Critique Seed head

sjc1919 said:
excellent lighting
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+1
Yes, indeed… though the specular surface, doubling the subject,
brings more perceptual confusion than being an asset to the take.
A mat surface, I think, could have serve you better in this case.
 
Really nice tones and lighting simon, works well in mono. I've done several product and food shots in the past on black perspex to create similar reflections, nothing as arty as this but the clients always seem to be happy with the style of shot.
 
It does look better on Flickr, it has to be said.
I have no issues with the reflective surface, but I'm not at all keen on the bottom half of the image seeming so heavily vignetted.
I do like the subject though.
 
Thank you for the feedback - interesting observations, all. The reflective surface and vignette were the main point of what was rather a technical lighting exercise. I was trying to achieve - in one shot, with minimal post production - a light subject but with a dark reflection against a light background. Maybe a matte surface would have shown off this subject more clearly but I like the confusing complexity. Perhaps a different subject would have made more of this setup.

fwiw I don't like vignettes much either - though in this case it is present by design in the original image as a product of the lighting. Post production was limited to a bit of dust removal and a fairly simple b&w conversion.
 
Holy thread resurrection, batman... I've just been clearing out my dropbox and found a couple of sketches of the lighting.. added here in case they're of use to anyone.

I got the white spot on the base right first - that's from the Pringles tube & bounce card at the back. Pringles tubes make nice snoots as the silver lining gives the spot a fairly soft graduated edge.

I was getting some flare from the white card at the back so I bodged an extra-long lens hood from some black craft foam & gaffer tape.

Then I added Speedlite #2 - a snooted & gridded key light. The shadow side was too dark so I added a second bounce card.

After that the shadows were still too dense, especially on the top left, so added a 3rd speedlight. I could have setup a different modifier on a stand but I was feeling lazy so just hand-held another piece of white card.



Photo 11-01-2016, 09 23 10.jpg Photo 11-01-2016, 09 21 34.jpg
 
The wherefore is often as interesting a post as the finished image! Thanks Simon :)
 
juggler said:
I'm out of touch - I have no idea what you're trying to say :thinking:
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OH dear, sorry to have confused you, you could always Google,I do.:)
 
medwaygreen said:
OH dear, sorry to have confused you, you could always Google,I do.:)
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top-rated answer: http://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/66029/what-is-the-meaning-of-the-seed-is-strong

The clear implication made in the books is that when Jon Arryn, Hand of the King, said "The seed is strong" he was referring to the indications - based on documented bloodlines and inherited genetic characteristics - that Robert Baratheon did not father Joffrey, Tommen, or Myrcella on Cersei Lannister.

(Of course, in Westeros, no one would think of them as "genetic characteristics". But the inherited traits which we know to be genetics have long been recognized as having a bloodline relationship - more so, frankly, in systems where nobility intermarries and documents their births and marriages better than is the average. And seed is slang for sperm, which leads to births, or so I'm led to believe...)
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There! Much clearer now! Thanks for the suggestion!
 
Thats lovely. Thank you for posting this.

Any idea what plant the seed is from?
Its really nice people are kind enough to post lighting techniques. There have been some excellent ones from several people lately.
 
The lighting explanations on your blog are interesting as well. I recommend others to take a look, esp the Snow Queen shoot.
 
MidnightUK said:
Just looked at your web site, you have some amazing images on there. Those people are scary fit!
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Thank you! I have a slight advantage - I teach acrobalance and have a circus / cabaret history so know lots of interesting folk.

MidnightUK said:
The lighting explanations on your blog are interesting as well. I recommend others to take a look, esp the Snow Queen shoot.
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Ah! I'd forgotten that one. I'll add it it @Michael Sewell's list.
 
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