Glass Beads on a Lightbox

You know what I thought this was at first (when looking at the small version in the gallery)? One of those "sea of umbrellas" photos. I really enjoy photos that look like one thing from a distance and turn out to be something else up close.

I guess its the color, but I love this pic. Any chance you shot it with more DOF?

I really like the photo; the visual interest of it stands on its own.

 

I do think, as the other poster did, that it should have more DOF; I don't really know why the middle beads are singled out.

 

Also, I wonder if the photographer aranged the beads or just let them fall where they fell. It looks fairly deliberate, but that might just be luck.

Lots o'fun! Nice idea!

It is nice concept! I feel like it would have been more effective if all of the beads were placed in such a way as to have the curved suface facing up. I am distracted by the flat surface (under-side) of several of the beads in the shot. I love the camera angle you chose.

The simplicity and color work very well. I agree with the DOF comments. Looking at your data I suggest you close the lens down almost all the way, shoot with a tripod and take a longer exposure. I do not know how you had the lighting - just simple room light, bounce or from below. You could have some fun varying these parameters to get all sorts of effects. As it stands, I like the picture. Good idea and concept - maybe this can replace the glowing red ball - with a single point light from below - the glowing red glass bead.

Personally, I think I like the minimal DOF. The fact that the level of focus increases, peaks, then decreases as the eye moves from closest to most distant beads--this gives the image that 3rd dimension of depth. If the whole image were sharp, it would look more 2 dimensional, even abstract--which would be fine if that's what you were going for. I like the depth this has. And of course the color is phenomenal!

Nice picture. Agree with comment for greater depth of field, or focus on foreground.

very good color. are you satisfied with the 180 sigma? i've been toying with getting that or canon macro 180 for more working distance with live subjects.

I've always been attracted to photos that derive an abstract composition from concrete objects. This one is especially good. The color distribution is great. I am not troubled (as someone else was) by the few beads that are flat-side-up, I think that makes it take a little longer to figure out what they are, adding a little more abstraction.

Neat.

The DOF effect in this photo is very nice