jeangenie's 52 for 2009 - Part 2, Week 52 Texture - and finally ... [Archive]

jeangenie

14-07-2009, 08:45

This rollover to the other thread could get confusing. Might be worth reposting the shots Jean... Anyway...

I like it, I don't think there's too much green on the right, and the position of the beans leads nicely to the spuds and (I think it was) onions. Well done on getting a crop. As for your mysterious garlic "disease" good shot, it might be worth trying with levels or curves to lighten the background a bit, which might hide the shadow. I like it.

I hadn't thought of reposting the shots - thanks. When I get a minute I'll try and do that. :)

Thanks also for the suggestions on the scape shot. I'm afraid the shot is already 'curved' to within an inch of its life - the shadows were very intense. I should have taken the time to move the shot indoors and control the light better, but, as often happens, I was rushing to get this done on Sunday afternoon. If I'd had more time I would have used quick mask to lighten the bg, but I'm not sure that I'd have improved it - pp skills still sadly lacking. :eek:

Back to your hightlights that's a very nicely composed shot and work very well with this week theme, and congratulations on the fruits of your labour...

Thank you very much. I've enjoyed both the growing and the togging. :)

I like both of your highlights shots but the second one the best. Shadows are allowed.

Mark:thumbs:

Thanks, Mark. You're very kind. :)

kennysarmy

14-07-2009, 10:20

I prefer the first shot :)

great colouring and sharpness - well done :)

SarahLee

14-07-2009, 19:43

I'm getting slightly confused with everyone starting new threads this week. . . just when I thought I was getting the hang of navigating around this forum too :bang:

Anyway, I commented on your part1 thread - but just to keep everything in one place I'll put it here too.

The first image is very good, but for me the simplicity of the second one is stunning.
Educational too. I'd never heard of scapes before either.

Well done on your first crop as well as a great photo :clap:
I have some space set aside by the greenhouse at the side of the house. Every year I promise myself that I'll get round to putting some raised beds in and growing my own veg . . . and every year I get side tracked with something else. Maybe 2010 will be my year for it.

Bruja

15-07-2009, 16:46

[QUOTE=jeangenie;1705983]Guess who didn't read the forum rules on 6 month old threads. :rules: :bonk:

Me neither, and I bothered Admin about it :( before I found Daysleepers thread

Now I'm going to look at your photo and comment there ;)

jeangenie

16-07-2009, 07:36

I prefer the first shot
great colouring and sharpness - well done :)

Thanks - I actually toned down the saturation of the veg - they just looked unreal. At first I thought I'd taken them with D-lighting on, but I hadn't. Anyway, glad you like the shot. :)

I'm getting slightly confused with everyone starting new threads this week. . . just when I thought I was getting the hang of navigating around this forum too :bang:

Anyway, I commented on your part1 thread - but just to keep everything in one place I'll put it here too.

Sorry for the confusion Sarah. Thanks for commenting - you're very kind. :)

[QUOTE=jeangenie;1705983]Guess who didn't read the forum rules on 6 month old threads. :rules: :bonk:

Me neither, and I bothered Admin about it :( before I found Daysleepers thread

Now I'm going to look at your photo and comment there ;)

So glad it's not just me who doesn't read the rules, Jill. By the time I thought of pm'ing someone to ask I'd already posted on the old thread. :bonk: Next week should (hopefully) be back on course. :D

Jean

jeangenie

19-07-2009, 21:30

After the confusion of the 6-month-edit-rule last week, I'm hopefully back on track. Many thanks to all those who hunted round for my Highlight and were kind enough to comment. :)

Great theme for this week! :banana::banana: FUN :D

I've had a very busy but mostly fun-filled week - lots of social things going on, but I managed not to get a single photo for this week's theme. :bonk: How stupid can I get? (No answers sought, btw!) For once, though, I had some ideas: Remembering the Beach Boys 'Fun, Fun, Fun' - a T-bird. A toy one would do - but I couldn't find one anywhere locally. Thinking about the end of term and the beginning of the holidays, made me think about my childhood holidays. I grew up in Stoke-on-Trent and going to the seaside for a week, or even a day, was a huge treat and fantastic fun. The best thing in the whole world was spending the day on the beach, paddling, running in and out of the waves and building sandcastles, only to watch the sea sweep them away on the incoming tide.

So my Fun photo this week is - a sandcastle. :)

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/2507/DSC_5721LR.jpg (http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=63444)

... and yes, I did enjoy building it, although it was a very hasty effort at 8.15 tonight, in rubbish light, and much to the amusement of several passersby. The beach is Mudeford - not my childhood haunts of Blackpool and North Wales, but sand is sand. Mr JG came along to help with construction - and the ritual destruction, but being a grown-up he then grumbled about the sand in his car. :D

Lessons learned:

1 Childhood memories are very precious and it's good to mull over a few of them occasionally.

2 Leaving a weekly photo shoot till 8.15 on the last day is pushing your luck a bit. My Plan B involved working out how it was 'fun' to build sandcastles in the rain. :lol:

3 Thank God it didn't rain - well not much anyway.

4 Lying on the sand with your pride-and-joy-camera an inch from gritty destruction isn't relaxing - or fun.

5 Constructing a photogenic sandcastle takes longer than 5 minutes.

6 I'm determined to get next week's shot nailed earlier, and take more care over the tecchie bits. :)

Thanks for looking - please feel free to C&C - I'm conscious that I haven't pushed any photographic boundaries this week!

Jean

corky

20-07-2009, 21:52

I reckon you've caught what most of us 52ers remember as the simple fun things we did as kids....ah memories. Well done, excellent take :clap::clap:

jeangenie

20-07-2009, 21:56

I reckon you've caught what most of us 52ers remember as the simple fun things we did as kids....ah memories. Well done, excellent take :clap::clap:

Thanks Corky. :) I've found one of the major advantages of children and eventually grandchildren is that you can carry on being a kid under the excuse of playing with them. :lol: :D

Jean

Shorty

20-07-2009, 22:39

I love this shot :-D it is great!! I love how 'natural' it is with the 'imperfect' sand and the seaweed. Proper British beach. All I can do is :thumbs: thumbs: :thumbs:

Great.[don't ask me why I like it so much, but it's really pleasing on my eyes!]

jeangenie

20-07-2009, 22:59

Awww - thanks, Shorty. :)

I would have quite like a big, pukka sandcastle with lots of turret and flags, but at 8 pm on a damp, miserable evening time and light were in short supply. I'm glad you like it, warts, seaweed and all. :D

Jean

jgs001

20-07-2009, 23:36

Very nice Jean... Ah... sandcastles... I get to do that most years :D.... I've introduced the kids to the idea of trying to hold back the tide by building complex Sand Forts... it keeps them quiet for hours... now I know why my Dad did it to me :D. Sorry... waffling off there...

I like it, the castle is spot on, well built but not perfect, and the vibrant colours of the well placed buckets and spades fit in nicely :thumbs:

Toothie

21-07-2009, 00:18

yay to sand castles :D

lots of detail, nicely done

jeangenie

21-07-2009, 06:30

kennysarmy

21-07-2009, 08:56

..but where is the stripey deck-chair and the donkeys?

oh and those little flags you put on top of the castles....

:D

Bruja

21-07-2009, 12:33

Great minds think alike, except I couldn´t find a sandcastle. I almost bought a bucket and spade kit at the local cheap shop and then thought ´what the heck am I doing, if I get down on my hands and knees I´ll not get up again, and just think of all the possibilities for sand to get into nooks and crannies (I mean the camera´s :naughty:'

Maybe it´s not a Spanish thing :thinking:

I love the composition of this shot, and the dedication that went into getting it :clap::clap:

And Mr JG is no different to Mr Bruja. First thing he said as we came off the beach was make sure you get the sand out of your sandals before we get in the car! :D

jeangenie

21-07-2009, 18:37

..but where is the stripey deck-chair and the donkeys?

oh and those little flags you put on top of the castles....

:D

:lol: In Blackpool and Rhyl. Mudeford had closed for the night by the time I got to take this shot. :D

Great minds think alike, except I couldn´t find a sandcastle. I almost bought a bucket and spade kit at the local cheap shop and then thought ´what the heck am I doing, if I get down on my hands and knees I´ll not get up again, and just think of all the possibilities for sand to get into nooks and crannies (I mean the camera´s :naughty:'

Maybe it´s not a Spanish thing :thinking:

I love the composition of this shot, and the dedication that went into getting it :clap:

And Mr JG is no different to Mr Bruja. First thing he said as we came off the beach was make sure you get the sand out of your sandals before we get in the car! :D

Thanks Jill. :) I worried a lot about the nooks and crannies, too! Ahh - and there we have the crucial difference between England and Spain - you got sand in your sandals, while I got it in my wellies. :lol:

What is it that sends men into a panic attack at the possibility of sand in their cars? :shrug:

Jean

SarahLee

21-07-2009, 20:04

oooh that sea looks cold . . . definitely reminds me of childhood holidays (it was always Porthcawl or Tenby for us)

You've really captured the texture of the sand, and the colours in the seaweed make a great backdrop.
:thumbs: I really like this one and well done to Mr JG for helping.
I can imagine the look I'd get for suggesting a trip to the beach at that time of night ! He already thinks I'm :cuckoo:

Dark Star

21-07-2009, 21:55

Great and simple shot well executed :) Splashes of colour and the breaking wave just make it :)

Good stuff Jean!!

And as for the words....

"5 Constructing a photogenic sandcastle takes longer than 5 minutes."

What an observation :-) Love it :)

"6 I'm determined to get next week's shot nailed earlier, and take more care over the tecchie bits."

Should be EASY :)

jeangenie

21-07-2009, 22:19

oooh that sea looks cold . . . definitely reminds me of childhood holidays (it was always Porthcawl or Tenby for us) Yes it was! More like November than July - in other words a typical summer's day. :lol:

You've really captured the texture of the sand, and the colours in the seaweed make a great backdrop. Thanks. I wasn't sure about the seaweed, but I was stuck with it.
:thumbs: I really like this one and well done to Mr JG for helping.
I can imagine the look I'd get for suggesting a trip to the beach at that time of night ! He already thinks I'm :cuckoo: Mr JG's just given up on me and goes for the quiet life, I think. :)

Great and simple shot well executed :) Splashes of colour and the breaking wave just make it :)

Good stuff Jean!!
Thanks John - glad you like it.
And as for the words....

"5 Constructing a photogenic sandcastle takes longer than 5 minutes."

What an observation :-) Love it :)

"6 I'm determined to get next week's shot nailed earlier, and take more care over the tecchie bits." Ha ha ha! I just knew I'd regret saying that.

Should be EASY :) Ha ha ha again. :p

Hyster

22-07-2009, 23:15

Corky is spot on, reminds me of fun days out at the beach as a kid.

Good take on the theme Jean, well done.

jeangenie

23-07-2009, 06:29

Thanks, Hyster. :)

Jean

maddog.mark

23-07-2009, 19:26

Ah sandcastles they were / are fun. Great idea, think I would have preffered a lower angle but that's just me being picky..

Mark:thumbs:

jeangenie

24-07-2009, 21:16

Ah sandcastles they were / are fun. Great idea, think I would have preffered a lower angle but that's just me being picky..

Mark:thumbs:

Mark, I did try to get a lower angle (just for you :)) but the horizon got in the way and looked odd. Mr JG looked a bit odd, too, when I suggested a rebuilding project to get more height. :lol:

Jean

adrury

25-07-2009, 18:09

Aaah jean so many memories of sand in places that annoy and me mam n nan having no patience for my complaining :lol: :lol:

I love your point number 4 by the way gave me and Mr D a right chuckle!

Once again I love the composition/colouring of this shot!! :clap: :clap:

jeangenie

26-07-2009, 20:48

Thanks Angela - you're very kind. :) The colouring is courtesy of Photoshop, not the sun, though - and more luck than skill in applying it. :D

A week on, and I'm still finding sand in all sorts of places. :lol:

Jean

jeangenie

26-07-2009, 21:12

Great! an EASY one this week. It's what we've all been asking/hoping for - so why didn't I find it living up to its name. :bonk:

For once, ideas came thick and fast - easy as pie/pi, easy rider, easy peasy, an 'easy' photo - one within my comfort zone, etc, etc, but none of them seemed to have a picture attached to them, and I made the stupid mistake of looking at several other people's Easy solutions.

There they all were - all the ideas, executed beautifully and far more creatively than I would have done them. :bonk:

So, I ended up with 'It's Easy When you Know How':

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/2507/DSC_5751LR.jpg (http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=63886)

Yeah I know it's only a tray of fairy cakes, (cue 'Your M&S' music here) but these are Gluten Free Fairy Cakes. We have 2 small grandsons, and one of the ways I wanted to be a traditional granny to them was by doing fun things like making gooey cakes and jam tarts with them and enjoying them licking the bowl out, etc - all children should get to do stuff like that, in my opinion. But one grandson is on a gluten and dairy free diet, so normal cakes are a big no-no.

I had some spectacularly dismal failures with GF ingredients to start off with. But gradually, I adapted this, changed that, put in a bit of something else, until I found a recipe that worked - every time. And they taste like 'proper' cakes. :D So, now I know how - it's EASY. :)

Lessons learned:

1 Despite my best intentions last week, I still didn't get my photo done until this morning. I really am going to do better next week.

2 It's a while since I've used such a shallow dof and I've forgotten how quickly the focus can shift from one place to another.

3 Shooting freshly baked cakes very early in the morning is good - because even I wasn't tempted to eat them - well, only one. :lol:

4 This week's shot has inspired me to get some more practice in with the macro lens.

5 And do more baking. :D

6 Last week sand all over the tripod and camera, this week - icing sugar. :bang:

Thanks for looking

Jean

Toothie

26-07-2009, 21:20

I love the DoF and they look yummy, any chance their fat free too?

jeangenie

26-07-2009, 23:07

I love the DoF and they look yummy, any chance their fat free too?

Sorry, no - but it's only soya 'fat' so I'm sure that's not so bad. ;)

Jean

Hyster

27-07-2009, 06:42

Hi Jean, a good idea for the shot, my youngest still loves making cakes and shes off to secondary school shotly, she'll be making them on her own soon.

I was going to say there is a better shot in there with a bit of a crop, loosing the dead space (oof bit at the bottom), but you know what, the more I look at it the more it, the more it kind of just works for me.

I like the two curves of the cupcake holders that meet top middle to left, thats the strongest bit of the image for me and it pulls my eye to it.

I want a cupcake :dummy:

:D

jgs001

27-07-2009, 10:26

Very nice Jean... that's worked very well, the DOF is great. As for GF cookery... what a mare.... My wife is a coeliac on a GF diet and it's really hard, well done on getting GF cakes that aren't either cardboard or powder :D...

jeangenie

27-07-2009, 11:19

I was going to say there is a better shot in there with a bit of a crop, loosing the dead space (oof bit at the bottom), but you know what, the more I look at it the more it, the more it kind of just works for me.

I like the two curves of the cupcake holders that meet top middle to left, thats the strongest bit of the image for me and it pulls my eye to it.

I want a cupcake :dummy:

:D

Thanks for your comments, Hyster. This was a very hard crop and I felt there was a 'better' crop in there somewhere - but couldn't 'find' it. I think I'll have to bake some more and have another go. :lol: You're welcome to share them. :D

Very nice Jean... that's worked very well, the DOF is great. As for GF cookery... what a mare.... My wife is a coeliac on a GF diet and it's really hard, well done on getting GF cakes that aren't either cardboard or powder :D...

