify the backround and the trap's placement as you suggested.
Bob, the teeth marks shows that the machine worked already, once at least... :) MCsaba
Konica Minolta Users18-Jul-2005 09:27
Perhps a fold or two in the foil- like bringing up the back of it- like the chocolate was being unwrapped. The label could be moved to the foreground. There just isn't an obvious connection between the foil and the objects to me, even with the wrapper there. Good exposure on it and depth of field. Jeffry Z
Guest 17-Jul-2005 22:58
Fun idea MCsaba. I agree with Bob to some extent. The foil is not a bad idea, but just doesn't seem to me to help the colours and lighting situation. Even moreso, my first thought with the wrapper was that it looks like the wrapper from a ream of paper, but I understand its inclusion as well. The other thing I might have done was position the trap so you're looking along it. That way, the chocolate is emphasised more and teh trap is still present, but secondary. Also, that gives you more ooptions for getting that chocolate to the bottom left or right ROT focus point. Actually, you could even look along the trap with the chocolate in the distance and use DOF to isolate it that way.
Overall, not a bad image; just a couple of ideas to think about.
John
cbses 17-Jul-2005 15:57
P.S. Just played a bit with this in PS - if you push the levels enough, actually the foil surface could work nicely. Of course, this all depends on the look you're after.
cbses 17-Jul-2005 15:52
Great idea...although, judging from the teeth marks, the ultimate killing machine needs a bit if work :)
Not sure if this would be an improvement, but two things I would try would be to bump up the contrast and try shooting against a background other than the foil. On the one hand, the very plain trap is nice because it emphasizes the bait and the metal spring mechanism, but it sort of all gets lost as it fades into the foil reflections. I think a dark, highly reflective surface might work, or a medium dark non-reflectiveone - but (for me) the foil look is sort of wishy washy.
A diffent surface would also help bump of the imprtance of the wrapper in the back.
Bob