carlysue Loc: Columbus

I've been tossing this about for awhile--trying to get the look of impact when the shooter marble hits the smaller marbles in the ring. I tried trying to time the shot, having my camera on 2 sec timer; I tried dropping the marble from above the marbles trying to get the smaller ones to scatter. I wasn't sucessful either way. #1 is my attempt, using post processing motion blur, liquify, smudge, and anything else that came to mind. #2 & #3 were images that I could use to duplicate and extract portions; #3 was the result of dropping the shooter marble into the pack which is why there is blurred color.

Wondering what you all thought and if you would, post your work and let me know what you did. Thanks!

Marble Strike #1


#2


#3

(Download)

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

carlysue, I think you cheated at marbles when you were a kid!! But that was long ago... subject at hand your photos, imaginative subject that all kids at heart can identify with.

With these images you are telling two stories... one is how you did the photos and the other is the story about the marbles being bullied by the big marble, photo #1. As such ... the theme could be in a child's book telling a story about people, but indirectly using marbles.

In #2 you showed enough of the bag to indicate it is a haven to marbles.. a home. carlysue, you used 2s exposure in a world where people use fast exposure to capture something... your slow speed captured the action using slow to blur stating movement... a technique too rarely use. At a carnival I used handheld 1/10 second to photograph a ride with a great motion in action effect... at high speed, it would simply have been a simple ho-hum documentation of the machine; slow gave life.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

What a delightful exercise - as viewed from my recliner What is it you don't care for in the original of #3? That could help direct any pp advice.

Thanks for posting, Carla!

artBob Loc: Near Chicago

Fine idea! I think#1 comes close to what you want. However, with the scattering blurs in all directions, the physics of a marble ground shot isn't right. How about taking away the blur of the left two and adding a blur to the large blue? That and weakening the ground in some way and/or "juicing up" the marbles, and I think you might have the effect you want.

Jim-Pops Loc: Granbury, Texas

I've been looking for some marbles to shoot for some time. I guess I should order on line. I have a Miops camera trigger that might get the shot you are requesting. After you set it up it will trigger your camera when the marble drops through a laser beam breaks. It's not a cheap piece of equipment or easy to use. It will let you get water droplets and lightning too. I am only saying it could work but not a recommendation. I couldn't get the laser beam to work properly, might have bought the wrong laser pointer.

donrosshill Loc: Delaware & Florida

An interesting concept, however, Marbles are never played on such a rough dirty surface. Always smooth clay or clean dirt circle.
Don

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

A good point And perhaps a smooth surface will help with the motion blur of the camera shot.

carlysue Loc: Columbus

Thank you all! These comments are actually a great help to me. I think what I am actually looking for is, how realistic is #1. I like it in that in has what I wanted, the appearance of impact and scatter. Things I wasn't sure about are, (1) does it look like impact and scatter, and, (2) like Art Bob indicated, the "physics of a marble ground". I guess I didn't realize, as DonRoss indicated, that marbles were played on hard ground; we always played in the alleys of inner city or the elementary school yard (but, as dpullum mentioned, that was a long time ago!)

Bob, when you say "take away the blur of the left 2, are you referring to image #1 and the red and yellow one? Does the impact of hitting the marbles stop the action of the shooter? and there fore the marbles would scatter forward, not back?

Jim, I thought about a Miops camera trigger especially to do water drops and lightning but hard to justify the expense for "playing", and my skills and tech ability to get a laser beam to work properly would be far less than yours! 😉😁 Also, lots of marbles to be had, most discount stores (Dollar Tree, Rosa's) that have toys have mesh bags of at least a dozen or so.

Again, I appreciate all of you looking and commenting.
carla

artBob Loc: Near Chicago

Carla, as I understand the physics of it (not being a physicist since high school), the larger marble could stop dead (if its mass was the same as the added-up masses of the other three), or might continue a bit (if its mass was greater than the other three marbles). Since you likely have renewed your Artistic License, and your idea is to communicate a memory and emotion, not a Physics lesson, I would suggest something like my attachment.

By the way, I loved marbles, but in our area, we played wild and wooly, free-for-all, "marble a marble," only rarely, and usually indoors, doing the ring version.

Good idea, and hope you keep renewing your Artistic License as you pursue your ideas.

L-Fox

Great idea, keep refining.

Howard5252 Loc: New York / Florida (now)

Good idea and you're not there yet. Smooth surface definitely better than the original "Busy" one.
How about striking one marble - when you get it right, use a different marble … combine the best of each marble in PP.

carlysue Loc: Columbus

Thank you all again for helping me compose, learn, and experiment. And have fun! Howard, I think that's a good thought and one I didn't think about but plan to incorporate. It's all good.

Rob48 Loc: Portland, ME

Fascinating, my friend; I love stuff like this.

carlysue Loc: Columbus

Thank you, Rob. Stuff like this gets in my mind and then i have to figure out how to do it and have it look "unplanned". I need to find a clean, solid hard dirt area on a playground somewhere so I can shoot this again. I'm sorry I'm late to respond, I've had a challenging past 2 weeks with my Dad. He's 95 and had a few health issues. He has never really been ill, had surgery or in the hospital so all new experiences for him. all is well now and he is back to his "normal" life, lives independently with his "helicopter daughter" hovering about .

Rob48 Loc: Portland, ME

You're a good daughter, carlysue; my best to him.