Topic: POW 109 - Guess the closeup

Two years ago Emps did a POW called WTF?? (a lot of the links are dead, unfortunately, but all my photos are still online). The basic idea was to post closeup photos of ordinary objects and see if people could guess what they were. I had a lot of fun that week, and I thought I would resurrect the idea for this week's POW.

So get out there with your cameras and use your imagination! For the general rules and other info, see the FAQ:

POW (Photo of the Week}

I'll try to post some images later today or tomorrow to get things rolling.

OK, here's one image to get things rolling...



It's always hard to tell which ones are going to be easy and which ones are going to be difficult. My first thought is that this will be easy. I suppose we'll see.

Anyway, this is the sort of thing we're looking for this week.

And here's another one, just for the heck of it. This one is a lot more difficult.



(Edited by Suho1004 on 05-11-2007 11:28)

mhmmmmmmmmmm....

1.peas

and a

2. pullover?

No and no. I wish I could say you were close, but...

I hope to see some entries from others, too. We had some fun with this last time.

Is the first one a carpet?

The second certainly looks like a garment of some sort. But maybe they are little spikes instead? Like velcro or perhaps the nylon strap to a rucksack?

The first one looks like some sort of aquarium gravel to me...

Second one looks like it must be some sort of knit fabric, but...

Wow. OK, the first one is proving harder than I thought it would be. It is neither a carpet nor aquarium gravel.

The second one isn't really fair in that it's probably impossible to figure out what it is just by looking at it. It is indeed some sort of knit fabric, though. I'll take any answer that gets even close for this one.

1. sprouts? wasabi-covered peas?
2. chainmail

Compelling...

The first piccie... um... dense, green pods/buds... I'm sure I've seen this growing somewhere. A dense-flowering plant of some sort?

If the second is definitely not a knit/weave of some kind then.... how about carpet (or a carpet tile)?

EDIT: Okay, so it is some sort of knit. I was slow to type my post... :P

Looks like artificial fibre rather than wool (refractive like polyester/nylon)... this is going to bother me all weekend - and not having internet at home thanks to the builders next door being about as useful as an ashtray on a motorcycle, I'm going to have to wait till next week before I can come back for an answer. *sigh*

(Edited by White Hawk on 05-11-2007 15:59)

You guys are on the right track with vegetation for the first photo, with White Hawk getting the closest. As to whether or not yu've seen it growing somewhere, I can't say for sure, but I can say with certainty that you know what it is.

In fact, White Hawk is right about the second photo as well. It is an artificial fiber (although, to be honest, I have no idea of the exact composition).

And, uh, let's remember that this isn't the Suho Show here. I wanna see some pics that I can guess!

you're trolling for nose hairs

you don't fool me

broccoli...?

DL: Ding ding ding ding! We have a winner, folks! The first photo is indeed broccoli. Pretty neat, huh? I never knew what broccoli looked like up close until I took this photo. Fascinating stuff.

True story: when I was typing my previous reply in this thread, the wife walked into the room. I scrolled up and asked her if she could tell what the first photo was, and without a moment's hesitation she said, "broccoli." Period, no question mark. My jaw hit the floor.

But she couldn't guess the second photo, even when I told her she could see the object from where she was standing.

JK: I'll take other parts of the anatomy as well. Doesn't have to be nose hairs.

(Edited by lan on 05-14-2007 13:33)

Woohoo! Something for me to guess!

...and I just remembered that I suck at the actual guessing part.

Hmm. Whatever it is, it is fairly symmetrical, at least in the little bit we can see. My first thought is a flower, but if this is a closeup that's probably not it.

Maaan... I hate you

(Edited by lan on 05-14-2007 15:38)

I can't go down so easily



(Edited by lan on 05-14-2007 16:14)

A flower was my first guess as well, but that is definitely *not* the part of the flower I had in mind Looks a lot like an upside down tulip...

