See what others can't

[Minoxman]

No offense, but I don't really see anything special about your pictures and the point you're making in all these. Carving your own style, making your own vision work, doing what you like more than what your clients like. Those are known facts since a long time ago.

Nothing new.

 

[checker]

When I first saw this picture, I thought it's digital edited to get the 2 together effect. care to share of your experience with this great shot? I totally love the interesting idea of not mixing drinkable alcohol and non-drinkable alcohol.

Attached is another of my ads. Those in the market should know this. Anybody familiar that I know in this forum?

http://img45.photobucket.com/albums/v137/pointblankshots/add_eng.jpg

 

[checker]

pointblankshots: care to share us how u get thru thick and thin to become a professional photographer from a new hobbiest? how long did it take you to first start getting people to pay for your equipment and how did u take up assignments?

 

[pointblankshots]

No offense, but I don't really see anything special about your pictures and the point you're making in all these. Carving your own style, making your own vision work, doing what you like more than what your clients like. Those are known facts since a long time ago.

Yup, known facts among all, I ain't here to make statements & be another 'john clang', can't be & never wanna be. When you're in the career, that's only when you'll find that facts you've known is mere facts & it's of no practise to most, people know it, yet not stick to it & just letting the clients ride by.

Good imaging are creating by a team of people, and not just one photographer. Yup, fashion images ain't anything special, after all, the market is saturated with many good photographers & with the many fashion spreads out there, not to mentioned that MITA is around to review images. Simple things like not letting digital illustration interfere with execution of photography. So many times, photography as a subject to learn is overlook, when the amazing 'photoshop' takes over. Can one sculpt & produce something that's photography worthy I ask?

To a photographer, the efforts put in is an experience many will never get. The experience of carrying out one's style, one's sense of appeal as a photographer to clients.

No offense to you in return, but are you there yet really?

 

[Minoxman]

I just find a lot of these talking a waste of time, really. People should be out shooting more instead of discussing how to get better and different...and what camera to get over what camera not to get.

You'll do fine.

 

[pointblankshots]

When I first saw this picture, I thought it's digital edited to get the 2 together effect. care to share of your experience with this great shot? I totally love the interesting idea of not mixing drinkable alcohol and non-drinkable alcohol.

Yup, the effort is really modern age, from digital illustration as well as photography. Can't disclose how I did it though, I'll leave it to one's imagination. Well, that's what I did too, imagine, see the reality and got it executed.... The concept wasn't mine I stressed again, but by the wonderful agency that came out with it. My role, was to get the reality of the beauty.

 

[pointblankshots]

I just find a lot of these talking a waste of time, really. People should be out shooting more instead of discussing how to get better and different...and what camera to get over what camera not to get.

You'll do fine.

Between theory and technical, it's best to have best of both worlds...

 

[Minoxman]

Between theory and technical, it's best to have best of both worlds...

Some of the most intriguing pictures I have seen anywhere don't even have any layer of sharpness. Some of the technically excellent craps I see have the best colour rendition and bokeh.

 

[pointblankshots]

Some of the most intriguing pictures I have seen anywhere don't even have any layer of sharpness. Some of the technically excellent craps I see have the best colour rendition and bokeh.

Different interpretation from different ppl, that 's the way I see it. Point noted... Go check out nobuyoshiaraki.com.... Japanese photographer, you may like his style of approach...

 

[Parchiao]

Some of the most intriguing pictures I have seen anywhere don't even have any layer of sharpness. Some of the technically excellent craps I see have the best colour rendition and bokeh.

So what are you jiving at? In anything that you would like to learn, if the theory of what is to be learnt is structured properly, the learning process can be quickened, and if not, less will understand what is to be learnt.

 

[Minoxman]

So what are you jiving at? In anything that you would like to learn, if the theory of what is to be learnt is structured properly, the learning process can be quickened, and if not, less will understand what is to be learnt.

My point is ultimately the theory would most times not translate into good practical results. And for all you know, one who has zero photographic lessons would come out with the most absorbing set of pictures. There is no guarantee of a direct linear relationship to this theory-results-success triage. As a forced analogy, politicians talk the most, but do the least. Coaches strategise but won't sweat a singlebeat.
IN photography, it's the experimenting and re-experimenting that should occupy most of the time, not 5 pages of theory like in this thread.

But I agree with what you've said, still.

 

[pointblankshots]

One who has zero photographic lessons would come out with the most absorbing set of pictures. There is no guarantee of a direct linear relationship to this theory-results-success triage.

IN photography, it's the experimenting and re-experimenting that should occupy most of the time, not 5 pages of theory like in this thread.

If that's your analogy, then photography seems to sound like a way easy hobby/career though... or maybe geniuses like you can... Experimenting & re-experimenting... geez, without the theories & yet it work wonders. Sounds like olden days, whereby ppl do not need to study, work hard and get rich... Old geezer stuff... If you have done it right your way, good for ya but dun assume that everyone will do likewise, well, maybe not all is as smart as you...

Sorry Minoxman, not for me... Still, it's a balance of theory & practice...

 

[Sion]

When I first saw this picture, I thought it's digital edited to get the 2 together effect. care to share of your experience with this great shot? I totally love the interesting idea of not mixing drinkable alcohol and non-drinkable alcohol.

