Sliced

[compilerbitch]

Sliced, originally uploaded by M0n0chrom3.

Sliced, Sun Mar 11, 2007, 4:38:35 PM, 8C, 6000x8000, (0+0), 100%, bent 6 stops, 1/30 s, R107.2, G74.3, B91.5

Shot on the Cambo 4x5/Better Light Super-6K. Fujinon-W 150mm, f/8, heavy use of shifts and tilts due to limited depth of field. Impossible elements added in Lightwave and composited in Photoshop CS2.

This image has been in my head for a long time, bothering me, trying to get out. Finally I've killed it so maybe I can sleep now. Yes, it's nearly 5am, but there was no way I was going to be able to sleep before I'd finished the final comp.

ETA: I've written this project up as a 'making-of' essay here, if anyone's interested.

Comments

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

My brain hurts...

[pinguhateseng.livejournal.com]

That's a wonderful picture and a great concept!

[4zumanga.livejournal.com]

Looks really nice, but I think it could do with a higher resolution. I found the chopped glass a bit "busy" at this low resolution and had trouble making out what was going on.

[talisker.livejournal.com]

damn! And another thing? wow!

[compilerbitch.livejournal.com]

The original is 8000x6000. Will that do? ;-)

It was actually composed for a 13x19 print (near enough). There is an 800x600 version on Flickr (linked from the image) which is a bit better.

[dave-t-lurker.livejournal.com]

I didn't read the details at first, I thought you'd been playing with a raytracing package or something.

That really is impressive.

[4zumanga.livejournal.com]

As a print I'm sure it look great :) I looked at the flickr one and zoomed in a bit to so I could really see what was going on. The detail looked cool, but of course I also started seeing pixels :\

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

That was really quick of you to slice the glass up, arrange the bits and take the photo before any of the water could begin to notice it wasn't being supported. And without nicking the chopping board too. I bet you could dodge speeding bullets without even noticing! :o)

[mageboltrat.livejournal.com]

Hey hey... really like it. I've only just started messing around with 3D stuff. I love what you have done to make it look like a real photo. It's clever.

[darcydodo]

I liked your egg, but I like this waaay better than your egg.

[curious-reader.livejournal.com]

That is such a great surrealistic photo. How did you do it? Do you have specific program to manipulate pictures or something?

[doseybat.livejournal.com]

Wooow. A cut above the egg imo. And the chopping board looks somewhat familiar - didnt we chop lots of vegetables on it?

[randwolf.livejournal.com]

Oh, my. I'm going to put in another word for Radiance, since it seems to be so much up your alley.

[compilerbitch.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[compilerbitch.livejournal.com]

:-)

[compilerbitch.livejournal.com]

The hard part was keeping the blade cool enough that it didn't burn the board when I was finished. :-)

[compilerbitch.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

The reason it looks so real is mostly because most of the image *is* real, so it tricks your brain into thinking that the whole image is real. It's a lot harder with 100% CGI to get that same effect.

[compilerbitch.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

I'm going to enter this new one into the camera club competition week after next, then see how it does. Wish me luck!

[compilerbitch.livejournal.com]

I posted a how-I-did-it on my web site here:

http://findatlantis.com/wiki/index.php/Sliced

It should answer your questions. :-)

The short version is that all the glass is computer generated.

[compilerbitch.livejournal.com]

Thanks -- yes, I like it better than the egg too. I think I'm getting better at view camera wrangling, and having proper lights makes it *so* much easier (focussing when you can actually *see* the thing you're focussing on really makes a difference!)

And yes, you did chop lots of vegetables with that very knife and that very chopping board. :-)

[compilerbitch.livejournal.com]

I'll have to take a look -- the demo images on the site are very impressive.

[mageboltrat.livejournal.com]

actually that is not entirely true. the closer you are to reality the more the 'UNCANNY VALLEY' Syndrome comes in. Uncanny valley says that the more realistic something is the more any small problems grate. This is why the original Red Dwarf looks more realistic than the expensive CGI one.

[mageboltrat.livejournal.com]

Your picture is so close to reality that it should grate like fingernails on a blackboard.. It doesn't so it's good.

[compilerbitch.livejournal.com]

Good point. I did have to work at making the glass look real, and it wouldn't have worked if I hadn't got that right.

The uncanny valley thing is worst for anything alive -- you really see this moving from a PS2 to an X-Box. With the PS2, everything is basically cartoony, so nothing jars, but with the X-Box 360, there is just enough more realism that it looks a bit freakish some of the time.

[tea-cantata.livejournal.com]

Unrelatedly, would you be amenable to meeting up / photogeekery (passiveish on my part) / photography / coffee later this month? I am planning a small road trip with a friend of mine and will therefore be in NoCal...

[compilerbitch.livejournal.com]

Yes, sounds great! Give me dates/times/places. If it's a weekend, maybe we could haul some equipment somewhere pretty for a bit of shooting.

[compilerbitch.livejournal.com]

I should also say that I did 'cheat' slightly by looking up the refractive index values for glass and for water (1.5 and 1.33 respectively), so I'm sure that helped a little.

[tea-cantata.livejournal.com]

Last week of March, roughly 26-29th... Not entirely certain of details yet but will keep you posted!

[compilerbitch.livejournal.com]

OK, seems feasible. Keep me informed closer to the time. :-)

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