The key to abstraction by vikdaddy

The key to abstraction

I can't stand traffic jams. I got caught in one on the way home today, and it had the knock-on effect of making me cancel my plans to go the gym. At least it meant I could spend a little extra time taking photos, so I flicked through a couple of photo magazines for inspiration and decided to do an abstract. I saw the keys in the door and I thought it would make an interesting subject.

I reversed my 50mm prime lens to greatly magnify the keys and looked for an interesting composition, and I think I achieved what I set out to do. In post-processing I converted it to monochrome, increased the clarity and contrast and gave it this golden tint.

The great news I mentioned on Thursday was confirmed today! I just want to tell everybody, but I can't quite yet. I will reveal all later this week!

By the way, it wasn't that long ago that I thanked most of you for following me after I exceeded 400 followers. Well, since yesterday I've got over 500; I suppose the influx of 365 newbies helped! Thank you all for the support, it means a lot.

Canon 7D, f/0, 1/200, ISO-100
I really love this. It's so different (in a good way of course) :)
January 10th, 2011  
Yes! Very cool, I love this.
January 10th, 2011  
nice macro, Vik!
January 10th, 2011  
@wahyusp From the prince of macro, that means a lot!
January 10th, 2011  
Very nice! I didn't know the 50mm can achieve such nice macro...I'm gonna try it! Thanks
January 10th, 2011  
@eileenmabalot Only if you take it off your camera and reverse it - you have to hold it and move back and forth to focus. It achieves interesting results!
January 10th, 2011  
FABULOUS MACRO!
January 10th, 2011  
a very nice photograph, vik!
January 10th, 2011  
Awesome example of taking an everyday object and making it into a wonderful photograph. Great execution.
January 10th, 2011  
Would this be high-key or low-key? Interesting and inventive and as always pin-perfect focus.
January 10th, 2011  
Like IT.
Great shot
January 10th, 2011  
ooohh (: i really like this!!! can i maybe steal the idea?? (:
January 10th, 2011  
nice! i love it when a good photog can take a pic of dang near anything and make it look cool. really fab shot!
January 10th, 2011  
I'm with ya . . . traffic frustrates me as much as anything! This is an awesome close-up!
January 10th, 2011  
Great shot! I love it!
January 10th, 2011  
@stationary315 steal the idea, but don't imitate - make it your own!
January 10th, 2011  
@vikdaddy aboslutely (: thanks so much!!! (:
January 10th, 2011  
Beautiful! I love the composition.
January 10th, 2011  
That is SO awesome!! I like it a lot!
January 10th, 2011  
Wow, this is great Vik! Think i want some lenses now!
January 10th, 2011  
@rich57 you can do this with your standard kit lens - just take it off your camera and hold it the other way against it!
January 10th, 2011  
@vikdaddy wow I didn't know that! OK that's me sorted for tomorrow, cheers!
January 10th, 2011  
Great perspective! I honestly didn't know what this was a picture of when I first saw it. Nicely done!
January 11th, 2011  
BRILLIANT!
January 11th, 2011  
Amazing shot. You have an amazing eye and imagination.
January 11th, 2011  
Great capture! NIce shadows and highlights.
January 11th, 2011  
Love turning the ordinary into the extraordinary.
January 11th, 2011  
this is very cool! Might I ask- how do you reverse a lens? Is it just taking your lens off, and face it in the opposite direction? If so, how do you secure it in place?
January 11th, 2011  
@rebcastillo77 yes, exactly that - some will fit quite nicely (but you have to hold it still), lenses with bigger diameter filter sizes won't. you can actually buy adaptors off ebay that allow you to keep it in place.
January 11th, 2011  
awesome shot Vik! I can't wait to hear the news. Congrats on the 500 followers too. That is really impressive. I will be making it to your island this weekend, but not up to your neck of the woods. I am visiting my friends who just moved to London and we will be checking out Cambridge on saturday too.
January 11th, 2011  
@vikdaddy thanks Vik! One more question though- do you need to use auto focus when doing this, or is there a way to still manually focus?
January 11th, 2011  
@rebcastillo77 you have to manually focus - remember, it's not actually connected to your camera!
January 11th, 2011  
@vikdaddy Thanks again Vik- I will have to give this a try :D
January 11th, 2011  
Good detail here... Hmmm... will have to give this another try one day (tried and failed miserably a while back...)
January 11th, 2011  
I wasn't sure if shaving of your goatee was the news... ;->
January 12th, 2011  
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