My hands are covered in red food dye..,C&C

Calina

this is a glass I broke ages ago and didn't get rid of because I had plans for it involving jewellery, flashes, red hearts and possibly flowers. To that end, not long after I broke the glass, I took out the icetray that was shaped like red hearts and dropped some water with some red food dye into it. Today I was bored enough to go and have a play.

The photographs consists of three exposures, grouped together with the bad bits painted out of each one. Shot with a 40D with thes 17-85 on aperture 29, ISO 100, shutter speed 13 seconds and light leaking from the left as it's quite a nice day outside.

Post processing, double lot of curves, a black and white conversion, a very heavy Gaussian blur to the background and a photo fliter applied on top of the whole sorry mess.

Bad things I did: I didn't shoot it in RAW. By default I shoot the sports stuff in jpg, but the camera can't read my mind when I want to shoot in RAW for this arty frivolity. By the time I had realised it, the icehearts had started melting. The black dot is a drop of red coloured water.

I can't figure out whether I like this, love it, or will think in two weeks time "Dear God, what on earth was I thinking?"

Valentia

Hmm. I don't know what to think either

My very initial feeling is that the black dot might work better as a red dot. As it stands it looks like a stain on the glass.

As a concept it has potential. The ice cubes look like saturated (as in soaked) coal and the juxtaposition of the seeping (as opposed to weeping) heart could convey a tormented confusion. Love but hate kind of feeling......

How's that?

Calina

thanks for giving it a shot Danny.

The black spot has been replaced with a red spot. I think you're absolutely right though; it looks a lot better.

Someone's going to come along and tell me to clone it out later, I bet. I had to explain to my flatmate how I managed to make the red hearts turn black in the glass...

I need to find me an indie band who'd like to use it as an album cover I think.

Valentia

Yes, it adds to the mystique and the story becomes even more intriguing . . . . . . . . .

Hugh_C

Thought it was obsidian.

Dragan

Personally i really like it Calina.

Would be a very suitable cover for Worrisome Heart, by Melody Gardot i think.

Maybe try and sell it to her?:)

Dundhoone

Maybe im not the best to have a go at artistic interpetation, but.......

I find it confusing! whats the black stuff supposed to be?

Given that I have an uncalibrated monitor - I would like to see more definition in the glass (less blur and high key)

I would also like to see the heart floating in some res liquid in the glass, with some of that splattered on the table and the broken piece down there also - but thats just cause I need it all spelt out to me, im a simple guy!!:D

YeahOK

Dundhoone wrote: »

I would also like to see the heart floating in some res liquid in the glass, with some of that splattered on the table and the broken piece down there also - but thats just cause I need it all spelt out to me, im a simple guy!!:D

I had a similar thought. The whole broken glass melting heart thing.

Calina

Dragan wrote: »

Personally i really like it Calina.

Would be a very suitable cover for Worrisome Heart, by Melody Gardot i think.

Maybe try and sell it to her?:)

Who is she?

Dundhoone wrote: »

Maybe im not the best to have a go at artistic interpetation, but.......

I find it confusing! whats the black stuff supposed to be?

Given that I have an uncalibrated monitor - I would like to see more definition in the glass (less blur and high key)

I would also like to see the heart floating in some res liquid in the glass, with some of that splattered on the table and the broken piece down there also - but thats just cause I need it all spelt out to me, im a simple guy!!:D

The black stuff are more red heartshaped ice cubes. If I were to float them in water I wouldn't be able to keep the water clear, unfortunately.

I uhem, didn't actually have any great deep meaning behind this photograph, I must admit.

magicbastarder

i don't like photos which include a title in the shot; even in a frame which has been placed around the shot. so i think it would work better without it.
probably just the way i'm wired.

Dragan

Calina wrote: »

Who is she?

Melody Gardot is a jazz/blues singer. First album just out this year. An unbelievable talent, much like yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYLzxJ7of7c

Please ignore that first 30 seconds and the terrible vid but it's the only studio quality version on Youtube that i could find.

The song is about how the singer see's herself as being broken somehow....much like the glass, hence the comparison.

Dundhoone

Calina wrote: »

I uhem, didn't actually have any great deep meaning behind this photograph, I must admit.

LOL. You are not supposed to admit that! Just sneer at those who dont understand your genius!:D