Being Creative (Part 2)

Greenilicious Lime

Thought I elaborate a bit on my previous Being Creative post with a sample of one of my old work. This photo above was taken using a basic digital camera mounted on a tripod. Tools used: a green lime taken from my mom's garden, a digital camera, a bathroom hose to spray the water and a sharp metal object that was poked into the lime to keep it in place. Below is a rough sketch of how this photo was taken.

Behind the scene of "Greenilicious Lime"

So this sketch above is pretty much how the set up was. I set the camera on timer and kept holding that position. Looking at the finished result, one would assume I threw the lime into mid-air, when it was actually supported by a sharp metal that was poked into the lime. Because I used a basic camera, I wasn't able to set the shutter speed to freeze the moment, so I used the built-in flash. Usually I avoid using the flash, I prefer natural lighting, but in this scenario it was necessary to take the shot. If it wasn't for the flash, the image would have been a blur due to the motion.

I took several shots, and finally got one that I was satisfied with. Then, it came down to the editing. I had to edit out the sharp metal object. Besides that, the background was originally white bathroom tiles. Using Adobe Photoshop, I edited the white background and turned it green. And got rid of the tile lines as it was distracting. You see, when taking photos, it's important to focus on the subject and eliminate any distraction. If possible it's best done at the scene. A lot of people do this, easy example is during group shots at a cafe. There would be cups, plates on the table. So these cups, plates, e.t.c.. would be set aside so it doesn't appear in the photograph. However in some cases, it is impossible to remove certain elements, thus editing softwares just like Adobe Photoshop come in handy.

Tools in Adobe Photoshop such as clone stamp, healing tool, patch tool can be of assistance when removing such unwanted elements. For beauty shots, especially in magazines, these tools are used frequently, to remove blemishes, acne, scars, to make the skin look really smooth. These days, there are a number of phone apps that have this removal option.

This photo did require me to be creative. I had to think how would I make it as though as the lime was in mid-air. Wouldn't have looked nice if I held it. If I had proper equipment at that time, DSLR, studio lights, with either a green backdrop or green filters I could just throw the lime, and quickly snapped photos at a high shutter speed to capture it.

So.. what was that "sharp metal object"? Jeng, jeng, jeng...

Blackhead remover (image source)

Hahaha. Yeah I know it's kinda gross, but that's what I used bruh! So I used the pointy sharp end and poked the lime so I could hold it in position. And with the magic of Adobe Photoshop, it vanished in the final image. I would share the original photo, but I don't have it anymore. I can't remember when but this was taken yearssss ago.

Well that's about it. Just thought I'd share my creative process. Limitations should not limit you, it should be used to squeeze that creativity juices out of your brain.

{Sue Anna Joe}