Assignment #13: Common Object

[matthew]

It requires a very unusual mind to undertake the analysis of the obvious.
- Alfred North Whitehead

One of the challenges of photography is to be able to see something familiar in a new way. For this assignment, pick a subject that you see every day and take new photographs of it. But don't just stop after one or two -- keep going and produce different compositions until you've gone past the point where it becomes a challenge to see something new. Aim for twenty to thirty different compositions. They don't need to be great, or have all of them work, but keep trying to find new ways to see something familiar. Use this thread to share a few of your favourites.

[zbahu]

I won't show the really duff ones though!

Playing around with lights, tennis racket and ball.

http://zbahu.smugmug.com/photos/316655119_FreWv-L.jpg


http://zbahu.smugmug.com/photos/316655124_74VrR-X2.jpg


http://zbahu.smugmug.com/photos/316655132_KyW9r-X2.jpg

[hobbified]

I won't show the really duff ones though!

Playing around with lights, tennis racket and ball.

http://zbahu.smugmug.com/photos/316655119_FreWv-L.jpg


This definitely shows the "playing with light" bit. I like the way the color of the ball shows up on the backdrop. This would make a good test scene for a 3D rendering engine.

[matthew]

zebahu, those are fantastic. Thanks for posting them.

I'll post some of the bad ones I shot tomorrow... :D

[matthew]

I decided to choose something that I spend hours each day staring toward -- although not usually at -- for my effort to see something new in the familiar. All of these photos were taken with my 50mm macro lens and FL50 on a TTL cable; in total I took 90 photos in about half an hour. These are my favourites:


http://matthewpiers.smugmug.com/photos/317899784_pFuQv-L.jpg


http://matthewpiers.smugmug.com/photos/317899711_Y43sE-L.jpg


http://matthewpiers.smugmug.com/photos/317899476_pjYLs-L.jpg


http://matthewpiers.smugmug.com/photos/317899538_48xgR-L.jpg


I've been posting assignments for long enough that I usually have a good idea which ones won't get many responses, and I know this is one of them. But the real purpose of this is just to serve as a reminder to keep looking even when there doesn't seem to be anything more to see. Sometimes just remembering that idea is enough.

[shrinkpictures]

It is going to take something pretty special to beat the Tennis ball and Racket - a whole new way of looking at those common Objects.

Ok, When it comes to Common Objects everyone should be able to relate to this one.... Yep. the humble Key. We all have them, all use them - Every day.

All taken with the E3, 35mm + EC14, FL-36 @ F11 as per img #5

#1 is no crop and around 1.35:1 magnification with a working distance of around 40mm in front of the lens

[Holy Ghosted]

This is one of those little glass cubes you can get at the mall. My wife got it for me a few years ago. I shot this on a flash with one of those foamies in between the head and the cube and a pice of paper for the background. Hope you enjoy. Thanks Corey.

http://Glory2Jesus4Photography.smugmug.com/photos/247086528_Wc9PY-L-2.jpg

http://Glory2Jesus4Photography.smugmug.com/photos/254046942_hec6d-L.jpg

[zbahu]

Thanks, glad you like them

Good series on the key as well, I would have done that but I can never find the darn things when I need them!

Colin


It is going to take something pretty special to beat the Tennis ball and Racket - a whole new way of looking at those common Objects.

Ok, When it comes to Common Objects everyone should be able to relate to this one.... Yep. the humble Key. We all have them, all use them - Every day.

All taken with the E3, 35mm + EC14, FL-36 @ F11 as per img #5

#1 is no crop and around 1.35:1 magnification with a working distance of around 40mm in front of the lens

[zbahu]

Nice, I really like how you controlled the light in these.

Colin

[zbahu]

More playing with lights - oh.. and ice and water...

Other than a slight change in distance and camera angle, same set-up used for these shots, a black gobo added for the second one, stuck directly onto a diffuser in front of the flash unit pointing toward the camera position.

Thanks for the excuse to make a mess :)

Colin

Light:

http://zbahu.smugmug.com/photos/324756301_2PKXS-L.jpg


Dark:

http://zbahu.smugmug.com/photos/324756315_mECp7-L.jpg

[craz11]

http://matthewpiers.smugmug.com/photos/317899784_pFuQv-L.jpg

I love this one.. pray tell, what is it of?

[matthew]

Craz11, that's the 'hypertweeter' on one of my speakers, an old KEF XQ1, complete with its usual light coating of dust. The speaker body is finished in high-gloss red, and this tweeter is perched on top of the cabinet.

zbahu, those are fantastic shots, and I love the light/dark pairing. I have tremendous respect for anyone who can get good photos of glass, and these are excellent. I really like the details: the condensation on the first, and the water droplets in the second. I also appreciate how much the ice cubes have melted between the two - it looks like you had fun with these. Thanks for coming back to this assignment.

[shrinkpictures]

Colin - love what you have done with the light/dark - those 2 shots are great! You should submit them as stock photo's - you should be making money from them.

[zbahu]

Colin - love what you have done with the light/dark - those 2 shots are great! You should submit them as stock photo's - you should be making money from them.

Thanks! glad you like them.

Next I'm going to try mixing the two types of light then add highlights onto the curves, more mess :D

Thanks also to Matthew for dreaming up these assignments :thumbup:

Colin

[Johannes]

Our roads, bridges.
http://johannes-fotografie.smugmug.com/photos/324619344_qkvUz-XL.jpg

[Johannes]

Clock.
http://johannes-fotografie.smugmug.com/photos/325682617_o98Zw-XL.jpg

[longxin]

ash from an incense stick



http://www.longxin.be/temp/P7053398s.jpg

[cdyer]

I like this photo because of the reflections in the compass dome that shows the boat and my wife and I enjoying the ride. Also the compass needle is pointing W toward the ocean - The direction we are heading.

I did not have my DSLR on this trip and I shot this photo with my Sony P&S.