Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda

Weekly assignment 306: Overhead
Deadline: August 20th noon UTC/GMT
WA Rules · Current entries

FM Forums | Weekly Assignments | Join Upload & Sell

2 end

Archive 2007 · #251: Black Magic

ironabike

Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · #251: Black Magic

When wonderful olives, olive oil, and eggplant come together--more often than not "it is magic".

Thanks to all who commented on my previous entry. I enjoyed doing it

, but then came upon this idea in the grocery store. It fits my goal of having my photographs look like a marriage between photography and painting or fine art. I have a long way to go, but am enjoying the journey. Thanks for all of your input and am so sorry that this week has been so hectic that we haven't been able to participate like we normally would. I didn't do any painting on this one. Simple psing.

Jane

PS I have adjusted the "lightness" of the photo and hopefully it will be as dark and rich a piece as it was previously on monitors that have a darker output.

Edited by ironabike on Jun 04, 2007 at 03:51 PM GMT (Reason: Add light for darker monitors)

Jun 03, 2007 at 06:04 PM

CalW
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · #251: Black Magic

Magic, indeed, Jane. Excellent art, you make. There's no emoticon for wine - which would be more appropriate here, but anyhooo, here's to 'ya

Jun 03, 2007 at 07:25 PM

ironabike

Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · #251: Black Magic

CalW wrote:
Magic, indeed, Jane. Excellent art, you make. There's no emoticon for wine - which would be more appropriate here, but anyhooo, here's to 'ya

Thanks, Cal. I am so glad you like it

. I am grateful for Fred picking this assignment. I had given up on this week's theme when this popped into existence, and am so glad it did. A lesson for sure. They stir our creative juices and give us great practice.

Jane

Jun 03, 2007 at 07:33 PM

Steven Roberts 1-time assignment winner

Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · #251: Black Magic

you to make me sick!! (in a positive way) you guys just come up with such interesting, well shot, perfect executions for the WA. No wonder the return was so welcomed. It is backed up by fantasticness. is that a word? Now I am making it one

Steve

Jun 03, 2007 at 11:37 PM

ironabike

Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · #251: Black Magic

Steven Roberts wrote:
you to make me sick!! (in a positive way) you guys just come up with such interesting, well shot, perfect executions for the WA. No wonder the return was so welcomed. It is backed up by fantasticness. is that a word? Now I am making it one

Steve

WOW! Thanks. Fantasticness, huh? Almost as good as Flibbleastic! So we are not just conjuring up photos, we are adding to the lexicon of photographic skills

. Fun stuff. In all seriousness, Steve. Thanks so much. As you said, glad this one was extended.
Jane

Jun 04, 2007 at 06:45 AM

MarcR

Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · #251: Black Magic

I think it's a beautiful shot, but I can hardly see anything

It's a
bit darkish I'd say (yes, I know, black-on-black, but anyway

)

Jun 04, 2007 at 09:33 AM

CKeiser
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · #251: Black Magic

Jane,
I can hardly see it too.
-Christopher

Jun 04, 2007 at 10:15 AM

Photon
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · #251: Black Magic

Jane, it looks gorgeous on a Mac, loses a lot on the Windows monitor.
We're told "when designing for the web, use gamma 2.2 so that you'll see what most of your viewers see". I don't buy it. The Mac default of 1.8 just makes more things look more beautiful than they can without major fussing using 2.2.
I think Microsoft should announce that it's changing the Windows default to gamma 1.8, and institute it with a Windows update. Could change our virtual world view overnight!

I'm only half kidding.

All kidding aside, I really do find it a gorgeous image when viewed on a Mac!

Jun 04, 2007 at 10:47 AM

relms

Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · #251: Black Magic

Jess,

Although as I understand it, Gamma refers only to the mid-tones, I agree with you that Jane's entry looks very different on the Mac than on the PC. Jane and I both use Macs at home, but I use a PC at my office. On my Mac, the image appears considerably brighter than it does on my office PC, which is equipped with a very good LaCie monitor.

Jane asked me last evening if I thought the photo was too dark, and I said, "No. I would say that it is about right." I suppose that we will have to remember in regards to future postings that not all FMers are Mac Geeks - not yet anyway.

Robert

Jun 04, 2007 at 11:53 AM

Tom Basore 1-time assignment winner

Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · #251: Black Magic

I absolutely love the idea Jane. I too however use PC and it is difficult to make out. I have never before found your entries to be too dark, but have never participated in such a dark assignment.

Jun 04, 2007 at 12:54 PM

CKeiser
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · #251: Black Magic

Jane,
I mentioned the darkness for fear that others may not be able to read your work any beter than I.
FWIW, I cannot read the image well on my 30" Cinema Display any better than I can on my 17" MBP or my 23" Cinema Display.
In other words, I am deeply offended that others would suggest that those who cannot view this photo well are "MSofters".

