Which one for a comp? (200KB, water)

[tim]

Which of these do you like for a competition with the theme "water"? It's a little informal competition on a general chat website I visit a lot, and it's judged by the members - a wide range of people, so the entry has to have wide appeal.

Please also feel free to offer constructive critique. FYI they were taken with the 100mm macro and 550EX, mostly on about F12 and 1/80th.

Drop One
http://www.mrwild.co.nz/unprotected/potn/drop1.jpg


Drop Two
http://www.mrwild.co.nz/unprotected/potn/drop2.jpg


Drop Three
http://www.mrwild.co.nz/unprotected/potn/drop3.jpg


Drop Four
http://www.mrwild.co.nz/unprotected/potn/drop4.jpg

[Ikinaa]

IMO number two is best of four. Seems like the water ball is hovering over the surface.
In the first, there are too much disturbing elements in the background.
The third has too much highlights and the top droplets aren't sharp.
The fourth is just too small for the picture...

To be honest : Try again and change the background to something more monochrome...

[tim]

Heh heh, I can crop it as much as you like ;) Cropped this much, though, you can see that the quality's not perfect - though it looks better when it's not hugely compressed for the web.

btw the competition is an informal one on a general chat website, not anything important or formal, the image has to appeal to a wide range of people.

Link to closeup (http://www.mrwild.co.nz/unprotected/potn/drop4_2.jpg)

[Don Ellis]

#2 is nice but I would probably choose #3 because it has the added charm of a more interesting water surface (and less gray), in addition to the dotted "i".

Good luck.

Don

[tim]

Do you guys think I should put a small frame on it for entry in the competition? It'll just be shown on a web page with a light colored background and no border otherwise. See the framed example here (http://www.mrwild.co.nz/unprotected/potn/framed.jpg).

[Don Ellis]

That particular frame draws too much attention away from the drop. Don't use white. I also tried black and it looked awful. Considering how many people dislike frames -- or will take away mental points if it's not a good frame -- I would suggest no frame.

And the more I look at the photos, the more convinced I am that #3 is better than #2. The gray is really not in keeping with the blue.

Cheers,

Don

[tim]

Thanks Don. I also just remembered to add an actual poll to the thread :o

[flyfisher]

I wouldn't use the frame I like #2 and #3 but when I do water drop shots I try to look for something
different these are nice but not unique in any way.
If I were you I would shoot a few more and see if you get anything different just my opinion for what it's worth.

[OceanRider]

lighting of 1 and 3 (brighter and more colurful )but the pic of # two says "water"

[[blur]]

I'd go with #2 but #3 is a close second.
Nice work.

[dandan]

the border you added takes away from the image.


for that shot i would make the frame black with a 1px white stroke between the black border and the picture

[tim]

Thanks DanDan. How do you guys like it with the border as suggested? You can see the new version here (http://www.mrwild.co.nz/unprotected/potn/framed2.jpg).

[Littlenose]

Glad you got time to have a try at teh water drops Tim... and a good result too...

i like number 2, but if number 4 had been onto flat water, i think that would have been the one for me.

[tim]

#4 is flat water, it just doesn't look that way because of what was underneath the bowl of water. I bought the bowl just for the photo btw... but I want a different one for next time, so might exchange it.

[dandan]

the 2nd border is good.. though maybe make it biger(the black part)


and.. that watermark bugs me. try changing the blending mode?

[tim]

Cheers Dan, i'll have a play with the blending mode tonight.

[Wazza]

I love #2 and #3. And with framing. I really don't like framing. Never used frames myself. If a photo portrays something great, it shouldn't need the assistance of something around it to make it better. The image should do it alone, which I think these water shots do that already. ;) - Good work.

[tim]

Cheers Wazza. The reason I tried a frame is because it will be on a forum exactly like this one, with 20 photos in a row. Anything that makes it stand out is good. Agreed that these photos should stand out by themselves, but little things to make them look more professional never hurt eh?

[CDickinson]

I guess if you are only using these for the competition I'd use #2. The problem with the shots for competition is that these are pretty cliche---they're pretty standard shots and I see variations on the theme everywhere.....depending on the competition, you might want to rethink water and how to shoot it.

C

[Huckaback Photo]

Have judged quite a few like this over the years as a exercise its great as a comp winner ? maybe.
most of these shots we see tend to be set up the same way ie: smack bang in the middle of the frame..looking down on the surface..and lots of distracting surface glare or spectral highlights totally burnt out and lacking detail.

its difficult to find a new approach to this cliche subject (as CDickinson mentions above )
no 2 is deffinately your best gets my vote.
So be even more creative, water is not always the best liquid to use, so colour to think of,
position of camera..try fill bowl right to top.. camera set level with (looking across surface)top of bowl..dark backdrop etc.
flash position and duration of flash can be vitally important prefferably not on camera.
I mention duration because the lower the flash output the higher the effective shutter speed will be, and yes i realise our cameras are today using 1/4000 or 1/8000 sec top speeds a properly rigged flash will do 1/25000 th sec.
My set up was 2 vivitar 283 flash rigged with fibre optic cables from the flash tube straight into auto sensor (thus killing the output imediately by fooling the sensor and effectively shortening the duration) Bronica with polaroid back for tests etc.
Today we can see a result imediately on screen How wonderful.
wish you luck
Below is an print from this type of set up just coppied it with digital (not good copy sorry)
Martin (Huckaback Photo)

[Citizensmith]

']I'd go with #2 but #3 is a close second.
Nice work.

What he said.