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Acidic enough to eat through metal...
Acidic enough to eat through metal...
Tygerr


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Superstitions & Urban Legends II (Basic Editing III)
Camera: Nikon D70s
Lens: Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED
Location: Sevenoaks, Kent, UK
Date: Jun 27, 2006
Aperture: F4.5
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/4sec
Galleries: Humorous, Food and Drink
Date Uploaded: Jun 27, 2006

 So I'm stuck in a hotel room, with no proper lighting, and not many props...
I've got a Coke can though (some of you may have noticed that it's actually Cherry Coke), and I recalled plenty of urban legends about the properties of cola. Like the one that says if you leave a tooth in overnight it will dissolve, or that Coke has the same acidity as battery acid and can clean off rust.
My initial idea was to show an overturned can spilling the 'toxic' contents onto something that was being melted away. But with limited props, and nowhere to spill Coke that the hotel staff would approve of, I couldn't get any shots I was happy with.
And just as I was about to give up, I thought... why don't I 'dissolve' the can?
So I cut the bottom off at an angle to accentuate the corrosion, and placed it in a saucer of coffee (the actual Coke is too transparent in colour, and the carbonated bubbles distract from the 'acid frothing').
The frothing is created by dropping an effervescent cold & flu tablet into the coffee under the can.
Lighting was a tungsten desk lamp, tripod was my suitcase with a pillow acting as a 'beanie baby' support.
All I had for the white backdrop was the white handtowel from the bathroom, which has an unfortunate texture.

Statistics
Place: 6 out of 97
Avg (all users): 6.4847
Avg (commenters): 7.1875
Avg (participants): 6.1556
Avg (non-participants): 6.5318
Views since voting: 10815
Views during voting: 666
Votes: 359
Comments: 38
Favorites: 2 (view)

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AuthorThread
 07/20/2006 02:02:15 PM
Wow. You're like the McGuyver of photography: "all I had was a camera and a coke can and a crappy towel, so the best I could do was 6/93."

I love that you told us how you did it, because it gives the rest of us hope that we can cobble together stuff that looks good, too.

As of right now, my "studio" consists of one piece of white poster board, one piece of black poster board, and ... that's it. Oh, and whatever books, tupperware, and stuff I can find that my wife makes me put back when I'm finished. :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/05/2006 04:03:24 PM
Congratulations on the 7th place! Very good shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/05/2006 10:48:43 AM
Thanks to everyone for the comments.

It could have been a better shot, but given the constraints of resources and time I faced on this one, I'm still happy with the way the image came out: I managed to shoot it just the way I saw it in my head.

I agree with the comments about the distracting texture of the towel and the slight patches of yellow in the top left corner. Unfortunately I didn't have much choice. That's the only makeshift white backdrop I could come up with.
That's also the reason it's a bit overexposed, and why I cropped it so tight at the top - all done to try minimize the texture of the towel showing up in the photo.
Also, I should have paid more attention to the focussing. That soft patch on the shoulder of the can really bothers me...
 Comments Made During the Challenge
07/04/2006 08:42:27 PM
i thought it really was!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/04/2006 05:24:32 PM
yeah i'm not sure how that ever got started since it comes in a metal can lol!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/04/2006 02:14:01 PM
Technical: Focus - 1
Exposure - 1
Quality - 1
Aesthetic: Comp. - 1
Light - 1
Color - 1
Wow Factor: 0
Personal Tilt: 2/3

What I liked: Stands out very well. I like the red.

What I didn't like: Texture under the plate is distracting.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/04/2006 07:28:57 AM
Interesting concept
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/03/2006 09:38:01 PM
Neat Idea
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/03/2006 06:03:53 PM
Nice picture.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/02/2006 12:29:54 PM
Clever idea, bit too bright though in my opinion.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/02/2006 12:02:35 PM
Amazing.....
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/02/2006 03:03:25 AM
Wow...good work.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/01/2006 02:30:20 PM
Very vivid shot. The Coke can stands out nicely from the washed out background.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/01/2006 11:40:52 AM
That's no myth my friend - it's fact! My neighbor's brother-in-law's cousin told me.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 07/01/2006 10:10:30 AM
Very clever shot and works well with the challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/30/2006 11:15:25 PM
Almost forgot about that one. Great clarity and color. The tilt of the Coke can really makes this.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/30/2006 02:38:29 PM
My vote 8. I don't like much the sponge cloth and I understand the limitation of the basic editing (to remove the yellowish zones).All in all , I think it's a good photo.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/30/2006 01:59:21 PM
Excellent execution!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/30/2006 10:51:07 AM
blew highlights
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/30/2006 06:37:36 AM
Great idea, composition & photo. I'm still not giving up my coke.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/29/2006 10:37:44 PM
great idea!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/29/2006 06:43:35 PM
Too bright on the sides, or is it just me?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/29/2006 02:02:17 PM
Urban legend, indeed. Good idea and good shot. 7
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/29/2006 07:01:55 AM
LOL...nice work
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/29/2006 06:15:47 AM
Actually, coke is quite the wonder material. It works great on trying to remove the old finish off of wood. I once got a list of all the things that can be done with coke. See if I can find it.
Your image is very nice and clear and detailed. Great color on this. Right on the money.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/28/2006 10:49:49 PM
Nice take on urban legend. a tad overexposed, and maybe out of focus in the coke logo. The bubbles are a nice touch though
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/28/2006 10:30:04 PM
Clever....with nice detail.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/28/2006 10:27:59 PM
Great idea and brilliantly executed - well done indeed! Perhaps slightly too tightly cropped at the top? Also, I'm not sure about the texture of the carpet as a background - I think it distracts from the simplicity of the shot, and also takes the eye away from the frothing bubbles around the can. However, it is one of my favourite shots in the challenge!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/28/2006 09:34:14 PM
Great shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/28/2006 08:47:16 PM
Also an effective spermicide. Not. I think it is a creative idea, but I don't like the blown nature of the background. It's odd, parts of the can look razor sharp, but there seems to be a soft patch where the C-swoop goes through the L. 6
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/28/2006 06:37:41 PM
Nice idea! The backside of the plate getting lost kind of bothers me, but other wise nicely done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/28/2006 04:48:14 PM
Definitely a creative idea! The lighting and focus could have been a bit better though.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/28/2006 02:02:54 PM
LoL! who believes that? there would soda spilling all over grocery store shelves everywhere. lol. The whites in the background seem too bright. nice reflection capture. very nice illusion too.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/28/2006 12:08:32 PM
Nice capture. I like how the can is angled as if melting into the liquid. The outer edges are blown out but I like it that way.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/28/2006 11:57:14 AM
I like this, its a fun image. the background is distracting. There are still yellow spots that didn't burn out, and the edge of the bowl would have been nice to see, even if it was a hairline.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/28/2006 10:59:25 AM
Very clever I like it!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/28/2006 09:18:19 AM
Very unique and clever! 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/28/2006 12:56:52 AM
Nice concept. I like the idea of cutting the coke can.
May want to work on the focus.
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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