Weekly Assignment #66: Liquid Surface

[Nikolai]

This week's task is to photograph another interesting object: a surface of a liquid. As you know, depending on the angle you can get either refraction or reflection. You images should contain only surface, nothing else, however what is reflected/refracted is your choice.
You can use macro lens and small vessels, or regular lens and some large surfaces (doesn't have to be deep - baking pan could be a good starting point.
And yes, we're not interested in oceans or lakes, mini-scale only.
Don't forget to play with your polarizer!
Let's get liquid!

[OffTopic]

Guess we're all a little slow getting started on this one.

I hope this counts as mini-scale enough - I gave up and used my pool after my lack of a macro lens and a sufficient level of creativity really frustrated me in trying to do this "in studio" (which means my kitchen). I had so little creativity that I couldn't even find an interesting subject - I just threw some silk flowers in a vase. At least it's not a lake or an ocean, but I just wanted to show that I'm working on the assignment. :D

This was in the corner with the last remaining light:

http://OffTopic.smugmug.com/photos/250979696-S.jpg

This was in the shade:

http://www.careyphoto.com/photos/250979710-S.jpg

And yes, I rotated them 180 degrees! :nod


Now to go bang my head some more and try to figure out how to get a decent surface reflection indoors. Maybe I'll try for refraction...:scratch

[Nikolai]

Guess we're all a little slow getting started on this one.

This is a reflection? Pretty cool! Thanks!

[Swartzy]

I get to play..whooohooo!

Bomb Drop

http://Swartzy.smugmug.com/photos/249603200-L.jpg

The Power of Red

http://Swartzy.smugmug.com/photos/249603191-L.jpg

[OffTopic]

:roflHere's a wider shot showing the edge of the pool, the vase was just out of frame. I have a blackbottomed pool - perfect for reflections :thumb and no wind today since the rain finally ended for a little while.

http://OffTopic.smugmug.com/photos/251011699-S.jpg

[OffTopic]

I get to play..whooohooo!

Bomb Drop

http://Swartzy.smugmug.com/photos/249603200-L.jpg

The Power of Red

http://Swartzy.smugmug.com/photos/249603191-L.jpg


I have got to get a macro lens! Love the drops, I really want to try them.

[Nikolai]

I get to play..whooohooo!
Bomb Drop
The Power of Red

Nice ones, David, thank you! :thumb
Did you use some gizmo to trigger, or you just used a lot of frames?

[Swartzy]

Nice ones, David, thank you! :thumb
Did you use some gizmo to trigger, or you just used a lot of frames?

Heh, yea, the gizmo was my thumb on the cable release....the eye dropper in the other hand.....timing was a bit tricky but managed to get some keepers :wink

[spb13]

I just join dgrin last week or so, but I saw this assignment and wanted to give it a try.

I spent a couple hours playing around with this last night and wasn't able to come up with anything I liked. So I tried to find some hints for taking this kind of shot and came up with nothing. Finally I found an example of someone's setup for taking shots of water drips. The setup was a lot simpler than what I was trying to do, so tonight I simplified and found some food coloring.

http://spb13.smugmug.com/photos/251678679-M.jpg (http://spb13.smugmug.com/gallery/3252044/1/251678679/Large)

I rotated 180 because my brain couldn't process it "upside down".

When I was importing the shots into PS I noticed one of the "bad" shots that gave me an idea for something more abstract. That idea resulted in this shot...

http://spb13.smugmug.com/photos/251678514-M.jpg (http://spb13.smugmug.com/gallery/3252044/1/251678514/Large)

The reflections are a lot more subtle, but I think it is way more interesting.

Thanks for the assignment. I look forward to playing with this idea some more.

[Nikolai]

I just join dgrin last week or so, but I saw this assignment and wanted to give it a try.

I spent a couple hours playing around with this last night and wasn't able to come up with anything I liked. So I tried to find some hints for taking this kind of shot and came up with nothing. Finally I found an example of someone's setup for taking shots of water drips. The setup was a lot simpler than what I was trying to do, so tonight I simplified and found some food coloring.

[/URL]

I rotated 180 because my brain couldn't process it "upside down".