No clue on the 2nd one....unless it's also a flower

Long time no see. I have one that fits the bill..

linkage

Aaahaa... I reckon I remember this one, cy, but it's safe with me... for the time being

Remember the face!

(Edited by lan on 05-15-2007 05:42)

Ian: Sorry 'bout that. I had no idea I was actually going to be right! Like DL, though, it wasn't the part of the flower I had in mind.

cyoung: I remember that one, too... so I'll keep silent as well.

cyoung:

Looks like Coke spilled on the hood of a 1964 Dodge Charger.

Urgh.. didn't think I had shown that one here. Sorry bout that.

hyperbole- no cars or coke I'm afraid. But if you'll provide that 64 Charger I'll make good use of it.

"Uh, uh, uh... No peeking"

Click the link if ya give up... We'll be watchin' from the North Tower for peekers



(Edited by lan on 05-16-2007 08:40)

It's Elmo isn't it?

[edit]ah... I see what you did there with the link and all...[/url]

(Edited by Blaise on 05-16-2007 10:43)

I could kick myself. I typed broccoli more than once before changing my mind again...

Oooh! More! I'll be back...

Great stuff, I would never have guessed broccoli for your first one Suho. The second one is perhaps them dangly tassels that sometime hang from the edges of cushions or curtains or even lamps I seem to remember. Or perhaps a curtain door divide?
I did guess your flower too Ian, though not too sure of the type, it looks a bit like an Iris. I had to peek on the second.

Let's see if you manage to use the force on these two

Tao, you wouldn't try a sucker us with another flower.... would you

The second looks suspiciously like a pigs umm... weeeell... rhymes with umm

Nice one Ian, although it's not strictly another flower to be precise Shall I let another clue slip? I think I shall, we like clues. The first photo is not a macro shot and is seasonal.
The second photo is a well known creature (well done) but not a pigs posterior
Clue #2 You might try looking at it from a different angle.

I'm off on a little walkabout for a while tomorrow so I'll probably link up the solutions later on tonight.

Is the first one a field?
The second one looks like human hair to me....

The first looks like a field of Oilseed Rape - an increasingly abundant sight here in England - but then it couldn't be a close-up, surely?

The second... I'd guess a long-haired rat (or similar rodent) or rabbit (are they ears at the bottom of the piccie)? Maybe even a terrier? Something tells me it's not a cat... but what I think are ears could be a cat's shoulders/hips??

Blast you for starting this, Suho!! :P lol (Still trying to guess your second one)

(Edited by White Hawk on 05-17-2007 14:26)

Oh, oh... is the second one a dog... from the front, showing the bottom of his chest and the start of his paws

Badda bing badda boom! I'm enjoying this I must say.
I was "down south" for a week or two not so long ago visiting my sister in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Saw quite a few fields of Oilseed Rape which I believe are starting to used for an alternative fuel source. Beautiful countryside there, I'm just going through the photos I took there which I'll share with y'all when I'm through.

Clicky McClick-Click


The second one, well, you got it right with your first guess White Hawk. Introducing Missie, my friends long haired Persian. This is her in a good mood.



So, no nose hair then?

"Wow. OK, the first one is proving harder than I thought it would be"

"And here's another one, just for the heck of it. This one is a lot more difficult."

No sh*t, Sherlock

C'mon man... help us out here

Beautiful shots, Tao. Too bad I wasn't around to guess. Rape flowers was the first thing that popped into my head as well... we've got a lot of them in Korea.

quote:

---

lan said:

C'mon man... help us out here

---

Sorry, I haven't been home for the past few days.

My first shot was guessed correctly by DL, but I think everyone has given up on the second one. And rightly so--I never would have guessed it myself.

The answer to my second photo

If it doesn't look anything like the closeup, remember that this was an extreme closeup.

And since we don't seem to have any photos that haven't been guessed, here are two more.

This first one shouldn't be too hard, I don't think:



This second one might be a bit more challenging:



I think I'll let this go for a few more days...

