Mini Project - You've made a right Pigs Ear of that!

Phil V

Phil V

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In response to a recent thread regarding working only with what you've got, I suggested the phrase:

You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear, however you can make a well composed image if you try.

So, as if to prove a point, I went out and got a pigs ear (gender unknown) and as I'd gone to that trouble, I thought a short project rather than a single image - so I'll add to this as I go (not too many)

 
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Thanks for specifying "gender unknown". You're crazy… I love that! Ok, let's play.

• Cool specular control
• Great complementary colours
• Clever selective focus
• Soft but directional lighting and… no bloody trace of the execution!

You're crazy but your good… NOW SELL IT! ;-)
If you do, I will call you SIR!
 
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I like that.... (although I'm not keen on the dark bit at the top), I like your choice of colour too.
 
sunnyside_up said:
Omg... Is that real???
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Course it's real - have you ever tried to get hold of a fake pigs ear :naughty:
Kodiak Qc said:
•
Thanks for specifying "gender unknown". You're crazy… I love that! Ok, let's play.

• Cool specular control
• Great complementary colours
• Clever selective focus
• Soft but directional lighting and… no bloody trace of the execution!

You're crazy but your good… NOW SELL IT! ;-)
If you do, I will call you SIR!
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Thanks. It's probably a twisted Northern sense of humour thing
Solo man said:
I like that.... (although I'm not keen on the dark bit at the top), I like your choice of colour too.
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Thanks
dancook said:
Miss Piggy was always a little, grating.
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:p
 
You're going to hell for the first shot:

Matthew 7:6 in Jesus's Sermon on the Mount: "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces."

No I'm not religious before anyone says anything!
 
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I see that your light source is casting, thanks to the top edge of the ear, an
inadequate shadows in the inner pavilion… so I conclude the light source
was slightly too far behind the subject… superbly funny!
 
Kodiak Qc said:
•
I see that your light source is casting, thanks to the top edge of the ear, an
inadequate shadows in the inner pavilion… so I conclude the light source
was slightly too far behind the subject… superbly funny!
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I have never done anything like this before - it's harder than it looks (as you'll know)
 
Morbid said:
You're going to hell for the first shot:

Matthew 7:6 in Jesus's Sermon on the Mount: "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces."

No I'm not religious before anyone says anything!
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I'm nicking the title ;)
 
sunnyside_up said:
That's never a real ear!!
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I went to our local butchers / farm shop and said 'I've got an odd request', he looks at me suspiciously (I'm suited on my way home from work) and says; 'Go on'. 'Have you got a pigs ear?', he looks at me even more suspiciously and says 'what's it for?', so I told him and he looked at me like I was completely deranged. But it was free, and apparently the Chinese eat them, I looked up some recipes, but mine's a bit manky after all the handling.

Now you think I'm as daft as my local butcher does. :D

There's more pictures to come (well I have at least one more idea)
 
Well - I thought I'd used a few "unconventional" props in my still life shots, but this takes it to a different level.

Really like the first one - love the whole premise, I got the "pearls before swine" straight away, I must admit. Love the hints to the "old master" type of setup/lighting/colour pallette in the backgrounds - not 100% on the faux-canvas texture to be honest, but that's possibly just down to my personal taste.

Second one - it's definitely a strong idea, but i'm not 100% sold on it as an image - like the juxtaposition of the simple beauty of a plain white Lily with the slightly gruesome prospect of a disconnected ear, standing on end... but there's something that just doesn't quite hang together somehow IMO.

future ideas? The first thing that struck me was "The Sow with the Pearl Ear-Ring..." (yes, I admit it, I've a bit of a macabre / wierd side to me - as anyone who saw one of my self portraits would realise...)

Looking forward to seeing how this project could develop, but if it's going to be a long-term project, please promise me you'll not stick with the original model all the way through it... a couple of months into the shoot, the "model" would probably look less "Babe" and more "Yoda"...
 
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TheBigYin said:
Well - I thought I'd used a few "unconventional" props in my still life shots, but this takes it to a different level.

Really like the first one - love the whole premise, I got the "pearls before swine" straight away, I must admit. Love the hints to the "old master" type of setup/lighting/colour pallette in the backgrounds - not 100% on the faux-canvas texture to be honest, but that's possibly just down to my personal taste.

Second one - it's definitely a strong idea, but i'm not 100% sold on it as an image - like the juxtaposition of the simple beauty of a plain white Lily with the slightly gruesome prospect of a disconnected ear, standing on end... but there's something that just doesn't quite hang together somehow IMO.

future ideas? The first thing that struck me was "The Sow with the Pearl Ear-Ring..." (yes, I admit it, I've a bit of a macabre / wierd side to me - as anyone who saw one of my self portraits would realise...)

Looking forward to seeing how this project could develop, but if it's going to be a long-term project, please promise me you'll not stick with the original model all the way through it... a couple of months into the shoot, the "model" would probably look less "Babe" and more "Yoda"...
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The canvas effect on the first is a bit heavier on here than on my PC, I nearly deleted it and started again, but given the point of the shoot I figured it'd do.

The second? I'm not sure about at all, I might have another go at the concept if I can be bothered.

I was hoping you'd comment though, because this is your thing, and right outside my comfort zone. The next planned shot is closer to my usual stuff,

I've already been turned down access to earrings, so if I go there it'll cost me for a pair of cheap earrings.
 
jerry12953 said:
You'll be looking for a silk purse next!

Probably a bit difficult to find oop Yorkshire like.......... (puts on Geoffry Boycott accent.....)
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The first shot started out in concept as a silk purse, I might yet go back to my first plans.
 
I bet the butcher suspects your intentions with the pigs ear are a bit dubious
 
Phil you're officially nuts !!! :LOL:

Pretty much everything that I could have added critique-wise has already been said . . . but really good job, especially the first one and I hope we get to see some more.
(But can I really stand any more pig or ear puns?)

p.s. If your model starts to deteriorate before you shoot anything else, have a look at the dried pig ears in the pet supplies.
I've got a few hanging around here that I'd donate to the cause, but I'm not sure Stella would forgive me and the postage would probably be more than the cost of buying them.
 
Having read the thread at the origin, and seeing you actually do it. Respect sir. Absolutely love them. Very nicely done.
 
I thought the first shot was excellent Phil

Second shot doesn't do it for me i'm afraid
 
I've got some more plans, just not sure when I'm gonna get time.
 
I take it "Lily was Ear/Here" is a hidden reference to the David Stewart (ex Eurythymics) album of the same name?

Not seen the film although that might inspire further bizzare excursions.......
 
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