Thanks John. You're right - trying to maintain a gluten-free diet is hard. I accidentally made my grandson some ordinary toast the other day - but, bless him, he spotted it and told me! I should think for your wife, eating out is a huge nightmare. And gluten lurks in the unlikliest of products. :thumbsdown:

Jean

Bruja

27-07-2009, 11:33

Really like the abstract nature of this shot Jean, and as I currently don´t even have a macro lens it´s something I couldn´t even attempt:clap::clap::clap:

I think there´s just enough detail to work out what they are :thumbs:

As for your ideas for this week I had them all too, and I was singing the Lionel Ritchie song all week as well!!! :gag:

But no one seems to have got the connection between my photo and the theme, and it´s the one thing missing from your list of possibilites.

EASY = Piece of Cake :lol::lol::lol:

Daysleeper40

27-07-2009, 16:58

Catch up time...

The good news: I love your fun shot. It's the epitome of fun family holidays at the British sea-side that I had as a kid! I love the "real" feeling to this - I can feel the texture of the sand, hear the waves, and smell the sea. Great take on the theme :clap::clap:

The not so good news: I'm sorry but I'm not loving Easy. I like the top half but the OOF white at the bottom half is a bit too much for me I'm afraid.

jeangenie

27-07-2009, 21:14

Really like the abstract nature of this shot Jean, and as I currently don´t even have a macro lens it´s something I couldn´t even attempt:

I think there´s just enough detail to work out what they are

As for your ideas for this week I had them all too, and I was singing the Lionel Ritchie song all week as well!!!

But no one seems to have got the connection between my photo and the theme, and it´s the one thing missing from your list of possibilites.

EASY = Piece of Cake :lol::lol:

Thanks Jill - It didn't start out as an abstract but it looked a bit boring 'as is' with a greater dof. "Easy = piece of cake" :bonk: :lol::lol::lol:

Catch up time...

The good news: I love your fun shot. It's the epitome of fun family holidays at the British sea-side that I had as a kid! I love the "real" feeling to this - I can feel the texture of the sand, hear the waves, and smell the sea. Great take on the theme :clap::clap:

The not so good news: I'm sorry but I'm not loving Easy. I like the top half but the OOF white at the bottom half is a bit too much for me I'm afraid.

DS - I'm really pleased you like the Fun shot - thanks. Thanks also for being honest about Easy - I always respect your views and I know when you say you like something you mean it. :) Next time I bake I'll have another go. :)

Jean

Daysleeper40

27-07-2009, 21:24

An excellent reason (excuse) to bake again again I'd say ;)

Spartacus

28-07-2009, 13:38

Hi Jean sorry for the delay on your Fun shot... I love it...:love:

simple and straight to the point, brings back the good old days as a kid with not a care in the world...(what ever happened to that feeling:()

Easy works for me every time love your focus and view of the cakes, and like all good shots you keep looking to see more and more...brilliant...:clap::clap::clap:

maddog.mark

28-07-2009, 19:44

Yet again a really interesting back story, thanks for sharing more of your life with us. I agree that children should cook/bake, it gives them practical skills that they won't forget! I can't quite decide if I'd like a bit more dof or not, I suspect the image is one that will grow on me.
Mark

SarahLee

28-07-2009, 20:35

Those cakes look delicious!

I love the idea and the detail on the curve of the cases works really well to draw your eye in. I'm so jealous that I can't get that sort of DoF with my camera :(

I wonder if it might have worked even better with the front cake in focus and the ones behind it fading out . . . I'm not sure though because you may have missed the curve on the cases then. It would be interesting to see it both ways to be able to compare.

jeangenie

29-07-2009, 12:16

An excellent reason (excuse) to bake again again I'd say ;)

The trouble is - I think it's essential for the cook to do lots of sampling and my waistline is in enough trouble. :lol::lol:

Hi Jean sorry for the delay on your Fun shot... I love it...:love: No worries - glad you like it.

simple and straight to the point, brings back the good old days as a kid with not a care in the world...(what ever happened to that feeling:() We grew up - sort of!

Easy works for me every time love your focus and view of the cakes, and like all good shots you keep looking to see more and more...brilliant...:clap::clap::clap: Aww, thanks, Marcus, much appreciated.

Yet again a really interesting back story, thanks for sharing more of your life with us. I agree that children should cook/bake, it gives them practical skills that they won't forget! I can't quite decide if I'd like a bit more dof or not, I suspect the image is one that will grow on me.
Mark

Thanks Mark. :) I was undecided about dof, but ended up going with what I'd got because of time pressures.

Those cakes look delicious!

I love the idea and the detail on the curve of the cases works really well to draw your eye in. I'm so jealous that I can't get that sort of DoF with my camera :(

I wonder if it might have worked even better with the front cake in focus and the ones behind it fading out . . . I'm not sure though because you may have missed the curve on the cases then. It would be interesting to see it both ways to be able to compare.

Thanks, Sarah. I tried focusing on the front cake but ended up with the cooling tray and worksurface in shot. I'll have to have another go at editing one of the other shots.

Jean

adrury

30-07-2009, 19:15

Aaah what a fab granny you are too!! This is another fab shot, I love the low down angle on this its really effective!

ps I am in desperate medical need of some cakes (honest :naughty:) any chance of you sending over a batch!! :D

jeangenie

01-08-2009, 20:44

ps I am in desperate medical need of some cakes (honest :naughty:) any chance of you sending over a batch!! :D

Hehehe! Yep - get the kettle on. :)

Jean

jeangenie

02-08-2009, 20:19

Thirty weeks in and this is the first time I've got to the point of posting and STILL don't know which one to choose. :thinking:

Last week was the annual 3-day New Forest Agricultural Show and I knew I'd get a Colour shot there - no idea what it would be but it would be fairly easy to find something.... and it was! There were lots of colourful subjects - from the fairground, through stalls selling almost anything you could think of, the flower and vegetable tent, 'colourful' characters, beautiful animals and old farming machinery.

Photographically, not quite so hot, though. I decided to travel light - just the D700, an old lens from my film days (28-105mm), couple of memory cards and a spare battery. So I didn't even try to get any shots of the colourful equestrian events and the hugely spectacular motorbike stunt team.

As I type this, I've narrowed it down to two shots:

1 This colourful display on a stall caught my beady eye :D

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/2507/DSC_5886LR.jpg (http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=64468)

2 An amazing, colourful wild flower meadow, growing right in the middle of the show ground :)

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/2507/DSC_5774LR.jpg (http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=64464)

This really was growing in the ground - not pots, or 'built' there last week (like Chelsea Flower Show) - the area had been cleared of grass and weeds a few months ago and meadow flower seeds scattered and left to grow.

Lessons learned:

1 It's great when the theme works well with that week's events. :)

2 Don't get greedy and indecisive just because there's plenty of subjects to shoot - for once!

3 Trying to choose just one lens for a day out is sooooo difficult.

4 This Chellenge can 'take over' - I concentrated on visiting areas of the Show (it's huge!) which were likely places for photographs.

5 If you're lucky you will be in a large tent when the heavens open.

6 Mr JG and I got lucky twice on Thursday! :lol:

7 You have to be patient with the crowds of people who just don't understand obsessive togs!

Thanks for looking - I'd be interested to know which picture you prefer - and why - or neither - and why!! :D

Thanks

Jean

corky

02-08-2009, 20:27

For me its the meadow. lovely colours
J

Hyster

02-08-2009, 20:31

Agree with Corky, nothing wrong with the first but I prefer the meadow too.

SarahLee

02-08-2009, 20:57

I'm no help at all - I just can't decide either.

My problem is that the two photos are so different and I like them both for utterly different reasons.

The beads shot is really abstract. I love the range of colours and the little highlights in each bead.
There's also a weird optical illusion going on when I scroll up and down the screen. :D I keep going back and doing it again!

The meadow shot is simply beautiful though.
It would have been so easy to get that mix of colours oversaturated and out of balance, but you haven't. It just looks so natural and you've got some lovely DoF there.

Shorty

02-08-2009, 21:46

Easy: one word/action *drooooool*

Colour, flower shot for me. Love it, so, very, colourful! :clap:

Andy

02-08-2009, 22:23

I love both of the shots, nice and colourful.

jgs001

03-08-2009, 09:24

Wow, a pair of stunners this week Jean. I can't decide. The meadow is lovely, but the beads... I'm with Sarah on the optical illusion... they move... I think... I'm going to vote for the beads...

karmagarda

03-08-2009, 13:22

I also love both of them! Both very vibrant. 1st has, as was mentioned, a super optical illusion going on! But the meadow has a great mix of DOF/colour/Bokeh. The only thing I will say about the second shot is the flower that is curved/bent over and out of focus at the front is slightly distracting. I would probably have tried cropping it out, or cropping part of it and maybe a slight clone of the rest out. Just personal opinion though. And even at that I would probably still pick the meadow because the colours are so fantastic! Both super photos :thumbs:

maddog.mark

03-08-2009, 21:23

Both good shots in their own right, but the flowers have it for me, well done on getting two shots!

Mark

jeangenie

03-08-2009, 21:26

Wow - I'm so chuffed you all like my take on Colour. :D Thanks for all the great comments - I'm sitting here with a big grin on my face. :$

The meadow was just beautiful - I took quite a few shots and it was very difficult trying to get just the right colour combination and crop. I'll post a few of the others tomorrow. Too tired tonight after a hard day's retail therapy!

Thanks again, everyone - you've made my day (yes - even better than retail therapy!) :)

Jean

Bruja

05-08-2009, 08:56

Wow, Jean, 2 fantastic shots. And I can't choose either :thinking: :clap::clap::clap:

And getting 2 great shots in :clap::clap:

I know what you mean about going somewhere when the only thought on your mind is of getting 'that' picture

And you got lucky with Mr JG twice on Thursday - is that too much information ?:naughty:

Spartacus

05-08-2009, 09:56

Wow,
And you got lucky with Mr JG twice on Thursday - is that too much information ?:naughty:

He He He just how do you find the time....:lol:

For me Jean it's the flowers all the way...so natural and great focusing, I like the very oof flower in the front as it adds to the viewing pleasure and the boarder fits perfect.

The beads are ok but may be a macro close up would give it the wow factor it needs for me...:thinking:

Excellent stuff...:clap::clap::clap:

Toothie

05-08-2009, 12:19

There both lovely and colourful am not sure which i prefer tbh :D

jeangenie

06-08-2009, 07:15

Wow, Jean, 2 fantastic shots. And I can't choose either

And getting 2 great shots in

I know what you mean about going somewhere when the only thought on your mind is of getting 'that' picture

And you got lucky with Mr JG twice on Thursday - is that too much information ?:naughty: and it wasn't even my birthday - or his! :p

Thanks Jill, glad you like them. :)

He He He just how do you find the time.... Well ..... :$

For me Jean it's the flowers all the way...so natural and great focusing, I like the very oof flower in the front as it adds to the viewing pleasure and the boarder fits perfect.

The beads are ok but may be a macro close up would give it the wow factor it needs for me...:thinking:

Excellent stuff...

Marcus - thanks for the lovely comments. :) I know what you mean about the macro shot I didn't get. Ah well - next year, maybe!

There both lovely and colourful am not sure which i prefer tbh :D

Thanks Ruth. Just pleased you like 'em. :)

Jean

Dark Star

06-08-2009, 07:21

Woefuly behind on yours Jean - sorry!

Easy - its like a Willy Wonka landscape :) Cake mountains! and an extreme dof that works a treat - subtle colours and enough of a hint as to what we're looking at :) I like it

Colour - its the meadow for me - natutal- bright - colourful - wonderful :) The beads (and this may be my eyes or my head) look distorted a little - colours great but theres something about them that looks a little skewed. So 100% for me its the fleurs :) Terrific!

jeangenie

09-08-2009, 20:51

Thanks John - I think I can see what you means about some of the beads. They looked ok on the original and I wonder if it's just the way the light has caught them. Either that or I need a new lens ...:thinking: :lol: Glad you liked the others. :)

Jean

jeangenie

09-08-2009, 21:25

Fate is being kind to us - another really good theme for this week. :D

Lots of food to choose from - nice food, posh food, comfort food, home-cooked food, raw food, junk food, convenience food - an endless list of options. So what do I choose ... "Lycopersicon esculentum", better known as Tomatoes.

Why?

I love eating them and enjoy growing them. It's very satisfying to grow a huge plant, dripping with luscious red fruits from the tiniest of seeds in less than 6 months. Home-grown tomatoes taste of, well, tomatoes. Sweet, juicy and totally unlike shop-bought ones. So my food of choice for Week 31 is

A tomato:

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/2507/DSC_5926LR.jpg (http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=64975)

This week, I've looked back on several previous efforts, and have realised I have the ability to keep making the same stupid mistakes time after time. So no Lessons Learned this week, but far too many -

Lessons Still Not Learned: :rules:

1 Leaving the shot until Sunday evening just because the theme is 'easy'. :bang:

2 Expecting natural light to do what you want it to.

3 If anything (or lots of things) can go wrong with props - they will, especially on a Sunday evening.

4 Thinking I can compensate for inadequate lighting in Photoshop.

5 Don't try and use Quick Mask in a hurry.

6 Other creatures will make life hard if they can. This week it was small black flies. At lest they're easier to shoo away than the dogs. :lol:

7 The beautiful image in my mind's eye tends to stay there instead of making it to the finished shot.

8 Not leaving enough time to reshoot when the results are disappointing. The colours in the tomatoes this week aren't what I envisaged and despite using a tripod, the main part of the image isn't as sharp as I would have liked. Worse still, I don't know why. :(

All in all, a disappointing shot for me this week. At least the tomato tasted good. :)

Jean

Toothie

10-08-2009, 00:00

I love the composition and the colour looks fine here but they seem to have lost all the detail which is a shame. Really not sure on what to suggest to improve it as like you im not sure what went wrong.

jgs001

10-08-2009, 02:37

I agree with Ruth, colour are good and strong and the comp is good... but there's something odd going on and I can't work it out either. Has there been a lot of selection and cutting ?

Shorty

10-08-2009, 06:47

The colours and composition are fab. Joocy tomatoe.
My only niggle is I don't like the reflection at all, without it it woulda been a cracking shot. But that's just personal.

jeangenie

10-08-2009, 07:43

I agree with Ruth, colour are good and strong and the comp is good... but there's something odd going on and I can't work it out either. Has there been a lot of selection and cutting ?

Thanks for your thoughts, Ruth, John and Shorty. :)

John - I'm not sure what you mean by 'cutting'. I did Quick Mask to separate the background from the subject. and then did Levels on each. The only other adjustments was a touch to Brightness and Contrast on the tomatoes, USM and sizing.

I think it may have been the D-lighting, set on High that's taken out the detail, although I've never had this happen before. :bang:

It's bugging me - I'll have to try again. Grr....

Jean

jgs001

10-08-2009, 08:39

Ah... gotcha... it almost looks like some of the toms have been superimposed, I think it might be the strength of the white showing through.

jeangenie

10-08-2009, 10:19

Right, had another go at this - a complete reshoot. I'm still not thrilled with it - but the colours and definition look at bit better - I think. Your honest crit would be most welcome, folks. :)

Sorry about the odd spots - it started raining. :bang:

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/2507/DSC_5946V2LR.jpg (http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=65032)

Thanks for looking. :)

Jean

Spartacus

10-08-2009, 13:40

Hi Jean glad you did a reshoot the first one, if I may be so bold was....:razz:

But that said you did a great recovery shot and works sooooo much better for me. It's a great idea and you got 99% right just tad more of a colour boost and it's a cracking shot....:clap::clap::clap:

Shorty

10-08-2009, 18:06

Yes, 2nd shot is better :clap: well done!

jeangenie

10-08-2009, 20:09

Hi Jean glad you did a reshoot the first one, if I may be so bold was....:razz: So that's at least 2 of us who didn't like it. :D

But that said you did a great recovery shot and works sooooo much better for me. It's a great idea and you got 99% right just tad more of a colour boost and it's a cracking shot....:clap::clap::clap:

Thanks. I was erring on the side of boredom with the saturation on the second one. I didn't want to be the first person on this challenge to have 3 goes at a basically simple shot. :)

Yes, 2nd shot is better :clap: well done!

