Light String

[min_is_3]

I was pretty surprised about how if I looked a little closer around my house, I can actually find some interesting things to photograph that I would never have thought of would be interesting enough. It's pretty amazing what studying about photography can do to one's focus.



Nikon D80; Focal Length: 120mm; Aperature: f/5.6; Shutter: 1/15; ISO: 1100; White Balance: Tungsten; Exp. Comp: +1/3; No Flash

[jiminyClickit]

min_is_3, Welcome

Completely agree with your discovery. Well said, well-shot photo. Interesting that "blinds" are used to illustrate "seeing."

[Synthea]

I didn't even realize at first what it was - very cool shot!

[min_is_3]

Congrats!! You are the first person to figure out what it was that I shot!

Nice point about me using "blinds" as "seeing". I hadn't thought of that and I hope you don't mind if I use that as my intent when I tell other folks about this shot.

[Olivier H]

Very cool shot, nice color, and strong composition.

[jiminyClickit]

min_is_3,

It's all yours. Season of giving, etc., etc.

[min_is_3]

Thanks Oliver H for your feedback.

The color is due to the Tungsten white balance. The original color of the blinds were more of a cream color and didn't look as interesting. It also helped to make it harder to determine what the subject is because of the blue color.

[Ed.]

you had me puzzelled for a moment but i then quickly realised it was blinds at the one angle you wouldn't expect - running almost as the floor boards.

I absolutely love the basicness of the shot - so simple yet effective. Beautiful use of DOF and light. I especially like how it is in the infocus section where your eye is drawn that hte string is thin but it gets bigger equally above and below that point. I must admit i am intruiged about how you managed this as i would expect it to get smaller in the background.

I would also like to question whetehr the slightly vignetted corners (at least how its showing on my screen but only very very slightly) are deliberate.

Other things i love about the shot are the texture the lighting causes to occur on the blinds. and how you've harnessed the strings slight angling against the perfectly horizontal blinds to increase the shots interest and impact. Oh and the shots monochrome nature so there is no other colour to distract the eye.

Wonderful... not sure there is really anything to give points for growth about!

[min_is_3]

Thanks for your positive comments and an in-depth examination to the shot, Ed.

But as far as your observation regarding the "growing" strings, in all honesty, I didn't do anything special about it. That is just how it came out. I'm assuming it's because the DOF was so small and the blur just naturally makes it appear bigger.

I originally took a picture of the string going straight up and down the center of the viewfinder but it didn't give as much "wow" factor to me. So, I just incorporated a basic technique that I had recently learned about diagonals, hence the string going from one corner to the opposite corner.

The slightly vignetted corners is also by accident. That's just how it came out.

But thanks for the positive feedback. I wish I could say that some of the things you mentioned was deliberate. It would have boosted my ego a bit but since I am an admitted newbie, I couldn't account for it for conscience sake.

My whole intent was to have the center of the picture to be in focus while the top and bottom were blurred. I had the blinds slightly open pointing upwards just to let a little light in to create some contrast. I didn't want the light to overpower the image. I wanted the little points of light where the string goes through the blinds to be visible so that it looks like little light bulbs hanging from the string.

I knelt down on the floor right up against the wall and looked upwards and eventually took the shot at a slight angle. The position that I was in was pretty uncomfortable and after I took about 6 shots, the back of my neck started to hurt from looking straight up.

I originally shot the picture with auto white balance which made it look too much like the real thing and I wasn't satisfied with the colors so I played around with the white balance and voila, tungsten caught my eye. Those were the things that was my main focus. All the other things you have observed was unintentional but I'm glad they were captured in the shot. Makes me love my D80 even more!!

[Ed.]

Originally Posted by min_is_3

But thanks for the positive feedback. I wish I could say that some of the things you mentioned was deliberate. It would have boosted my ego a bit but since I am an admitted newbie, I couldn't account for it for conscience sake.

....

All the other things you have observed was unintentional but I'm glad they were captured in the shot. Makes me love my D80 even more!!

he he - you well and truly fooled me as this looks more than a newbie attempt. You have an eye for a picture - good use of learning! And you know what - respect for admitting it - i admire people who don't just take something they know they didn't do and say they did.

But equually - i think there is more to it than coincidence - i mean - you deliberately aimed for a few goals (which frankly i think you achieved well!) and as a resulte and due to your critical eye (which noticed center for instance wasn't working) you got these effects even if you don't know why they worked!