Liquid Gold

I am going to take a small departure from the usual after-assignment discussion for the water shot.

What follows is a group of ten photos from the assignments. Your job is to decide whether the photo was taken by a pro or an amateur.

And this is not a knock on the professionals' pictures, either. All of these photos could easily have graced the pages of a magazine. My point is to show you all how you have progressed as a group.

To learn which is which, click on the photo to get to its Flickr page.










































































































































































Okay. You get my point?

Now, here's what some of the other guys did:












































































































































































I specifically let the photos do the talking here. And the point I am trying to make is that, with some training and a modicum of lighting gear, you can get professional results. Especially when you are lighting something on a containable scale, such as a bottle of water.

There is some amazing progress being made within the group, and I hope you are as impressed with yourselves as I am with you.

If you would, please take a moment to click on your favorite photo and leave a comment on the Flickr page.

And to you wallflowers out there:

You can either be a watcher of a participant. But life is not a dress rehearsal. You only go around once. There are still two more assignments to go.

The next assignment will be a little more challenging - and on a larger scale. But you still won't have to scrounge a model for this one.

And the final assignment brings together many of the concepts we have been learning throughout this process.

With a little twist or two.

Strobist Lighting Boot Camp is sponsored by Midwest Photo Exchange, a photo gear retailer who actually makes an effort to keep the cool little stands and umbrellas in stock.

Give them a visit or an email. If you can't find what you need, give Moishe Appelbaum a call. He'll do whatever he can to feed your lighting gear habit.