Thanks Shorty. :)

SarahLee

10-08-2009, 20:13

corky

10-08-2009, 20:41

:agree:

jeangenie

11-08-2009, 07:38

Second one is definitely better for me too.
I love the composition and simplicity of this idea and in the second shot the colour looks so much more natural and it just seems generally sharper.
The reflection is working better too.

However . . .

There's been something bothering me about the first one and it's taken me a while to put my finger on it.
I think it's because the reflection isn't an inverted mirror image as you'd expect - it's just an echo of the real tomatoes.

The only way that I can think that you did this was to raise them up on a piece of glass or perspex with a reflective surface underneath it so that we're actually seeing a reflection of the bottom of the tomato slices.
:thinking: That would account for the dark shadow to the left of the blob of seeds too.

Interesting idea. I reckon with a bit of practice that could really work and if it was done very subtly it could leave you with a reflection shot that's strangely off-kilter and disturbing, but hard to pinpoint why . . . hmmmm something I'd like to have a play with I think!

Thanks Shorty and Sarah.

The prize for Sleuth of the Week goes to ..... (roll of drums) ... Sarah. :D

That's exactly how I did both of them - a mirror on a table, with a peice of glass supported on 4 tuna tins (I like the high-tech options in life :lol:) on top of it. The difficult bit was getting sky reflected in the mirror without any trees, me or the camera and tripod intruding. I then did Levels separately on the sky and the tomatoes using Quick Mask. But as you say - it needs refinement, and you've set me thinking, now as well. :D

Jean

jgs001

11-08-2009, 08:30

That second is much better Jean :thumbs: I love the idea you used for capturing that ...

karmagarda

11-08-2009, 11:10

Good improvement on the second shot. I really like the idea behind this, it's very inventive.

Bruja

11-08-2009, 13:23

Well Jean that's now 3 of us who thought the first shot was :razz: :lol:

The second shot is much better though with your Heath Robinson type set up :clap::clap:

As for your Things still not learned points :lol::lol::lol:

It is easy to become complacent when you think it's an easier theme but I've generally found that the easier you think it's going to be the more complicated it becomes trying to put it into practice :shrug:

PS Has MrJG made your framework yet?

jeangenie

12-08-2009, 08:01

That second is much better Jean I love the idea you used for capturing that ...

Good improvement on the second shot. I really like the idea behind this, it's very inventive.

Thanks, John and KG. It's easy to think 'if only I had ...' fill the gaps as needed, but part of this challenge for me is using everyday bits and pieces for props, reflectors, lighting, etc, and it's surprising what you find around the house. :)

Well Jean that's now 3 of us who thought the first shot was :razz: :lol:

The second shot is much better though with your Heath Robinson type set up

As for your Things still not learned points :lol::lol::lol:

It is easy to become complacent when you think it's an easier theme but I've generally found that the easier you think it's going to be the more complicated it becomes trying to put it into practice :shrug:

PS Has MrJG made your framework yet?

thanks Jill - glad you like the second shot and the set up! You're right about the complacency over an 'easy' subject. I'll never learn. :bang:

I still haven't got a framework, but MrJG has decorated the hall, stairs and landing which is nearly as useful. :lol:

Jean

kennysarmy

12-08-2009, 11:28

Dark Star

12-08-2009, 17:54

Late again :(

The second shot is my preferred version and I think it works when you know what you did with the mirror and thats a clever and inventive idea :) Well done on the set up :)

Colours and crispness are all there too :)

Like Jeff though I wonder what just a plain white background would look like!

Still a great submission though! Very good indeed :thumbs:

jeangenie

12-08-2009, 21:20

The reshoot is a BIG improvement on the first...
Not sure what the reflection adds to the shot tbh :(

I think just the red tomatoes on the white would work well enough without the added distraction...

Late again :(

The second shot is my preferred version and I think it works when you know what you did with the mirror and thats a clever and inventive idea :) Well done on the set up :)

Colours and crispness are all there too :)

Like Jeff though I wonder what just a plain white background would look like!

Still a great submission though! Very good indeed :thumbs:

Thanks guys. I thought a plain white b/g would be just another shot like several I've already done and wanted to try something different. The patterns inside tomatoes are amazing (sad - I should get out more, I know) and I thought it'd be fun to see them from 2 directions. :)

Jean

jeangenie

14-08-2009, 22:45

Week 32 - only 20 left. I wonder what fate and the luck of the draw has in store for us? :eek:

Exposed - could get some of us into a awful lot of trouble here, so I for one, am feeling quite smug that Mr JG came up with an idea for this week which would keep me on the right side of 'banned'! :lol:

Living in the New Forest, we are - as you might expect - surrounded by trees and in the great storms of 1987 and 1989 many trees in the forest were blown over. Some, however, remained with a part of their root systems in the ground and, amazingly, continued to grow - horizontally at ground level. So my photo this week is a tree root system exposed for inspection:

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/2507/DSC_6012V2LR.jpg (http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=65284)

I expected to wander into the forest, grab a few piccies of tree roots and be back home in half an hour. As often happens, though, I ended up spending 2 hours plus experimenting with - guess what? - exposure. :lol: The lighting varied from difficult to really awful, and getting a balance between highlights and deep shade was , well, interesting.

So this is Exposed on 2 levels - the subject, exposed roots, and the togging, balancing exposure to get the result you want.

Lessons learned (after last week, this is making me happy :))

1 My camera never ceases to amaze me - it's just so clever I don't think I'll ever live up to it. :bang:

2 The combinations of exposure are infinitely variable - and I tried a good few of them on this shot. :bang:

3 When you've tweaked this, adjusted that, reset something else and still can't get the shot you want to need to go back to square one and start again.

4 Why, oh why did I not think of shooting in Manual instead of AP - I tried pretty much every other setting on the camera to get 'inside' the root ball.

5 I love Active D-lighting. :love:

6 Nature is cruel - while I was trying to nail this shot there were red deer nearby - I kept catching glimpses but didn't manage to get a decent shot of one. Grrrrr ... I'm sure I could hear them saying to each other 'Nah, nah-na nah-na' and laughing every time I fired the shutter just as they disappeared behind a tree. :lol:

7 On a really busy day in the forest at the height of the holiday season, it was lovely to find peace, quiet and isolation within a few hundred metres of the car park. :)

C&C most welcome, as always

Jean

karmagarda

15-08-2009, 11:36

Great photo! It looks a tad grainy, but I actually think that adds to the photo. Sounds like you had a right struggle with the exposure! But all the effort paid off. Well done :thumbs:

bigsteve

15-08-2009, 12:20

Nice pic Jean, I think you did really well to bring out the detail. :D

maddog.mark

15-08-2009, 20:01

A great take on the theme and well done on getting the exposure right:clap:.

Bryan Peterson author of Understanding Exposure would tell you to meter off the green the stop it down 2/3rds before recomposing and shooting the scene. Apparently that works really well. Might be worth a try next time you're faced with a lot of green in an image.

Hyster

16-08-2009, 09:29

Hi again Jean,

Food, the second shot is an improvement but there is something about the composition of the first I like. Really creative set up by the way, I keep meaning to get a sheet of glass/perspex for this sort of thing. What did you use to light the toms?

Exposure, very good idea from Mr JG, I've found playing around in manual mode pretty rewarding up to now, very quickly start to see the range of light in a scene.

Its a fine enough shot and while not as inventive as your food shot, its well exposed and the colours are vibrant and certainly fits the theme.

Your forrest looks like an ace place to spend the day with a macro lens.

SarahLee

17-08-2009, 20:58

You're so lucky to be living in the New Forest area with all of that on your doorstep. It looks like an absolutely stunning location.

Great idea with the exposed roots and I like the way that you've made use of DoF in this shot.
I think I'd like to see a touch more contrast in this one though, perhaps a bit darker underneath the root ball.

p.s. Glad to know that I'm not the only one using tins and other assorted bits and pieces to balance stuff on when composing photos.
This photography lark really does force you to be inventive!

Spartacus

19-08-2009, 10:26

What a great idea that was...:clap::clap::clap:

Well spotted and photographed...I keep coming back to it and think it's a lovely shot and one that we all see and don't notice...:love:

Excellent work Jean...:thumbs:

Bruja

19-08-2009, 14:03

Great take on the theme Jean :clap::clap:

Well exposed (:lol:) and the composition draws you in.

I tend to use manual in low light settings, and bump the ISO, then gradually shorten the exposure time until I get the shot (I hope) I want. It then gives you a few to choose from.

jeangenie

21-08-2009, 08:07

Thanks for all the replies - I need a few minutes to get my head round all the helpful suggestions and comments, and after a week of visitors, including 2 small and excited grandchildren, I'm brain dead. :D

Not yet even thought about this week's photo, either. :'(

Jean

jeangenie

23-08-2009, 14:49

First of all, an apology to those kind enough to comment on Week 32 - I still haven't had chance to try out your suggestions. Sometimes life just gets way too busy, and the last straw this week-end was having an emergency trip to the vets following a sleepless and worrying night with a sick dog. I hope he's now on the mend, but I wouldn't want to go through that again in a hurry. :)

I'll catch up with all your Week 32 and 33s soon - promise. :)

Way back when the theme was drawn I had a bright idea about catching a great sky, with a lone (mono!) tree, some interesting landscape, and trying to produce an Ansel Adams-style b&w with a good, balanced range of tones - something I've often tried to do in the darkroom but not in digital.

Huh, fat chance. :lol:

So this week took me no further than the pinta on our doorstep - just a simple white object on a black background. Mono in colour, if that makes sense. :thinking:

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/2507/DSC_6128LR2.jpg (http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=66032)

Lessons learned this week:

1 There's no such thing as a 'simple white object on a black background' in the photography world, especially when the white object is also reflective. :bang:

2 The more simple and pared-down the subject, the more crucial the placement.

3 After ten or so attempts, no composition looks right.

4 Our kitchen has got too many windows.

5 I exposed for the black and then adjusted the white in PS - I don't know if there's a better way.

6 Taking the bottle of milk straight from fridge to table resulted in a lot of condensation on the bottle which needed constant mopping up. Next time, I'll get the milk to room temperture first. But then we wouldn't want to drink it. :lol:

7 Perhaps I should have gone with my other idea - a bottle of white wine. :D

Thanks for looking.

Jean

Spartacus

23-08-2009, 17:23

Very clever Jean...:clap::clap::clap:

That works very nice with the black B/G...its something I didn't think of, just goes to show how we all think differently when it comes to the 52s...:lol:

Excellent...:thumbs:

SarahLee

23-08-2009, 18:40

I like this. Sometimes the simplest things are the most effective.

Great detail on the bottle and definitely worth getting condensation everywhere for :thumbs:
I like the framing on it too.

I always do the exposure the other way round - expose for the subject and adjust the black in PS. Not sure if it really makes any difference, it's just what I've found easiest.

maddog.mark

23-08-2009, 19:15

well I think it was worth the effort. You've got this just right!

Shorty

23-08-2009, 19:59

Mono in colour makes perfect sense. And I actually like how it's in colour, cos I think...even though this is mono, if you were to....Mono it, it'd not suit :clap:

Kiwi Jaz

23-08-2009, 20:14

You have done well to get such an exact black and exact white. I really like this.
Brings back memories of when I used to steal bottles of milk like this with my mates when we were at school. Naughty naughty! ;)

jeangenie

23-08-2009, 20:30

Very clever Jean...

That works very nice with the black B/G...its something I didn't think of, just goes to show how we all think differently when it comes to the 52s...:lol:

Excellent...:thumbs:

Thanks Marcus. It seemed simple when I first thought of it. How wrong that was. :D

I like this. Sometimes the simplest things are the most effective.

Great detail on the bottle and definitely worth getting condensation everywhere for :thumbs:
I like the framing on it too.

I always do the exposure the other way round - expose for the subject and adjust the black in PS. Not sure if it really makes any difference, it's just what I've found easiest.

Thanks Sarah. I'll have to try the exposure the other way round. I exposed for the black, because I think that's the hardest to get right, so on a white b/g I'd expose for the subject, then sort out the white. I suppose that was my thinking - I don't often use black b/gs, but you always get yours nice and black, so you must be doing something right. :)

well I think it was the efforts you've got this just right!

Thanks Mark. :)

Mono in colour makes perfect sense. And I actually like how it's in colour, cos I think...even though this is mono, if you were to....Mono it, it'd not suit :clap:

Thanks, Shorty - and I know what you mean. :D

You have done well to get such an exact black and exact white. I really like this.
Brings back memories of when I used to steal bottles of milk like this with my mates when we were at school. Naughty naughty! ;)

Thanks for the kind comments. Hope you enjoyed the milk. :lol:

Jean

corky

24-08-2009, 08:09

well Jean, lovely shot on exposed. very well captured.:thumbs:

Mono is simply smashing. a small complaint is I would have got rid of the coloured bottle top. well done :clap:

karmagarda

24-08-2009, 10:32

I agree with Corky. Cracking mono shot. Something I never thought of. I'd have lost the bottle cap too though. Great photo all the same :thumbs:

Toothie

24-08-2009, 12:21

I love the idea of your exposed shot but your mono is fantasitc. kida the same idea as me but done totally differently :D

SarahLee

24-08-2009, 12:57

Thanks Sarah. I'll have to try the exposure the other way round. I exposed for the black, because I think that's the hardest to get right, so on a white b/g I'd expose for the subject, then sort out the white. I suppose that was my thinking - I don't often use black b/gs, but you always get yours nice and black, so you must be doing something right. :)

I really don't know if there's a right or wrong way for this - I'm just making it up as I go along :D
My thinking is that if I want the focus to be the foreground that's where I should put my effort into getting the exposure right (give or take a few tweaks later).

For the black backgrounds: With my bridge camera I'd adjust the background using the eyedropper tool in levels. Shooting in RAW with the SLR is easier because you can just alter the black slider.

You don't seem to have lost anything from the milk bottle with your method though, so I'm not sure that it really matters which way you do it.

jeangenie

24-08-2009, 22:20

well Jean, lovely shot on exposed. very well captured.:thumbs:

Mono is simply smashing. a small complaint is I would have got rid of the coloured bottle top. well done :clap:

I agree with Corky. Cracking mono shot. Something I never thought of. I'd have lost the bottle cap too though. Great photo all the same :thumbs:

Thanks Corky and KG. I dithered about taking off the coloured bottle top, but thought it would just be Sod's Law this week that if I did the bottle would be chipped or something, and it was the only one in the fridge. Mr JG is grinning like a Cheshire cat and saying 'there you are - I told you to get rid of the top!' :D

I love the idea of your exposed shot but your mono is fantasitc. kida the same idea as me but done totally differently :D

Thanks Ruth. We must have been sharing a brain or something. :)

I really don't know if there's a right or wrong way for this - I'm just making it up as I go along :D
My thinking is that if I want the focus to be the foreground that's where I should put my effort into getting the exposure right (give or take a few tweaks later).

For the black backgrounds: With my bridge camera I'd adjust the background using the eyedropper tool in levels. Shooting in RAW with the SLR is easier because you can just alter the black slider.

You don't seem to have lost anything from the milk bottle with your method though, so I'm not sure that it really matters which way you do it.

I think that's one of the fascinating things about digital photography - there's so many ways of getting to the same end result. But I will try your method next time. :) I did a tweak in Levels and toped it up with the the eyedropper to get the white - the black is as taken - I was quite chuffed with that 'cos I thought it would be much harder. I'll definiately do more stuff with a black b/g now. :)

Jean

78seconds

25-08-2009, 08:06

Great picture of the milk which reminds me of London ( as I live in Germany now ). My aunt still get´s her "bottles" every morning - typical english. I like it.

