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Teapot Study #37
1st PlaceTeapot Study #37
Dr.Confuser


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Shallow DOF in Red (Advanced Editing VII)
Camera: Nikon D3
Lens: Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED
Location: Yarrow Point, Washington (USA)
Date: Jan 3, 2012
Aperture: f/2.8
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/60
Galleries: Still Life, Macro
Date Uploaded: Jan 6, 2012

 Photographer’s Notes
First of all, I am a big fan of shallow depth of field. I love how the juxtaposition of blur and sharp can set off a subject, draw your eye, abstract a form. So this was a fun challenge for me. And I like red … my car is red; my motorcycle is red … red’s just great.

Second, I need to recognize the contribution of my WPL team to this. I originally shot the teapot, but it was a teammate that suggested steam, and another that suggested different lighting, and another … well you get the idea. So, thanks Long Shots! You make me better.

Third, I have often admired photos of smoke, and researched ways of doing it, always with a Speedlight or some form of artificial lighting. Until a few weeks ago, I didn’t own a flash, not even one that came on my camera (D3). But I got an SB-700 and an SB-900 for Christmas and this was the maiden voyage of the SB-700. I’m delighted (or lighted, I guess) with it and that’s what was crucial to capturing the ‘steam.’

‘Steam’ in this case is really smoke because no matter how much boiling water I poured into the teapot and no matter how cold the air was (down to freezing at least) real water vapor type steam was invisible. So I built a small fire of paper and matchsticks in the teapot. Made the smoke. Shot the photo. And then incurred the wrath of She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed. It’s a good thing I nailed the image I wanted because there Will Be No Repeats of the fire in my wife’s teapot.

Post Processing
• Convert from Raw (PSCS5 Camera Raw)
• Reduce Noise (Neat Image)
• Enhance the Blur (PSCS5 Gaussian Blur - masked)
• Dodge & Burn (PSCS5 Overlay Layer)
• Brighten (PSCS5 Curves Layer)
• Crop (PSCS5)
• Resize (Perfect Resize)
• Sharpen (PSCS5 USM)
• Save for Web (PSCS5)

Camera Data
• Date: 2012.01.03
• Camera: Nikon D3
• Lens: Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED
• ISO: 200
• Aperture: f/2.8
• Shutter: 1/60

Post Challenge - Thanks to all for the votes, the comments, and the good wishes. Much Appreciated. And thanks to my WPL team, The Long Shots, for their review and suggestions before submission and for their encouragement to keep shooting and not be satisfied with 'good enough.' You're the best, guys!

Statistics
Place: 1 out of 123
Avg (all users): 7.1556
Avg (commenters): 8.4167
Avg (participants): 6.9667
Avg (non-participants): 7.3067
Views since voting: 4883
Views during voting: 308
Votes: 135
Comments: 53
Favorites: 11 (view)

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AuthorThread
 02/04/2012 04:50:29 AM
Brilliant. It really is a great interpretation of the theme.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/19/2012 01:18:34 PM
Greetings from the Critique Club!

First impression: Aw dang I have to critique an image that won a blue?! Find the crop a little off, not being quite a rectangle or a square, but that's fairly minor. I liked the quietness of the teapot and the smoke wisping up and curling around.

Artistic: Very simple shot and proof that the KISS principle is what works best. Looks shot at stove/table shot so not an extreme POV, but wonder what it might have looked like shot just a hair lower down and pointing up.

Technical: Already mentioned the crop seems a little wonky, but the DOF is indeed shallow and the way the smoke wafts back over the handle from the focal point of the spout makes a trail for the eye to follow. Nice studio lighting. Might have wanted to burn out a few of the spots of glare, but it doesn't seem to have hurt your score :-)

Overall: Personally I would have tried a few stops down just to see what the effect would have been, how much more of the pot would have come into focus. Also wondering what it would look like with a tighter and yes, square crop - there seems to be awful lot of negative space in the bottom right corner.

Pity your wife didn't appreciate your sacrificing a teapot for a shot, but just think, now you can use it just for making Lapsang Souchong!

Feel free to PM me,

Susan
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/17/2012 02:04:45 AM
It's refreshing to see that good photography is still rewarded. That shallow DOF is sublime. Well done on the teamwork. One thing though, did you seriously need to deNoise a shot from the legendary noiseless D3? hehe.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 06:32:06 PM
GREAT image, congratulations!!!
Thanks a lot also for the detailed explanation
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 06:08:00 PM
Smoke flavored tea...maybe you'll start a new trend. Congratulations on your ribbon! Beautiful shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 05:37:08 PM
I love it! The image, and the story! Congratulations!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 02:46:36 PM
Wow! Good job Chuck! Congratulation on the Blue Ribbon.

