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Rondo in Red
1st PlaceRondo in Red
levyj413


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Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Still Life IV (Basic Editing)
Collection: Glasses
Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR DG IF-ED
Location: Dining Room
Date: Jul 29, 2008
Aperture: 2.8
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/30s
Galleries: Still Life, Food and Drink
Date Uploaded: Jul 29, 2008

Gelatin sticks to wine glasses very well. :) Buy dry gelatin packets at the store, mix with boiling water, and put it in the fridge to solidify. I don't know whether actual Jell-o would stick as well with all the sugar and flavorings. This is just pure gelatin, so it's not sweet.

I was waiting for a still life challenge, or something like it, to try this again. To get the gelatin at an angle, I lay the glasses down on an egg carton, with the base on the shelf and the top up on the carton. To make the middle glass, I started out just like the other two. I had extra gelatin liquid that I kept out of the fridge while the three glasses set. Then I pulled one out and added just enough extra to be able to tip it the other way and have the angle match. Back in the fridge for an hour, and I had nicely double-angled gelatin.

The lighting was the same as I used for Sonata in Blue:


The background is a piece of posterboard that was just big enough to cover the frame. I shot this with my zoom lens to narrow the field of view, so the camera was across the room from the glasses.

This was another typical last-minute rush, despite having the idea a few days earlier. I made the gelatin Monday night, but didn't look closely at the glasses until 9:00 Tuesday night, when I noticed some smudges on the glasses. Warning if you try this: there will likely be a thin, transparent film of gelatin that starts far away from the colored parts, and if you rub at it, it makes a big splotch on the glass! Initially, the edges of the gelatin in the top glass were perfect, but after I was done cleaning up the blotches, I'd messed them up a bit, which is visible in the shot.

With cleaned glasses, I start setting up about 10:30 pm Tuesday night. Started shooting at 11:00 and tried three different background colors. Pulled up the images in Photoshop, liked this color background best, and edited it for submission.

Then I noticed a couple of imperfections, like the top glass was turned so the angle didn't line up vertically with the glass' stem. Took one more shot correcting the problems at 11:51. Edited, entered at 11:59. Unlike some past mistakes, this one didn't have any major problems I noticed after midnight. :)

Post-challenge: wahoooo!!!!!!!!!! My first blue ribbon. :)

Oh, for the commenter who said it'd have looked better without the bowls in the middle, I agree. But I needed to get the middle glass up in the air somehow. Anyway, those are two cereal bowls, with the top one flipped over.

With this entry, I survived week 1 of the Better than Average side tourney, where we have to beat our own overall average score. My target this week was 5.6865.

Statistics
Place: 1 out of 228
Avg (all users): 6.6598
Avg (commenters): 7.3846
Avg (participants): 6.2813
Avg (non-participants): 6.8462
Views since voting: 8926
Views during voting: 447
Votes: 194
Comments: 66
Favorites: 15 (view)


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AuthorThread
08/13/2008 01:24:41 PM
Oh! it's magic, I see the red turns blue. Congratulations!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/12/2008 07:22:59 PM
I just noticed that you moved up to blue! WooHoo! I don't know what happened, but this is a great choice for a blue ribbon :)

Congratulations once again!

  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/12/2008 01:23:33 PM
Well... now this presents a problem... your ribbon no longer matches your photograph. I suppose you'll just have to live with that at this point, huh? :-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/12/2008 08:08:44 AM
'Grats Jeffrey. So sorry I was lazy and didn't vote on this challenge, otherwise I'm sure you'd have had another 10 for this still.
You've become the master of gelatin stills ... and are on the road to becoming the master of still challenges.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/11/2008 07:47:36 AM
Congrats on the Blue! I'm gonna have to start calling you jello man!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/10/2008 10:20:17 PM
Was just a matter of time- grats on the blue..
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/10/2008 08:12:38 PM
Hey Jeffrey! Congrats on moving up to BLUE...with 6.6598! who'd have thought a score like that would blue??? Great to see you get this...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/10/2008 04:46:32 PM
The red ribbon fit this entry so much better. Now it's ruined! :P
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/10/2008 02:09:53 PM
oh snap, blue ribbon, congrats man.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/10/2008 10:50:06 AM
Congrats on the blue ribbon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/10/2008 09:57:47 AM
Congratulations on the blue.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/09/2008 10:46:50 PM
Very nicely done! Congrats on the red blue.

Message edited by author 2008-08-10 11:26:38.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/08/2008 06:36:12 AM
Woohoo!! Congrats Jeffrey!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/07/2008 08:54:04 PM
Congrats on your awesome finish!! Does this mean you are serving jello at the GTG? ;-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/07/2008 07:28:47 PM
Congraulations on your ribbon, all your glass images are amazing, such beautiful work. :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/07/2008 06:31:39 PM
Excellent, congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/07/2008 06:22:43 PM
Right on Red! Congrats man! Blue works too!