Hyster

25-08-2009, 09:11

Good take on the theme Jean and you have controlled it well.

bigsteve

25-08-2009, 15:28

So many cool interpretations on this theme, and this is no exception!
I just can't help feeling that a silver top would have made a difference.
Brilliant pic though, and makes me more determined to have a proper go at black backgrounds.
Thanks for the inspiration! :)

jeangenie

25-08-2009, 21:35

Great picture of the milk which reminds me of London ( as I live in Germany now ). My aunt still get´s her "bottles" every morning - typical english. I like it.

Glad it brought some happy memories of 'home' - although our milkie only delivers 3 times a week but it's better than late night dashes to the supermarket. :lol:

Good take on the theme Jean and you have controlled it well.

Thanks Hyster - it was bit of an experiment, so I'm pleased you think it worked. :)

So many cool interpretations on this theme, and this is no exception!
I just can't help feeling that a silver top would have made a difference.
Brilliant pic though, and makes me more determined to have a proper go at black backgrounds.
Thanks for the inspiration! :)

Thank you Bigsteve. :$

I agree about the silver top - but I didn't dare mess with it since it was the only bottle I had and with hindsight (wonderful gift!) I should have cloned out the red bits. :bonk:

Have fun with your black background. :)

Jean

Bruja

26-08-2009, 15:10

That's 2 of us that have done black and white in colour this week so I'm bound to say I like it :D

You've got the balance spot on, and if I look closely I can see you and the window in the reflection on the bottle :eek:

Seems like you've got a consistent black background too which I know was something you've felt you've struggled with in the past. :clap::clap:

As for lesson 1, I had a similar problem with the teapot where I had a bright spot of reflection on one of the characters, fortunately at the top. And because it was Chinese no-one noticed I cloned it out :lol:

jeangenie

26-08-2009, 22:09

That's 2 of us that have done black and white in colour this week so I'm bound to say I like it :D Great minds, eh? :lol:

You've got the balance spot on, and if I look closely I can see you and the window in the reflection on the bottle :eek: Oh no, not an accidental sp - another first - for me anyway!

Seems like you've got a consistent black background too which I know was something you've felt you've struggled with in the past. :clap::clap:

As for lesson 1, I had a similar problem with the teapot where I had a bright spot of reflection on one of the characters, fortunately at the top. And because it was Chinese no-one noticed I cloned it out :lol: I bet it says something rude now, heheheh :)

Jean

Dark Star

26-08-2009, 22:28

Ah always always late :)

Exposed: That has a real depth to it Jean - almost 3D on my monitor I like it and like the colours!

Mono: Clever and a lovely simple set up - I like the bg and light - two very different shots both meet the briel well and are well taken :) :clap:

jeangenie

30-08-2009, 07:36

Ah always always late :) ... and that's always better than 'never'. :)

Exposed: That has a real depth to it Jean - almost 3D on my monitor I like it and like the colours!

Mono: Clever and a lovely simple set up - I like the bg and light - two very different shots both meet the briel well and are well taken :) :clap:

Thanks for the very kind comments on both shots. I'm always slightly surprised but very pleased when I get such lovely compliments. :$

:)

Jean

jeangenie

30-08-2009, 07:53

We're just about starting the third season of this Challenge - Autumn - so lots of ideas there, but for me, no inspiration because as soon as I saw the theme 'Season' I mentally added "... with salt and pepper". I know several other people had similar thoughts, too. But I decided to stick with it, so here is my Week 34

"Season ... with salt and pepper"

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/2507/DSC_6194LRv3.jpg (http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=66452)

As always, I had trouble setting up this table top shot. The main problem was getting the letters into a suitable 'shape' for a conventional aspect ratio. It's an area I really must learn more about. :bonk: And then finding something to 'build' the ingredients on. I ended up using an upturned pyrex dish but found I had to crop hard to eliminate unwanted background. :eek:

Lessons learned and still to be learned:

1 Still leaving things to the last minute - I'd have recomposed this if I'd had more time.

2 Stop doing black and white in colour. The lighting is doing my head in. :bonk:

3 'Drawing' letters with peppercorns needs a steady hand and a pair of tweezers - very frustrating and fiddly.

4 Some things I just never learn. Last time I used salt I vowed 'never again' - it gets everywhere. Grrr ...

5 I shot this on black but it might have been easier on a white bg to get a more even colour in the salt. See 1 above. :bang::bang:

Thanks for looking - I do appreciate all the helpful comments you make. :)

Jean

Spartacus

30-08-2009, 16:24

I love this shot...:love:

So simple and straight forward to understand...and bloody hard to get right...:clap::clap::clap:

Looks like your back on form again this week...:thumbs:

Love it Jean :love:

Shorty

30-08-2009, 19:28

Oh I agree 100% with Spartacus, LOVE this shot. But wow, I'm so surprised the pepper/salt was taken more than the '4 seasons' interpretation!!

:love: :clap: :clap: :thumbs:

SarahLee

30-08-2009, 21:12

:clap: :clap: :clap:
Well it's another great idea on the old salt & pepper bandwagon - I just can't believe that you had the patience to spell out "season" in peppercorns!

I don't know about needing to change this to shoot on white. The salt looks pretty perfect from where I am, and although I'm sure that the lighting was difficult to get, it's definitely paid off.
It looks so simple and effective, yet it must have taken so much effort to get right. You've really pulled this one off - Well done !

BTW I love your lessons learned! They really made me laugh, and after this week I can definitely relate to salt getting everywhere :lol:

kennysarmy

31-08-2009, 10:08

great idea and well set up!

not sure I'd have the patience.....

Dark Star

31-08-2009, 11:01

Oooh clever :) That must have taken ages :) The angle and dof really work well rather than straight above as I might have done (and got wrong :))

Cracking!

:D

jeangenie

31-08-2009, 14:38

I love this shot...

So simple and straight forward to understand...and bloody hard to get right
Looks like your back on form again this week...

Love it Jean

You're very kind, Marcus - tbh, it didn't feel like being on form - trying to frame the shot up was impossible and I ended up cloning salt into the top of the shot to get rid of unwanted b/g. Sometimes out of focus is useful. :D

Oh I agree 100% with Spartacus, LOVE this shot. But wow, I'm so surprised the pepper/salt was taken more than the '4 seasons' interpretation!!

Thank you, Shorty. I'm surprised how many of us have chosen variations on salt and pepper - especially when salt is so unphotogenic!

Well it's another great idea on the old salt & pepper bandwagon - I just can't believe that you had the patience to spell out "season" in peppercorns!

I don't know about needing to change this to shoot on white. The salt looks pretty perfect from where I am, and although I'm sure that the lighting was difficult to get, it's definitely paid off.
It looks so simple and effective, yet it must have taken so much effort to get right. You've really pulled this one off - Well done !

BTW I love your lessons learned! They really made me laugh, and after this week I can definitely relate to salt getting everywhere

Thanks Sarah. I set it up very late on Saturday night and had to get the shot done before going out for the day on Sunday - so I was lucky the light on Sunday was ok. I know I keep saying it, but leaving the shot to Sunday is a recipe for pressure. :eek:

great idea and well set up!

not sure I'd have the patience.....

Thanks - patience isn't my strong suit either - you should have heard my commentary. :$

Oooh clever :) That must have taken ages :) The angle and dof really work well rather than straight above as I might have done (and got wrong )

Cracking!

Thanks John - if it's worked, it's more luck than judgment, but I'm glad you like it. :)

Jean

Hyster

31-08-2009, 19:00

Thats a excellent pic Jean, really, really good. Simple but really effective.

Full marks this week.

jeangenie

31-08-2009, 19:03

Thanks Hyster. I'm really pleased people like it. :)

Jean

Toothie

01-09-2009, 20:40

Well set up Jean the composition adds something a little different :thumbs:

jeangenie

01-09-2009, 21:43

Well set up Jean the composition adds something a little different :thumbs:

Thanks Ruth.

I can't imagine what Grunge is going to look like, though. :lol:

jgs001

02-09-2009, 08:30

Both mono and season are simple images (yet a pain to do right). Very good Jean.

Daysleeper40

03-09-2009, 22:19

Oh lordy am I behind on your thread - I'm sorry!

The moment has passed for a lot of these but for what it's worth:

Food - now I like the idea but the reflections are not doing it for me. I'm not sure why - I think it might be the colour... my brain just can't seem to compute what's going on :shrug:

Exposed - I like! Has a very 3D look to it :thumbs:

Mono - I also like that you have done mono in colour - and actually I think the hint of colour in the lid adds to that.

Season - You must be very patient and have super steady hands - it would take me an age to set that up! Clever idea - impossible to miss the theme, and I like the DOF and angle :clap:

jeangenie

04-09-2009, 20:52

John and DS - thank you both. You're very kind. :)

Jean

jeangenie

06-09-2009, 16:23

Damm - what a lousy theme.

Lack of inspiration on this one. The theme suggested seomthing representing dirt, mess, decay, ruin - not my scene really. I tried hard to come with up something on the Seattle Grunge music scene - no luck there! Then my friend, Wiki suggested:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grunge_(disambiguation)

Great! Problem solved - F A N T A S T I C. Just take a photo I'd enjoy taking and disambiguate. :D

err .... not. :thumbsdown:

I ended up with something that looked like I'd just stuck a PS effect on it - that looked truly awful. Yuck. :gag:

So back to the drawing board, or to be accurate, the dirt, mess, rubble .... ahhh rubble. There on my own front doorstep (or it would be if we had a front doorstep at present) was a whole skipful of lovely, grungy rubble.

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/2507/DSC_6260LR.jpg (http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=67125)

We're having a porch built on our house and the builder's skip was just what I needed.

Lessons learned:

1 Same as some of the other 'hopeless' weeks - keep hoping and searching for an idea.

2 Rubble isn't photogenic in my book and I still didn't have any great enthusiasm for the subject.

3 Black and white rubble looks even more of a jumbled up mess - at least mine did when I tried it in b&w.

4 The neighbours think I'm bonkers. Perhaps they're right. :lol: Who in their right minds would spend half a day dashing out into the garden to take yet more photos of a skip.

5 Photographically - I'm sure I should be learning something from every week's effort - but I don't feel I have from this one. Ho hum. :shrug:

Jean

maddog.mark

06-09-2009, 16:32

jeangenie

06-09-2009, 17:06

Well for a load of old rubbish it looks pretty good to me:clap:..... I agree about the theme, easily the hardest one to date for me!

you should send it to these guys... linky (http://www.theskip.net/) - don't ask me how I know about them!:lol:

:lol::lol: Thanks for the link, Mark. Just think, I could just possibly get published in a national mag, circulation :shrug: I love the opening para about 'The Skip' being different from other skip mags. :D

Thanks for the kind comments, too.

Jean

Errr ... Mark how do you know about this magazine???

Toothie

06-09-2009, 17:50

nice work on the skip but i have to say it seems to be missing a gruney old mattrise ;)

Spartacus

06-09-2009, 20:03

Well it's been a tough week for most of us this week and I for one am glad it's over. Your shot this weeks fits the theme nicely and I love the oof b/g...:clap:

Well done for this week Jean...:thumbs:

jeangenie

06-09-2009, 20:36

nice work on the skip but i have to say it seems to be missing a gruney old mattrise ;)

Sorry - no matress - we're still sleeping on it. :gag:

Well it's been a tough week for most of us this week and I for one am glad it's over. Your shot this weeks fits the theme nicely and I love the oof b/g...:clap:

Well done for this week Jean...:thumbs:

Thanks, Marcus - I thought you were about to say it's a load of rubbish.

:exit: - taking deficient sense of humour with me. :lol:

jgs001

07-09-2009, 10:20

That works very well for the theme Jean. the damage to the edge of the skip enhances the grunginess. Nicely remembered about looking on your no longer there doorstep.

SarahLee

07-09-2009, 18:46

Definitely not an easy theme this week, but at least you didn't have to go far to find your pile of grunge!

I tend to agree with your second lesson learnt. It sounds as if you found this week about as exciting and inspiring as I did.
For that reason, I'm finding it hard to find much to say about the subject matter, other than that it fits the theme well :shrug:

Photographically, the dof has definitely worked. Nice blur in the background and you've picked out the texture in the sand really well.

It's a shame that you didn't have any marauding Seagulls on the loose.
Strange as it sounds, I can just see this with a great big Gull perched on the pile of sand. With a little bit cropped off the front of the skip I think that would have made a fantastic shot.
(We have loads of Gulls here and they always seem to be scavenging in skips, so if you ever fancy doing a reshoot I'll see if I can round them up and send a couple of them over your way)

p.s.

:lol: I'd love to know what the neighbours were thinking when you were back and fore to the skip with your camera. If they ask, you'll have to show them Mark's link and tell them you were on assignment. . . :thinking: I really want to know how he found out about that.

karmagarda

07-09-2009, 20:32

Catch up with you too. (my fingers are tired from typing!)

Season - season spelt out using seasoning... I take my hat off, what a super double interpretaion and an excellent photo. The use of salt for a white backround is just excellent. And the setup of the letters with the peppercorns is just brilliant... where's the "take my hat off emote" :D ... this is close enough :notworthy:

Grunge - Great photo! :thumbs: I Never thought of a skip. Damn, I shouldn't be looking at everyone elses photos. Might not come up with an idea myself!

jeangenie

08-09-2009, 18:36

That works very well for the theme Jean. the damage to the edge of the skip enhances the grunginess. Nicely remembered about looking on your no longer there doorstep.

Thanks John. It took me best part of a week to 'notice' the skip though - and make a connection with Grunge. Doh.

Definitely not an easy theme this week, but at least you didn't have to go far to find your pile of grunge! No, I can proudly claim it was all home grown!

I tend to agree with your second lesson learnt. It sounds as if you found this week about as exciting and inspiring as I did.
For that reason, I'm finding it hard to find much to say about the subject matter, other than that it fits the theme well I agree. It's hard to get enthusiastic about rubbish. :lol:

Photographically, the dof has definitely worked. Nice blur in the background and you've picked out the texture in the sand really well.

It's a shame that you didn't have any marauding Seagulls on the loose.
Strange as it sounds, I can just see this with a great big Gull perched on the pile of sand. With a little bit cropped off the front of the skip I think that would have made a fantastic shot.
(We have loads of Gulls here and they always seem to be scavenging in skips, so if you ever fancy doing a reshoot I'll see if I can round them up and send a couple of them over your way)

No seagulls have ventured near - although we do get them around here. I'll have to borrow some of yours - or swap you for some Jackdaws.
p.s.

I'd love to know what the neighbours were thinking when you were back and fore to the skip with your camera. If they ask, you'll have to show them Mark's link and tell them you were on assignment. . . I really want to know how he found out about that.

Strangely, I haven't seen any of the neighbours since then - I think they're keeping out of my way until the moon's waned a bit. :lol:

Catch up with you too. (my fingers are tired from typing!)

Season - season spelt out using seasoning... I take my hat off, what a super double interpretaion and an excellent photo. The use of salt for a white backround is just excellent. And the setup of the letters with the peppercorns is just brilliant... where's the "take my hat off emote" :D ... this is close enough :notworthy:

Grunge - Great photo! :thumbs: I Never thought of a skip. Damn, I shouldn't be looking at everyone elses photos. Might not come up with an idea myself!