[Edit: Whoops. Screwed up my tags]

(Edited by Suho1004 on 05-18-2007 04:58)

Wow - all along I was thinking it was a heavier fabric... neat!
___

New pics:

The first is a keyboard, I'll wager.

Second is obviously um... uh... ARGH!

I'm going to make a guess that it isn't fibres, but striated and folded plastic/rubber, like the pleated material on expandable (laptop) bags or whatnot.

Darn it, I'm going to get my own back on you, Suho! *starts trawling through photos*

Duno WH, ya gave me a clue with the keyboard. Don't ask me to explain the lateral thinking... but I reckon it's a stack of plastic chairs, Mr Suho

As for the second... hmmm->1000->mmm... is it curtain pleats

quote:

---

White Hawk said:

Wow - all along I was thinking it was a heavier fabric... neat!

---

It is amazing how different things look up close.

The first one is indeed a keyboard--what you see in that photo are the corners of the 1, 2, 4, and 5 keys on the number pad.

The second photo is neither the pleated material on expandable laptop bags (or anything like it) nor curtain pleats. Good guesses, but quite a way off.

quote:

---

White Hawk said:

Darn it, I'm going to get my own back on you, Suho! *starts trawling through photos*

---

That's the spirit!

Damn

Mobile testing

Ooh... okay then, is it some sort of plant?

Nope, it's not a plant.

Okay, so not a plant, not pleated material.

Is it a bundle of wires/cables? If not, is it metallic?

BTW - I've discovered that my huge collection of pointless phone-cam photographs just doesn't contain anything suitable for extracting a 'close-up' from. Can you get macro lenses for a 2megapixel mobile? (lol)

Oh, you can! Mobi/PDA lens set, and similar here too!

(Edited by White Hawk on 05-20-2007 15:19)

It is neither a bundle of wires/cables nor anything metallic.

To clarify on the previous question, it is not a plant, but it is organic. By "plant" I assumed you meant something that was growing.

And none of your photos have any good close-ups? I was looking forward to some more pics... anyone else? I'd like to see at least one more non-Suho contribution before I hand off the baton here.

Since Suho wants one more, I'll pitch in
I've been wanting to start contributing to the POW threads since they got started some 2 years ago, but I've been too busy or too lazy when I remember it. Then there's the year or so I fell off the face of the earth...

So without further adeiu, here's my non-Suho contribution:



[edit: I guess it helps if I put the right url for the image... 3rd times a charm



[added: My guess for Suho's fourth picture... It looks like strands of cotton threads maybe... Some kind of small model?

(Edited by Lord_Fukutoku on 05-21-2007 21:58)

quote:

---

Tao said:

Badda bing badda boom! I'm enjoying this I must say.I was "down south" for a week or two not so long ago visiting my sister in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Saw quite a few fields of Oilseed Rape which I believe are starting to used for an alternative fuel source. Beautiful countryside there, I'm just going through the photos I took there which I'll share with y'all when I'm through.Clicky McClick-Click The second one, well, you got it right with your first guess White Hawk. Introducing Missie, my friends long haired Persian. This is her in a good mood. So, no nose hair then?

---

Could have fooled me, I thought the second one was chewbacca's girlfriend

(Edited by SleepingWolf on 05-22-2007 01:27)

(Edited by SleepingWolf on 05-22-2007 01:37)

Lord_F: It is not strands of cotton thread, and it's not a model.

Here's a hint, though I don't know how much it will help: pay attention to the angles.

As for your photo... hmm. Looks kind of like a water-stained surface, but I know that's not it.

Sleeping Wolf: A bird's beak, maybe?

"Water-stained surface" is surprisingly close... I'll link the big version this afternoon.

The lines are converging towards the bottom right. It looks like it could be hair, but I'm not sure how that plays into the angles of the strands. Maybe if it was braided some way.

A second the bird's beak for SleepingWolf's.

yup, would also go for a beak...