Message edited by author 2008-08-11 11:39:34.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/07/2008 04:06:08 PM
Amazing !
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 09:18:41 PM
WTG Jeff!!! Awesome shot - terrific execution and presentation. Congratulations!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 07:49:19 PM
Wow Jeffery you do amazing photos.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 05:53:39 PM
Beautiful, congratulations
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 03:57:01 PM
amazing!! such a cool idea to use gelatine! congrats to your ribbon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 03:44:12 PM
Congratulations on your red ribbon. Now go get yourself that blue and finish your set!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 03:09:01 PM
Fabulous! Congrats on the ribbon, and thanks for sharing the 'how-to'!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 01:44:34 PM
I knew this was yours the second I saw it.
It's an amazing image, congratulations on your ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 11:21:52 AM
OK, since I haven't heard you bust on me in a while for not stepping out of my comfort zone, I'll refrain from doing the same to you. ;) Oh wait...too late. Where've you been these days? I haven't seen you much on the boards.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 10:23:57 AM
Jeffrey, congrats!! I saw the thumb on the front page and said to myself "hey that's jeffrey's idea. who stole it?" Looks like you put in quite an effort for this one. Worth it, I think! Congrats again.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 10:13:08 AM
Hey, congratulations, Jeffrey! I think the bowls are perfect. It gives it even more of an abstract multi-shaped look.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 10:03:42 AM
pretty fantastic Jeffrey...well done on the red and thanks for the tutorial

Message edited by author 2008-08-06 10:04:18.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 09:26:33 AM
Jeffrey,
congratulations and thanks for the tutorial!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 08:37:51 AM
A work of art! Thanks for the setup details!
Debbi
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 08:11:49 AM
really awesome shot Jeff, congrats on the ribbon, sorry i didn't get around to entering for this month, I should be able to get some in for next month, but who knows. once again though, congrats on the great shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 07:11:40 AM
Excellent shot. The geometric design with the glasses is very imaginative. Thanks for the description on your processes as well.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 05:52:43 AM
Big Congrats Jeff! Great shot - love the choice of colors for this wacky water shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 02:51:43 AM
goood!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 02:44:43 AM
Woot for you, Jeff! Great effort, great rewards. Congrats.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 01:42:01 AM
Woohoo!! congrats Jeffrey,knew this would do very well.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 01:38:58 AM
Congrats on the ribbon..Great pic
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 12:48:30 AM
Congrats on your red ribbon, Jeffrey. It suits your beautiful Rondo in Red to a "T". I had a feeling this was yours, you're so darned good at these shots.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 12:45:59 AM
Thanks for the tips on making gelatin wine. Great picture.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 12:43:44 AM
Wow Jeffrey you're the King of jelly! This is very cool and huge congrats on your ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 12:36:07 AM
Congratulations, Jeffrey! I like the blue one better. The colors in that one appeal to me more and the composition is more delicate. But, hey, whose going to quibble with a ribbon winning image.

Message edited by author 2008-08-06 00:41:09.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 12:16:58 AM
Congrats... good one :) You don't have gravity where you are, no? Of course not, it's Washington DC, where politicians release all that gas... people flying in the air LOL
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 12:13:00 AM
Congrats man! Great shot! Very cool set up!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 12:10:49 AM
Nice stuff!! Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 12:08:26 AM
Congratulations Jeffrey! You even beat IreneM. :) And it's fitting this should get a red!

Message edited by author 2008-08-06 00:08:47.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 12:07:58 AM
Go Man Go, great work and congratulations on the Red.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 12:07:36 AM
Congratulations. Very nice indeed.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 12:07:23 AM
LOL! I didn't comment but was going to say this looked like you learned something from levyj413's Blue Sonata. I can see why now! Congrats on the pretty red ribbon to match the pretty red gelatin!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 12:03:40 AM
Wow. congrats on the ribbon Jeffrey! Nicely done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/06/2008 12:03:29 AM
Gorgeous piece of work. Excellent job with the geometrics. Congrats on the ribbon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
08/05/2008 08:31:12 AM
How did you do that?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/05/2008 02:41:37 AM
good lines
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/04/2008 07:55:57 PM
WHOA!! How did you do that?? Impressive!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/04/2008 08:42:03 AM
Excellent shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/03/2008 12:52:41 AM
Ribbon Territory.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/02/2008 03:34:30 PM
I gave this one a 6 when I first saw it. I don't think I've seen jello done that way before so that was clever and the execution was good. I wasn't crazy about the color you chose for the background (just too much of the same color) but otherwise a good shot. Since it's not my favorite thing and it offers no emotive value the best score I've ever given for this type of shot is an 8 so keep that in mind.

Oh and yes I guessed this was yours. Now fix your email!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/01/2008 10:58:08 AM
No idea how you got this. Excellent setup and suitable lighting.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
08/01/2008 01:33:40 AM
Amazing..
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/31/2008 08:51:37 PM
cool effect
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/30/2008 07:48:33 PM
This is crazy cool! Can't wait to read how you did it.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/30/2008 03:14:25 PM
fun composition. I might have preferred a simpler composition without the whatever that's below the middle glass. Would have worked fine with just the 3 glasses.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/30/2008 02:00:07 PM
jello? I like the idea.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/30/2008 08:58:37 AM
Well executed. Nicely lighted. 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/30/2008 06:58:03 AM
fantastic picture,very very creative.well done
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/30/2008 06:42:33 AM
Don't really know how you did this... but I like it! I'm looking forward seeing how you did it after the challenge, I'm guessing some type double exposure? Good luck!
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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