Outcast - Collage

So, in relation to my post last Friday, and as I usually do, I'd post some test shots or trials in the making of the main shot. This time, though, I'm doing it a bit differently, by posting a collage of a sequence of shots. These 10 shots were shot successively for the duration of the burning of the matchsticks, until the flame was gone. These shots here were edited in terms of basic exposure adjustments and maybe white balance, but nothing else; compared to the original shot that I've posted last week, which was heavily edited to equalize the light levels as well as remove the burn marks (which was almost a disaster!) that you can see here on the left of the matchsticks. These burn marks in the foam were caused by the mini-torch or flame I've used to light the matchsticks all at once.

#collage #outcast #trial #matches #matchsticks #fire #burn #burning #sequence #goodmorning

Emotional Damage, V2, V3.

As usual, with every other Friday, I'd like to post some test shots that were done to create the post from previous Friday. This time though I have two shots. Typically, I don't like posting two shots, but of course there must be some exceptions somewhere, right?
Here, in the first shot, V2, I've used f/2 (not much difference to the original one which was shot at f/1.8). However, it seems that I've skipped looking at this one before of the shadow or dark areas from the corner and my focus was on brightening everything (in fact, I've used a variable ND filter to use flashes with low f-number). Now that I look at it, I think this one could be a candidate too for its dark atmosphere, sort of. Also, there is a touch of light on the tip of the standing matchstick which makes it pronounced more and getting further attention. The thing here, though, is the area of transitioning from dark to light, which pronounces the texture of the surface of the foam as well; something that would take even longer time to work with and fix in PS.

Then we have V3. which is my least favorite one, for a number of reasons, but I'm including it in this post just to see how it would look like if the set was shot using high f-number (f/11 here) and making the depth of field greater to get everything in the image sharp. Surely enough, the story is lacking here and not much drama is added. The standing matchstick shadow is even shorter, and the overall orientation of the heart is not quite "in harmony" (feels going off the image instead of into the image).

So, this is all for now - I'm still trying to find more time to shoot some other projects and still having a block!

#matches #matchsticks #love #emotional #emotions #damage #stilllife #still-life #V2 #V3 #version2 #version3 #goodmorning

ضَـرَرٌ مَـعْـنَـوِيّ (emotional damage);

So, for this week's "side project" post, as the title suggests, it is about all these issues in life that are shattering our subconscious (or unconscious) mind, and that struggle to grow out of these and to start a new life, a new self. All these broken pieces of memories and experiences in the background clutter the heart and the mind, and disturb the character and the psyche altogether. It was a funny meme and catchphrase in Steven He's video and meme, but "emotional damage," I'd argue, is nevertheless a serious issue for many, and many got their path in life rendered impossible or going around in circles, because of such issues that shattered their security and self-image.

The configuration here was shot using a shallow depth of field (f/1.8) to drop the background out of focus as much as possible and keep the main matchstick standing (let's say, our hero). Despite that, though, and because the camera was tilted and not completely vertical over the set, there is a portion of the set that went slightly into focus; somewhat like the effect of a tilt-shift lens. The broken matchstick resembles that individual with broken heart and mind, and that long shadow is piercing out of these broken memories in the background, as a trial to overcome all these broken pieces from the past, to start a new life.
I did make some test shots using a greater depth of field, and I might see if I can post them by next Friday, as usual. Have a nice day!

EMOOOOSHENAL DAAMEJ!!

#stilllife #still_life #emotional #emotionaldamage #damage #project #matches #matchsticks #minimal #minimalism #minimalistic #goodmorning

Emotional Baggage V2.0;

As I do in every other Friday, I'd try to post another version of the shot I've posted the Friday before; just for comparison. Now, while the one posted last week didn't have a strong minimal touch to it, the 2nd version here seems to have it. However, I'm not sure if I like the complete simplicity here, as the shadows in the first version (in the lower half of the image) kind of provided some dynamics to the image, or drama so to say. Yet, I do like this version as well for its "cleanliness" and simple terms. Also notice that the first version was actually flipped horizontally for some reasons I've mentioned in my post last Friday.
This said, I'm working on a new item in this series, and I think I've actually finished it already, but I'm also considering redoing the whole thing. We'll see till next Friday!

