The glass bead game

[ChrisLumix]

Which of these two shots works best, do you think? One was shot close to, at full wideangle (27mm), the other was shot from higher above but zoomed in to give the same size composition. (Try and ignore the different colour balance - easily balanced out if needs be).

 

1. 

 

[ChrisLumix]

2. 

 

[Heather]

top one gives a more abstract image to me, which i prefer. It takes me a few minutes to register what im looking at, where as the 2nd one i can see straight away that its beads in a glass jar... so depends what your trying to achieve with your image i guess 

[NannyFerret]

That' really a hard one.
I think the bottom one if it was a bit darker, but I like the top one more for the angle.

[Guest]

Neither, I think you need a plain background (and possibly a few coloured beads.)

[Ian]

Plain background, white or colour should work, the marble is distracting, and as above the odd colour bead in there

[ChrisLumix]

Thanks for all the advice. Unfortunately I had no choice about background as this was at a friend's house! It might be possible to add the occasional coloured bead in Photoshop - that's a challenge I'll have a look at. 

 

I myself prefer the top picture, mainly for the stronger contrast between the jar rim and everything else.

[Beth]

Hi, I have chosen:

 

No 1 because I particularly like the pattern from the marble showing through the glass beads.....adds a diverse interest. Also, the beads are more spaced out in this one.

 

No 2 is acceptable to 'my' eye, but I fear the beads appear to bunched together and don't seem as clear as number 1.

 

Having said the above, it would be interesting to see the same shot again, but with a darker base.  Not necessarily black, but a plain darker solid base.

 

Well done. 

[Leon]

honestly?    no1 to me looks like a shower head?

 

no2 just looks like a bowl of beads    as said above could be good for abstract, do you own a laser pointer??

[ChrisLumix]

Ok, I've had a go at adding one or two coloured beads. My first attempts were awful, so unrealistic. So I Googled an image of some coloured glass beads and dropped a couple into the image. Does it add to it, or not? (The position and hue of the two surface beads can be changed easily enough, in Photoshop).

 

 

 

(I fear that changing the background, and making it look natural, is beyond my capabilities).

[Heather]

personally i prefer it without the coloured beads  

[NannyFerret]

I prefer it without as well.
Do these beads actually have holes in or are they the sort without holes just for decoration?

[ChrisLumix]

They are just glass beads (no holes) presumably just for decoration.

 

I've amended to just a single coloured bead - if it still doesn't work I'll abandon that plan! 

 

[NannyFerret]

What about changing the colour of the whole thing or just the pot.