With epoxy combine the following: (1) Pre-drilled Peanut Butter Jar Lid and (1) Wood Dowel. Tape to lamp. Yield: (1) D.I.Y. Beauty Dish. Or you can build similar catchlights in about 4 clicks-worth of Photoshop (especially if you’re headed there to exaggerate the effect and/or your models freckles, anyway).
Simon Phoenix: “Illuminate!”
– Wesley Snipes – Demolition Man
About this image: digital photograph (Canon 600D) lightly modified in Adobe Photoshop
Refrigerator Magnate 
Great shot and great model 😉
The stuff she puts up with!
🙂
That is an understatement
I agree 😦 lol
Andro
HA! It would be impossible not to!
🙂
No argument, here! Of course if you want to talk movies…
😉
Beautiful and such a powerful effect!! Your genius knows no bounds!!!
Hahaha… or my depravity!
Many thanks, Astra!
🙂
Gorgeous effect..
I’m very happy you liked it! Thank you!
🙂
Innovate!
Having fun, anyway!
Many thanks, sir!
🙂
That’s beautiful, Robert. Very striking. I like it very very much. 😀
I’m very happy to hear that, S.E, thank you! I really like doing these close-up kinds of portraits (of course I’m fairly biased because I’m quite fond of this particular model). I wish I could con other people into this sort of thing, too.
🙂
Don’t think of it as conning them, think of it as doing them a favour. 🙂
Maybe in time…
with more practice…
maybe…
🙂
I see that your wife has stood up to the mark again once again and allowed your expertise to experiment with her sweet features, I can see the clarity that defines this wonderful piece of artistry and you have worked it to perfection, as you always do my great friend 🙂
For me, the imagery stands out so brilliantly in this one, indeed every single tweak shows your verve in art and photography, skilful attention to detail being weaved into the finished piece of art and one that compliments your wife if you don’t mind me saying so? She is a most delectable model, and of course you dare not make any mistakes either, or else? 😉
Have a wondrously enjoyable rest of Monday you two, after all this
creativity you deserve a rest, and of course with a couple of glasses
of the red stuff 🙂 Enjoy…
Andro
Sorry about my typo…
Andro
To tell you the truth I’m still trying to find it, Andro…
(I can promise you I would never have noticed)!
🙂
What an incredibly kind comment, Andro! Thank you so very much, sir (really – you spoil me with your incredible kindness and generosity)!
I really do like working with these close-up portraits… of course I’m very biased (as I’m quite fond of the model). I’m incredibly grateful she puts-up with the continued hassle of it all. Although it would be nice to con some other folks into sitting for this sort of thing as well (I feel like she certainly deserves a bit of a break after the perpetual photographic harassment)!
Thank you again, my friend! Very, very much!
🙂
This is past AMAZING!!!!!!
How incredibly kind of you to say! Thank you very, very much!
🙂
🙂
She must have the patience of a saint! I hope she got a good back rub out of the deal! 🙂
Right?! I’m like the paparazzi over here!
🙂
Love this shot….beautiful work as always!
Thank you very much, R.N.P!
🙂
My wife would not put up with it. She has an allergy to peanut butter.
Great image. Spot on. 😀
HA! Too funny, sir! Seriously… I managed to get peanut butter everywhere! And I had personally used a spoon to clean out the lid / jar well ahead of time! Thank you very much, sir! 🙂
Ditto to all of the comments above. Nice!
Why, thank you, H.C! I appreciate that!
🙂
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Great picture – I always wanted to have red hair and freckles. But I don’t think you know what you’re talking about in the beauty department. I tried your “beauty dish.” I’ve been sticking my face in a lid full of peanut butter every day for a week, and I don’t see any improvement yet.
Thank you very much, Peg! I’m a pretty big fan of freckles… I LOVE photographing (and exaggerating) them… there’s just an incredible level of ‘detail’ there, I think (detail is not really the right word, but…)
Hahaha… no worries, Peg. The Peanut Butter Program takes many, many
jarsweeks of serious commitment. 🙂You should call it . . . “In YOUR Face!” 😀
Ha! BOOM! 🙂
What an incredible portrait SiG! I have had fun moving the screen backwards and forwards watching the shadows change but the intensity of the catchlights remain a constant. Fantastic!
Thank you so very much, Ms. K! I really like this kind of close-up portraiture in general… and I’m not sure why, but I always have so much fun experimenting with creating different shapes / kinds of reflected light, etc…
🙂
Very nice portrait. And boy, is your wife tolerant!
Thank you very much, Binky! Absolutely! I don’t know how she does it, but I sure do appreciate it!
🙂
Awesome shot!
How kind of you to say, thank you!
🙂
She must be rather fond of you, too. 🙂
Fingers crossed!
🙂
very cool!
Thank you very much!
🙂
Great shot of Anna, Sig! 🙂
Many thanks, Deb! I appreciate that very much!
🙂
Great job sir. She belongs in a museum among the greats.
Thank you very much, sir! She certainly makes it difficult for me to screw-up a shot!
🙂
Great work
Thank you very much!
🙂
Beautiful shot, Robert! Really nice. I love the freckles.
How kind of you to say, Amy! Thank you! Me, too! I pulled the reds out as much as possible to really exaggerate them.
🙂
I like the reflection in the eyes.
That’s wonderful to hear… those catchlights were exactly what I was hoping to experiment with! Thank you very much!
🙂
There can never be too many freckles. Lovely.
Right?! And they photograph SO well, too! I love them!
🙂
I love this sooooooooooooo much. I know your friends on Facebook were like, “I want one!”, and I was like, “God, so needy,” but I WANT ONE. Mostly of myself, but honestly, I’d take Anna, too. I just love the texture of her skin; she’s almost perfect, but then there’s just enough texture to be human.
Thank you so much, U.M! I’m really, really happy to hear you liked this one… because I really value your taste/opinion, and (while I’m a big fan of this kind of close-up in general) I’m a fan of the model (so I’m never quite sure how much of that blinds me when I make certain editing choices, etc.). This is the sort of thing I’d like to do much more of.
🙂
Completely and startlingly engaging. Beautiful!
Thank you so very much, Karen! You are so kind!
I love shooting these extreme close-ups (I’d really like to do more of this sort of thing)…
🙂
A creepy looking kinda photo. Don’t tell Annabelle I said she’s creepy.
The good news is that I don’t have to (since any/all of that came from post-production… and you know who is responsible for that)!
🙂
Fantastic moment that you have captured! 😀
Why, thank you, Cristina! Very, very much!
🙂
I have the utmost respect for your good lady who allows you to produce such images Bob. Stunning shot – National Geographic magazine quality 🙂 Love the lights in her eyes which balance so well against the skin and its blemishes.
As to I, sir! Thank you!
Oh, now that is a kind comment! Incredibly so, Martin! Thank you again! I was pretty happy with how my little beauty dish catch-lights turned out… especially for a cheap lamp and a peanut-butter jar lid (not exactly the most high-tech set-up of all time)!
🙂
Powerful
Many thanks! I’m very fortunate Annabelle is such a good actress (makes it very difficult for me to mess a shot like this up too badly)!
🙂
(Sorry little behind on your blog)
Love-love-love this one, SIG. You got this with a rebel?- I thought it was analog. You got it to feel like a wet plate collodion photograph. Awesome job, man.
Many thanks, sir! I very much appreciate that (particularly since I absolutely love wet plate images – and I sincerely hope I can make a few of the real ones at some point – and by ‘a few’ I really mean ‘a ton’)!
🙂