The Midnight Exchange

Wrecked

I should also mention that I have another blog now, this one featuring other photos that I have worked on and that I'd like to display. It is located at:

http://osdonatus.blogspot.com/

The Planet Artist

On the Block

This is the product of experimentation and inspiration.

The inspiration comes from a hobbyist photographer from Fine Art Photoblog named Brian Auer. I've been reading his articles and using them for inspiration. He's wrote "16 Inspirational Photography Techniques," which routinely lights the creative powder keg in my head. However, when asked what his weakest links were, he replied using artificial lighting. So I figured I had a flash, why not use it and see what I can come up with.

The then the experiment with the flash began. I was setting up my position, focus and environment and snapping test photos. This is one of the test photos which cut my head off. To my eyes, it seemed like a perfect cut, as if there wasn't a head there to begin with. Then I noticed that the body was slightly ambiguous as to whether is was dorsal or ventral. Finally, the contrast in my underwear with the white shirt was pleasing to the eye, well, considering it was underwear.

So I went with it. I dodged and burned a little but, adjusted with curves and levels. Originally i was going to run with color, but I had black and white to begin with, the yellowish orange seemed quite off. So I grayscaled it and here I am now, posting.

Undulations

Joe's comment for yesterday's photo got me thinking more about negative space and how I rarely use it intentionally. So I had a few wine bottles around and the transition from the body to the neck has to be one of the most visually pleasing, mass produced forms in the modern world. So I ran with it and used them to create a negative space for my portrait to fall into.

Photo 204

Steep

So as I post this image, I realized that it would be better if I cut it in half, right down the middle. So that's what I did and reposted. I also tuned up the whites on the background and deepened the darks around my eyes. What the previous product looked like will remain a mystery to you.

Curtain Call

So I'm going for something totally different. I saw some cool photographs with images imposed over images and thought: "Shouldn't I be trying some of this?" Well I've got Photoshop, so I figured there was no excuse not too.

The Carlo Rossi bottle comes from... well Meijer. It's cheap vino and its damn good considering the cost. I have a glass at night after work but I add a little water though, just like the Greeks. Though they did it because, supposedly, the wine was so strong it had to be watered down. But in reality, we all know, it was crappy wine.

The graphics in the background are my order-taking sheets for Red Lobster. I spend hours looking at them so it seems appropriate that they fit into this end of the night picture.

The reason I've got the phone in my hand, or lack of hand, is because I chat with Julia after we're both done working. It's an essential part of my night and the photograph would be incomplete without it.

I tried a few different arrangements and opacities until I settled on this The reason I cut my arms out was because the photograph of me fit much too perfectly into the square that the order sheet made. I thought a little boundary breaking was in order to give it more cohesion. Plus, it looked cool with the perpendicular lines in the negative space.

Anyway, this was a fun change that I was excited about. After 163 consecutive pictures the brain can grow numb.

Blind

more later...

Fructose

Basically, I was wearing the green and blue and had the yellow wall to use. I figured something red would fit in nicely. Plus, I haven't done a color photo in a while. It wasn't difficult to frame it up or meter without having the subject in front of me. I think I'm getting the hang of it. For a while at the beginning I'd take 15-20 photos with an idea of the composition and gray values, ect. Now it's more like two photos with a few back ups in case something didn't work out. Hopefully by the end of this project I will have improved even more.

Floored

Thought about this one all day and it turned out pretty much as I intended. However, the reflection was an added bonus.

Poignant Death of a Thought Balloon

Personally, I prefer the color version I think. Though, the black and white one has its merits. So I posted both.

Nadie

The Approaching Light

After several failed compositions, this is what I have. I messed about with the original a bit until I got something moody, which is reflective of me being tired and grouchy. So here's today's update, enjoy.

Barking Dogs

Ah yeah, just got out of Red Lobster and my feet ache like none other. So they're on my mind a little bit and they served as a good subject for today's self portrait. To be honest, I couldn't be more happy with this photo. I like the darks on the underside and the lights up top. The symmetry really does it for me though, right along with the echo of my feet and the stool. Let me know what you think.

Untitled

Compositionally I like it, but as a photograph there is something wrong. unfortunately, I don't have too much time to work on it now.

Gaze of Death

Imaginary

Trying some new things here and for the first time in a a weeks worth of posts, no white shirt.

On Hold

Composition with a Broom

Gah! Late again.

Backlight

I've really been enjoying the use of these white shirts that I wear underneath my Red Lobster uniform. Using white clothing never really occurred to me before, I had no clue of its potential. Well, maybe I had an idea but I'd never taken the time or thought to exploit it. Shame on me, but I suppose that is what this project is about.

Product Placement

Heinz Ketchup is one of my favorite props.

It always has been since I first started photography. One of the first still-lives I did involved ketchup and a drawing mannequin. So its nice to touch base with my roots.

Secret Watching

Basically, I've been planning this one out since work today at Red Lobster and I implemented it between photocopying papers for school and making lesson plans. I'm not sure where exactly the idea for this picture came from, but the eyes just above the cut line has always approached me as a cool facial shot. Basically, I took the wall that I'm so accustomed to and used it along with some reflective white poster board at the chest height. I burned the hair again as well as the eye shadows and my pupils. My nose seemed to have a decent enough highlight, so I let it alone.

Closed for Today

To be honest, I'm very happy with this one. COmpositionally, I got what I got what I was looking for on the third snap. I also think it eally captures the moment cause my feet hurt and I'm exhausted. I like the whites on my shirt and how they contrast with my skin. I had to dodge and burn the face and hair a little to bring out some shadows and highlights, but other than that I worked out well.

Don't you want some?

Haven't you ever seen those pictures or clips on a movie where some guy is eating a delicious piece of pizza and you know you want some? Personally, I'm thinking of the opening scene to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze. It's the best opening pizza scene I've ever seen. In fact it inspired me to eat pizza today because... I'm hungry. I also bought beer, which is awesome with pizza. So I thought for today's photo, since I already got the pizza from the shop down the street, would be appropriate. So the question is: do you want some?

Up

So I just got done working a split shift at Red Lobster... and that is hard work compared to teaching. As in hard on your feet, not so much on the brain. So I'm about dead.

Things like these

It's things like these that cause me to cut short my write ups.

Composition in Primary Colors

Portrait in a Daily Beverage

Since I have to take my photos in the morning now, due to a late work schedule, I am exposed to a different setting of my life that I seem to be ignoring. One of those early scenes would be my morning dose of coffee. The most delicious warm beverage known to man. I assumed that since the sun was bright out in the sky and the contents of my cup were black that I could achieve a decent mirror reflection. I did get that reflection, albeit a little ghostly one. However, what struck me hte most was the black cup on white composition.

Light

Just messing about with the camera and shutter speeds. I like how it worked out with the vertical strips on my shirt and the unusual circular patterns it created. The hands look cool as well.