When I was importing the shots into PS I noticed one of the "bad" shots that gave me an idea for something more abstract. That idea resulted in this shot...

[URL="http://spb13.smugmug.com/gallery/3252044/1/251678514/Large"] (http://spb13.smugmug.com/gallery/3252044/1/251678679/Large)

The reflections are a lot more subtle, but I think it is way more interesting.

Thanks for the assignment. I look forward to playing with this idea some more.

Sean,
welcome to Dgrin and to the Class! :clap
Nice reflections. I also like the 2d one better, since it shows more of a surface:-)

[spb13]

Sean,
welcome to Dgrin and to the Class! :clap
Nice reflections. I also like the 2d one better, since it shows more of a surface:-)

Thanks for the welcome.

The pics from last night didn't quite click with some of my regular "critiques", so I wanted to try the assignment again integrating their suggestions. The problem seemed to be with context. For example someone said "I like the first one but it is kind of hazy." She had trouble placing it as a reflection because there was no point of reference.

So keeping that in mind I made a few changes. I grabbed a different bowl from the cabinet and started with the same basic setup as last night with a bit different composition. Then I realized I had an Asian bowl and remembered that today is Chinese New Year, so I figured it would be fun to play with that a bit. This is what I came up with...

http://spb13.smugmug.com/photos/251998884-M.jpg (http://spb13.smugmug.com/gallery/3252044/1/251998884/Large)

[Nikolai]

Thanks for the welcome.

The pics from last night didn't quite click with some of my regular "critiques", so I wanted to try the assignment again integrating their suggestions. The problem seemed to be with context. For example someone said "I like the first one but it is kind of hazy." She had trouble placing it as a reflection because there was no point of reference.

So keeping that in mind I made a few changes. I grabbed a different bowl from the cabinet and started with the same basic setup as last night with a bit different composition. Then I realized I had an Asian bowl and remembered that today is Chinese New Year, so I figured it would be fun to play with that a bit. This is what I came up with...


Thanks for the info, Sean!

[Antonio Correia]

http://antoniocorreia.smugmug.com/photos/252192955_3p4g9-M.jpg http://antoniocorreia.smugmug.com/photos/252190125_sMsbh-M.jpg

[Nikolai]

water in the glass
Thank you!

[dmmattix]

This was taken at College Fjord in SE Alaska. We were on a ship and I noticed the neat reflection in the ship's wake.

http://MikeMattix.smugmug.com/photos/252229203_AmBR9-M.jpg

[Nikolai]

This was taken at College Fjord in SE Alaska. We were on a ship and I noticed the neat reflection in the ship's wake.


Nice image! :thumb
Is it fresh?
Also, the requirement was to show just he surface, nothing else...:wink

[dmmattix]

Nice image! :thumb
Is it fresh?
Also, the requirement was to show just he surface, nothing else...:wink

No it is not fresh. I thought about that on the way to dinner tonight.


Sorry.

I guess I can't play...

[Nikolai]

No it is not fresh. I thought about that on the way to dinner tonight.
Sorry.
I guess I can't play...
You sure can - just shoot something new! :wink

[Azzaro]

Nikolai......Does this work...It is a shot of a reflection of a tree above my horses water barrel.... Weird colors and I'm not sure why.....

http://Azzaro.smugmug.com/photos/252706998_G58HA-L.jpg

[Nikolai]

Nikolai......Does this work...It is a shot of a reflection of a tree above my horses water barrel.... Weird colors and I'm not sure why.....

Very cool, thank you! :thumb

[Pexi]

I shot this yesterday morning, a vertically flipped reflection from my pool.

http://pexi.smugmug.com/photos/252798308_gRGhX-L.jpg

[Nikolai]

I shot this yesterday morning, a vertically flipped reflection from my pool.

