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Sony Forums Challenges | all galleries >> Challenge 31 Candle Light (hosted by MFC) >> Challenge 31 Eligible Gallery > Star Crossed Lovers by W.C.
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30-NOV-2002

Star Crossed Lovers by W.C.

Sony DSC-F717
1/2s f/8.0 at 20.5mm iso100 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time30-Oct-2002 23:32:05
MakeSony
ModelCybershot
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length20.5 mm
Exposure Time0.50 sec
Aperturef/8
ISO Equivalent100
Exposure Bias
White Balance
Metering Modematrix (5)
JPEG Qualitynormal (2)
Exposure Programmanual (1)
Focus Distance

other sizes: original small medium auto
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Sony Forums Challenges07-Dec-2002 17:40
Very good idea and nicely done. Helen
Sony Forums Challenges03-Dec-2002 00:02
W.C.,in addition to being a "quirky" (is that a word?) image, this is a smile-maker. I really like your imaginative entries and titles. (I can't open the images beyond the thumbnail, but will go back later to see what I missed.) Great Shot(s). Bev
Sony Forums Challenges02-Dec-2002 09:19
Congratulations, I've been using PS for 4 years and still dont know 80% of what it can do... great picture, lovely idea and brilliantly captured. Jon M
W.C. VandenBerg02-Dec-2002 01:52
How it was done:
So, after shooting many, many burning-marshmallow-next-to-a-candle pictures, I determined that candles burn quite a bit brighter than marshmallows do. I could not get the exposure right -- either the candle was overexposed or the marshmallow was underexposed.

Realizing this now meant I was going to have to embark on my first really in-depth journey into PS Elements, I shot one picture of the candle alone, and one of the marshmallow alone (this also allowed me to make a one second exposure for the marshmallow to get lots of flame since they don't really burn a whole lot all at once). A lamp (parchment colored shade left on) with 100watt reveal bulb, off to the right, provided some extra light.

Some cutting and pasting using Layers, some hair pulling, then I increased the saturation on the candle part and decreased the saturation for the marshmallow part until I thought they were reasonably matched.

I then cropped, flattened layers, resized, very gentle USM and added the border (that alone took me a good half hour to figure out -- there must be a simpler way?!). So, one smoking pile of marshmallow carcasses later -- 2:30a.m. -- it was time to go to bed, 'cause I had to work today! Just when you think something's going to be so easy to shoot . . . :-)
Guest 01-Dec-2002 20:15
i like um crispy. very good, concept and execution.
Sony Forums Challenges01-Dec-2002 16:42
W.C., this is a creative idea that is well-executed. The lighting seems right as does the catch of the marshmallow flame. So, how did you accomplish that? MFC