Fire and life

[dooda]

Yeah the title is a little over dramatic. I got about two standard photos of these little bulbs, and liked the effect. Thought that I would arrange the candles a little bit and took this one. I'd like to know your thoughts. I think it is the most interesting of the bunch. In looking at it now however, maybe the candle in the foreground is a little too much, and the subject could use a little more depth of field. I find it quite pleasing. Be as ruthless as you care to be. This was taken with the 50mm 1.8. I love this lens, and the bokeh truly moves me. I find it a little difficult in the small room taking candids, and am seeriously looking at the fixed 24mm 2.8 as my next splurge, as it's probably easier to move in closer to the subject then to constantly be moving back, and focusing is a little easier I imagine. The 50 works well with stills especially.

http://www.pixspot.com/displayimage.php ... 0007&pos=0

I'd like to add another thankyou to Pixbot for the free image hosting.

[stubbsy]

dooda

This is just me perspective as a novice, but I agree about the candle at the front. Try croping it out completely (I covered it with my hand on the screen) and you get a very different effect - the bulbs dominate more rather than the out of focus candle.

Cheers

[Glen]

Dooda, you live in a place where you have to keep candles alight just to keep the bulbs warm at night? Move to Australia, no mountains, but a guy like you would never feel cold here

Like the shot much better with the front candle cropped, brings the bulbs into play when they dont seem to be in the full version. Nice take on a still life

[mudder]

G'day,
Wow, I read the reply re: cover the bottom candle and it does really change the entire "mood" of the shot and the sub-conscious focus on the subject, which I assume are the bulbs... Block the rear one and not much diff... Wonder if that's because we're looking "up" the photo or something??? Something pyschological or just because it's in front of the "subject"?

Nice shot though, something different... I like it, thanks for sharing

Cheers,
Mudder

[dooda]

Yeah,

I took a couple of shots, then I thought of putting the candles around it. I think that the reason why it works without the candle in the foreground is that it distracts the eye with all of the light as the eye tries to make it's way to the subject of the photo. The background candle is pleasant enough because the eye has already found the subject, but the foreground light is sort of a blocker. I find the way light distracts our eye, as well as the way the eye travels a picture to be fastenating, and one of the major issues behind what makes a photo really work. Thanks for the comments.