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Konica Minolta Users | all galleries >> KM Challenges Hall of Fame >> HOF C36 to C40 > 5th - A hard night with blue - by MCsaba
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24-JUN-2005

5th - A hard night with blue - by MCsaba

Hungary

Konica-Minolta Maxxum 7 Digital
1/100s f/8.0 at 50.0mm iso100 with Flash full exif

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Konica Minolta Users04-Jul-2005 08:32
Marc, the light halo was caused by the reflection from the sharpener's tank. I tried, but couldn't get rid of it, my other shots showed it stonger. Whereas I don't like it very much, I think it is not too disturbing on this pic. - MCsaba
Konica Minolta Users03-Jul-2005 19:06
Clever pic, MCsaba (but then again you must be clever if you understand what is written there ;-) Only nitpick I have is the central positioning.

Alain
Guest 03-Jul-2005 17:53
I hadn't notieced it before, but I can also see the lighter band around the top of the sharpener that Marc mentioned. I assume it's a reflection off the upper face where the light is coming from.
John
Konica Minolta Users02-Jul-2005 20:40
Very imaginative picture, one of my favourites for shore.
Nuno Cruz
Marc Baumser01-Jul-2005 13:33
Maybe it's my monitor but there seems to be a wide halo around the sharpener. It's brighter and whiter then the best of the paper. Maybe it's a reflection off the sharpener. I didn't see any one else mention it so I'll assume it's just me.

Nice strong image. good job

Marc
Guest 30-Jun-2005 14:10
No worries MCsaba. I wasn't sure and I didn't want you to get the wrong idea about my remark, so I decided to sacrifice the fun for the safe option to make sure I didn't offend you. John
Konica Minolta Users30-Jun-2005 07:45
Thanks for the comments, cbses, a pencil with gnawed end is a very good idea. I also considered to place an other object to the picture (the sharpener's blade), but I feelt the picture becomes too packed, and I wanted to show as much backround as possible. I think the same would be for an eraser. Furthermore, _real_ mathematiciants do not use erasers :) The picture here is a result of a bit of experimentation, first I wanted to take a side shot of a filled blue earaser tank (but it wasn't too exciting) then I changed to the top view, then included the backround, then a "normal-sized" pen, and finally I ended up with this one. There is still room for further experimentations, but I feel that I already pressed the button.

John, I know you were joking, and I did the same with my slightly self-ironic remark.
- MCsaba
cbses 29-Jun-2005 16:27
I think this is a wonderful photo. I like the 3 levels of "blueness" that follow the 3 planes of focus. The background is soft enough that it is not distracting, but also clear enough that one needn't struggle to make out what it is.
The one thing that ____ (can't think of the appropriate word) me, is the size of the pencil. I'm trying to imagine writing with one that small.
Of course, if I were attempting this math, the pencil would be gnawed half through and there'd be an eraser the size of an iPod nearby.
Guest 28-Jun-2005 23:20
Yes, I noticed the pencil placement and wondered whether it was deliberate to put its point at the edge of the shadow. We're thinking alike. :^)
On the writing thing, it was meant to be a joke. There's nothing wrong with your writing, so don't feel that I am criticising it because I'm not. If in any doubt, you should see MY writing! LOL It was just me trying to lighten the mood of the critiquing with a friendly dig. At least that's what we do here in Australia, although it works better with people who know each other of course. :^)
John
Konica Minolta Users28-Jun-2005 11:34
Thanks for the comments, John. I was also considering a larger shadow drop by lightning from a different angle. But, IMHO, this would remove the "natural" look of the image, usually you do not lit a working desk in that way. And, I wanted that the pencil's head just touches the shadow drop but does not reach into.

>>I'm surprised that nobody picked up on the blue writing. Written with a broken arm?

What's wrong with my handwriting? Have you seen handwritings of mathematiciants? (the text is form a linear algebra paper). - MCsaba
Guest 28-Jun-2005 10:38
Good effort and a creative solution to satisfy the theme. I thought of Ser immediately when I saw your image here with its clean, graphic nature. I agree this crop is much better. Some theory suggests that it isn't so pleasing to put a subject slap bang in the middle of the frame. In addition, when you had the pencil sharpener centred, the pencil to one side unbalanced the scene. With the revised crop, the sharpener and pencil work together to complement each other and provide good balance. The angle of the sharpener and the angle of the pencil mirror each other to help with that effect too.

I'm looking at the lighting and the line of the sharpener through the longer direction at about 45 degrees from lower left to upper right. I would have tried lighting to create a long-ish shadow to the left or upper left, ie with the light coming from the right/below more or less behind the pencil. Once again, that would create another line to mirror/complement the line of the pencil sharpener and to balance the sharpener as the subject. With that approach, you could maybe even have done this one without the pencil, in which case you could have the sharpener off-centre, eg a third of the way from the side, with the shadow extending at least as far as a third from the other side. However, the pencil adds a nice touch anyway for the story and subject.

You've used DOF to good effect to highlight the sharpener and pencil shavings as the subject while putting the pencil and paper behind to show what was behind the creation of those shavings.

I'm surprised that nobody picked up on the blue writing. Written with a broken arm? Just kidding! ;^) The writing works well and the technical stuff adds an interesting flavour.

John
Konica Minolta Users25-Jun-2005 20:52
a good idea and very well executed. As hard as I try, I can't think of anything to criticize right now.

bracket
Konica Minolta Users25-Jun-2005 06:15
Thanks Ser, and I agree, the picture is unballanced (with no reasons). I will try to make some cropping. MCsaba
Konica Minolta Users25-Jun-2005 02:03
My kind of shot!
Good background, subject of focus, and secondary object playing as a story teller.
As to meke it more interesting i would have balanced the subject towards the left.
Thanks
Ser