Weekly Assignment #78: Upside Down

[Nikolai]

Long time ago I learned about this great composition trick: if you picture looks good upside down, it should look even better in a normal way :deal.

For this class you have to compose your entries having your camera or your target upside down. The easiest way to do that is to shoot downwards or upwards at a steep angle for a position inverse to your final projected view. But there may be other applications as well, e.g. having your camera on the inverted tripod column to get really low, or simply shooting while lying on your back.
Each entry should consist of both original (upside down) and final (upside up) images. One pair per entry. Multiple entries are OK, provided they are totally different.
Remember, the idea is have both inverted and normal images look good, so try to avoid snapshots.
Moderate postprocessing OK.

Let's get upside down!

EDIT:
* the image should have a clear notion of where "up" and "down" really are, as opposed to abstracts, closeups, etc.
* both images in pair should have identical cropping/treatment

[DonRicklin]

Nikolai, I'll post one soon. Just wanted to note some of my recent Rust ones fit this catagory!

I'll now go do something fresh!

Don

[Nikolai]

Nikolai, I'll post one soon. Just wanted to note some of my recent Rust ones fit this catagory!

I'll now go do something fresh!

Don

Don, thank you for the reminder, I adjusted the lead post. :wink

[spb13]

It is very interesting trying to work the dials on the camera when it is upside down...

As shot
http://spb13.smugmug.com/photos/294981400_qJVAx-L.jpg

Flipped
http://spb13.smugmug.com/photos/294981221_WfJXR-L.jpg

[Nikolai]

It is very interesting trying to work the dials on the camera when it is upside down...
As shot
Flipped


Sean, thank you, nice entry!
I love the lighting!:thumb
You've also pulled a very nice diagonal theme with the tomatos!
I only don't get which way is up:-) :wink :rofl

[spb13]

I only don't get which way is up:-) :wink :rofl

Yeah I guess there isn't quite enough light to see the stems on the top of the tomatoes. :)

[Avalon]

Yeah I guess there isn't quite enough light to see the stems on the top of the tomatoes. :)

Neat idea, I never thought to do this with photos. I'm also a painter and when I have trouble with a composition, I turn it upside down and work for a while.

Tomato composition looks good. Purple background is a great contrast with orange fruit. The leaves clued me in to which was upside down.

Take care,
Kate

[spb13]

This one is a little less abstract...

Camera and car inverted...
http://spb13.smugmug.com/photos/295452665_cBqq3-L.jpg

Flipped
http://spb13.smugmug.com/photos/295452577_TDLVW-L.jpg

[Nikolai]

This one is a little less abstract...
Camera and car inverted...
Flipped

Thank you! :thumb
Funny, I ike inverted image much better! :wink :rofl

[colfragless]

Here is my attempted at this Assignment.. the more i do I think the better Ill get....

Inverted
http://sparkswebalbum.smugmug.com/photos/296733696_vPH3M-L-1.jpg

right side up
http://sparkswebalbum.smugmug.com/photos/296732583_keuCr-L-1.jpg

inverted Kinda reminds me of a space ship or Lantern... right side up a Fire Flower....

[Nikolai]

Here is my attempted at this Assignment.. the more i do I think the better Ill get....
Inverted
right side up
inverted Kinda reminds me of a space ship or Lantern... right side up a Fire Flower....
Thank you! :thumb
I can see the upside down technique working...
What I can't see is the requested overall image quality :dunno

[DonRicklin]

http://DonRicklin.smugmug.com/photos/297303984_V6dS6-L.jpg

http://DonRicklin.smugmug.com/photos/297307464_PBXiX-L.jpg

Don

[MooreDriven]

Nikolai,

NOTE: Edited from original post.

