Alane Shoemaker
December 2025 - Colorful Thread
About the Image(s)
My image is comprised of the colorful thread that my friend utilizes for her quilting and sewing.
Here I used my Nikon D90 camera with a 18-105 mm f/3.5-5.6
lens (1/40 sec, f/5.6. Iso 1,600). The image was edited in Photoshop Elements, Topaz, and Lightroom.
4 comments posted
I really like where you are going with this image. There is simplicity in your composition. Often these scenes get overly busy, and you avoided those issues here. You did a good job in selecting your subjects to allow the addition of an independent background, although there are a few places (between the lower spools and on the right side) where your selection retained a bit more background than you may have intended. The addition of a clean yet nuanced background was well thought-out.
I do find that the subjects appear to float in space giving a bit of a surreal feel to the presentation. When I substitute a background into a still life that often can happen. Here I would add the appearance of a base (selecting and darkening the lower area) to give a place for the subject to sit. I might also add a contact shadow where the spools contact the base and perhaps a subtle shadow as well. I don't know if I am a fan of the background color. Perhaps a bit more of a complementary color (opposite on the color wheel from the yellow tread colors) might be a bit more effective. Also, I might eliminate the yellow wash of color on the spools (top and bottom) themselves. This would allow the tread to stand out just a bit more. I have included a version of this image where I have done these suggestions to illustrate my thoughts. See what you think.
Don't get discouraged though. You made a lot of good decisions here and I really like your intention, thoughts and execution. Nice Job!
Posted: 12/08/2025 22:06:41
I do find that the subjects appear to float in space giving a bit of a surreal feel to the presentation. When I substitute a background into a still life that often can happen. Here I would add the appearance of a base (selecting and darkening the lower area) to give a place for the subject to sit. I might also add a contact shadow where the spools contact the base and perhaps a subtle shadow as well. I don't know if I am a fan of the background color. Perhaps a bit more of a complementary color (opposite on the color wheel from the yellow tread colors) might be a bit more effective. Also, I might eliminate the yellow wash of color on the spools (top and bottom) themselves. This would allow the tread to stand out just a bit more. I have included a version of this image where I have done these suggestions to illustrate my thoughts. See what you think.
Don't get discouraged though. You made a lot of good decisions here and I really like your intention, thoughts and execution. Nice Job!
Posted: 12/08/2025 22:06:41
Charlie, I totally agree with all your recommendations. Thank you. Posted: 12/14/2025 04:18:27
Hi Alane: Interesting subjects in a three sum. Simple yet effective composition with warm colors.
The spools seem to float in space, Charlie has darkened down the bottom of the frame to create a base for the spools to sit on, and then with a line separating the darkened base from the lighter background. I think it looks realistic in this manner instead of floating in space. Posted: 12/10/2025 04:27:36
The spools seem to float in space, Charlie has darkened down the bottom of the frame to create a base for the spools to sit on, and then with a line separating the darkened base from the lighter background. I think it looks realistic in this manner instead of floating in space. Posted: 12/10/2025 04:27:36
Nice trio. Interesting topic - all sharp and nice texture.
Well done. Posted: 12/10/2025 19:50:17
Well done. Posted: 12/10/2025 19:50:17