Friday, December 17, 2010

Holiday card photos–take 1

I had plans for this photo.

Big plans.

But they involved me crocheting a bunch of small dino & clone sized santa hats at some point in the last 11 months and well…that never happened.

So I thought – why not bokeh? why not wrap everyone in colored lights in the dark and bokeh away?

Well…because this is me we’re talking about & while I understand the concept of bokeh & even from time to time manage to produce it, this particular idea was really beyond my abilities.

Not that that stopped me from trying.

First I set up in the bathroom, because that is the only place I am guaranteed undisturbed darkness.

Then I thought it would be neat to wrap Nigel Marvin in lights & have the Clones & smaller dinos holding the light strings.

Nigel Marvin is the large stuffed dino for those of you without a scorecard at home.

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ok so far so good, lets turn out the lights

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yeah… not really what I had in mind. Not dark enough, the little guys are too hard to see….

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Slightly better but it looks like an American Idol set now. Or maybe Burning Man.

Maybe we should leave Nigel Marvin out of this & just focus on the smaller guys

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The dark background should help right?

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Seems sort of disco now… Not bad really but not what I was looking for, more like a rave. Perhaps another angle.

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This is like something out of a rock concert.

“And now..Preeeeeesenting….T-REX AND THE CLONES!!!!”

Kinda cool but doesn’t really scream Christmas to me.

Perhaps it is time to admit defeat on the dramatic lighting and go back to what I know.

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Ok. Everyone is in focus, everyone is looking at the camera, the tree lights are all bokeh-y (if that is the word) but it too just doesn’t say Christmas to me.

It needs something.

Possibly crocheted Santa hats.

I’ll have to think about it.

12 comments:

SciFi Dad said...

Use a black drop cloth (back and floor) and put the figures in front of it. String the multi-lights (the colour helps give the Christmas feel) in a zig-zag pattern behind the figures, close together (I'm thinking stapler and a cork board).

Align yourself with the figures, using a nice large lens (for narrow depth of field; I'd never heard of "bokeh" before you posted the word, but I know this effect is achieved with narrow depth of field) and shoot. The lights will be large blurs and the figures will be clear and prominent. If you have some garland, you could string it across the front of them... maybe a glass ornament or two (plain, no pattern).

OK. I'm going to stop now.

Helena said...

Love the disco and rave photos.

Cheri said...

I actually think the last one DOES look Christmassy. And it has great focus and great bokeh!

Lori, Martha Points said...

I just want to point out that except for the first shot, you'd have no idea you were in a bathroom.

Which from a photography standpoint is, of course, brilliant.

Rinda1961 said...

Love the last photo and the earlier descriptions. I think that if you stuck a little poinsetta in the frame, it would be very Christmassy!
Rinda

Andrea Chamberlain said...

Yeah, the photos kind of remind me of a TSO concert. But I am *loving* the bokah in that bottom photo! Maybe put some antlers on that shorter dino? :)

Comfy Mom said...

see...that zig zag the lights thing is more work than I had in mind. though it did occur to me. I lacked a way to attach the lights too. I think I needed more space between the lights & the figures in the bathroom shots than I could get

Comfy Mom said...

And was one of my main concerns. Because toothpaste covered faucet fixtures just don't say "festive holiday decor" to me.

Comfy Mom said...

I'm going to have to go through my older ornaments. I might have some flowers I can use there. Thanks for the suggestion!

Comfy Mom said...

I'm thinking about photo shopping in some santa hat cllip art.

ridgely johnson said...

How did you get them to stand still? ;-)

humel said...

I think they're all cool shots in different ways, but my fave is probably the disco one :-) Christmas party!!