Thank you so much, KG. I think coming up with ideas is a bit of a lottery - some you win and some you don't. Over the course of this theme so far, I've had more 'don'ts' than 'wins'. :)

Jean

Bruja

10-09-2009, 14:04

Wow, I love :love: your Season shot, such patience, and I see rule #1 has appeared again :nono:

As for Grunge, this has been my least favourite theme too. I always knew what I wanted to do for it but it did nothing for me photographically speaking. :(

Your shot is good though, love the DoF and composition and some nice PPing going on and the border definitely suits it. :clap::clap:

I've had an idea for Respect for a couple of days now and it's already Thursday and I keep putting it off cos I think it's going to be really hard to pull off when what I should be really doing is trying to work out if I can do it because I'd hate to find out on Sunday that I can't :eek:

Dark Star

10-09-2009, 19:22

Grunge...what a theme - and you've chosen dry grunge :)

Well it fits the theme and its nicely framed and cropped but I wouldn't hang it :D:D:D

Good take on the theme Jean as ever :D

Actually given you've kept all the detail in that white bag your exposure looks spot on too :)

kennysarmy

10-09-2009, 21:41

not an easy week for inspiration...
sometimes the things we seek are right in front of us all along :)

bet you did nt think when you started this 52 lark that you would be taking photos of "skips"....

as ever hats off to you and everyone else for keeping it going when the theme is tough...

jeangenie

12-09-2009, 22:11

Wow, I love your Season shot, such patience, and I see rule #1 has appeared again :nono:

As for Grunge, this has been my least favourite theme too. I always knew what I wanted to do for it but it did nothing for me photographically speaking.

Your shot is good though, love the DoF and composition and some nice PPing going on and the border definitely suits it.

I've had an idea for Respect for a couple of days now and it's already Thursday and I keep putting it off cos I think it's going to be really hard to pull off when what I should be really doing is trying to work out if I can do it because I'd hate to find out on Sunday that I can't :eek:

Thanks Jill. I struggling so much with Respect - yet again it's going to be a last minute job. :)

Grunge...what a theme - and you've chosen dry grunge :)

Well it fits the theme and its nicely framed and cropped but I wouldn't hang it :D:

Good take on the theme Jean as ever :D

Actually given you've kept all the detail in that white bag your exposure looks spot on too :)

Thanks John. What - you wouldn't hang my perfectly good skip full of grunge. :bat:

Neither would I. :lol:

not an easy week for inspiration...
sometimes the things we seek are right in front of us all along :)

bet you did nt think when you started this 52 lark that you would be taking photos of "skips"....

as ever hats off to you and everyone else for keeping it going when the theme is tough...

Well, I did want to use the 52 to make me take the sort of photos I wouldn't normally chose!! Little did I know how glamorous it would be. :D

Jean

jeangenie

13-09-2009, 18:07

This was a toughie. :eek:

I've never been blessed (or cursed!) with so many unworkable ideas. The main definitions in my dictionary were:

Respect: "Deferential esteem or partiality shown to person or quality" and "Treat with deference, esteem, or honour" and "Partiality or favour shown esp. to the powerful"

After 7 days of indecision I've given up, folks. :bonk:

It would have been great to come up with an idea to honour all the lovely people putting themselves through this Challenge with me, as a mark of respect for all the fantastic encouragement and advice I've received ever since Week 1. It would have been even more awesome to acknowledge the talent, skill, determination and sheer stickability of all those doing 356s. But finding something appropriate proved beyond me. The respect is most definitely there - but I'm sorry the photo isn't. :)

The very tenuous Respect for this week is one of our Yorkies, Rusty, taking his head out of the rabbit hole he was busy excavating and running up to me when I called him this morning. I agree with all those of you who are muttering "not on theme", but it's the best I could come up with. :p

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/2507/DSC_6404LR.jpg (http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=67599)

Rusty has built in camera-detection radar and disappears instantly like the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland as soon as the camera points anywhere near him. He's about 10" tall, weighs about 4.5kg and is jet propelled. Getting an even half-way decent shot of him is an ongoing project, so as far as shots of Rusty go, this is probably as good as it gets. :lol:

Lessons Learned:

To be honest - nothing much. I failed to come up with a suitable idea for Respect; I didn't push any photographic boundaries; I should have been lying flat on the floor to get level with Rusty's eyes; perhaps I should have cloned out the grass and soil from his face, but he did look rather cute. :love:

I hope next week is better. :(

Jean

maddog.mark

13-09-2009, 18:49

ahh he's gorgeous and looks respectful enough to me:thumbs:.
I was going to do something similar with Shumba my Rhodesian Ridgeback, but respect is something he lacks at the moment, he's a moody teenager!:bang:

ps As for the Skip Magazine.....Take a look at my occupation, that's right I deal with sh..... sorry rubbish! Well the rubbish that people fly-tip anyway:suspect:

Hyster

13-09-2009, 19:37

Both your Grunge shot and your Respect shot work well Jean, I especially like Rusty's expression, excellent.

jgs001

14-09-2009, 09:50

A lovely shot of Rusty, and he does look quite respectful to you. It may not be what you'd hoped to have got but it work's nonetheless.

Spartacus

14-09-2009, 15:24

Now that is a very respectable shot Jean...:clap::clap::clap:

It's in focus in all the right places and he's a lovely looking lad...:thumbs:

What more could you want, and it doe's fit the theme for me...:thumbs:

Respect for each other...:love:

SarahLee

14-09-2009, 18:52

As I keep saying in Shorty's thread, I'd be happy with dog portraits every week - no matter how tenuous the connection to the theme :lol:
And you're closer than you think with respect this week.

Yes, I know that you probably should have gotten down to his level, but I have exactly the same problem getting shots of Ebony and sometimes you just have to take what you can get . . . and this is still working well.

:thumbs: Mud and grass is good for me - it all adds to Rusty's character.
Lovely, charming expression on his face. He looks so bright and alert.

And what else can I say? He's just a real cutie :love:

I really hope that we get to see a bit more of him, before the 52 is over.

jeangenie

14-09-2009, 20:19

ahh he's gorgeous and looks respectful enough to me.
I was going to do something similar with Shumba my Rhodesian Ridgeback, but respect is something he lacks at the moment, he's a moody teenager!

ps As for the Skip Magazine.....Take a look at my occupation, that's right I deal with sh..... sorry rubbish! Well the rubbish that people fly-tip anyway:suspect:

Thanks Mark. Rusty thinks he's a Rottweiler and should receive respect! I'm sure Shumba will grow out of his teenage moods - but don't hold your breath. Rusty and his brother have only recently started to clam down - and they're eight and a half. :lol:

Skip Magazine - right! Now I know why you're an avid reader. :D Anytime they want a skip pic - just let me know. :) This was 'legal' btw - we're having building work done at home and this has taken up residence on the front drive. I should probably get an update before it goes. :)

Both your Grunge shot and your Respect shot work well Jean, I especially like Rusty's expression, excellent.

Thanks Hyster. I'll pass your kind comments on to Rusty, currently snoring on the sofa. :D

A lovely shot of Rusty, and he does look quite respectful to you. It may not be what you'd hoped to have got but it work's nonetheless.

Thanks John. I think it was more accusatory because I'd stopped him digging - but I like to pretend our dogs are well-trained. :)

Now that is a very respectable shot Jean...

It's in focus in all the right places and he's a lovely looking lad...

What more could you want, and it doe's fit the theme for me...

Respect for each other...

Awww - thanks, Marcus. We've never had small dogs before but these two little terrors are rather cute - imo, of course. :love:

As I keep saying in Shorty's thread, I'd be happy with dog portraits every week - no matter how tenuous the connection to the theme :lol:
And you're closer than you think with respect this week.

Yes, I know that you probably should have gotten down to his level, but I have exactly the same problem getting shots of Ebony and sometimes you just have to take what you can get . . . and this is still working well.

Mud and grass is good for me - it all adds to Rusty's character.
Lovely, charming expression on his face. He looks so bright and alert.

And what else can I say? He's just a real cutie :love:

I really hope that we get to see a bit more of him, before the 52 is over.

Thanks, Sarah. You're right about mud and grass adding to Rusty's character. Half an hour after a bath and groom he looks just like this pic. His brother still look immaculate days later. :thinking:

I'll try and work them into another week's theme if I can. :)

Jean

maddog.mark

14-09-2009, 21:39

8 1/2 noooo he needs to calm down before that, I can't be doing with a 7 stone lunatic that long.............:bang:

re the skip, make sure you get a copy of the waste transfer note when they take it away, don't want you getting into trouble.:rules::thumbs:

Anyway back on topic......

jeangenie

14-09-2009, 22:18

re the skip, make sure you get a copy of the waste transfer note when they take it away, don't want you getting into trouble.:rules::thumbs:

Anyway back on topic......

Oooo - er - I completely forgot about transfer notes. Am I being naive here, Mark?

So - back on topic (sort of) - I agree a 7 stone dog behaving like a loony for the next 7 or 8 years would be .... well, words fail me. :lol:

Jean

karmagarda

15-09-2009, 00:09

Dark Star

15-09-2009, 00:14

What a cutie and is that you we can see reflected in his eyes? :) I suspect there is mutual respect going on there!

Lovely doggie portrait :)

Bruja

15-09-2009, 18:24

That is not a make do picture :bat::bat::bat:

Just because you didn't have a particular idea in mind doesn't mean this picture fails to meet the topic. Sometimes an idea comes to us (even if we leave the picture taking til the last minute :D), and sometimes it just happens :shrug:

It's a great portrait of your dog, and apart from when he's digging holes you probably have a lot of respect for him. The DoF is fantastic and the focus is spot on.

One to be proud of methinks.

And Respect for posting one when you didn't think you had a clue what to do :clap::clap:

A bit more Respect for yourself perhaps ;)

jeangenie

16-09-2009, 15:29

That's a really cool photo! And it's not as far off theme as you think. Rusty has mix of a "respect" and "curiousity" look in that photo! But I tell you what I really like about it. It's the little bit of grass hovering above his right eye! Gives away what the cheeky guy was up to

Awww - thanks, KG. :$

There was also an element of 'there'd better be a good reason to stop me digging' on Rusty's part. As to the grass - he's always scruffy and that's just typical of him. I'm really pleased you like it. :)

What a cutie and is that you we can see reflected in his eyes? I suspect there is mutual respect going on there!

Lovely doggie portrait :)

Thank you John. I think he's cute - but I'm biased. :lol: Yes, it is my reflection in his eyes - I didn't see that until I downloaded the shot. :)

That is not a make do picture :bat::bat::bat:

Just because you didn't have a particular idea in mind doesn't mean this picture fails to meet the topic. Sometimes an idea comes to us (even if we leave the picture taking til the last minute :D), and sometimes it just happens :shrug:

It's a great portrait of your dog, and apart from when he's digging holes you probably have a lot of respect for him. The DoF is fantastic and the focus is spot on.

Thank you, Jill. I suppose I had lots of ideas I couldn't do, and this wasn't one of them. And I do think I often 'bend' the theme to suit the picture I've managed to get - cart before horse style.

One to be proud of methinks.

And Respect for posting one when you didn't think you had a clue what to do

A bit more Respect for yourself perhaps ;) Yes M'am

Jean

Toothie

16-09-2009, 17:20

i dont think there is an issue with your shot, imo it does it the theme and its a lovely photo of teh cute little fella :)

Kiwi Jaz

16-09-2009, 17:36

Oohhh I like that. Great depth of field like Bruja says and I like the autumn colours of the picture.

jeangenie

16-09-2009, 22:48

i dont think there is an issue with your shot, imo it does it the theme and its a lovely photo of teh cute little fella :)

Thanks, Ruth. I'm chuffed you think he's cute. :)

Oohhh I like that. Great depth of field like Bruja says and I like the autumn colours of the picture.

Thanks, KJ. I was a bit lucky with the dof because I only had a slit second to frame, focus and grab the shot, because he was off and away in a trice. :)

Jean

Kdot

17-09-2009, 13:03

I should have been lying flat on the floor to get level with Rusty's eyes; perhaps I should have cloned out the grass and soil from his face, but he did look rather cute.

I really like the angle of the shot, and the stuff on his face works for me too. If it wasn't like that, it would be 'just a standard pet portrait', where as like this, the first thing that struck me was the respect (and love) he was showing you. Albeit with mucky shops!!

jeangenie

17-09-2009, 21:10

I really like the angle of the shot, and the stuff on his face works for me too. If it wasn't like that, it would be 'just a standard pet portrait', where as like this, the first thing that struck me was the respect (and love) he was showing you. Albeit with mucky shops!!

Thanks kdot. He's a love and I wish I could get decent photos of him more often, but unlike his brother, he hates the camera. This is Rusty to a T. :D

Jean

jeangenie

19-09-2009, 07:17

This week's theme felt closely allied to Respect last week, so I decided to go with another animal theme.

Living in the New Forest, I see groups of horses wandering around every day, and they are very sociable animals who often look out for each other and form little 'friendship' groups - usually with one mare as leader. (Stallions are only allowed on the Forest at certain times, for certain purposes :D)

In the spring the new foals stay very close to mum - and mum can get very possessive if she thinks her baby is being threatened or in danger. But at this time of the year, the foals are getting independent (but not too grown up to run back to mum for a bit of 'comfort' feeding!)

I watched a small herd down by the river the other morning, and this foal had been nuzzling up to mum but then wandered off. She then quite purposefully went to another mare and joined her to graze on the bank of the river. She seemed to be mirroring the older pony's body language and they munched quietly and happily together for a few minutes.

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/2507/DSC_6478LR.jpg (http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=67974)

I'm not thrilled with the shot - the light wasn't good and I didn't take enough time to compensate for it, and the b&w conversion was to try to mitigate the softness.

I don't know that a colour version is any better though:

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/2507/DSC_6484LR.jpg (http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=67975)

One of my aims in doing this Challenge was to improve my pp skills (sadly lacking) and my other 'friends' this week were a couple of mad cows. Well they weren't but my processing definitely was. So, very tongue in cheek, and expecting massive slattings from you, here is Friends #3:

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/2507/DSC_6491LR.jpg (http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=67976)

I got very 'slider happy' late at night. :lol:

Lessons learned:

1 You can't take short-cuts with a shot - I thought I'd schooled myself into getting it as good as possible in camera, but this week I hurried too much and couldn't compensate for the problems in pp.:bonk:

2 It's very easy to fall into a river when you're not looking where you're going. I only just avoided a soaking. :lol:

3 I need to improve by b&w skills.

4 It's fun to go a little mad with the sliders sometimes. :D

I'm going to Devon for a few days tomorrow, so if I don't get to comment on your thread, please forgive me - I'll catch up next week. :)

Jean

Shorty

20-09-2009, 10:51

Grunge - was a very hard theme but this fits it, and isn't bad :thumbs:

Respect, gawd I love an oldie, very cute shot[I don't do smalldogs, I don't do small dogs]

Friendship, The second shot is best for me - had these not been wild horses I'd have said you could do much much better....However, since they are wild horses :clap: very very well done for managing something so good :)

Spartacus

20-09-2009, 13:50

Oh Jean...sorry to say this is not your best work...:(

The focus is way off, could well be camera shake...

with your camera you could crank the ISO way up and still have great shot...

pity because the first shot is framed beautiful...:love:

Funny but the cows shot works quite well...way over the top, but it's a bit different so well done on the one...:thumbs:

Kdot

20-09-2009, 16:54

Funny but the cows shot works quite well...

My thoughts exactly. Different - very different. But it works...somehow! :p

SarahLee

20-09-2009, 19:07

:lol: Glad that you avoided a soaking!

I love the story behind your shot this week and I think the B&W conversion works far better than the similar colour one.
Great composition. The framing of the shot is spot on - you did amazingly well to even capture wild horses, never mind getting a composition like that :thumbs:
On the downside, I think that the focus lets it down even in B&W (sorry) but it so close to being a beautiful shot.