#emotional #emotions #baggage #stilllife #still_life #matches #match #matchsticks #feelings #V2 #goodmorning

مَـتـاعٌ عـاطِـفِـيٌّ (emotional baggage);

It's Friday! Time for something from my "side project" (which I hope I can keep on doing with all the hurdles in my life already). So, the topic of this one as the title shows, emotional baggage, and what would be better than a heart to express the emotional side of things? Please tell me you see a heart there? (Please? ).
I had some hard time pondering about how to depict this, and I've tried making a heart-shape with the sticks but I failed miserably many times. Finally, I've found some discarded piece of rubber and crudely cut out a heart shape and used it as a mold. Tried to perfect the shape further in PS, but it was nearly impossible; this said, I made little adjustments to enhance the shape. Made many shots (and I might post one more of them next week), and I've finally settled on this one for the direction of the shadows in general. Originally, the image was flipped the opposite way, but I've made it this way later just because, well, to let things flow from right to left kinda, as this is the way we read Arabic actually.
I leave interpreting the image for the dear viewer. I guess, this concept is not weird at all for most people (if not all people). It is closely related to the concept of "burden" which I've made a shot about some weeks ago, but let's say, the concept of "emotional baggage" is just the "emotional" side of this burden which we drag on from one relationship to another (or even stop having relationships because of it). The shadows at the bottom of the image is a mimic for the dark side to which one would walk into with such baggage, and the burned matchstick is a symbol of a burned out mind and body because of all of the failing experiences in the past. Now, all that is left for us to think about is, what kind of scissors that would cut that thread and free us…

#stilllife #still_life #matches #matchsticks #emotional #emotionalbaggage #baggage #reflect #reflection #feelings #goodmorning

Ex-Love (version 1.0);

As I typically do with every shot I post here on Friday, I would post an early version of the shot that I didn't like (say, a test shot), just for comparison. I've envisioned this shot to be a minimal one, and with simple (hard) shadows with everything being white for simplicity. This, of course, would take out the depth in the image. Like version 2.0, or the one I've posted last week, this one was also made of layers of different shots to merge the lights from different angles (and even here, I couldn't make the shadows in different directions in the same shot, probably needed a snoot).
Anyway, after re-doing the whole thing, and adding a dark side and shadows as in the one posted earlier last week, I think I do prefer version 2 over this one. Maybe I've broken the "minimal look" somehow, but I guess the emotional approach in that one is more appropriate and more impactful than in this one here.

#stilllife #still_life #matches #matchstick #shadows #love #ex #exlove #impression #impressionism #impressionist #goodmorning

Relationships;


Finally it's here. I've managed to shoot another image, another idea, from my own "side project". The shot is a reflective on my vision and status with relationships (in general).
The arrangement was a bit hard to do. Also, I was aiming at a close up shot, but realized it is better to be done from a distance a bit and then crop the image.
The image is a contrast to the previous one I've done and in contrast with the principles I've set for myself in this project; mainly to be minimalistic with my approach. However, when I think about relationships in general, someone like me cannot think in minimal terms, and I had to jump over the constraints of that into "maximalism" as it (naturally) delivers the chaos in my head.
There were technical issues, mainly gaps that I couldn't fix on set, so many things had to be "doctored". In fact, my first approach was to create a harmonic in the racking of the matches (forming lines around the main figure), but it proved hard to be done, and also it wouldn't be so chaotic as I wanted it to be, supposedly.



#relationships #relationship #relations #matches #project #stilllife #still-life #set #chaos #maximal #maximalistic #maximalism #confusion #ideas #impression #impressionism #goodmorning