May I have a go to work out how this shot is executed?

1. The bottle of wine and oil pump are taken separately with a soft box. The direction of light seems to be different for both objects.

2. The wine glass is shot as a separate prop.

3. The wine and oil are the most interesting one. They could be taken separately and put together with a photo editing software e.g. the popular Photoshop we know so well.

4. The photographer could spend hours splashing the red and then yellow
liquid into glass surface to get the two splashes in frozen motion and combine them with PS. Note that the liquids meet in sharp edges and don't mix and blend as in real life. I hazard that the top and bottom parts of the liquids could be shot separately. It would be fun to see how he accomplishes the effect of two colour liquids mixing and blending in the center naturally.


5. Or he could buy the prop of liquid splashes. I think there is a place in US supplying such props. He could has them custom made as two liquid mixing or as separate items and combine them with PS.

6. Or better still he could have the wine glass and liquid splashes all custom made into a single unit. That would save lots of time and energy.

7. He could have the wine and oil painted by an illustrator and digitize it. The good one could air-brush it so that you can't tell real from painting. He could produce a photo of an layout of bottle, pump and wine glass and the artist could use it as a template.

7. The photographer is an image manipulator of high standard besides being a top photographer. His superb skill in it partly makes him distinctive.

 

[Minoxman]

If that's your analogy, then photography seems to sound like a way easy hobby/career though... or maybe geniuses like you can... Experimenting & re-experimenting... geez, without the theories & yet it work wonders. Sounds like olden days, whereby ppl do not need to study, work hard and get rich... Old geezer stuff... If you have done it right your way, good for ya but dun assume that everyone will do likewise, well, maybe not all is as smart as you...

Sorry Minoxman, not for me... Still, it's a balance of theory & practice...

Photography is not physics, not maths and not biology. How much theory does one need? The only technique that seemed to work well for old masters were that they put their eyes, soul and shutter in every frame. What theory did Capa ultilised in his war chronicles? What theory did HCB display in his street work? Eugene Smith was a darkroom addict no doubt and a master printer to that.
Im not a genius and Im not saying Im good. So don't assume. I am just saying one don't need the lastest tech or what theories ave you to make stuffs work...stuffs that impact, that last for generations.

The only theory one really needs is shutter spped, aperture, format and light...and passion and devotion to the subjects one cared for and lots of shooting.

Not rocket science. Obviously not everyone will think the same. Fine with me. Just my views. Have it your way.

 

[Minoxman]

But of course, a commercial photographer like yourself would need all the lighting theories and post processing work you so deem fit for your final products. Nothing wrong. I was talking about amatures like myself who don't depend on this hobby for a living.
Different POVs maybe.

 

[pointblankshots]

May I have a go to work out how this shot is executed?

Good thinking, except that it's not just taken with a softbox, more lights and elements are involved. Glass surface? would that allow if you wanna shoot the water curving though, nope...

Sion, put this similar effort of thinking into your shoot, I'm sure you'll make your future shoots a lot more productive & worthy. You've got the theory already, the pre-production. You'll just have to stick it in ya & not get led on by others & produce your work of art...

 

[adamadam]

I remember the ad from when I was in Singapore more than 2 months ago :bsmilie: :bsmilie: :bsmilie:
I never drink again

Seen this ad before and I think that it is truly a very innovative and creative piece compared to all previous ads on the same subject. Its a different way of looking at the subject. Kudos to you!!

 

[swimcraze]

Thanks pointblankshots for your sharing of views and experience. What impresses me most is your patience and calmness in replying to queries and remarks. Not only are you very creative photographer, you are also very humble. welcome to clubsnap and hope to see more of your photos :thumbsup:

 

[Sion]

Good thinking, except that it's not just taken with a softbox, more lights and elements are involved. Glass surface? would that allow if you wanna shoot the water curving though, nope...

Sion, put this similar effort of thinking into your shoot, I'm sure you'll make your future shoots a lot more productive & worthy. You've got the theory already, the pre-production. You'll just have to stick it in ya & not get led on by others & produce your work of art...

Thanks pointblankshots for the tips. I couldn't help musing about how a difficult shot like that could be achieved.

The reason I said glass surface I meant the splash would be inside a curve glass like a gold fish bowl for it to curve and hit a surface. It have to be inside glass surface for you to shoot through.

Oh no I would never think of accomplishing such a difficult shot such as yours. On the average I only get less than $200 per sale for my shots and sometimes lesser depending on mb size the clients pay for. Therefore I go for the bread and butter simple shots which should take no more than 30 minutes to produce

Thanks once again.

Kind regards,
Sion

 

[pointblankshots]

Dun worry Sion,

It takes times to build rapport with clients, not to mentioned rates... Like I mentioned earlier, I'm just one of the many commercial photographers out in town... Not perfect, put down one's creative ego & learn from others, no matter how junior one maybe, there's always a chance for learning..... What probably got me going was just to bitch less, and got going... Recognition comes later, knowledge first... What's important is not really the money as most will already have a full time job somehow to rake in the moolah, it's really about the passion of wanting to do something well. Hobby or not, it's your call...