The cows?
Had you been on the wine when you pulled that one together? ;) :p

Well I'm absolutely not going to slate it. You've seen some of my PP efforts :D
And I LIKE it. Totally OTT but it really made me smile. It's just so mad and whacky!

corky

20-09-2009, 22:09

Jean, i'm sorry to say i don't like the over pp ing in the second shot. Shame as its so nicely framed. I'm going with No1 and bugger the oof ;)

kennysarmy

21-09-2009, 10:39

I actually prefer the 2nd horse shot...for the composition.

sorry the cow shot does nothing for me....however, I think it's great that you want to learn some better PP skills. Youtube is a great resource for what photoshop or other software apps can do. Also subscribe to one of those camera mags that comes with a free disk with tutorials on and I am sure you will come on leaps and bounds...

jgs001

21-09-2009, 12:34

Going backwards...

The cows... interesting effect you've found :D.... not for me though... a bit too much with them sliders...

The colour horse shot is a bit too much overdone for my tates.. I can't quite work out why though.

I prefer the first one of the three... the comp and details are good, shame about the focus..

Glad you didn't get wet though...

karmagarda

21-09-2009, 13:11

I'd have to go with the first being the best shot. But as you've pointed out there's issues with it, which you nearly recovered using a bit of PP. It still doesn't work for me unfortunately :( which is such a pity, because as Marcus pointed out, you nailed the framing of it!

It just goes to show, one of the most important rules of photography is patience. Spending that extra time trying to get the shot as good as you can off the camera really does pay off.

jonesor

21-09-2009, 21:05

I love the first shot of the horses - really beautiful.
I actually quite like the softness of it. It's almost dreamlike. :)

antc

22-09-2009, 15:34

I like the processing of the first "friends" shot. I think it works the best from the three you have taken for the theme. As always a great story to go with the shots too!

Dark Star

25-09-2009, 16:47

#1 for me jean lovely composition and I like the B&W - the focus does look a bit off though as had been said!

#2 has a lovely feel to it - old fashioned in some way - can't put my finger on it :)

#3 good god :) Its different :D

jeangenie

27-09-2009, 15:22

I'm sorry I haven't responded to all the comments on my Friends shots. How does going away for 5 days take up a whole week. :shrug:

I'm really grateful for all the comments, and I take the point about spending more time nailing the focus. Or sorting out lighting problems quickly enough not to lose the shot. :eek: And Sarah, perhaps I need more wine before playing with the sliders, not less!!! :)

Thanks to you all also for finding positives in a pretty shabby set of pics.

When C&C is being discussed, sometimes heatedly in other areas of TP, I'm often tempted to suggest those producing more heat than light on the subject should browse through the 52 threads to find terrific examples of positive, thoughtful and honest opinions. You're a great bunch. :love:

Jean

jeangenie

27-09-2009, 15:57

For some reason, I found this hard to translate into a photo. We've been down to Devon for a few days and I thought with more time than usual to mess about with my camera, I'd have had lots of ideas. Wrong. :'(

Then I remembered WEEE Man. :)

WEEE stands for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment and under EU Directives, all our defunct household appliances, cars, computers and even our once-much-loved old cameras are subject to 'appropriate' disposal. Somebody has worked out that the average UK citizen disposes of 3.3 tonnnes of electrical equipment in their life-time.

WEEE Man is a sculpture at the Eden Project at St Austell. He's taller than I can estimate and is made of up the 'average' 3.3 tonnes of electrical waste. This is the sum total of what we'll chuck out without a second thought.

Each item in the sculpture represents a time when I made a Fresh Start with a new electrical appliance, only to discard it some time later and replace it with yet another Fresh Start item. When so many manufactured goods come with built-in obsolescence, I don't see how we can prolong the life of much of this stuff, so perhaps we should be badgering manufacturers to make things that can be repaired instead of discarded.

So, I'll just get down off my soapbox, and introduce you to -

WEEE Man

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/2507/DSC_6754LR.jpg (http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=68556)

Lessons Learned:

1 I'm going through a bit of a low spot with both ideas and photographic progress. In fact - I don't feel I've made any progress for ages. :(

2 With only 14 weeks to go on this Challenge, I'm not going to give up, but I'm desperate to get my mojo working again. :(

Jean

Daysleeper40

27-09-2009, 17:41

Catch up time...

Grunge: Horrific theme but I think you have done well with it. The problem with a lot of the shots for this theme is that regardless of how technically good the shot is, the subject just isn't all that inspiring. You've got great colours, textures and DOF going on, there is nothing wrong with the composition and it's bang on theme. Well done :thumbs:

Respect: I don't know about not being on theme - Rusty's determined little expression certainly says "Respect me" as far as I'm concerned! You've got the focus bang on the eyes and the colours work really well.

Friends:

#1 - I've tried the B&W to mitigate softness approach before and in my experience it always shows. Nice composition though.

#2 - Again, dodgy focus not quite made up for by PP. I get what you are saying about wanting to improve your PP skills but I've seen so much better from you - you don't need to use PP as a bandaid. I'm guilty as anyone of trying to cover up faults in PP and Im definately not an "in camera" purist but I am a great believer in that saying "You can't polish a...". Maybe take some shots you are pretty happy with and practice your PP to see if you can bring out anything extra rather than try to "save" a shot that deep down you know is never going to work.

#3 - So overdone that I love it! :D

Fresh Start: Excellent take on the theme. Shame you couldn't have had a nice blue sky but I love all the detail in and the framing of the sculpture :clap:

NOW. Whats all this about no progress?

Have you ever taken a shot a week to a theme before? I'm thinking no.

Have you managed to keep at it and keep up to date even when the theme does nothing for you and you have no inspiration? Yep yep yep.

Have you helped lots of you fellow 52'ers by giving constructive criticism and support? Absolutley - an much appreciated it is.

Have you learnt a few lessons along the way? Loads of em!

I know it's tough when your mojo goes awol but please don't think you've made no progress because you have. Maybe it's time to read your 52 thread from beginning to end to remind yourself of all the lessons you've learned so far... and let's hope for a more inspiring theme next week!!

jeangenie

27-09-2009, 17:52

DS - you really are a star. :hug: I was feeling pretty low about the 52 when I posted, and you've managed to cheer me up no end, and you've just proved, for the umpteenth time, what I said in post # 169, about how great 52ers are for constructive c&c, help, support and encouragement when the inspiration drops off the radar. :thumbs:

Right, now, Jean, buck up - next week's theme will be F A N T A S T I C - whatever it is. :)

Jean

SarahLee

27-09-2009, 20:30

I don't know about a low spot, this one is very good IMO.
Very thought provoking and interesting interpretation of the theme, even if it isn't what you initially set out to do.
I actually like the grey washed out sky - it gives a nice blank canvas for WEEE man to stand out against.
Nice angle for the shot and the sculpture itself is fascinating. I keep looking at it and trying to work out what all the different bits are.

Nothing at all to feel down about this week.

NOW. Whats all this about no progress?

Have you ever taken a shot a week to a theme before? I'm thinking no.

Have you managed to keep at it and keep up to date even when the theme does nothing for you and you have no inspiration? Yep yep yep.

Have you helped lots of you fellow 52'ers by giving constructive criticism and support? Absolutley - an much appreciated it is.

Have you learnt a few lessons along the way? Loads of em!

I know it's tough when your mojo goes awol but please don't think you've made no progress because you have. Maybe it's time to read your 52 thread from beginning to end to remind yourself of all the lessons you've learned so far... and let's hope for a more inspiring theme next week!!

In fact, that's exactly what I wanted to say!

I'm with you on your last comment though. Please, please can we have a good theme this week?

Dark Star

27-09-2009, 21:53

Jean Fresh Start :) What a character and well captured :) I'd love to see it in scale - but its a great and somewhat scary monster and a good interpretation :)

and you're doing better than me my lass, I'm 2 themes behind :( :D But sod it! I'll catch up!

jeangenie

27-09-2009, 22:25

I actually like the grey washed out sky - it gives a nice blank canvas for WEEE man to stand out against.

Nice angle for the shot and the sculpture itself is fascinating. I keep looking at it and trying to work out what all the different bits are.

I'm with you on your last comment though. Please, please can we have a good theme this week?

Thanks Sarah. I must admit, I thought the sky suited the tones of WEEE man and had it been bright blue, the shot would have been much harder, I think.

As to the different bits (there's much more than in this photo) I noticed at least 2 Flymos, a tv or 2, a cumputer screen, keyboard and cpu, washing machine drums, a 4-ring electric hob, crushed cars, an upright vacuum cleaner, a car radio, and lots of stuff I couldn't identify.

Jean Fresh Start :) What a character and well captured :) I'd love to see it in scale - but its a great and somewhat scary monster and a good interpretation :)

and you're doing better than me my lass, I'm 2 themes behind :( :D But sod it! I'll catch up!

Thanks John. I tried to get the whole WEEE man in shot, but I'd only taken my macro lens. I should think he's about 2 storeys high - and yep, I think it's scary, too. :)

You may be 2 themes behind, but at least you are posting pics elsewhere in the forums which I'm not getting round to doing at the moment. Look forward to your catch up shots as and when. :thumbs:

Jean

jgs001

28-09-2009, 08:46

kennysarmy

28-09-2009, 14:50

Fresh start : would like to have seen all of him and against something to put his size in context, but your take on the theme is great.

Keep going...

Bruja

28-09-2009, 18:32

Jean, where's your Passion' gone :lol::lol: (sorry, couldn't resist it)

Friendship, you've heard all the comments and I've had weeks like that too. And I like the dreamy quality of #1 and the cows :lol:, it's probably not how much you had been drinking but how much you've spluttered over the keyboard laughing out loud at some of our comments. But It works for me :thumbs:

Fresh Start, wow, what a reminder of how wasteful we are. Spot on for the theme.

Originally Posted by Daysleeper40
NOW. Whats all this about no progress?

Have you ever taken a shot a week to a theme before? I'm thinking no.

Have you managed to keep at it and keep up to date even when the theme does nothing for you and you have no inspiration? Yep yep yep.

Have you helped lots of you fellow 52'ers by giving constructive criticism and support? Absolutley - an much appreciated it is.

Have you learnt a few lessons along the way? Loads of em!

I know it's tough when your mojo goes awol but please don't think you've made no progress because you have. Maybe it's time to read your 52 thread from beginning to end to remind yourself of all the lessons you've learned so far... and let's hope for a more inspiring theme next week!!

I'm still a shot behind, but, bugger it, I know what it is I've just got to get up the energy to do it -so no more moping around madam :nono:

maddog.mark

28-09-2009, 19:22

A great idea for fresh start and a timely reminder of our attitude to this planets resources. Shame about the sky, but that was outside your control.

Mark

Spartacus

29-09-2009, 10:01

Well this is more like it, back to your (if I may say) brilliant self...:love:

This is a place I've still not been to see and it's only about 45 minutes away from Plymouth...so shame on me for not seeing this lovely part of Cornwall before you...:lol:

I hope you had a lovely time in this part of the world, and I think you should of had some nice weather.

Now I have heard of WEEE man before as he was on the local news so time ago. But you getting a great shot of him now makes me envious...:p

It's nice to see you coming back with a cracking and thought provoking shot... and I must say I'm running out of steam as they say with these 52s and counting down the weeks to go, it's been hard at times to even fit in the time and as much as I wanted to use the camera more to start with some weeks have been a real pain...so chin up young lady only 13 weeks to go...:D

corky

30-09-2009, 14:27

Well done You...I knew you would bounce back with a fabulous shot. :clap::clap:

jeangenie

30-09-2009, 21:38

Well done Jean... I recognised him as soon as I scrolled past and what a great take on the theme. Also a poignant reminder about how consuming our lifestyles can and have become. Too many fresh starts shown there to count. As for your Mojo.. you may not feel it, but it's there alright.

Thanks John - it's good to know WEEE man is so famous. I think he really needs a speech bubble saying something witty or wise about consumerism. :)

Fresh start : would like to have seen all of him and against something to put his size in context, but your take on the theme is great.

Keep going...

I would have liked to get the whole sculpture in the shot, but with only my macro lens available, I just couldn't, and the fences, seats and people around made for a cluttered photo. I'll definitely keep going - thanks for the encouragement. :)

Jean, where's your Passion' gone (sorry, couldn't resist it)

Friendship, you've heard all the comments and I've had weeks like that too. And I like the dreamy quality of #1 and the cows , it's probably not how much you had been drinking but how much you've spluttered over the keyboard laughing out loud at some of our comments. But It works for me

Fresh Start, wow, what a reminder of how wasteful we are. Spot on for the theme.

Originally Posted by Daysleeper40
NOW. Whats all this about no progress?

Have you ever taken a shot a week to a theme before? I'm thinking no.

Have you managed to keep at it and keep up to date even when the theme does nothing for you and you have no inspiration? Yep yep yep.

Have you helped lots of you fellow 52'ers by giving constructive criticism and support? Absolutley - an much appreciated it is.

Have you learnt a few lessons along the way? Loads of em!

I know it's tough when your mojo goes awol but please don't think you've made no progress because you have. Maybe it's time to read your 52 thread from beginning to end to remind yourself of all the lessons you've learned so far... and let's hope for a more inspiring theme next week!!

I'm still a shot behind, but, bugger it, I know what it is I've just got to get up the energy to do it -so no more moping around madam

Thanks Jill for the wise words. I've got a brilliant idea for Passion - and no, it won't need an X-rating!! - but pulling it off is proving really hard. But it's great to feel inspired again. :D

A great idea for fresh start and a timely reminder of our attitude to this planets resources. Shame about the sky, but that was outside your control.

Mark

Thanks Mark. I thought the sky was disappointing, but when I tried to 'improve' it, WEEE man looked less impressive. But maybe that was just my pp skills - limited, as displayed by my mad cows shot!! :lol:

Well this is more like it, back to your (if I may say) brilliant self... Marcus, you can say lovely things like that to me ANY time. :)

This is a place I've still not been to see and it's only about 45 minutes away from Plymouth...so shame on me for not seeing this lovely part of Cornwall before you... It's amazing how St Austell has changed. I remember it in the late 60s as being very run down and scarred by china clay pits and spoil heaps.

I hope you had a lovely time in this part of the world, and I think you should of had some nice weather. We did enjoy ourselves. It was warm and sunny and I had a fantastic day out on Dartmoor, with fabulous views.

Now I have heard of WEEE man before as he was on the local news so time ago. But you getting a great shot of him now makes me envious... He's worth a visit, and I love the tropical dome, all hot and steamy - but allow 15 minutes or so for your camera to acclimatise. :eek:

It's nice to see you coming back with a cracking and thought provoking shot... and I must say I'm running out of steam as they say with these 52s and counting down the weeks to go, it's been hard at times to even fit in the time and as much as I wanted to use the camera more to start with some weeks have been a real pain...so chin up young lady only 13 weeks to go...:D

The 'having' to get out and use the camera every week was one of the main reasons for doing this challenge and I'm determined to see it through. The scary thought I'm having right now is: What about next year???? :(

Well done You...I knew you would bounce back with a fabulous shot. :clap::clap:

Awww - thanks Corky. I really appreciate that. :)

Jean

Bruja

01-10-2009, 09:27

The 'having' to get out and use the camera every week was one of the main reasons for doing this challenge and I'm determined to see it through. The scary thought I'm having right now is: What about next year???? :(
Me Too :( Maybe we'll just have to have another one. I'm definitely up for it
Jean

Toothie

01-10-2009, 16:10

spot on, really sums up the theme and it is shocking what we throw away :D

karmagarda

03-10-2009, 00:11

I did reply to this but my post seem to have been gobbled up by the internet goblins.

Love the photo and the words :thumbs:

jeangenie

04-10-2009, 12:06

Jill, Ruth and KG - many thanks. KG - I sympathise, I think the internet has a special hole for the stuff that I 'lose'. :lol:

Jean

jeangenie

04-10-2009, 15:05

After hitting the doldrums last week, I'd just like to say a great big 'thank you' for all the encouragement you gave me. I really appreciated it, and gave myself a good talking to.

