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Sapphires and Diamonds
Sapphires and Diamonds
hughletheren


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Jewelry Advertisement (Advanced Editing IV*)
Camera: Canon EOS-20D
Location: Study at home
Date: Apr 24, 2005
Aperture: f/29
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/250s
Galleries: Studio, Advertisement
Date Uploaded: Apr 24, 2005

 A gift from my mother to my father. Used 2 550EX Canon Flashguns, fitted with Lumiquest Softbox attachments, fired by ST-E2 remote. Flashguns mounted fairly close to subject at 45 degrees on either side. Ring was lying on marbled pink parchment. Used my Canon EF 100mm macro lens.
Flash compensation set at +1.0
Processed using Capture 1 Pro (contrast, saturation and gamma all raised a bit), followed by PS CS. Cloned out some marks and a hair on the ring, apparent despite ultrasonic cleaning. Otherwise not much apart from the usual USM, resize, USM

Statistics
Place: 40 out of 159
Avg (all users): 5.9563
Avg (commenters): 6.7667
Avg (participants): 5.7788
Avg (non-participants): 6.0811
Views since voting: 1101
Views during voting: 371
Votes: 252
Comments: 33
Favorites: 0

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AuthorThread
 05/08/2005 11:09:30 PM
Critique Club comment :)

As I said in my comment during challenge, it's a nice shot with obviously good lighting control, enough detailing on the rocks, nice dof choice and execution.
I agree that the font is a bit too much, and the text competes with the main elements of the image. Perhaps a smaller, different font type would be very effective.
There was one comment that the stones could use more "wow" factor, and I tend to agree with this take. The sapphires appear more subdued than is possible, and perhaps a shift in lighting could correct this and give it more "oomph" factor.
This brings me to the background choice. I'm pretty sure the pink isn't working well for me, and as another commenter suggested, perhaps a background with more contrast factor as compared to the gold, blue and white of the ring would be effective.
The last point for me is the scratches and dings on the ring itself, which although you've covered well by using "antique" tags, could be cleaned up to produce a more flattering and attractive ring. I'm not saying that the ring isn't attractive, just that for an ad, I think it would be more effective in a polished state. Hope this is constructive, and good luck in future challenges.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
05/01/2005 11:30:53 PM
Excellent presentation...lighting is superb.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/01/2005 07:15:09 PM
Just a smaller type font would have made this even more super than it now stands, Bumping up.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 05/01/2005 10:41:12 AM
Outstanding job. Good dof with such close-up detail!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/30/2005 01:03:40 PM
nice detail and lighting on the ring. too much copy or a smaller font? the background choice is not vey complementary to the subject.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/30/2005 09:26:11 AM
I like the angle. Well done
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/29/2005 01:25:55 PM
Professional Looking
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/29/2005 10:05:37 AM
For me, the rotation of the ring is not fitting for the ring itself. Something about this piece of jewelry, in my eyes, calls for a basic horizontal orientation. Other than that, I would like to see the sapphires a bit lighter. I like your choice of background surface, though.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/29/2005 08:55:42 AM
Nice composition and lighting. I'd love a little more "wow" power on the stones.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/29/2005 06:50:00 AM
I love the background, the light, everything. 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/29/2005 04:39:09 AM
all stones are antique, Te he.
Good image, catalogue quality pic
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/28/2005 11:22:34 PM
Nice composition. I'd wished for an even crop on both sides of the ring tho (top and left). Lighting is good but is hard on the 'black' jewels. Text is nice, perharps a bit too intrusive. Overall tho, the picture lacks the little 'humphs' it needs to catch the eyes in a magazine. IMO. 6
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/28/2005 10:16:19 PM
good cropping. The words take away from the image however.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/28/2005 02:28:32 PM
nice shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/28/2005 01:44:21 PM
nice job, well done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/28/2005 11:41:03 AM
Clear and crisp. Background color dosen't suits the ring in my opinion.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/28/2005 10:06:05 AM
Very nice. Slick use of the word 'Antique' as a cover for the few nicks and dings. ;^) You did a good job by rotating the image. The lighting is right on. Good job. Hope this does well for you in the challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2005 06:20:22 PM
This is quite nice. The marble background works well.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/27/2005 02:23:23 PM
Great macro of the ring.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/26/2005 10:01:58 PM
Nicely laid out composition with a pleasant & neutral background that doesn't take away from the shot.
Not sure on the size of the text, and seems like there is something missing in the last line of text. Maybe something like "Make it Antique Sapphires & Diamonds" or something like that anyway.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/26/2005 05:43:18 PM
really well put together, I like how you used the ring to shape the text. The background color needs (something that shows more contrast) to be different for the ad to really stand out. A little more focus on the back side of the ring would make this a stunning ad. You're on the right track.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/26/2005 10:16:02 AM
Very well done, but the ring looks a bit dirty and takes away some of the punch. 6
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/26/2005 03:27:25 AM
beautifully done and not an easy task I tried myself without success 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/26/2005 12:46:15 AM
Lighting/coloring has captured the "feel" of antique stones pretty well.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/25/2005 01:46:28 PM
This looks like a ad, Very clear photo.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/25/2005 12:39:07 PM
Very good macro shot ! I like a lot the way it's tilted, but I think you cropped too tight on the left.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/25/2005 11:58:57 AM
Very, very nice. I like it a lot. Great DoF and the background really works.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/25/2005 08:27:30 AM
great close-up.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/25/2005 06:58:33 AM
Nice image. Great detail. Lighting good. Text - I don't like! Quite a fussy font, and is very loaded to the bottom of the image. Could do with being less text (or three lines), higher and being more balanced in the bottom RH corner, rather than the bottom.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/25/2005 04:39:36 AM
Not in sharp focus around stones. 6
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/25/2005 03:00:16 AM
Well done...could easily slide into any catalog or advertisement!!! Excellent
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/25/2005 02:16:01 AM
Excellent sapphire diamond shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 04/25/2005 01:08:55 AM
nice...backlight stones to make blue sapphires more translucent? gl :-) 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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