Sycamore Leaf

I really like this, simple yet striking.
On first look I thought it might be resting on pages of an open book. If I steal your idea to experiment, I might do just that... when the leaves return to the snowy north that is!

segedi,

Feel free to use this idea to your heart's content. I found the lighting technique by accident, and I'm sure that many others have used it too.

This picture differs from the "enlightened pear" that I posted before, in that the background for the "enlightened leaf" is white instead of a darkish grey-green, and there is a layer of frosted drafting film across the leaf-shaped opening. Both of these "soften" the appearance somewhat from a tonal standpoint. I have the same basic setup with different lighting that I will post in the next day or two.

And thanks for the compliment; I'll tell my wife that you must have excellent taste, because this is one of the odd images that she likes, too

Very nice pic. I like it even better in the tiny thumbnail size. Maybe a reduction would be worth printing (assuming this is 8x10 film).

I love this! I'd love to see it in person.

really quite nice ...

Stunning, and glad to learn a new lighting technique..K

what a beautiful companion to the enlightened pear, i can see these really-big !
john

Agree wholeheartedly with John - it's the perfect companion to your pear. Gorgeous printing and a wonderful sensation of radiance.

Beautiful in its simplicity and craftmanship. Keep up the great work!
Bill

Thanks, all. I am amused to see that of the pictures currently on the gallery page, this one has garnered a number of views second only to Stine's "Portrait with Spider". It's good that this is not a competition---against a spider, my leaf doesn't have a chance!

2F/2F: I noticed the same thing when the thumbnail went up; while I love the detail in the image, there is also something eye-catching about it. It's an 8x10 contact print, and my 8x10 enlarger isn't in commission, but this is one picture that I will consider matting, as an 8x10, into a 16x20 mount, for a sort of dual-effect display.

And to everyone else: thanks again for the kind words. I'd love to see someone else's take on the basic idea, as it looks to be suited to a wide range of subjects.