Green Curves...

[jiro]

Thank you very much for viewing.



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Nikon D70, 70mm, ISO 200, f/16 at 1/400 second.

[speedneeder]

That's got to be the neatest picture I've seen of a bell pepper!
I assume this is more DIY softbox work?
Is the black background actually black or editing or just the exposure?

[jiro]

That's got to be the neatest picture I've seen of a bell pepper!
I assume this is more DIY softbox work?
Is the black background actually black or editing or just the exposure?

Thanks for viewing, Brian. Yes, this is still a part of my softbox lighting experiment. What I'm doing right now is to learn how to control the exposure by just using the camera's small screen as my feedback system. I have to do that since i don't have a light meter right now. The background is a dark velvet fabric so yes, the background really gets dark. I simply added a multiplied layer to set it deep black for contrast. I'm learning a lot about my camera's tendency to expose a shot using the softbox. Booyah!

[speedneeder]

Pretty cool. I use the histogram on my camera to guide me on exposures with a manual flash.

[jiro]

Pretty cool. I use the histogram on my camera to guide me on exposures with a manual flash.

That also works. For me, the easiest way is to set the highlights blinker and see if I have blown highlights. If I have some, it's simply a matter of changing the aperture one stop smaller say from f/8 to f/11.

[puspa kumara]

Jiro, well done ,it is a pleasant snap,you always give a refreshment to the forum. Did you use a flash gun?

[jiro]

Jiro, well done ,it is a pleasant snap,you always give a refreshment to the forum. Did you use a flash gun?

Thanks, Ajith. Yes, a flash unit was used here, but it is coupled to a 12-inch softbox to wrap around the light to the subject. Hope this helps.

[RockNGoalStar]

This is superb! Like much of your other work it is almost 3-dimensional!

[jiro]

Thanks, Tommy.

[Allan Holmes]

Nice work. Texture and glow reminiscent of E. Weston's B+W peppers. Next thing you know, you'll also be accused of sexually exploiting vegetables.

[jiro]

Nice work. Texture and glow reminiscent of E. Weston's B+W peppers. Next thing you know, you'll also be accused of sexually exploiting vegetables.

Thanks, Allan. Edward Weston's work is really unique. I wish I could also encounter a bell pepper with such unique convolutions. Unfortunately, the ones I see at Walmart are the plump and healthy ones. No wonder they are quite expensive a piece. Thank you very much for your comment. I appreciate it.

[MiniChris]

In as much as I like this image and the homage paid to Edward Weston, I wonder if the next time you are cropping in this manner, you might consider what is called "Grounding" on three sides instead of two. Grounding is a form of visually anchoring an image in a manner which while holding the image firmly to one place in the frame, also helps to guide the flow of the eye's movement without any other artificial elements embedded in the frame for that same purpose (like a vase, or knife, cutting board, etc.).

In your pepper shot, my eye loves to explore all that black (negative) space as much as the pepper itself. If it explores without prejudice, so be it, but if it does so in competition....oops. My crop and insert piece are not to suggest that weston grounded on 3 sides in every shot, but if he didn't, he allowed for the negative space to compliment rather than compete.

[jiro]

Good point, Chris. Here's a new edit based on your comment:

[MiniChris]

Much better - in my eyes. Everyone has differing opinions, and perhaps because of my teacher status, I tend to fall back on the tried and true "rules" of composition. However, until someone proves them obsolete,too archaic, or no longer useful, I am quite sure I'll continue down that same pathway of following those simple guidelines.

[niallc99]

@Jiro - I love these images. So simple, yet so beautiful.

@Chris - thanks for sharing the composition tip. I hadn't heard that one before

[jiro]

Much better - in my eyes. Everyone has differing opinions, and perhaps because of my teacher status, I tend to fall back on the tried and true "rules" of composition. However, until someone proves them obsolete,too archaic, or no longer useful, I am quite sure I'll continue down that same pathway of following those simple guidelines.

Thanks, Chris.

[jiro]

@Jiro - I love these images. So simple, yet so beautiful.

@Chris - thanks for sharing the composition tip. I hadn't heard that one before

Thanks for viewing, Niall.

[speedneeder]

That is still one great looking pepper!

[JK6065]

Good control of light and great way to enhance the curves with it Jiro!

Simplistic things like this pepper is great to understand the way light behaves and can than be applied to the way you shoot and to every situation you face. I would recommend you to read Light Science and Magic by Fil Hunter, Steven Biver and Paul Fugua. It's by far the best photography book (about lighting) I've ever read.

This is an example of what I learnt from it:

[jiro]

Thanks a lot, Jeroen. Those are awesome shots, Man! I would assume that you used more than one lightsource for this kind of result. I only have one flash unit so far so small steps for me for now. I'll see if I can get hold of that book and also learn from it. Thanks!