A Penultimate Challenge

For my penultimate 365 image, I asked friends on Facebook to help me with a few ideas for today.  There were many great suggestions, but one in particular was perfect (thanks Erin!).   Part of what I do with my photography is try to capture the everyday things of life and present them in an extraordinary way.   I’ve shot many common items for my images over the past year but this one was a challenge:  to shoot a glass of water and one square of toilet paper.

For the photo, I used a shot glass, a square of tissue, a darkened room, and a pen light.   However, this is not one shot.  It is actually 14 shots.   Yep, 14.   After a bit of experimentation, I discovered it would be very difficult to get the lighting the way I wanted with one shot.  But with the pen light, I was able to light each part of the glass and the paper square with precision.

I combined all the shots in Photoshop through a variety of masks and blending modes.  Then I adjusted the colors and contrast and added a slight overall glow.  So here it is, Erin, a glass of water and a toilet paper square.

Day 364 of my 365 photo a day project.  (1 Image left!!)

Looking for art for your home or office or something to spice up your digital desktop?  This image and most of the others from this project are available as prints and digital downloads.  You can also check out the rest of my portfolio here.  Finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss anything!