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Pi a la mode
Pi a la mode
lkn4truth


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Pi II (Basic Editing)
Camera: Sony DSLR-A100
Lens: Sony DT 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical ED Zoom Lens for Sony Alpha
Location: home studio
Date: Apr 29, 2007
Aperture: 8
ISO: 400
Shutter: 1/30
Galleries: Still Life, Studio
Date Uploaded: Apr 29, 2007

 I think I had a really clever idea here but just couldn't get the lighting right. I hate it when I can see a photo in my mind and can't capture what I saw!

I had the idea of somehow creating a three dimensional black pi symbol with ice cream on top to create pi a la mode but wasn't sure how to do it. The only thing I could think of was cutting it out of foam of some kind. My friend and I went to a craft store and found this cool floral foam which is easy to sculpt. When I excitedly showed my wife the foam she angrily reminded me that she told me specifically to get floral foam the first time I mentioned the idea. Then she explained something else to me but I wasn't listening anymore...

I used a pi symbol from Wikipedia.com to create a stencil and my father did the work of using a hack saw to cut away the unwanted pieces and sand it down to smooth edges. After it was spray painted black and sealed I was so excited that I was on the right track. Then I remembered I'm not really a good photographer.

I used a white to black sweep I borrowed from my dad for the backdrop, bought the whitest ice cream I could find (though it still looks yellow in the photo), and tried my damnedest to figure out the right lighting. My original idea involved ice cream melting and running down the sides of the pie. I went through two full ice cream melts shooting hundreds of photos and they ALL sucked! I'm so unhappy with this shot.

I had he "brilliant" idea of shooting in Lo80 ISO setting on my camera which is a setting designed for low tonality. But, the low ISO came with very low shutter speeds and the movement of melting ice cream actually blurred the image. When I reshot at 400 ISO so I could get some crisp melting images I still didn't come up with anything better than the shot here (shot at 400 ISO).

One of these days I'd like to be mentored by someone who can take me to the next level. My problem isn't creativity, it's the technical side. I can SEE the image, I just can't shoot what I see. I get so frustrated when my friends see a ribbon shot on DPC and say, "that's stupid...it was so easy!" I try to explain to them that just because you can envision an image in your head doesn't mean you can come remotely close to capturing it on film. The proof is ine pudding.

Statistics
Place: 7 out of 92
Avg (all users): 6.4109
Avg (commenters): 7.2500
Avg (participants): 5.7826
Avg (non-participants): 6.5472
Views since voting: 2340
Views during voting: 453
Votes: 258
Comments: 21
Favorites: 0

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AuthorThread
 05/12/2007 05:24:12 PM
I expected one of these and glad to one very well done! Congratulations on your top 10 finish.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/09/2007 03:16:14 AM
Congrats on your top 10!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
05/08/2007 11:55:56 AM
Creative!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/08/2007 08:30:35 AM
made me laugh!! Cool idea.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/07/2007 12:08:02 PM
Fantastic and clever! I'm curious to see what the pi is made of...it almost has a cake looking texture which adds to the dessert theme!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/04/2007 07:16:56 AM
I don't wanna ask what the Pi is made of. :) Nice shot
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/04/2007 06:59:25 AM
UNFAIR how yummy that ice cream looks...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/04/2007 04:08:41 AM
One of the better ideas in the challenge. Seems a bit over sharpened. Good luck.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/03/2007 10:35:29 AM
Congrats on your ribbon... I think. :D
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/03/2007 08:26:07 AM
Looks delicious!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/03/2007 07:33:04 AM
that looks good
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/03/2007 07:26:34 AM
Great use of creativity. Good lighting too.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/03/2007 07:03:14 AM
lol mmm that looks good!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/02/2007 04:59:32 PM
Good take on the theme....
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/02/2007 03:36:29 PM
hahaha
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/02/2007 01:14:53 PM
Nicely composed and lit. I wish the pi looked more like chocolate, like a brownie perhaps. But still very well done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/02/2007 12:20:38 PM
well done. Looks great, but a bit oversharpened.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/02/2007 08:35:48 AM
or "ice cream pi"... nice.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/02/2007 03:55:19 AM
Good concept, title. Move it a "c" hair to the right and would be perfect.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/02/2007 03:37:34 AM
Ha haa, nice one! Nice and simply presented too!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/01/2007 10:29:16 PM
Hehehe, very cute idea! Creative, and executed well. Good job :-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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