Here's my entry for this assignment. I wanted to show something with movement and action.

http://MooreDriven.smugmug.com/photos/298095129_pTe3H-M.jpg

http://MooreDriven.smugmug.com/photos/298475345_Z5iJK-M.jpg

Dale

[Nikolai]

hatch
Don
Don, thank you!
While it's a valid entry technically, the lack of context makes it fairly non-interesting for this technique. If it were not for the letters, no one would be able to tell which side is up or, uhm, side...:wink

[Nikolai]

Nikolai,

Here's my entry for this assignment. I wanted to show something with movement and action.

Dale

Dale, wait a second, it was supposed to be the same shot, flipped in post... these are two different ones...

[MooreDriven]

Dale, wait a second, it was supposed to be the same shot, flipped in post... these are two different ones...

I've edited my original post. I missed the fact that it was the same shot just inverted. I thought it would be more challenging trying to capture the same subject in a normal composure, and an inverted one.

[Nikolai]

I've edited my original post. I missed the fact that it was the same shot just inverted. I thought it would be more challenging trying to capture the same subject in a normal composure, and an inverted one.
Thanks Dale! :thumb
Now, what was your stance here? Just inverted the camera, or...:wink

[MooreDriven]

Thanks Dale! :thumb
Now, what was your stance here? Just inverted the camera, or...:wink

The camera was inverted, Scouts honor, thus my original post. One with the camera correctly composed, and the other inverted. That's why I posted two separate images. It's easy to just flip an image PP. I can see why you might think that based on the images. Both have the watermark on the bottom left corner.

[DonRicklin]

The camera was inverted, Scouts honor, thus my original post. One with the camera correctly composed, and the other inverted. That's why I posted two separate images. It's easy to just flip an image PP. I can see why you might think that based on the images. Both have the watermark on the bottom left corner.Fom the size of that watermark it appears you used Lightroom.

Don

[Nikolai]

The camera was inverted, Scouts honor, thus my original post. One with the camera correctly composed, and the other inverted. That's why I posted two separate images. It's easy to just flip an image PP. I can see why you might think that based on the images. Both have the watermark on the bottom left corner.
Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to imply you didn't invert it this way or another. I was honestly interested in how, and most importantly, why you did it.
You see, this technique is not what you call a panacea or a regular shooting mode. It is usually used when the regular shot is not possible or plain boring. However, then the idea is that with the inverted position you do get it, or at least get it less boring. The tomato plant on top of this thread is a perfect example of the latter case.

[MooreDriven]

Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to imply you didn't invert it this way or another. I was honestly interested in how, and most importantly, why you did it.
You see, this technique is not what you call a panacea or a regular shooting mode. It is usually used when the regular shot is not possible or plain boring. However, then the idea is that with the inverted position you do get it, or at least get it less boring. The tomato plant on top of this thread is a perfect example of the latter case.

My stance for the first post was upright, with the camera flipped. I was remembering the assignment while on a walk around a park where the birdhouse was located. I picked the birdhouse because of the action in the shot (less boring in my eyes). I believe I understand now why it's not what you were looking for.

How about this one. I took this while laying on my back, as close to my bike as I could get, looking up towards the cylinder. I'm trying to duplicate the view while working underneath the bike. A car would have been better, but I could not get under my car (too low to the ground!). While not the best shot, is this closer to what you were looking for?

As shot
http://MooreDriven.smugmug.com/photos/299376580_YHr8C-M.jpg

Flipped
http://MooreDriven.smugmug.com/photos/299377554_vJkNZ-M.jpg

Oh, I'm using LR for PP.

Thanks for the feedback.

Dale

[Nikolai]

My stance for the first post was upright, with the camera flipped. I was remembering the assignment while on a walk around a park where the birdhouse was located. I picked the birdhouse because of the action in the shot (less boring in my eyes). I believe I understand now why it's not what you were looking for.

How about this one. I took this while laying on my back, as close to my bike as I could get, looking up towards the cylinder. I'm trying to duplicate the view while working underneath the bike. A car would have been better, but I could not get under my car (too low to the ground!). While not the best shot, is this closer to what you were looking for?
Thanks for the feedback.

Dale
Dale, thank you!
This is exactly what I was looking for. :thumb