Tea Time on the Salton Sea

Horoscope Fish said:

Nikon 18-105mm, f/8.0 @ 1/500, ISO 100

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I like the concept and the composition, and the background has just the right amount of blur. My only suggestion is that somehow the perspective is a little off (IMHO). Even though I "know" it's a normal teacup, it gives the impression of being a giant cup. Not sure at what focal length you shot this, but perhaps at a wider angle, there would be more distance (via less compression) between the cup and the background.

I really enjoyed the saying on the cup! Cool shot my friend!

I like the contrast between the happy saying on the cup and the desolation that exists around the Salton Sea.

ohkphoto said:

I like the concept and the composition, and the background has just the right amount of blur. My only suggestion is that somehow the perspective is a little off (IMHO). Even though I "know" it's a normal teacup, it gives the impression of being a giant cup. Not sure at what focal length you shot this, but perhaps at a wider angle, there would be more distance (via less compression) between the cup and the background.

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The cup *is* a bit more... LOOMING in the shot than it looked in the viewfinder, I agree.

Shot was taken at 26mm. I may play around in PS and see what I can do about the perspective.


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I agree with Helene.

There's something great going on here, and for me at least, a B&W conversion would sell it better.

Browncoat said:

There's something great going on here, and for me at least, a B&W conversion would sell it better.

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Now why didn't that occur to me? I'm off to convert it, see what I can massage out of it. Thanks for the idea!

EDIT: Okay... Here's a modified version. In the previous "entry" I cropped the shot pretty hard and the tea cup got over-emphasized. While it's obviously the subject of the shot, I made it a bit overbearing and in so doing threw the frame out of balances. It never ceases to amaze me how obvious the solution appears once someone else points you in the right direction. Thank you Helene, your input is always so totally "spot on".

Converting the shot to black and white transformed it. Like whoa. The shot takes on a totally different, I think "edgier" mood and I really like it. Thanks to Browncoat for that suggestion.

More specifically, in this version (after the obvious conversion) I reduced the crop considerably, both vertically and horizontally, which *seems* to have lessened the emphasis on the tea-cup... Yes? I think the extra surrounding space gives the shot some breathing room. The sky was ever so slightly darkened with the red eye-dropper to add a little moodiness and an unsharp mask was applied to wrap things up.

Thanks for the feedback... It's been awesome.

It's a whole new photograph, isn't it?

Color is a distraction. It's sugar and whipped cream on top. When you're trying to convey a message, B&W is always better because it strips an image down to the bare essentials.

Browncoat said:

It's a whole new photograph, isn't it?

Color is a distraction. It's sugar and whipped cream on top. When you're trying to convey a message, B&W is always better because it strips an image down to the bare essentials.

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It's also why one part of me wants to strangle you.

Just kidding of course, but, in all seriousness? I can't believe someone had to suggest going B&W on that image. The face-palm was epic...

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When I thumb through my personal stuff...not the photos I take for others, the photos I take just for me...the vast majority of them are black and white. You're right, it adds an edge. It strips away all the fluff and exposes an image bare and leaves nothing but the simple truth. Might be a little artsy-fartsy, but that's just the way it is.

We should all think in terms of black and white when composing. Unless color plays a significant role as part of the theme, there's no reason why it can't be omitted completely. Even photos of flowers, which are usually photographed for their vibrant colors, can still be beautiful without it:




Or when you're looking to slap the viewer in the face with something shocking, you can turn a simple slap into a pimp backhand with a B&W conversion:



And my personal favorite, nothing shows raw emotion better than black and white: