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Forever Ice
Forever Ice
Matthew


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Jewelry Advertisement (Advanced Editing IV*)
Camera: Canon EOS-20D
Lens: Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Location: Home
Date: Apr 24, 2005
Aperture: F5.6
ISO: 3200
Shutter: 3200
Galleries: Studio, Advertisement
Date Uploaded: Apr 24, 2005

 Image was produced under a whole load of sheets over a clothes horse, with angle poise lamps on one side, with my fiancee's engagement ring suspended in a vase full of water. A huge extension of 6 straws enabled me to puff water bubbles into the vase out of picture and snap off 5fps using the tripod and remote release. 800 pictures later...

Needed some serious post-processing, as bubbles can only be captured at 1/3200 or faster shutter speed, I discovered - so had to use the H - ISO 3200 setting on my camera (sadly I had nothing stronger than a 60W bulb to hand to light the scene through a sheet!). NeatImage was applied 3 times at different stages - did a great job! Cropped, cloned out the thread holding the ring and a small reflection and bubble out of the bottom of the frame. Used the healing tool to remove spots that were too stubborn for neatimage, and smoothed an area of slightly contrasty light in the top right of the frame. sharpened in the Light channel, and used the blur brush to reduce the effect of the sharpening where it revealed noise. Bit of dodge and burn to highlight the diamond. Experimented with changing the contrast, brightness and hue of the whole image. Settled on a bit of contrast and brightness, and increasing the blue in the shadows under colour balance to give that deep blue background.

I am please with this image - it looks a bit like some of the pics I saw in jewellers' shops when buying this bit of ice.

Wish I had a macro lens - shot this at 85mm with my 17-85 EF-S. If I had a macro lens, it would have been good to have gotten that much closer and filled the frame (had to crop quite hard, and have lost detail in the diamond itself (partly because it is half in the bubble). Ah well - cannot afford another lens while there is a wedding to pay for...!

Statistics
Place: 119 out of 159
Avg (all users): 5.0402
Avg (commenters): 5.4000
Avg (participants): 4.7732
Avg (non-participants): 5.2105
Views since voting: 945
Views during voting: 422
Votes: 249
Comments: 27
Favorites: 0

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AuthorThread
 Comments Made During the Challenge
05/01/2005 01:42:48 PM
Great pic!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/01/2005 08:00:58 AM
I like the concept, maybe lower the point of view though.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/30/2005 09:16:42 PM
I like the idea behind this shot, though I don't think I would have been able to identify the objects as ice without the title.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/30/2005 03:38:29 PM
Not sharp enough in the capture but a good idea.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/30/2005 10:10:41 AM
Good idea to use real ice with diamonds, unfortunately this image doesn't do justice to the ring.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/29/2005 08:01:46 PM
This would have been a perfect shot if it was in focus. Good luck.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/29/2005 10:33:02 AM
looks soft to me but good comp.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/29/2005 09:54:02 AM
Cool concept, literally and symbolically. Warmth of lighting would have given this photo that added punch of contrast.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/29/2005 09:35:27 AM
The shapes here are incredibly interesting, but I'm not sure what I'm seeing. Also, the shot appears slightly pixelated...you know, those jaggy things. Maybe it's a shot in front of a computer screen...people here like those. I like this shot but there is something I can't quite put my finger on...good luck all the same.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/29/2005 04:03:05 AM
Nice the water splash is good. Is that a mirror image of it on the back? I like this Could have been a bit brighter. But still good. 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/28/2005 09:58:27 PM
Is that meant to be puddle of water? I want that ring though. :-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/28/2005 06:55:58 PM
Very good idea, but not quite sharp enough, and the composition isn't very powerfull
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/28/2005 06:12:31 PM
I not sure I like the background, it doesn't seem to add to the image for me
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/28/2005 05:23:33 PM
Challenge: 7
Technical: 6
Interest: 6
Overall: 6

A nice idea, but I think it is a little soft.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/28/2005 03:12:42 PM
Idea is very interesting. A bit on the dark side. Lacks a bit of sharpness, I guess that's come from the moving subject.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/28/2005 12:21:59 PM
i like this concept alot....i just think you came up a bit shy on the execution....focus and product detail needs to be better....best of luck
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2005 02:28:56 PM
Nice idea. Nice ring.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/26/2005 04:38:08 PM
Nice concept, nice execurion.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/26/2005 09:53:52 AM
Interesting composition. I'd love to have seen the diamond tilted up to show off the stone.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/26/2005 08:08:46 AM
The very blurry water/ice is a distraction to an otherwise great shot. the ring's palcement is great as it allows for text to be well placed also.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/25/2005 11:21:31 PM
like the focus on the ring not on the ice that second piece just looks like a blob
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/25/2005 04:29:41 PM
The ring is well shown here, but the background seems to be taking center stage trying to figure out what it is.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/25/2005 03:36:20 PM
the blurred blob on the right is very distracting
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/25/2005 01:52:14 PM
interesting, dynamic but doesn't do the gem justice
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/25/2005 01:38:01 PM
Good idea! Unfortunately, I do not think this shot in particular works. I can imagine how hard it must be to capture the right shot. A+ for effort, that's for sure!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/24/2005 10:18:44 PM
"when she's blue...give her......." nice pic also ...gl...7
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/24/2005 09:43:36 PM
Cool shot very different ! nice work
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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