C'mon guys, lets make it a little harder... what sorta bird

Give SW's previous subjects, I'm goin' for a bald eagle

[edit] Oh... Lord_Fukutoku, maybe an underground cave stalactite device, or the rim of a geyser pool [/edit]

(Edited by lan on 05-23-2007 00:45)

Is the second pic the bristles of a brush, Master Suho?

I'll second Ian's guess--it looks exactly like a bald eagle's beak. In fact, after looking at some photos of bald eagles online, I'm almost 100% sure that's what it is. That or another type of eagle.

And I think Ian might have something going on Lord_F's photo as well. That does look very much like a cave feature.

WS: Heh, I wish I could get that kind of magnification. No, it is not the bristles of a brush.

Lord_F is right, thought: the lines do converge toward the right. So it's organic and composed of longish elements that converge toward a point. Shall I post the answer? Any final guesses? Here's one final hint: each of those elements in the photo is almost one centimeter wide (9mm, to be exact). That should at least help you with the scale.

And while we're at it, here's my final shot, one I took on a whim this morning. It should be fairly easy for the crew here, so I'm going to post the pic and then a link to the larger version. Make your guess and then click.



And the answer: Yeah, baby!

That's it for me--I think I've contributed enough to my own topic. I'll wrap this one up and choose a successor when all mysteries have been revealed.

Damn Suho, ya got me again... I would have bet money it was that yucky, gooey bean paste type stuff that's so popular in your part of the world... can't for the life of me think of the name

That other stuff that you revealed is yummy!!

In anticipation of the end of this round, and with every intention of actually participating in the POW threads a little more from now on, I would just like to say that this was fun. I look forward to seeing what the remainders turn out to be (I could have guessed that beak in no time, of course).

I'm tempted to buy a set of lenses for my phone now. It may be only 2MP, but I can downsample the 1600x1200 images it creates into something resembling clarity...

The geyser pool rim was the closest I think, although a cave formation really isn't too far off (the water is just moving in the wrong direction)
Around Durango, Colorado, there are several hot springs. This one doesn't have a pool, just a really cool looking mound of rock that's built up over time.

Click to see.


And from another angle.
And really high up.


Suho, I'd guessed some kind of coffee flavored ice cream for that last one

(Edited by Lord_Fukutoku on 05-23-2007 14:40)

Ian: I believe you're thinking of what we call doenjang in Korean, although most people probably know it as miso (Japanese). There is actually a difference between the two--the Japanese version is somewhat milder.

Or are you talking about the Japanese natto? That most certainly is an acquired taste.

White Hawk: Looking forward to seeing some of your photos. You know, with the price of decent digital cameras these days, you might be better off buying an actual camera rather than spending money on lenses for your phone.

And since I think everything else has been covered, here is the final reveal... guesses have included pleated plastic/rubber, a stack of plastic chairs, a plant, a bundle of wires, something metallic, cotton threads, a small model, hair, and brush bristles. In fact, it is...

Ta-da!

After Lord_F posts the full version of his pic I'll choose a successor.

^ Lookie lookie

Aaawww Suho... you sly dog, ya got us all sucked in with that one

As for the paste I'm thinking of... can't know... I tasted a teensy bit and it was like glue, and horrible... kinda bitter!


Lord_Fukutoku... thank goodness for your geyser... saved me the embarrassment of being a complete failure

All in all a great comp... the bestest for ages... well done Master S; how about complimentary jolts all 'round

Ah, Lord_F posted while I was typing... I don't think I would have gotten any closer to that than my previous guesses.

As for my photos, the fan ended up being far more successful than I had imagined.

Ian: like glue and kind of bitter? Hmm... natto can be kind of gluey. Actually, it's more like gum or something really sticky. But I don't know if it's bitter. Anyway, not too many people eat it here. It's more of a Japanese thing.

And now for someone to carry on the POW... I'm gonna go with White Hawk for this one. Had a lot of good guesses.

Now everyone join me in the shock therapy lab for an electrifying time!

beak..that's good...would have accepted eagle beak too..but you forgot to say "what is a beak"