Friday, August 27, 2010

Where there's smoke...

there is WATER???



Nikon d40
1/20 @ 38mm
f5.0
ISO 400

Every 3rd day I start to panic. Filling with a wonderful nervous apprehension mixed with a giddy excitement waiting to see what Scott is going to do next. I'm not going to lie, I see Scott enough that I have, on numerous occasions, attempted to thwart his lofty plans. I thought about tripping him down the stairs yesterday but decided that was a bad idea. I don't need any bad karma coming at me.
So, I get by and attempt to prepare as best as I can. I keep my camera by me at all times and I look around taking notice of all the little details. Trying to see things for what they could be instead of what they are.
Today, as I was strolling through Target (I know, I know...it's a problem I don't really wish to solve) I saw this box, perched in the clearance aisle with all the pool stuff. The box had all these cool colors and lights on it and a sticker that said $5.69. Like a child I was drawn to it. I don't have a pool so I'm not quite sure what exactly I was doing in this aisle but I had a coffee and no child so I cannot be held responsible for my actions.
Turns out this beautiful box was a lighted, sprinkler for a pool or hot tub.

Hmmm...
water - puts out fire
bright red and shocking blue - colors of fire
spinning wildly out of control - just like fire

I was in business. Home I went. Decided the big bathtub would work best. Filled it up, turned on the light sprinkler and dropped it in. Took a couple test shots and it didn't take a genius to see that I was going to need to darken the room to really get the colors to pop.
Close the blinds in the big bathroom window, closed the door and turned out all the lights.
At first I slowed the shutter speed way down but found that the shocking brightness of the lights just got blown out. Upped the shutter speed until I found the right balance between seeing the colors and the edges and not blinding the photo with the center points.
I took 90 pictures. Some of just the water next to the sprinkler. A few of the few from the top looking down on the sprinkler from about 2 feet up (straddling a wet bathtub is not advisable). Pulled the card from my camera and threw the pictures onto the computer. I needed to see what I had to work with.
Ended up liking the photos shot from above best. But was still a little to slow on the shutter speed and I wasn't close enough to the sprinkler.
Back to the bathroom I went. This time placing my camera as close to the sprinkler as I could without risking water damage, focusing on centering the orb in the frame.
Another 90 or so photos and I declared enough. Time to make a decision and keep one. (Who came up with this one photo only rule anyways??? Oh, wait that was me...)It was pretty hard to pick from 4 of them. Each having their own unique qualities that spoke to me. In the end a rousing game of "Eeenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe" proved this photo the winner.
My point is... and I do have a point... keep trying, keep learning because maybe in the end you'll have too many too chose from.

Let's keep it rolling, Jay'me.

4 comments:

  1. I think you chose the right one, sister.

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  2. ♬ AH-AH-AH--AH STAYING ALIVE...I'm sing in the rain ♬ I feel like going to the disco in my bathing suit and getting my groove on. (don't worry, I won't)
    Target may sell out. We are all going to want one of these now and have our own lava lamp light show of sorts in our tubs.
    Great creativity Brandi. Way to make this work for you. You hit another home run.
    I love the crazy circle patterns and the bent movement and of course the in our faces color. You also capture a few swirly tiny bubbles... How fun!
    I also love that we are able to play and grow as photographers share our work, share our critiques and share the feelings each piece evokes... Thank you again --- Technology ROCKS!

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  3. 180 photos later was worth it to get this shot. If you hadn't told me what I was looking at I'd be hard pressed to figure it out. Very neat effect!

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  4. Wow Brandi!!! I absolutely LOVE, LOVE this photo that you took. I so want one of those water light thingies. Absolutely beautiful! My shots are so going to be an absolute bummer after this one. I have to admit that I hadn't seen this yet when I posted my stuff. My day turned into complete craziness. But this picture is fantastic. I love the bold colors. FANTABULOUS!
    Sere

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