As a result, I whooped for joy when I saw this week's theme - and had an immediate idea. It's not often I get an idea before Friday, let alone straight away. :lol:

With renewed enthusiasm, feeling totally inspired I've been out morning and evening with my camera to get the shot I wanted. Sadly, it was dependent on Mother Nature, and she had other ideas. So my wonderful inspiration is still just that - an inspiration for some time in the future. But the good thing was feeling inspired and rekindling my passion for the Challenge. So I failed, but with passion. :bang::bang::bang: :lol:

Anyway, I still needed a shot for Passion, and on Thursday I was gardening and had a close skin-to-skin encounter. :eek:

There's nothing I passiontely hate in the garden more than one of these creatures. Urrrrgh, Yeuk and :gag:

If you've guessed what it is and are squeamish - here it comes ...

... look away now ...

A big, fat slug :D

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/2507/DSC_7908LR.jpg (http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=68920)

Lessons learned:

1 Slugs are horrible, horrible, horrible - but up close they are more interesting than I ever gave them credit for. It doesn't make me like them any better and even if I did like them better it wouldn't stop the little blighters eating more lettuce in one night than I could eat in a month. Grrr ...

2 Slug slime trails are horrible, horrible, horrible too.

3 It was quite hard getting the pov low enough to be at eye level. What am I saying - wanting to be at eye level with a S L U G. :bonk:

4 You can wait ages for a slug to decide to make a move and then it's not great. :lol:

5 I now have a much better understanding of the word 'sluggish'. :lol:

6 There are limits beyond which I'm not prepared to go to get a shot - and grooming a slug is one of them.

6 I still want to get the 'real' Passion shot I had in mind.

Jean

SarahLee

04-10-2009, 18:54

Eeeeeeuuuuuggggghhhhhh . . . I have to say that slugs aren't my favourite creatures :gag:

However, they are definitely more appealing close up. I don't think I'd ever realised that they had such a range of colours and patterns.
I like the dof in this one and you've caught the shine on its slimy (yuk!) skin really well.
The crop works well with the composition and subject matter aside ;) it's a really good shot this week :thumbs:

Glad that you're out of the doldrums.

karmagarda

04-10-2009, 20:12

Damn, how did I miss 2 of your shots!

Fresh start - Great take on the theme. Never thought of this myself! Nice photo too :thumbs:

Passion - While it doesn't scream passion, it's an excellent photo. I too never realised the amount of detail a slug had! Excellently captured, and excellent DOF :clap: I love that photo, even if you do hate slugs! :thumbs:

Daysleeper40

04-10-2009, 21:41

oooh... I love a close up - and you've captured some lovely colours and texture in this one. I think you're mojo's back Jean :clap:;)

jgs001

05-10-2009, 07:18

Well done Jean, overcoming that passionate loathing to get a shot :lol: You got the camera good and low for that shot too. Loads of details and what amazing colours... Well taken. You've also got me intrigued by your original idea now too ...

jeangenie

05-10-2009, 09:31

Eeeeeeuuuuuggggghhhhhh . . . I have to say that slugs aren't my favourite creatures

However, they are definitely more appealing close up. I don't think I'd ever realised that they had such a range of colours and patterns.
I like the dof in this one and you've caught the shine on its slimy (yuk!) skin really well.
The crop works well with the composition and subject matter aside it's a really good shot this week

Glad that you're out of the doldrums.

Thanks Sarah. Lots of yeuk factors in slugs. :) I'm glad you 'like' it - if that's the right word. :lol:

Damn, how did I miss 2 of your shots!

Fresh start - Great take on the theme. Never thought of this myself! Nice photo too :thumbs:

Passion - While it doesn't scream passion, it's an excellent photo. I too never realised the amount of detail a slug had! Excellently captured, and excellent DOF I love that photo, even if you do hate slugs! :thumbs:

Thanks KG, I was amazed at the colours close up - although whether it will develop into a Passion for slugs or not ..... :shrug: :lol:

oooh... I love a close up - and you've captured some lovely colours and texture in this one. I think you're mojo's back Jean :clap:;)

Thanks DS - yep, I'm all mojo'd up again - thanks for the help when I needed it. :thumbs:

Well done Jean, overcoming that passionate loathing to get a shot :lol: You got the camera good and low for that shot too. Loads of details and what amazing colours... Well taken. You've also got me intrigued by your original idea now too ...

Thanks John. Lying flat on the patio eyeballing a slug should qualify me for some sort of 'mad togger' award, I should think. :lol:

The original idea is a seasonal event in the forest. I may have to wait until next year. :thinking:

Jean

kennysarmy

05-10-2009, 14:49

great detail
good crop
dof spot on

nice looking slug too...

corky

05-10-2009, 15:39

Well Jean I think you got a good angle and DoF for what is an ugly critter. Not sure about the theme part of it (look who's talking!) , but a good shot all the same. :clap:

jeangenie

05-10-2009, 19:25

great detail
good crop
dof spot on

nice looking slug too...

Thanks for the lovely comments.

As for 'nice looking' - well you wouldn't want to tog an ugly one would you. :lol:

Well Jean I think you got a good angle and DoF for what is an ugly critter. Not sure about the theme part of it (look who's talking!) , but a good shot all the same. :clap:

Thanks to Corky. Out of the 39 weeks we've done so far, I think I've 'bent' the photo to fit the topic about 30 or so times. This week my rationale for the theme was 'hating with Passion'. :suspect: :lol:

Jean

maddog.mark

07-10-2009, 19:43

Grooming a slug, now there's a phrase I never thought I'd hear! Glad you didn't do it.... It's a very good shot, the composition, light and detail in the slug are superb.

jeangenie

08-10-2009, 08:46

Grooming a slug, now there's a phrase I never thought I'd hear! Glad you didn't do it.... It's a very good shot, the composition, light and detail in the slug are superb.

Thanks Mark. :) I never expected when I started this challenge to find myself getting that close to a slug. :gag:

I suppose that's called 'widening your experience' or some such ****. :lol:

Jean

Kiwi Jaz

09-10-2009, 09:06

Superb DoF and I like the colouring of the background to highlight this ugly little creature.
Nice work Jean.

jeangenie

11-10-2009, 19:23

Thanks KJ. :)

Hopefully, this week's model is a bit more handsome - coming up soon. :D

Jean

Dark Star

11-10-2009, 21:02

Passion well who#' have thought :) I was associating passion with stuff you lurve and this bugger turns up :D Its a lovely shot of a gross subject! Detail colour and format spot on!

Now for the salt .... :D

Daysleeper40

11-10-2009, 21:06

Whats going on... the title says water.... where's the water? :thinking:

jeangenie

11-10-2009, 21:12

Great theme for this week. Well done to Jill for drawing it for us - Cheers Jill :beer: (definitely not beer - JD maybe? :D)

For the second week in succession, I had an immediate idea - and one which was more achievable than last week's. The quotation from the Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner, 'Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink' to go with a photo of a tray of glasses and water jug (all empty) resting on a groyne with the sea gently lapping round it. Easy peasey!

I was to get an instant lesson in life getting in the way of photography, and the 2 possible times when I could take this shot disappeared in a week when Sod's Law was King. Grrr .... :(

So in desperation, I settled for a boring shot of Ober Water (near us in the New Forest) on Friday morning. Came home, looked at the images on the computer and was totally underwhelmed by them. Boring, flat, nothingness. :shake: But with a busy week-end ahead, they'd have to do. Bah! Another filler shot! (looks for 'rage' icon). Stuck the card back in the camera, refomatted it .....Oh, b*****, b*****, b***** - I'd forgotten to save them on the computer. :bang: How can anyone be that stupid. :bang: Grrr ..... - again. :'(

Back out on Saturday morning, passing Highland cattle who looked as though they were floating in the early morning mist. No time to stop and take photos of them, though. Back to Ober Water, misty but not enough to be interesting. Then the sun started to warm up the sky and eventually bathed the early autumnal colours in a fabulous golden light. The shutter count ratched up fast as the light got better and better. Every photographer's dream. The best of the light wasn't on the river, but it was miles better than Friday. Feeling quite chuffed, I stopped by the cattle on the way home and grabbed a few more shots - no mist now, just a glorious golden light.

Then, I caught this young lady, grabbing a drink of water from a tiny, shallow puddle. So the closest I got to 'Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink' was:

Water, water hardly anywhere, and just a drop to drink' :D

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/2507/DSC_8132LR2.jpg (http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=69451)

Lessons learned:

1 Save to the computer before reformatting memory card. I know I could have run a recovery program, but they just weren't worth it. :(

2 Lady luck does smile sometimes. :thumbs:

3 Highland cattle might look scary, but they're very tolerant of the camera.

4 When the 'golden hour' is as golden as it was on Saturday, photography is a complete joy.

5 An 'hour' isn't long enough.

The pleasure in taking this photo overrides my usual 'it's not good enough, I should have done this, that, the other, blah, blah blah ....', so please feel free to tear it apart if you don't like it. I'll take your comments on board, but will still have loved taking this shot. :D

Jean

Daysleeper40

11-10-2009, 21:37

I think I can make you feel better about you photography frustrations this week because something HORRIFIC happened to me about 20 minutes ago and I thought of you... I TROD on a slug :gag:

It was awful. You may have had trials and tribulations this week but at least you didn't TREAD ON A SLUG!!

Anyho - onto your shot. I'm not going to tear it apart because I like it a lot. This may sound a bit odd but I particularly like her hooves. The golden light really comes through and that there cow is the perfect colour for the occasion. Nice shot - and I'm really pleased that you enjoyed shooting it ;)

jeangenie

11-10-2009, 21:47

[QUOTE=Daysleeper40;1962419]I think I can make you feel better about you photography frustrations this week because something HORRIFIC happened to me about 20 minutes ago and I thought of you... I TROD on a slug :gag:

It was awful. You may have had trials and tribulations this week but at least you didn't TREAD ON A SLUG!!

/QUOTE]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: - sorry, I KNOW it's not funny, and I hope you weren't wandering round the garden in bare feet - but ... :lol::lol::lol: :gag:

OMG - I'm going to be The Slug Lady. :eek: :exit: :runaway:

Jean

Daysleeper40

11-10-2009, 21:51

jeangenie

11-10-2009, 22:05

I'TS NOT FUNNY!!!!

I'm going to be scarred for life... all yellow goo came out of it and then I had to pick it up and throw it in the hedge because it was just lying there all squished and making me feel guilty... and wanting to vomit...

:gag::gag: and DOUBLE :gag:

GROSS :gag::gag::gag:

btw - I think I'd feel guilty, too. :) Dunno why though, they decimate anything they can get their little jaws round. :bang::bang::bang:

karmagarda

11-10-2009, 23:53

That photo is just gorgeous! :clap: really really REALLY like it! :thumbs:

jgs001

12-10-2009, 10:47

Lovely Jean... wonderful colours, and so fits both the rhyme (modded version) and the theme too :thumbs: In some ways, to turn things on their head, if you hadn't formated away the pics, you might not have looked for these and got this shot, so it was a blessing... ;)

Kiwi Jaz

12-10-2009, 11:13

Nice shot Jean. I am a sucker for the autumn colours. Also like the low viewpoint.

corky

12-10-2009, 19:18

another good shot from you...Im getting jealous ;)

jeangenie

12-10-2009, 21:38

That photo is just gorgeous! :clap: really really REALLY like it! :thumbs:

Aww thanks, I'm blushing. :$

Lovely Jean... wonderful colours, and so fits both the rhyme (modded version) and the theme too :thumbs: In some ways, to turn things on their head, if you hadn't formated away the pics, you might not have looked for these and got this shot, so it was a blessing... ;)

Thanks, John. Glad you like the pic that might never have happened. You're right - I certainly wouldn't have gone out again on Saturday if I hadn't lost Friday's set. :)

Nice shot Jean. I am a sucker for the autumn colours. Also like the low viewpoint.

They're awesome creatures any time, but kneeling in front of them .... :eek: The autumn colours look really good already this year. :)

another good shot from you...Im getting jealous ;)

Thank you Corky. Don't get jealous - I've got plenty of carp shots left in me. :lol:

Jean

SarahLee

13-10-2009, 08:31

Wow!

I like this one a lot.
The composition reminds me of those horsey shots you took (and I really liked the composition of those), but this time you've absolutely nailed the focus :thumbs:

The low angle works brilliantly and I love the play of light on her coat.
That is a really fab image!

I'TS NOT FUNNY!!!!

I'm going to be scarred for life... all yellow goo came out of it and then I had to pick it up and throw it in the hedge because it was just lying there all squished and making me feel guilty... and wanting to vomit...

:gag::gag: and DOUBLE :gag:

:gag: I really wish you hadn't felt the need to share that with us. . .

kennysarmy

13-10-2009, 11:23

Water: Great colours and composition...liking it :)

Spartacus

13-10-2009, 11:41

Hi Jean...:wave:

Passion...I love it...:love: not the subject but the shot...it's brilliant...oh and I like it a lot tooo...:clap::clap::clap:

Water...again a great shot from nothing...and you made it a wonderful shot, just love the colours going on in this nice piece of work...:clap::clap::clap:

Toothie

13-10-2009, 15:02

Excellent DoF on the slug, and i love the colour on your water shot :thumbs:

jeangenie

14-10-2009, 07:20

Wow!

I like this one a lot.
The composition reminds me of those horsey shots you took (and I really liked the composition of those), but this time you've absolutely nailed the focus :thumbs: Thanks Sarah. I didn't make the connection when I was taking the shot, but they all spend a lot of time with their heads down grazing or drinking.

The low angle works brilliantly and I love the play of light on her coat.
That is a really fab image! The light was just luck - and tbh, I've desaturated it slightly because it didn't look real. :)

Water: Great colours and composition...liking it :)

Thanks - I did enjoy taking this one. :)

Hi Jean...:wave:

Passion...I love it...:love: not the subject but the shot...it's brilliant...oh and I like it a lot tooo...

Water...again a great shot from nothing...and you made it a wonderful shot, just love the colours going on in this nice piece of work...:clap::clap::clap:

Did you like them then, Marcus? :D

Thanks for the lovely comments.

Excellent DoF on the slug, and i love the colour on your water shot :thumbs:

Thanks Ruth. I'm pleased you like'em. :)

Jean

maddog.mark

14-10-2009, 20:56

Water what a great shot! Sometimes sods law kicks in for a reason! This was it for you, it saved you from a filler like mine!

jeangenie

14-10-2009, 21:31

Thanks, Mark. :)

I don't know about a filler - as I said on your thread, your heart wasn't in it, and that happens to us all at times. The positives are you did a reshoot which got loads of approval and two water shots which were technically sound. :thumbs:

Jean

Bruja

15-10-2009, 15:49

jeangenie

16-10-2009, 06:36

Coooeeee, my turn for a catch up, but first, the thing I like most about you is your grit and determination to get a shot under any circumstances, how you take on board the comments people make and build upon them, and the way you support everyone else along the way. (I know, I know, that's 3 things, but it's a start ;)) Turning the compliment back to you, Jill - it's fantastic to have such encouragement from fellow 52ers, although I hadn't bargained for eyeballing a slug one week and a pair of vicious horns the next. :lol:

Passion - Yeeeuuuuchhhh, but great. Such detail and the DoF and pano crop really set it off :clap::clap::clap: Thanks, Jill. I have developed a small amount of respect for the horrible creatures after doing that shot. :)

Water - that's Karma that is (not you KG :D) a cracking shot that was meant to be and it sounds like it made you get out and about lots last week. :hug: It's mornings like that that make photography so special imho. :)

Thank you for the hug - have one back yourself. :)

Jean

jeangenie

18-10-2009, 15:26

My first reaction to this theme was unprintable on a public forum. :lol: But then I got to thinking - maybe anything that is in a bizarre or unusual setting or place is 'out of context'. Anyway that's how I've treated it, and as I was gathering gardening stuff together yesterday I went to slip on my scruffy old gardening shoes and thought it would be 'out of context' to choose different shoes altogether.

