Coffee!!

Foul, wet and dark here today, so after discussing Mono Monday with Paladian, who says the subject is now food, I thought I'd have a go at my tin (OK, big plastic tub) of Tesco 'Gold' coffee granules.

This was one of the ones I came up with, all taken using the ultra high-tech set-up of my armchair arm (to put the subject on) and angle-poise lamp above. Boy, do I love complicated lighting gear!

I had also discussed with 55 Daisies the 35mm f1.4 lens that she had tried out at the Photo Show yesterday. I had said that my Nikon own version of this lens was very old, so old in fact that it's made of brass! But also that I had only used it for Blips 3 or 4 times. Ironically, the Blip this day one year ago was one taken also with this lens - see thumbnail below right. So, perhaps another Blip with it, today?

So, set wide open at f1.4 and closest focus, this is what I got. The metal lip of the tin/tub is the bright lighter bit and the coffee bean design is on the outside of the tub, lit by ambient room light and enhanced in editing by shadow extraction.

So, no, it does not make Mono Monday but it is nicely coffee coloured and I like the limited focus effect, enhanced by the lens use on the full-frame D700. Shows how the usual fact that wider lenses have greater depth of field can be offset by wide aperture and close focus.

I did also try even wider lenses and with an extension tube. They sort of worked, but not quite. The lenses do focus closer but you end up so physically close that the lens causes huge shadows. I also tried the proper macro lens - but actually coffee granules don't look that great really close up!

Huge thanks for ALL who viewed, starred and favourited my Night-time Blip of yesterday and getting it up right to the top of the Spotlights. Love you all!

I also have to admit that my rash mention of doing "proper" photography with that time exposure yesterday referred only to me and my photography. I was not inferring that other genres or types are less difficult or worthy. I was laughing at myself for relishing the idea of tramping around muddy water-logged riverbanks in the dark, compared to the "luxury" of the solid, well-lit pavements of London.