Pexi, this is great image, thank you very much!:thumb

[cjmchch]

http://www.outclassed.co.nz/graffiti/pf-mcd7.jpg

[Nikolai]

puddle
Very nice shot!:thumb
Too bad some requirements are not met, like "nothing but the surface".
Remember, we're not going for "relection" (that was a separate class), but specifiucally trying to capture the surface itself:deal

[cjmchch]

Very nice shot!:thumb
Too bad some requirements are not met, like "nothing but the surface".
Remember, we're not going for "relection" (that was a separate class), but specifiucally trying to capture the surface itself:deal


My bad, I thought that given the rest of the asphalt was protruding through the puddle edges it constituted the 'wet surface area'

[Nikolai]

My bad, I thought that given the rest of the asphalt was protruding through the puddle edges it constituted the 'wet surface area'
well, yeah.... maybe... kinda... sorta...:wink

[MooreDriven]

Very nice shot!:thumb
Too bad some requirements are not met, like "nothing but the surface".
Remember, we're not going for "relection" (that was a separate class), but specifiucally trying to capture the surface itself:deal

Either way, it's a cool shot. :clap

[pathfinder]

In a gutter in Saint Augustine last week in Fla.

http://Pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/253578431_aQEki-XL.jpg

I have other reflections, but they all include something in addition to the waters surface so they don't count I guess

[Nikolai]

In a gutter in Saint Augustine last week in Fla.

I have other reflections, but they all include something in addition to the waters surface so they don't count I guess
Jim, this is lovely! :thumb
The "something in addition" is fine by me, it's not that prominent...

[pathfinder]

Oh Ok. Courtesy Green Cay Wetlands

http://Pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/253946975_YAbFD-XL.jpg

A marina on the Indian River I think.

http://Pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/253489787_3ktN9-XL.jpg

Water is always worth a second look:thumb

[Nikolai]

Oh Ok. Courtesy Green Cay Wetlands

A marina on the Indian River I think.

Water is always worth a second look:thumb
Beautiful images, Jim!:thumb
But I think they more suited for Reflection class (which we also had) than for this one, since they more about the reflection than anything else.

[Antonio Correia]

http://antoniocorreia.smugmug.com/photos/256089254_bi3TG-M.jpg http://antoniocorreia.smugmug.com/photos/256089572_fsGGK-M.jpg

[Antonio Correia]

http://antoniocorreia.smugmug.com/photos/256088113_s8Z9T-M.jpg http://antoniocorreia.smugmug.com/photos/256047769_uV2cG-L.jpg
No Photoshop trick. I sware :wink

[Nikolai]

Flood in Setubal
No Photoshop trick. I sware :wink
This is scary, Antonio, even we don't get this that often :huh

[Antonio Correia]

http://antoniocorreia.smugmug.com/photos/256862568_mbnSm-M.jpg http://antoniocorreia.smugmug.com/photos/256863063_idgc4-M.jpg

[Sidetrack]

OK, I'm going to throw two up here. I was on my way to shoot a fountain I came across this guy tucked under a ramp and checking out the seafood buffet...
http://sidetrack.smugmug.com/photos/258324310_3hsQP-S.jpg
may not quite fit the assignment though?

This is the best of my fountain shots, I think it wants for some lighting and more DoF
http://Sidetrack.smugmug.com/photos/258324424_xBCbo-M.jpg

[Nikolai]

OK, I'm going to throw two up here. I was on my way to shoot a fountain I came across this guy tucked under a ramp and checking out the seafood buffet...

may not quite fit the assignment though?

This is the best of my fountain shots, I think it wants for some lighting and more DoF

Welcome to Dgrin and to our Class! :clap
Thank you for your entries! :thumb
Yeah, I'd say the first one is more like Reflection, otherwise it is kinda dull. :dunno
I like second one though, I only wish your future entries are a bit larger in size...:wink

[eL eSs Vee]

Here are a couple that I believe will fit the bill. The first one probably more so than the second.

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb171/MrNewportCustom/DSC_0999-web.jpg
San Gabriel Resevoir on a windy day

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb171/MrNewportCustom/DSC_1069-web2.jpg
My first attempt at blurred water.

[Nikolai]

Here are a couple that I believe will fit the bill. The first one probably more so than the second.

Lee, thank you! :thumb
Yes, your hunch is correct - first one fits the bill 100%, the second one - not so much :dunno

[ChrisJ]

http://chrisandjoy.smugmug.com/photos/262315591_iKq29-L.jpg
I just liked the textures, here...

[Nikolai]

I just liked the textures, here...
Good one, homie! :thumb