Experimental pic for C&C

Prenderb

Got to mucking about with light last night, and came up with a few shots like this. Thoughts?

magicbastarder

there's nothing to hold my attention, really.

mikka631

I find the light itself a bit overpowering. I see you used an 8 second exposure on this, maybe you could do the same without the light at the bottom of the shelf and try painting with light using an led torch to give more even lighting on the books from different angles, just a thought that sprang to mind.../Michael

Mountainsandh

I like the frame of the shelf, and I generally like looking at bookshelves, but like Magicbastarder said it needs a subject other than just the books, a... story ? sort of ?
I like the idea that just the one shelf is lit, but the light is too much, if you've been painting it, maybe a good few less swishes of it would do. Would make it more mysterious too.
And for the story... how about 3/4 of the shelf occupied by books, and an interesting/worrying/intriguing figurine/ornament, half hidden between them, or peeping from a corner ? or something less obvious but meaningful, like a watch/clock. Or some dried out curled up leaves/flowers just left there.
Just my 2 cents worth .

kelly1

Not sure what you're trying to achieve with this shot really?

AnCatDubh

Couple of thoughts :: imho - the light is bleeding too far into the image and requires greater control / restriction. Darken down edges. There's detail there that we don't particularly need to see. Manage the highlights a little better. Use the light to draw attention to whatever it is you would like attention to be drawn to. I don't know does that angle do anything for anything. With so many books in(ish) focus, it's hard to kinda get a definitive theme (if there was supposed to be one). Mnnnn.... i'd be meh with it to be honest. Don't think it would command a second look. That said, as a concept, a strip of light properly exposed and alluring to a theme may have something going for it if that there is interesting / mundane enough.

challengemaster

Yeah, really no idea what you were trying to do here. There's no main area of focus or anything to grab attention, apart from the (strong) light.

It just looks like a random snap to see was the camera even turned on, or testing exposure settings.

sheesh

I can sort of see what you are trying to do here but the light is too bright I think.

I think it might look better if there was just enough light that the books were barely lit forcing the viewer to wonder just what the books were.

Prenderb

Thanks all, it's a case of "work on composition" with stuff like this. I was, as I say, exploring - it's great to get this feedback!

0verblood

I have to laugh at the theses some people are writing here... it's a book shelf with some Xmas lights. Nothing really going on here... Maybe if the books were old and dusty it could add a bit of mood. Did you take this on your phone?

Prenderb

0verblood wrote: »

I have to laugh at the theses some people are writing here... it's a book shelf with some Xmas lights. Nothing really going on here... Maybe if the books were old and dusty it could add a bit of mood. Did you take this on your phone?

No Xmas lights were harmed in the making of this image - it was a candle I moved along the line of the shelf during a long exposure. Phone was not used either - I have a very poor quality camera. :P

Next time I'm trying something like this I'll try to get my hands on some older books, though, you might be right with that, as Mountainsandh suggested using some dried leaves/flowers or other props.

It's not often you get things right first time, as I can see! Luckily there's usually some help in places like this forum.

Just to be clear - to those of you who wrote theses, thanks again for your feedback. I appreciate it.