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Not expecting...
Not expecting...
David.C


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Hope (Basic Editing I)
Camera: Olympus C-720UZ
Location: Livingroom
Date: Aug 24, 2004
Aperture: f7.1
ISO: 100
Shutter: 2"
Galleries: Humorous, Still Life
Date Uploaded: Aug 24, 2004

 No, I don't expect this one to do well ... But I thought it was funny and very fitting to the challenge -- and I am ready to be pleasantly suprised by a high score.

***

The title is from the movie 'Phenomenon', in which there is a scene of the leading man (John Travolta) is waiting on the leading lady on a hill top with a blanket laid out. She asks what he a man is expecting when he is this prepared -- to which, John replies "Not expecting ... just hoping".

***

Multiple shoots adjusting lighting, exposure and placement. I ended hanging the black table cloth on the wall and using a black foam board for the table 'cloth', with a light shining up from below to back-light the flower to give it extra seperation. Two 500W halogen work-lights placed high and to my right shining at a spackled ceiling provided the indirect lighting.

Exposed on the brightest spot of the candles, stepped up by +3 stops to move them back to the far right of the histogram.

In PS:
Slight crop on left and bottom.

Levels: Blackpoint selection -- brightest point of the black backdrop to give a consistent black background. (this was why I needed the backlight.) Whitepoint selection on the brightest point of the candles to bring them back to where they needed to be.

Gausian Blur at 0.5 to soften it up a bit.

Resized longest side to 640 and saved for web.

***

ExposureTime : 2.00Sec
FNumber : F7.1
ISOSpeedRatings : 100
DateTimeOriginal : 2004:08:24 13:07:45
DateTimeDigitized : 2004:08:24 13:07:45
MeteringMode : Spot
FocalLength : 6.40(mm)
Focus Mode : AF
Sharpness : SOFT2
WhiteBalance : Auto
Contrast : LOW

Statistics
Place: 182 out of 285
Avg (all users): 4.7218
Avg (commenters): 5.1000
Avg (participants): 4.6371
Avg (non-participants): 4.7875
Views since voting: 1374
Views during voting: 392
Votes: 284
Comments: 12
Favorites: 0

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AuthorThread
 04/10/2007 06:17:20 PM
This was a great find! I'm sorry it's your "shame" pile, but the John Travolta story gets a gold star from me. :)
 07/27/2005 01:23:59 AM
I'd say you have this one down to a science with all the light there. Its really standing out good from the back. The colors are perfect and its all in focus. I just have to go out and buy me a bag of those kisses now.. My favorite and I have been wanting some caramel filled for the past two weeks...I think this a great composition. You have done so good with all the technicalities of shooting...
Anyways I have tried a halogen bulb, you say work lamps, by this do you mean the silver ones with clamps? They are a bit bright it helps to point them up at something white and have the white sord of act as a light reflector... That is what I was trying in this shot..

Though its way overexposed and I can tell it now. I have started understanding more by reading your comments on your shots. Your descriptions on your process are very much in detail and helps to think about what I can fix in my camera.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
08/31/2004 07:23:29 PM
Bah, you'll never get her with those on the table.

5 from me.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2004 05:55:59 PM
Looks like a bad condom add.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/31/2004 09:18:34 AM
Nice composition and lighting. Exposure is perfect. The fact that the candles are un-used adds a bit of mystery for me.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/30/2004 01:17:12 PM
yet, having expectations! Fun shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/28/2004 11:07:15 AM
Personally I find this picture tastless.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/27/2004 02:30:58 PM
Clever. I'm not sure how lighting the candles would have affected the photo, perhaps it would have changed the mood a little.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/27/2004 12:01:45 AM
Your picture has good color and is fairly well focused and composed. However, I don't like the theme at all. Hoping you "get lucky" and manage to have sex with a woman because of candy and roses is so degrading to women - like the only thing they are good for is sex. This kind of chauvinistic attitude really upsets me.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/26/2004 05:55:24 AM
I like the humor in this, but it could be better. Lighting the candles would be a start. Otherwise, the lighting seems a bit flat. Something moodier, more from the side, would have added to the idea.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/25/2004 08:06:51 PM
Okay, now this is just too funny. :-) In addition, it's a well-lighted and nicely composed photograph. Very nice job!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/25/2004 06:12:24 PM
Well . . . it's a good photo technically, good colours and humour.
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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