An "enlightened" leaf, backlit through a matching hold in the background.Sadly the raster image doesn't do justice to either the detail or tonal quality of the print.
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!
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
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.