74. Curves - November 9-15, 2014
Byron-
Even though I suggested this topic I struggled with what subject to use to show curves. I then noticed a fairly new acquisition of mine. The JBL Onbeat Air. It is a wireless speaker that works with Apple airplay. That means I can send it sound from my phone, iPad or computer. It has an interesting design that is dominated by 2 chrome swooping curves.
This was shot with my now trusty 50mm lens. I used 2 speedlights bouncing off umbrellas, one on each side, in very close. I covered the whole shebang with a white shower curtain to give a maximum reflective area. Since my camera was mounted on a tripod and covered with the shower curtain I had to use my remote shutter release. The settings were - ISO 200, 50mm, f/8 at 1/60 sec.
Even though I suggested this topic I struggled with what subject to use to show curves. I then noticed a fairly new acquisition of mine. The JBL Onbeat Air. It is a wireless speaker that works with Apple airplay. That means I can send it sound from my phone, iPad or computer. It has an interesting design that is dominated by 2 chrome swooping curves.
This was shot with my now trusty 50mm lens. I used 2 speedlights bouncing off umbrellas, one on each side, in very close. I covered the whole shebang with a white shower curtain to give a maximum reflective area. Since my camera was mounted on a tripod and covered with the shower curtain I had to use my remote shutter release. The settings were - ISO 200, 50mm, f/8 at 1/60 sec.
Deron-
This is my friend, Ron, riding the curves of the famous Glendora Mountain Road. GMR is the pinnacle of Southern California cycling, with it's numerous switchbacks and 2,500 of elevation gain in 10 miles. If you're ambitious, take GMR to Glendora Ridge Road, then make a left on Mt. Baldy Road, where you'll have to endure the 16% pitches all the way to Mt. Baldy Ski Lifts 28 miles away... which I just finished doing, plus some other miles, 15 minutes ago.
This is my friend, Ron, riding the curves of the famous Glendora Mountain Road. GMR is the pinnacle of Southern California cycling, with it's numerous switchbacks and 2,500 of elevation gain in 10 miles. If you're ambitious, take GMR to Glendora Ridge Road, then make a left on Mt. Baldy Road, where you'll have to endure the 16% pitches all the way to Mt. Baldy Ski Lifts 28 miles away... which I just finished doing, plus some other miles, 15 minutes ago.
Paul-
Good theme, Byron. There’s so many was to interpret “curves.” (A sine wave on an oscilloscope would have been cool.) I was mulling this over for a while why I was searching the web on an unrelated topic using Tor*. As it happens, the logo Tor uses is an onion. From previous run-ins with this odious, odiferous bulb, I knew its multi-layered core is not only defined of curves but irregular curves here and there. So, after hermetically sealing myself in my darkroom (at my wife and daughter’s polite demands), I sliced up a nice big red onion and set to work. Here’s the result.
Our story so far…
She cried, she wept, she bawled and sobbed; she wrung out a thousand tears from doleful eyes and still rivulets of saltwater came cascading down her cheeks. She was alone. No one to bear her burden or steady her trembling hands. Yet she pushed on for there was nothing else to do. Cutting up onions was a bitch.
And (shuttering involuntarily at the thought) photographing them with an Olympus E-500 fitted with a 14-45mm lens and settings of ISO 800, EV -3/10, a shutter speed of 1/100 sec, at f9, and lit by a ring light set at approximately 80% intensity would only intensify her anguish.
*Tor (previously an acronym for The Onion Router) is free software for enabling online anonymity and resisting censorship. It is designed to make it possible for users to surf the Internet anonymously, so their activities and location cannot be discovered by government agencies, corporations, or anyone else. [Wiki description of Tor found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tor_%28anonymity_network%29]
Good theme, Byron. There’s so many was to interpret “curves.” (A sine wave on an oscilloscope would have been cool.) I was mulling this over for a while why I was searching the web on an unrelated topic using Tor*. As it happens, the logo Tor uses is an onion. From previous run-ins with this odious, odiferous bulb, I knew its multi-layered core is not only defined of curves but irregular curves here and there. So, after hermetically sealing myself in my darkroom (at my wife and daughter’s polite demands), I sliced up a nice big red onion and set to work. Here’s the result.
