I usually take all of my photos with natural light and it was dark before I took any photos today. I was planning to use one from a different day, but then I got this idea from the book "Creative Lighting: Digital Photography Tips and Techniques" by Harold Davis.
I downloaded a free sample of the first 30 pages on my Nook tonight. I usually buy paper photography books because the photos look better than they do on my small screen, but I wanted to experiment with this one. I guess I'll have to buy the book since the first few pages inspired a shot. I actually like my photo better than his.
Here's how Harold Davis describes his photo: "I used a polarizing filter to help emphasize the refractions created by lighting through a glass of water, with an apple and a pear positioned behind the glass."
Well, I used a more interesting glass but didn't fill it with water and did not use a polarizing filter. I used a flashlight to provide side lighting and turned off all other lights. I experimented quite a bit before I got this shot. I had to clean the glass again after looking at a bunch that showed a spot I missed the first time. I didn't like the water droplets on most of the shots in this set. In fact, I was about to dry the glass and try again, but then I saw that the water droplets seem to work on this one.
I started out taking shots with mostly the reflection on the countertop and you couldn't tell what it was, but I like that you can tell what is happening in this one. And it's still dramatic how the colors are reflected on the counter and especially how the crystal water glass refracts the light.
