The Box

[gahspidy]

Experimenting with some lighting and props.
Your thoughts . . .

[Frog]

I cannot decide whether the light inside the box is too bright but otherwise I think its perfect. Other than the bright interior light the lighting on the box looks perfect to me and the inside light might just be my taste.
The face with the diaganol cut peering is a perfect addition. As if someone is looking into a dark place and discovering this secret box which is also why I think the bright light might be perfect too.

[MB1]

That is a great concept and almost a perfect pic but as Frog noted the light in the box is just a little too bright. Plus I am thinking this crop is a little too tight and the image could use a little more space below the box for more of that great reflection.

Very, very nice!

[Overbeyond]

Gosh this is strange. Where do I start. I have never seen anything or a style like this before. The look of temptation and apprehension in what we see of your face and the light on your eye carries the day. It brings me back to bedtime stories and times of innocence in lots of ways. The shape of the light, or the shape of the aperture of light emitted by the teasing, open lid sort of matches the cut off shape of face. Burned out light (as good as steam or smoke) is perfect here; it needs to be a blinding light that creates and even exaggerates the mystery and dangers within. (I do love a story ..jeez). But this so enjoyable.
When I take photographs I have usually only one ambition and that is to come home with just one truly original image, irrespective, to a good extent, of it's technical state. But here we have both.
I have yet to achieve this ambition and when I look at this and your more recent "frame" it is only further reminder of exactly where I stand and where I should be heading and I hope that does not sound too corny. Now I'm off to play with my lamps.

[Xia_Ke]

You are definitely getting creative lately Gary. Keep it up I like where you are heading with this one. A couple small things I might change though. First, the outside of the box seems a little bright and seems to distract from what seems to be your main point of focus, the light coming out of the box. Also, I wish that the face wasn't so drastically cut off. I do really like where you are going with this though. Nice to see you experimenting and mixing it up :thumbsup:

Aaron

[Greg McCary]

Well, I like the lighting and the crop. It does appear you are looking in front of the box instead of in it, but other than that I think it is great. The light landing on your forehead matches the light coming from the box, I think you did very well.

[gahspidy]

Thanks all for your comments.

Frog . . .I felt the bright light worked in a fashion that Tom stated, but the original was not quite this bright and I felt a slightly more subdued softer light (of the original tint as well, which was pinkish. The inside of the box is lined with a pink felt) would work equally well.
Glad you feel the rest is good. Thanks Frog

MB1 . . .thanks as always. I already made my feeling about the light in the box known in my reply to Frog. I agree with you about more space at the bottom. I also felt that a 11X14 aspect ratio worked best to fitting this composition. I added more top and bottom and filled in the missing reflection. I think it helps. Thanks again.

Tom . . .Always inspired by your work as well, glad it can be a two way street between us. I agree with you about the nature of the bright light, but I felt that reducing it near where it was originally still maintained the brightness and effect you described.
You recognize me with my elongated nose??! LOL Yes, silly as it may sound, I elongated my nose in this a bit to add some character or weirdness. (I should have done it in PS as it would not have hurt so much ) I think I release too much information sometimes . . .

Aaron . . .thanks and glad you like where I'm headed. . wherever that is I am not sure yet. I appreciate your mention of the brightness outside on the box. while I want the box to stand out and to have it's texture and tones appreciated in the image. I did lower the lighting towards the rear to help bring it more of a "sitting in the dark' type feel. Thanks again

Greg . . .Very happy to know this works for you as is. I hope you feel the modifications still work or maybe make it even better. I was looking directly into the box when I shot this. This was not a composite or anything. I did so many takes of this to catch myself in just the right position with right light hitting my eyes that I started seeing hotspots from the flash

Just a little background to this. I had the box sitting on a snack table with a black velvet cloth on table and in bg. I had a piece of glass on the table and the box on top for the reflection. There was a halogen light reflecting off and umbrella on stand above and slightly offset behind camera. I had a 420EX speedlite flash unit inside the box that I had lined with some foil to help disperse it evenly. My 580EX ll was on camera but set not to fire, but to trip the 420EX which was set to "slave". Camera on tripod, and a programmable timer set to give me 6 shots at about 10 seconds apart (enough time for the speedlite to recycle) so I could try to catch just the right setting, since I could not see myself and my positioning.

So here is the modified version, I like it and hope you all feel it is an improvement.
Thanks

[Xia_Ke]

Sure is an improvement. Some slight levels adjustments makes a big difference. What is the line between the face and box that shows up in the new version?

[gahspidy]

Sure is an improvement. Some slight levels adjustments makes a big difference. What is the line between the face and box that shows up in the new version?

Glad you feel it is improved. No levels, rather some dodging and burning.
The faint line between the box and myself is actually the other side of the hood/scarf that i was wearing. It did not expose quite enough and I did not darken it out as I had I the first post. I think I will burn it out to remove it since it adds nothing.
Thanks for the reply

[PrevailingConditions]

Gary,

I like the later version as well, but I'm wondering if you have any where the cloth is a little looser/more curved falling across your face. The strong diagonal is a little distracting to me. Otherwise a very creative shot. Keep pushing the creativity, it's yielding nice results.

PC

[gahspidy]

Gary,

I like the later version as well, but I'm wondering if you have any where the cloth is a little looser/more curved falling across your face. The strong diagonal is a little distracting to me. Otherwise a very creative shot. Keep pushing the creativity, it's yielding nice results.

PC

I agree about the hood having a more curved fall around the face. I may try to wrinkle it a bit in PS and see how that goes.
I appreciate the words of encouragement

[Overbeyond]

I must say that I enjoy the straight cut on the face because it look as though you are peeping through a slightly open cubboard; a forbidden no-go area if you like.

[Greg McCary]

MB1 was right on with the crop, again.... Nice work Gary you made a great image even better. I like the lighting better in the second one too.

[gahspidy]

I must say that I enjoy the straight cut on the face because it look as though you are peeping through a slightly open cubboard; a forbidden no-go area if you like.

Actually, even though it had not fallen in a curved floppy manner I think what was important for me was getting the feathered edges of the cloth.

Greg, yeah the crop as well as the different aspect ratio for this one made a difference.
thanks