Our story so far…
She cried, she wept, she bawled and sobbed; she wrung out a thousand tears from doleful eyes and still rivulets of saltwater came cascading down her cheeks. She was alone. No one to bear her burden or steady her trembling hands. Yet she pushed on for there was nothing else to do. Cutting up onions was a bitch.
And (shuttering involuntarily at the thought) photographing them with an Olympus E-500 fitted with a 14-45mm lens and settings of ISO 800, EV -3/10, a shutter speed of 1/100 sec, at f9, and lit by a ring light set at approximately 80% intensity would only intensify her anguish.
*Tor (previously an acronym for The Onion Router) is free software for enabling online anonymity and resisting censorship. It is designed to make it possible for users to surf the Internet anonymously, so their activities and location cannot be discovered by government agencies, corporations, or anyone else. [Wiki description of Tor found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tor_%28anonymity_network%29]
Jerry-
At first I googled curves and got what I deserved - fine female curves all over the desktop and my wife nearby! Danger, danger! So I went in the kitchen and found an apple that met my criteria for curves and tasted great (Gala).
Nikon D5200 with 40mm Micro Nikkor, f16 at 1/80, iso 1000, lowel v-light in a small umbrella.
At first I googled curves and got what I deserved - fine female curves all over the desktop and my wife nearby! Danger, danger! So I went in the kitchen and found an apple that met my criteria for curves and tasted great (Gala).
Nikon D5200 with 40mm Micro Nikkor, f16 at 1/80, iso 1000, lowel v-light in a small umbrella.
Kevin-
Not exactly my best WPOTM image. There were so many curves possibilities, but somehow I decided that I wanted to shoot a Hot Wheels® car on a curved section of track with a longer shutter speed which would give some streaks of blur from the slow exposure combined with the sharp image as the flash fired.
My first attempt to do this was very unsuccessful. The Hot Wheels car was so fast, in a scale sense, that the studio flash couldn’t freeze it.
So I set it up again today, with a Nikon flash which I knew would have a much faster flash duration and a separate a tungsten light which was much brighter than the modeling light of the studio flash to provide the light for the blur.
I’m still not thrilled with the shot, but here it is.
Nikon D4s, tripod mounted, 105mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens. ISO 100. 1/30th of a second. f/7.1. 1 Nikon SB-910 flash unit in manual mode at 1/16th power and a Mole Richardson floodlight.
Looking at it now I should have upped the ISO to 800 or so so that I could shoot with a smaller aperture. The Hot Wheels car is tack sharp as evidenced by the paint. But the track could be more in-focus.
Not exactly my best WPOTM image. There were so many curves possibilities, but somehow I decided that I wanted to shoot a Hot Wheels® car on a curved section of track with a longer shutter speed which would give some streaks of blur from the slow exposure combined with the sharp image as the flash fired.
My first attempt to do this was very unsuccessful. The Hot Wheels car was so fast, in a scale sense, that the studio flash couldn’t freeze it.
So I set it up again today, with a Nikon flash which I knew would have a much faster flash duration and a separate a tungsten light which was much brighter than the modeling light of the studio flash to provide the light for the blur.
I’m still not thrilled with the shot, but here it is.
Nikon D4s, tripod mounted, 105mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens. ISO 100. 1/30th of a second. f/7.1. 1 Nikon SB-910 flash unit in manual mode at 1/16th power and a Mole Richardson floodlight.
Looking at it now I should have upped the ISO to 800 or so so that I could shoot with a smaller aperture. The Hot Wheels car is tack sharp as evidenced by the paint. But the track could be more in-focus.