Challenge Brief:
Photograph a Coffee Cup
The Rules:
1.) Submit three photos of the same cup
2.) Tweaking allowed
3.) B/W or Colour
4.) Photos due Friday May 8, 2009
This week's challenge is an excises in recognizing that you have a vision unique to the way you look at the world.
My goal with this challenge is that we all photograph the same common item and when all is said and done, we get to see how other people view said item. I'm going to open up a discussion on the FB Photo Challenge Group page where we can share our insight and thoughts. I'll post that Friday so we can all share what we've learned about ourselves and our fellow photographers. Enjoy your week!
Well I am pretty much going to leave this one up for interpretation. I am very interested to see what people will learn about me through my coffee cup and my vision of the world alike......should be interesting. However I am going to go ahead and title it "Clouds In My Coffee". Two giant helpings of cloud in fact, one called sugar and one called cream! ....and well, that is simply how I take it....it is my ideal coffee situation! lol Also, one thing I did learn this week is that I'm quite fond of my vessel of choice, the one I call my cup. Quite fond indeed of this morning or occasional afternoon companion. :)
It was quite difficult for me to choose only three photos to enter this week, as it often is. So, I have decided to include a link to the full album. If you are partial to rejects and the ones that just don't quite cut it in life, then please click here.
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Sister, sister, sister. You have made a terrible mistake. Your ideal coffee situation includes JUST cream and sugar...nah...I don't think so. You forgot the key element that makes the coffee taste so darn good...convo with your sissy poo.
ReplyDeleteLOL.....you are right....my mistake. Major Mistake....I take it back right now. The ultimate, ideal, most amazing coffee situation I can think of would definitely include conversation with sissy poo. :)
ReplyDeleteCool photos - great coloring/lighting.
ReplyDeleteThe last one looks futuristic in some way. Like I'm looking down a huge metallic cavern into a large pile of crystal-substance....I think I can see James Bond scaling down into there to dig through the large sugar pile and into the lair of whatever diabolical madman is plotting the demise of some large country or the world in general...!
Getting back to the photo itself, I like the textures and the detail to this one ;)
The 2nd one - I'm not sure about the thumb being so straight - I'd like to see it curve a bit along with the curve of the coffee mug. But other than that I like the reflections the cup makes and the background - it all gives off a peaceful vibe.
The first one - it looks like the mug is glowing! :D I love the lines and curves of this one. The colors are simple and pleasant.
Great job on these :)
1. Beautiful coloration- love the "glowiness" (if that's a word) of the cup. This looks like it could be used as an advertisement for an artsy cafe- beautiful job on the cropping. I especially enjoy the texture of the background!
ReplyDelete2. Great concept- I like everything in this photo (the lines and angles of the background) except for the finger on the cup- it is a little distracting to me because it seems as if it is coming out of nowhere (I can't really see any other part of the hand) and it is also slightly out of focus...
3. I love this shot- I agree with Bexy that this has a real futuristic feel- looking down a spherical metallic tube.
Overall, I think the first one stands alone as my favorite this week :) great job!
Great series! I really like the first one. It took me a while to figure out if I was looking at a clear glass cup or a reflective one. I love the color, light at framing.
ReplyDeleteThe second one is nice and I like the hint of your camera that I can see on the right side. I think that I agree about the curve of the thumb. I think it needs a hint of curve to it to go along with the curves of the cup.
The perspective on the third one is fantastic, but I am really sad that none of the bubbly, cleaning pictures came into the series. I can see why you had a really hard time picking only three this week! Great job!
This is very interesting Erin... I actually took a look at your photos and then went to your photo gallery to look at the others. It's interesting to see the images through your eyes. When I saw the images you had decided not to select I was totally surprised. If you had sent me the images and asked my opinion I would have suggested one or two different photos then what you chose. It's interesting how tastes really differ...not that any of your photos were of poor quality by any means...I think in this series you actually have two or three good sets of photos! You could pick or choose, mix or match. It would be interesting to walk through an art gallery with you. I think you and I are drawn to different kinds of textures and images, and that fascinates me. For instance, for the third cup I would have gone for the image that was similar to this one, but which included the entire cup. I can see, however, how you preferred this one.
