Composition and Light experiement

[Axis]

Hi everyone
I have a 365 project that I'm using to help me figure out this wonderful world of photography. I try to work on one or two concepts at a time and see what I can learn about them.
This week I came across a quote I wanted to visualize. I do that often with my project: Find a quote and try to visualize the meaning with my photography in some way using only the subjects in my 365 project, (which happen to be little dog toys lol.)

I was fooling around with the effects of lighting and composition to try to get something that I thought represented the idea behind this quote:

"Follow not in the footsteps of the masters, but rather seek what they sought."


It was my hope that placing the subject closer to the edge that it was looking at would imply that he was searching beyond the boundaries of not only the photo but past it's own personal limits.
Yes I know this is asking a lot of a little dog toy hehe, but I'm wondering if you guys would have approached this challenge differently, did I succeed in any way, or is this just a strange pic of a dog toy to you?

[OsmosisStudios]

I'd prefer it of the object were looking into the deadspace. If you had placed the object in the same light bu on the left instead of right.

[mfreg]

If I just look at this image without an explanation of what you are trying to say, it looks off to me, and I would have to agree that it looks out of place on the right side of the frame for some reason.
With your explanation I understand what you were looking for but my "brain" just can't resolve it ???......there I go talking about my brain again, didn't mean to frighten you...

[chopstickjayne]

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

I'd prefer it of the object were looking into the deadspace. If you had placed the object in the same light bu on the left instead of right.

Okay, Osmosis...reading your idea I agree that would look better, SO, the first question that came to my mind was how can someone light the same side of the object as shown here while moving the object to the left side without also putting light on the space to the right - rendering it 'not so dead' space. Would the light source also now light up the wanted dead space? How would you go about keeping the dead space dark? I've tried to ask same question here several different ways because I don't know if I'm being clear - Having a 'dead space' issue of my own between my ears tonight!

BTW, Mfreg, I do understand what you're going for based upon the quote and I think that concept is a really neat idea! What a creative use of dog toys!!!

[dcclark]

I agree -- look into the empty space. If you have something there (like the backdrop) which will catch the light, you might need to post-process -- but with so much blackness, I don't think that should be a problem. I'd love to see it.

[Cabe]

To reduce spill and reflection there are always snoots, grids and barn-doors (or flags). Distance betweent he subject and backdrop always helps as well.

There are some great DIY sites out there that create great (in both the useful and looking) ones with straws and bits of cereal boxes.

One site which I am sure a great number of us subscribe to is Strobist which is an excellent resource for all things flash related.

[jcaserta]

Overall this is a strong image. I like the use of negative space you have going here...I do agree that something seems slightly off with the little guy being on the right. I'm not so sure that the image would be as strong if the shadow was cast on the right side vs. the left. Time to experiment perhaps?

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by Cabe

To reduce spill and reflection there are always snoots, grids and barn-doors (or flags). Distance betweent he subject and backdrop always helps as well.

There are some great DIY sites out there that create great (in both the useful and looking) ones with straws and bits of cereal boxes.

One site which I am sure a great number of us subscribe to is Strobist which is an excellent resource for all things flash related.

Right on the money: use something as a gobo to stop the light.