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Canon Image Challenge | all galleries >> Challenges From The Past >> 2010 Challenges >> CIC 22 H2O ***Water*** (Hosted by Paul Alters) >> CIC 22 Eligible > Before During and After
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23-AUG-2010 Paul Alters

Before During and After

Olathe, Kansas

The progression of the life of a group of water balloons being shot with a BB gun.
This is 3 separate but progressive shots assembled together to form one image.

This was a fun but time consuming effort filling all those water balloons with food dye and then water.

EXIF lies because a flash was indeed used with a off camera Cactus V4 trigger.

Canon EOS 50D ,Canon EF 50mm f/1.8
1/60s f/11.0 at 50.0mm iso200 full exif

other sizes: small medium original auto
comment
Canon Image Challenge01-Sep-2010 23:51
Michael your edit on this exceeds my original and brings it to life. Thanks for the C&C&C.
I always accept and appreciate input from anyone.

As far as how many balloons I busted........ There were 250 in the bag when I opened it for this project and I'd estimate less than 100 now. Some were NFG (no blanking good) right out of the bag and sprung a leak before I ever got it hung. There were plenty of bb shots and rubber balloon carcass's all over my patio.
I really want to explore this further but I have to be able to control the camera from farther away than the 3 foot cord I have now. I'm going to look into a wireless RF trigger. If anyone knows of an affordable option for the 50D I'd love to hear it.
Paul A.

alexeig31-Aug-2010 19:54
WOW, absolutely great. I wonder how many of these balloons you have destroyed
Guest 30-Aug-2010 22:26
Very cool set-up and effect. I realize the reflection is on the balloons in the top row, but I'd like to see the middle and bottom rows be more vibrant. After all, those are the rows with all the action going on and they should sing. I put an edit in pending for you to see what I mean. Feel free to delete it. -Michael
Canon Image Challenge26-Aug-2010 01:03
Yea, I also would love to see the triptych edit. I know what he is talking about but I have never attempted to do one.
Personally I don't think it would work vertically because the balloons aren't exactly 100% in perfect alignment. Maybe if I shot again and stretched them out a touch more.

Something else I've been wondering about is the exposure on this. Is it too underexposed or about right for this type of shot.
I have the exact image on Facebook with the exception of a copyright but it looks darker on FB. Paul Alters
Michael Kilpatrick25-Aug-2010 13:11
The final result is as spectacular as expected Paul. I like it as is, but I'll be interested to see if Najinsky's triptych appears. Regards, Michael
Canon Image Challenge24-Aug-2010 22:03
I love good C&C, that is how we all improve so your comments are well received.
I'm a visual person and and would greatly appreciate if you would take a copy of my image and edit it to show me how you think it would show better and drop it into the pending folder.
I will leave this image as it is but would love ideas for the future. I'm thinking of printing this as a small poster so your ideas could be very useful.

Paul
Canon Image Challenge24-Aug-2010 21:40
Hi Paul, it looks like you're bursting with creative energy! The execution is spectacular, but I hope you don't mind if I make a couple of suggestions about the presentation. I find it is perhaps a little busy. To keep all four balloons as the subject, I think a vertical triptych would provide a suitable gap between the 3 states. Each with the white border, and the gap between them matching the dark grey background of pbase. Or for a simpler presentation, a horizontal triptych of red (b), green (d) and gold (a).
Regards, -Najinsky
Canon Image Challenge24-Aug-2010 12:33
Thanks for the comment Nico, looks are deceiving some times. Just when you think you have me figured out I go and change my MO.
This is 3 separate images combined in Photoshop. I put the camera in HS burst mode, hit the trigger lock on my remote cable and the camera started to fire away.
I dashed over to where I had my BB gun loaded, pumped up and ready to fire and shot. I almost always shoot 100% RAW but this was jpeg because of the buffer filling to quickly or I would have bumped up the exposure on the bottom capture a touch.
The 580EXII was high on a stand above the balloons 1/16 power and triggered by the Cactus V4 triggers.

You bring up a good point though, I may set this backup again and try my old tried and true method of long exposure and multi burst with the flash using my foot switch controller.
jnconradie24-Aug-2010 08:39
That is ridiculously spectacular, Paul! :-) Wow, I am impressed. Sorry if this is a stupid question, but how did you trigger the flash? (Or was it simply a case of trying again and again and again...?) Compliments.