ReplyDeleteI think the thumb photo is my favorite. (although I do agree with Bekah, the straight thumb seems a bit strange). I find myself drawn very often to strong background textures and I just love the out of focus squares in the background. They introduce some beautiful tones and symmetry to the image.
The first image is interesting..but the glowing seems strange to me, was it tweaked? The glowing makes me want to sit and figure out the picture. It is an element that helps the viewer stay engaged.
I wish we lived closer, it would be interesting to sit down (over coffee of course) and talk about the sorts of textures, colours and images that inspires each of us!
Alright. So far I am finding the feedback interesting as far as which ones people like and which ones I picked to include in the collection. So far from the feedback I have gotten on and off the comments page of my blog, #1 is either totally loved and responded to, or it is totally not and ignored or not liked. Also, #2 seems to be not liked by the majority....lol. Well that was the one that I flip flopped on including. I fell in love with photo #1 early on. As you can see it is the only one that I kept in color out of all the pictures I took. I did that because the blue haze that you see was created by the steam rising from the cup and hitting my lens i think. I was so enthralled by the colors and steam effect in this photo that I knew i was going to pick it right away and also chose to keep it in color. Even though I was initially the only one that responded positively to it!!! I kind of ignored the reactions i got and committed to it as my favorite......well It turned out to get a similar reaction out of a couple other people besides just myself in the end, but there are still others that don't respond to it really at all. I also really liked #3 early on and it got a good response from those i asked. I liked the way 1 and 3 looked together and so that was also an easy pick........ Then came picking the third entry for the challenge collection and that is where i really struggled. It was between a few top picks........and obviously you know which one i picked....and that hasn't gotten a great response....LOL! I also really loved the sink and dish washing pics.....though I thought they were totally a seperate collection and therefore did not pick any of them to go with 1 and or 3 for challenge.
ReplyDeleteSo those are some of my thoughts so far. I really struggled with the picking though. Sometimes it is just so hard for me to be objective .....cuz i fall in love with different things about each one.....and I don't want the viewers to miss out on any element of any photo...silly i know.
Oh well.....hope this helps explain a little and of course i hope you at least enjoyed the collection and possibly some of the rejects!!! :)
Thanks for all the Feedback!!! I really appreciate it and it helps to know what people respond to.
Jess and JO Bob...BOTH WRONG...You forgot that including Mor makes for the PERFECT cup of coffee EVERYTIME!!
ReplyDeleteAs for the pics, #1 is my absolute favorite. I did not think of steam making the glow of blue, I thought it was the reflection of the metal cup making the granite counter reflect blue.
Also find the title, Clouds In My Coffee, to be most profound, descriptive and unique. Not just a talent to take such wonderful photos, but the narrative preceding them is just as insightful.
Don't know how to express how very proud I am of you. I take great pleasure in seeing you put yourself out THERE, open to criticism, and continuing to believe in what YOU have created.
DON'T STOP.
Hope you know that when you are "Officially Recognized" (published)as an artist that you have already been acknowleged by the most important critic, yourself. Don't ever stop believing in yourself.K4
WOW. thanks mom. I am speechless. Glad that you enjoyed these. I knew that Jess and yourself would both have big reactions to this series.....since it is such an important part of our mother daughter/family in general, bonding and always has been......since we were like 4 or something...right?!!!! lol Anyway, glad that you liked them and thanks for the support.
ReplyDeleteI do have to say that the title is a line I stole from the song by Carly Simon, "Your So Vain". So it wasn't totally original....but still fun none the less. Also, I have to give Jess the credit for mentioning the song to me. The rest is all me....LOL! if there is anything left after that. ;)