-Christopher

Jun 04, 2007 at 01:02 PM

ironabike

Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · #251: Black Magic

CKeiser wrote:
Jane,
I mentioned the darkness for fear that others may not be able to read your work any beter than I.
FWIW, I cannot read the image well on my 30" Cinema Display any better than I can on my 17" MBP or my 23" Cinema Display.
In other words, I am deeply offended that others would suggest that those who cannot view this photo well are "MSofters".

-Christopher

Bonjour! Christopher, I think that any reference to MSofters are totally in kind jest referring to the ever present, but hopefully friendly banter between Mac users and PC users. So I hope you didn't take offense, but rather smiled. I very much appreciate your comments and everyone else's and I am in the process of lightening it up a bit and hopefully before Fred picks.

Jane

Jun 04, 2007 at 04:36 PM

M.Markovich 1-time assignment winner

Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · #251: Black Magic

Neat shot, Jane. I am also a mac person for me the bottom is perfect its the top half that I think may be a bit dark - I am missing some highlights like the olives have. -Marco

Jun 04, 2007 at 04:48 PM

Philly Rains 1-time assignment winner

Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · #251: Black Magic

Jane, I'm on a PC, and maybe I missed the 'too dark' image. This one looks great to me! Excellent, in fact!

Jun 04, 2007 at 05:37 PM

nlamendo

Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · #251: Black Magic

Great idea Jane,
The highlights are very nice reflecting off the olives and eggplant. A perfect entry for the WA.
-Nick

Jun 04, 2007 at 08:10 PM

Photon
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · #251: Black Magic

relms wrote:
Jess,

Although as I understand it, Gamma refers only to the mid-tones, I agree with you that Jane's entry looks very different on the Mac than on the PC. ...

Robert
Since it's all done on a curve, Gamma affects everything but the most extreme blacks and whites. It is usually most noticeable in the mids, but that's with a typical image where the mid-tones predominate.

To be honest, I don't know if the difference in look between my two Win monitors and two Macs is just a matter of gamma. It was interesting to see one Mac cinema user (Christopher Keiser) comment that he didn't see detail in the shadows.

In any case, I see that the image has been brightened considerably in re-edit, and it now does look just right on my Win with Sony monitor. I must run over to my Mac laptop to see if it lost anything in that medium!

This is all one very good argument for the importance of prints as a record and statement of just how you wanted an image to look (at least at the time that you made the print)!

Jun 05, 2007 at 12:12 AM

Strad

Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · #251: Black Magic

Very beautiful shot, Jane, my dear! Sorta like I wrote to Robert, leave it to you guys to go shopping and find a perfect entry for the WA at the market just as the wire descends! (Of course, Fred's a whole day late beyond the extension.

) Since when, though, are aubergines black? They're purple - just like blacberries!! That why the color "aubergine" is called aubergine - from aubergines.

Olives, on the other hand, fit the WA perfectly so not to worry...

By the way, i use a Mac Cinema Display and now it's waaaaayyy too light.

Just kidding! Perfectlyu shot, lit, and uploaded! Bravo, as always.

Fond regards,

Endre

Jun 05, 2007 at 12:16 AM

Photon
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · #251: Black Magic

Yup, it's definitely lighter on the Mac, too, and maybe lost a hint of mystery and drama that the original had, but overall probably better viewed this way or the Win way.

Endre, what a perfect "eggplanthead" comment!

Jun 05, 2007 at 12:21 AM

ironabike

Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · #251: Black Magic

Hi yall. I am so disappointed that I have been toooo busy to join in the fray if you will. But I can't help but answer Stradola's comment about aubergines. We have arbitrarily assigned a color "aubergine" after some of the aubergines that are purple, but this aubergine as purchased, was clearly (mostly) black. If one looked very closely one might have found a hint of aubergine, or deep purple--but that is another story. Anyway, I hate to tell you that these wonderful black olives, were actually wonderfully sweet, tasty, black grapes coated in some great olive oil, and the olive oil photographed was actually Siberian pine nut oil. So I have come out of the closet--my models were fake!!!!!

Jane

Jun 05, 2007 at 06:49 AM

ironabike

Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · #251: Black Magic

Photon wrote:
Yup, it's definitely lighter on the Mac, too, and maybe lost a hint of mystery and drama that the original had, but overall probably better viewed this way or the Win way.

Endre, what a perfect "eggplanthead" comment!

Jess, I agree. It did have more mystery and drama the darker way. I hope it prints out well.
Jane

Jun 05, 2007 at 06:51 AM

1 2 end
FM Forums \| Weekly Assignments \| Join Upload & Sell 1 2 end

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.