Mepo
38 days ago |
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I'm glad some of you liked this. My plan was to have the whole sphere covered with washers ( the black circles are metal washers). It turned into a frustrating (in a humorous way) project.
The sphere is an ordinary blown up white, latex balloon. My intention was to cover the whole surface with washers but as I proceeded to glue them on, the pressure and position of the balloon would change and some of the washers would fall off. It surprised me how heavy the washers were, they weighed down one side of the balloon and it was almost impossible to hold it with the uncovered side facing up. I finally gave up on the idea of a solid covering of washers and I recognised that gravity was creating an attractive, random pattern. It took many sessions to glue on a few washers, go away and let the glue dry, and then return to repeat the process.
Photographing it was difficult for the same reason, it was difficult to support without all the washers facing down. I could have suspended it and shot from underneath but that would have made lighting even more difficult. Underneath the balloon was a small panel of LED lights. It was shot in a dark room. I finally used a heavy weight tied to the balloon and a furry black blanket to hold both the balloon and the light in position. That's also the reason one edge is a bit rough (the blanket was showing in silhouette. It's also the reason for the blank white area at the bottom.
Naturally I left all this till the end of the challenge period which made the job a little rushed. Next time I do this I'll experiment with a spray-on instant adhesive to see if I can find one which won't melt the balloon material. Or maybe the use the small circles of fabric meant to reinforce pages in a three ring binder. They are lightweight and already have glue on them. Why didn't I think of that earlier LOL |
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RobertLavker
38 days ago |
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I loved this - my 2nd place vote. Nice work Michael. |
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 Comments After End of Challenge
 Comments During Voting
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mrsawyer
38 days ago |
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Looks like washers inside a light fixture shot from below. Quite clever, whatever it is. Good focus and lighting. |
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jomari
38 days ago |
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Great high contrast abstract. I like the way you have met the challenge absolutely. There is nothing extraneous to the theme. Top shot. |
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kerszkavet
39 days ago |
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okay, you'll have to tell us more about how you made this
A dramatic and interesting shot
Minor issue - the lower left of centre edge looks a little rougher than the rest, which is a little distracting |
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aoc46
39 days ago |
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Interesting idea, but seems odd that the dark circles all stop short of the lower right. |
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A.N.Other
40 days ago |
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Hmmm.....Looks like looking upwards at washers placed in a dome shaped bathroom light? Some illumination from beneath/side too. Good effect and certainly plenty of circles! I would have preferred it if they were a bit more central (less white on the bottom). |
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cookiejar
40 days ago |
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Nicely arranged |
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Maike13
40 days ago |
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Creative setup that makes an interesting picture. |
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Lo
41 days ago |
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I like the random placement of the circles and the stark lighting. In my favourites. |
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RobertLavker
41 days ago |
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I love the abstract feeling that this image evokes. This certainly fits the theme and is most unusual. High in my favs. |
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SteveBee
42 days ago |
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Unusual and clever. It would be interesting to know how you created the image. |