So here is my 'out of context' :

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/2507/DSC_8158LR.jpg (http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=69895)

I feel this is a 'bread and butter' shot - no particular inspiration, not particularly well grouped or taken. imo it looks a bit flat, and that's how I feel about it. Sorry everyone, I'm not very inspired by the theme. I did however, glean a couple of lessons from it:

Lessons learned:

1 DOF - take more care. I think the foreground would have looked better if it was in focus.

2 I cropped in a bit too tight on the shot and should have left more space on the left and at the bottom.

3 I should have controlled the light on the white part of the gloves better - or got a different pair of gloves.

4 In fact, I should have gone back to reshoot it - but time was short and the light was fading fast. That's my excuse. :D

After enjoying taking the Week 40 Water shot so much, this was disappointing, but hopefully next week's theme will be more satisfying to shoot. :) Especially as I shall probably be doing mine in Cuba!!!

:eek: Please don't let it be 'snow'. :bat: :)

Jean

Daysleeper40

18-10-2009, 16:28

I think you've been a bit hard on yourself - it's a good idea and well taken. The one point I completely agree on though is the DOF and having the foreground in focus. I couldn't get inspired by this theme either - fingers crossed for something better this week ;)

karmagarda

18-10-2009, 16:36

I like it too. Agree on the DOF. And agree on it not a very inspiring theme!

jeangenie

18-10-2009, 19:53

DS and KG - Thanks - I'm glad we're all equally uninspired - it stops me feeling lonely in the 'I'm uninspired corner'. :lol:

Jean

SarahLee

18-10-2009, 20:48

jgs001

19-10-2009, 08:15

Jean... It's a good intepretation, there's nothing wrong with the gloves to my eyes... A little more in focus in front, just to get the shoe all in would have been good. But otherwise... for a horrible theme.. well done..

Enjoy Cuba... Lucky, lucky.... (me jealous... :nuts:)

kennysarmy

19-10-2009, 14:59

a clever idea 'almost' well executed - I agree with all your "lessons learned!"...but you know, none of them bother me that much...the picture tells the story...

maddog.mark

19-10-2009, 18:29

It fits the theme and is an entertaining shot, yes it's a bit tight, yes the foreground would be better if it was in focus but no neither of these things bother me to much. Have fun in Cuba!

jeangenie

19-10-2009, 20:17

Sorry to hear that you've had another :gag: week.
I hope that we get something to inspire you in Cuba . . . although Cuba itself should be enough inspiration (not that I'm jealous or anything)

Now stop being so harsh on yourself with this shot!
I agree about the dof and tight crop, but the light on the white gloves actually looks good to me and for an uninspiring week that's a pretty good interpretation.

It's not the best that I've seen from you, but it's a long way from being as bad as you seem to think it is. In fact, I really like the random composition of the elements and the oof background is working well.

Have a fab time in Cuba. I'm really looking forward to seeing some of your shots from there.

Thanks Sarah. :) I suppose I'm a bit frustrated with this shot, knowing what I needed to do to make it better - and I didn't do it. :bang:

Jean... It's a good intepretation, there's nothing wrong with the gloves to my eyes... A little more in focus in front, just to get the shoe all in would have been good. But otherwise... for a horrible theme.. well done..

Enjoy Cuba... Lucky, lucky.... (me jealous... :nuts:)

Thanks, John. tbh - there was more texture in the white of the gloves than on the photo. That's why I'm annoyed with myself. :bang:

a clever idea 'almost' well executed - I agree with all your "lessons learned!"...but you know, none of them bother me that much...the picture tells the story...

Aww - thank you very much. I can't help the 'almost' bugging me a bit. I should have realised before downloading the shots. :bang:

It fits the theme and is an entertaining shot, yes it's a bit tight, yes the foreground would be better if it was in focus but no neither of these things bother me to much. Have fun in Cuba!

Thank you very much. One of these days I'll get it 'right' - hopefully. :)

Thanks everyone for the good wishes. We're all packed and ready to go at some unearthly hour in the morning. I hope I get some decent photos in Cuba. :D:D:D

jeangenie

19-10-2009, 20:30

I hope everyone enjoys this week's theme - after last week, I thought it was brilliant, but I decided to go for the quickest post on the 52 challenge by posting today, before going on holiday for 2 weeks tomorrow. Had I mentioned that before? :thinking: :D:D

So - here's a pint of bubbles with love from me. Cheers. :)

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/2507/DSC_8168LR.jpg (http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=70011)

Photographically, it's not much different from the pint of milk, but I must have learned something along the way, because it only took 10 minutes (ok, ok, if it looks like a 10 minute shot, I apologise :) )

The bubbles are courtesy of a well-known washing-up liquid, warm water and an electric whisk. All very low-tech with natural light.

If I manage to get anything more original or inspirational in Cuba I'll post it when I get back.

Jean

jonesor

19-10-2009, 21:28

I really like your slug shot, you've really nailed the DoF. And I for one quite like slugs, they're pretty interesting once you get to know them :)

Then, your water shot, with the Highland Coo is superb. It's brilliantly composed and really wouldn't look out of place on a postcard from Scotland.

Good work on the Out of Context shot too. Perfect idea for the theme and well executed.

As for the bubbles, I'd take that one back and ask for a top up if I were you! ;)
Nice work there! :clap::clap::clap:

Bruja

20-10-2009, 14:33

Nowt wrong with Out of Context as far as the theme goes. You've had the idea and then berated yourself about the result :thinking: You pointed out what you could have done better, which shows you have learned a lot (and I bet you were thinking more about your upcoming hols than about taking a shot :D), so well done you :thumbs:

When I saw your post with 'Bubbles' uploaded already I thought 'what the :shrug::shrug::shrug::shrug: Who got her out of bed this week' but I like the shot, and the southerners will say it looks like a pint of Northern beer :lol:

Great, sharp background, nice reflections and you polished the glass! :clap::clap:

corky

20-10-2009, 20:35

OOC - great take on theme and well taken

bubbles - like this too, but I see you suffered a little with reflections on the glass , as I did, but not to the same extent :clap:

karmagarda

20-10-2009, 22:20

Nice! A washing up liquid milkshake :eek:

:thumbs:

jgs001

20-10-2009, 22:38

Blimey Jean... Bubbles in already.... and I've no clue about shooting bubbles... Very nicely done that... It looks like a pint of Northern beer ;) On theme, and very well shot... have a great time in Cuba (again ;))... No need milk it ...:D

Kdot

21-10-2009, 20:33

Like that - very good lighting.

I'd have probably let the bubbles over run the top of the glass slightly myself, but I'm not sure why!

I have my 'Bubbles' shot in the bag, but haven't done 'Out of Context' yet!!!

kennysarmy

22-10-2009, 21:38

good work - border sets it off well too :)

and no matter how hard I look I can't see you in the reflection either ;)

SimonTALM

24-10-2009, 20:45

maddog.mark

25-10-2009, 12:20

Ha a pint of froth..... good shot Jean and how early:eek:

Hope you have / had a good time in Cuba:thumbs:

Spartacus

25-10-2009, 15:49

Well that's a nice full glass of bubbles, I'm liking the lighting on this one...very nicely done... have a great holiday...Jean...:wave:

SarahLee

25-10-2009, 15:49

Wow that was early!
I noticed it there earlier in the week and I've been dying to have a look. Had to restrain myself until I got my shot in though :D

I see the similarity to your pint of milk, but you must have learnt something because I think this version is better :thumbs:

Lovely contrast between the black and white and those bubbles are so sharp :clap:
Shame about the reflection from the window, but it really doesn't detract from the shot too much IMO. Great interpretation of the theme and a very good shot.
And wow! If that was a 10 minute shot, I'd love to see your next take on this set up if you have a bit longer to spend on it. I think you've got this one well and truly sorted :clap:

Hope you're having fun in Cuba. Looking forward to your catch up shots when you're back.

Tracer

25-10-2009, 21:52

I really like the clear simplicity of the glass of bubbles -- and the border really adds to the overall effect.

corky

26-10-2009, 19:14

Well taken, simple shot, nice contrast and on theme :clap:

jeangenie

05-11-2009, 21:38

Hi everyone. :wave: Just back from a fantastic holiday and trying to catch up here. :)

I really like your slug shot, you've really nailed the DoF. And I for one quite like slugs, they're pretty interesting once you get to know them

Then, your water shot, with the Highland Coo is superb. It's brilliantly composed and really wouldn't look out of place on a postcard from Scotland.

Good work on the Out of Context shot too. Perfect idea for the theme and well executed.

As for the bubbles, I'd take that one back and ask for a top up if I were you!
Nice work there!

Wow - thanks for the lovely comments. I have to say I still haven't got closely acquainted with any more slugs, but I will take the drink back for a top up. :lol: :)

Nowt wrong with Out of Context as far as the theme goes. You've had the idea and then berated yourself about the result. You pointed out what you could have done better, which shows you have learned a lot (and I bet you were thinking more about your upcoming hols than about taking a shot ), so well done you

When I saw your post with 'Bubbles' uploaded already I thought 'what the :shrug: Who got her out of bed this week' but I like the shot, and the southerners will say it looks like a pint of Northern beer

Great, sharp background, nice reflections and you polished the glass!

Thanks Jill - the glass was pretty clean after the shot, too! :lol:

OOC - great take on theme and well taken

bubbles - like this too, but I see you suffered a little with reflections on the glass , as I did, but not to the same extent

Thanks, Corky. I didn't even think about reflections until after I'd taken the shot. I just wanted to get it done before going away. :D

Nice! A washing up liquid milkshake

Cheers, kg! ;)

Blimey Jean... Bubbles in already.... and I've no clue about shooting bubbles... Very nicely done that... It looks like a pint of Northern beer On theme, and very well shot... have a great time in Cuba (again )... No need milk it ...

Hehehe - glad you like it, John. What's this about northern beer then. :bat: (We northerners must stick together! :))

Like that - very good lighting.

I'd have probably let the bubbles over run the top of the glass slightly myself, but I'm not sure why!

I have my 'Bubbles' shot in the bag, but haven't done 'Out of Context' yet!!!

Thanks - although the lighting was down to luck not design. I thought about letting the bubbles overflow and I agree it would have looked better - but (and it's a silly 'but', I know) I didn't want to spoil my black backdrop! I even put a bit of cling film under the glass and then cloned it out. Sad, or what? :D

good work - border sets it off well too

and no matter how hard I look I can't see you in the reflection either

Thanks - I'm glad you liked the border - it's a first for me and I was quite pleased with it. :)

Jean

jeangenie

05-11-2009, 21:52

Jean,

I've just gone through your images and I love them. I laughed out loud when I saw your out of context that is stunning.

I also love your bubbles shot - not only for the bubbles but your pint pot actually has the crown mark on it (incase you hadn't noticed pint glasses no longer have this iconic symbol and it has been replaced by the french :razz: CE mark :razz: )

Thanks, Simon. I shall have to treat that pint glass more carefully now. :lol: Glad you liked the images. :)

Ha a pint of froth..... good shot Jean and how early.

Hope you have / had a good time in Cuba.

Thanks, Mark. Cuba was great. :D

Well that's a nice full glass of bubbles, I'm liking the lighting on this one...very nicely done... have a great holiday...Jean...

Glad you like it - although I ws just lucky with the lighting. :)

Wow that was early!
I noticed it there earlier in the week and I've been dying to have a look. Had to restrain myself until I got my shot in though

I see the similarity to your pint of milk, but you must have learnt something because I think this version is better

Lovely contrast between the black and white and those bubbles are so sharp :clap:
Shame about the reflection from the window, but it really doesn't detract from the shot too much IMO. Great interpretation of the theme and a very good shot.
And wow! If that was a 10 minute shot, I'd love to see your next take on this set up if you have a bit longer to spend on it. I think you've got this one well and truly sorted :clap:

Hope you're having fun in Cuba. Looking forward to your catch up shots when you're back.

Thanks for the lovely comments, Sarah. :)

I really like the clear simplicity of the glass of bubbles -- and the border really adds to the overall effect.

Thank you very much. I shall definitely find another use for that border! :)

Well taken, simple shot, nice contrast and on theme :clap:

Thanks, Corky. :)

Jean

jeangenie

05-11-2009, 23:56

Time to catch up!

I managed to shoot both Weeks 43 and 44 while on holiday despite the Great Personal Sacrifices involved in having to put down the strawberry daiquairi, get off the sun lounger, ignoring the warm blue Carribbean sea, and trudge across burning sand lugging my camera and leaving no stone unturned in the quest for inspiration. :lol:

Mmmmm ... I don't think I'm going to get much sympathy from you lot on that piece of dedication to the 52. :lol:

I didn't quite find this chappie under a stone - more like under a sun lounger - but my Low down is a blue crab. He (or possibly 'she'!) really was this colour. He didn't look very happy to be photographed, so this was a quick snap before replacing the sun lounger and leaving him to his siesta. :)

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/2507/DSC_8346LR.jpg (http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=71043)

Lessons learned:

I don't suppose 'Look under all sunloungers' is much of a learning point (and could get me into a lot of trouble :naughty:), so I'll be content with 'no lessons learned' for this one.

Doom and gloom to follow when I can find it in the 800-odd photos I've taken in the last 2 weeks.:lol:

I'm looking forward to catching up on all your shots as soon as possible.

Jean

karmagarda

06-11-2009, 08:17

Great shot! Hope he didn't nip ya for your papparazi shot :lol:

:thumbs:

Bruja

06-11-2009, 08:21

Welcome back Jean and with a great shot too. Can't get much lower than a crab's belly :lol:

jeangenie

07-11-2009, 19:03

Great shot! Hope he didn't nip ya for your papparazi shot :lol:

:thumbs:

Thanks KG. Hehehe - no he was too busy enjoying his siesta to attack. :lol:

Welcome back Jean and with a great shot too. Can't get much lower than a crab's belly :lol:

Thanks Jill - it's good to be back, although I did quickly browse TP a couple of times - but couldn't log in.

I've never thought about the lowness of a crab's belly before - but glad y ou like the shot. :)

Jean

jeangenie

07-11-2009, 19:27

I promise, really promise, that this is the last time I go on about my holiday, but it's provided me with my Doom and Gloom shot for this week. With utmost dedication I took time out of our very last evening to get the shot that says 'your holiday's over - get back to reality'. :(

Packing to go on holiday is full of possibilties - shall I take this, or that, how much sunscreen, which shoes, a couple of books, will the case close, will it be overweight - all fun unless you worry about your case being overweight. :lol: But coming home is another matter entirely. Piles of sandy swimwear, crumpled and grubby clothes, that silly hat you know won't survive the journey - what incentive is there to fold them neatly and waste that precious last evening? Nah - just sling 'em in the case, bah, grrrr ...

all ...

Doom and Gloom:

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/2507/DSC_9038bwLR.jpg (http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=71142)

I'm never sure whether my b&W conversions 'work' but colour seemed too, well, colourful for the subject matter, so I've gone for black and white. If it looks as though I have thrown things into the case - that's just what I did. :D

I used the on-board flash for the first time in this Challenge, so the lighting is a bit hit and miss (mostly miss, I suspect) and a monopod because I didn't take a tripod.

Lessons learned:

1 Monopods have got 2 legs missing and wobble. :bang:

2 Don't try and take photos in the dark without a 'proper' flash.

3 Using the on-board flash and a monopod in the dark is just asking for trouble. :bang:

4 I should have made the decision about b&w before taking the shot because I could have made better use of texture and pattern.

It's nice to be up to date again. :D

Jean