BTW - you are going to love having two speedlights.

Message edited by author 2012-01-16 14:51:54.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 01:35:11 PM
Absolutely stunning photo! By far my favorite of the challenge (which reminds me, I have to go fav it. :)

Huge congrats on the blue!!

  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 12:20:36 PM
Congrats. Loved this during voting.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 12:03:58 PM
Hey Chuck! Way to go.. you nailed this one! Congrats on your first place win!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 10:49:17 AM
Very nice image,Congratulations on the ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 09:47:44 AM
Congrats on the blue, Doc! And maybe try partly blocking up the spout to build up some smoke and use incense cones, they shouldn't get hot enough to cause any damage to the inside of a pot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 08:20:23 AM
This is really spectacular, glad it won.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 07:12:52 AM
AWESOME DOC!!!!!! Congrats on the blue...I love this shot and it's definitely deserving of the win!! Go Long Shots!!!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 05:51:09 AM
Congrats on the Blue Doc. :) We could not have asked for something better
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 03:38:25 AM
I love how you add stories to your photos. I hope you made your wife a cup of tea afterwards!!

Beautiful photo!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 02:41:11 AM
Awesome image! Congrats on the well deserved blue!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 02:16:22 AM
WooooT! Congrats, Doc!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 02:01:18 AM
Utterly speechless right now Doc, you sure have pulled through when we needed it! Congratulations on your Blue! Go Long Shots!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 01:51:58 AM
Congratulations :-) That was my favorite of the bunch, great lighting, and the softness works so well. A blue and 7+ score just for the WPL finals, nice timing! Also, I feel the pain about the fire in the wife's teapot, reminds me some of my "home discussions" ;-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 01:32:59 AM
Super job! Congrats on your blue ribbon. Well deserved.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 01:19:13 AM
Lovely shot. Congratulations on the well deserved blue ribbon. PS: I found burning incense can work quite well to produce "pseudo" steam.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 01:18:46 AM
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful - huge congrats! Go Long Shots!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 12:49:59 AM
I can't believe you built a fire in that beautiful teapot! Great story and great image! Congratulations on your blue!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 12:49:51 AM
Congratulations! Wonderful shot. I hope your wife has forgiven you.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 12:49:18 AM
Great Shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 12:47:59 AM
Awesome, well done, well deserved
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 12:36:16 AM
Way to go, Doc - first blue and a great score - so well deserved!! ...and what a story... Congratulations!!!

Go LONG SHOTS!!!!!

Message edited by author 2012-01-16 00:37:24.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 12:26:18 AM
Congrats on your first blue with an awesome shot Doc!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 12:16:51 AM
Brilliant, soulful image. She Who Must Be Obeyed should be proud, if miffed.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 12:16:31 AM
Wow! A big congrats my friend!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 12:12:25 AM
Bravo!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 12:08:56 AM
Lovely shot! Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/16/2012 12:02:18 AM
Gorgeous shot. Congrats on the blue!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
01/15/2012 07:07:36 PM
Beautifully done. One of my top picks.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/15/2012 10:57:00 AM
I like this ,nice light.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/15/2012 08:31:10 AM
Good light, like the wispy smoke trail.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/15/2012 07:28:43 AM
is the smoke fake..still the image is verrry pretty..love the light..
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/14/2012 02:28:07 PM
Fabulous. (Sorry, not a voting member, but I like to come peruse challenges sometimes. I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciated this shot)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/14/2012 09:03:59 AM
One of my favs of the challenge. Hope it does well for you. (voted earlier)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/13/2012 11:54:36 PM
Excellent choice! Perfect balance between the subject and the DOF.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/12/2012 07:49:06 PM
Beautifully composed and taken. Love the steam. One of my top picks.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/12/2012 01:09:38 PM
A welcome relief from the crowd.....soothing...inviting.....I want this. Best shot in the challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/11/2012 09:01:26 PM
This should be a top 5! Great Picture!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/11/2012 04:37:37 PM
Love the lighting and the steam, so well capture, I love it.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/11/2012 03:40:32 PM
Very nice picture. 8.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/10/2012 05:38:50 PM
This photo is HOT!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/10/2012 10:27:59 AM
nice!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/09/2012 03:43:57 PM
What a beautiful job you did with lighting this. It's hard to get the steam to show up so perfectly.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/09/2012 12:27:41 PM
Whoa! Ribbon!!

I would have loved this even more in a square crop, I think.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/09/2012 10:59:38 AM
Great title Doc! And a great shot...makes me want some tea!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/09/2012 08:09:18 AM
I like this a lot. The swirl of the steam, and the narrow DOF is spot on. That is also my favorite color of red. 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/09/2012 12:07:44 AM
really nice lighting and excellent focus point...8
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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