PhiltheJuggler's 52! - The '52 - Part 1 - weeks 1-27

Wow, that's one hell of a set up you have there! No wonder the actual image has turned out so well. Rather than being 'just a shot' of some ingredients, you've delivered something completely different. I think your idea of goin in really close so it's difficult to tell what the ingredients are and add interest has defintely paid dividends.
 
Wow! Many thanks for all the great feedback everyone! It's lovely to get such a positive reaction!

Phil
 
I remember replying to this so I don't know what happened:shrug::cautious: :crying:

I really love this Triptych....perfect lighting and vey nicely put together :clap:

Set up looks scary though :LOL:


Thanks Sonia - it is a little bit of a cumbersome setup!

Phil
 
Week 20 - Stop

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Hi all...

This week I was away on business and managed a fantastic few hours shooting on a couple of beaches with some great models. I really liked the idea of creating a shot focussed on the hand saying 'Stop' but with the model visible looking distressed.

Just up from one of the beaches was some random stone structure and I thought this would be the perfect backdrop.

The shot was taken on the 1DS MkII with 70-200mm f2.8 MkII @ 70mm with 580EXII providing fill. Exposure settings: ISO100, f/2.8, 1/4000s, f/2.8.

I upped the contrast in Lightroom and increased the blacks to make the floor look more intense.

Hope you like this week's effort!

Phil
 
Hi Phil, interesting shot. 'interesting' because technically it's a great shot - the lighting, the focussing, the background, the PP - everything is perfect. What I find disturbing is the actual message of the image. Its the kind of image that would be used by a charity protecting victims of domestic abuse with clearly a very strong image that simply says 'STOP'. Well done on creating such a powerful and thought provoking image.
 
As above Phil, a very thought provoking image. It certainly says stop, so bang on theme. I like the composition and processing on the image, my only slight niggle on it is you have cropped the model's toes off, other than that, perfect. Iain
 
Hi Phil, interesting shot. 'interesting' because technically it's a great shot - the lighting, the focussing, the background, the PP - everything is perfect. What I find disturbing is the actual message of the image. Its the kind of image that would be used by a charity protecting victims of domestic abuse with clearly a very strong image that simply says 'STOP'. Well done on creating such a powerful and thought provoking image.

Thank you - I guess the image achieved my aim for it!

As above Phil, a very thought provoking image. It certainly says stop, so bang on theme. I like the composition and processing on the image, my only slight niggle on it is you have cropped the model's toes off, other than that, perfect. Iain

Yes - in hindsight I wish the toes were in the shot - my intention was always to crop in tighter, but when I played with it I preferred it showing the majority of the model.

Phil
 
Love it, Phil. Very strong composition. Having the model barefoot has added an extra bit of drama and fragility to the shot too.
 
Love it, Phil. Very strong composition. Having the model barefoot has added an extra bit of drama and fragility to the shot too.

Many thanks for the compliment - I see what you mean about the barefoot aspect adding to the fragility - I kinda did that without thinking too much about it, but it's great to analyse why things work.

Phil
 
that is a truly great image for the theme.........

I am sitting here still struggling for inspiration..............
 
Image is right on theme and has a powerful message behind it. Good work

that is a truly great image for the theme.........

I am sitting here still struggling for inspiration..............

Many thanks guys! Lynton - try googling the word 'stop' and see what comes up - sometimes it helps when you are stuck on a theme.

Phil
 
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Excellent image, Phil. It shouts out stop. As the others say, very powerful. I love the DOF but would have preferred it if the toes were included.

Jenny

Thanks Jenny! At first the lack of toes annoyed me, but actually my eye is so drawn to the hand I don't notice them any more!

Phil
 
Stop is excellent. Im rather Jealous...Would have loved to have thought of something like this myself.

The only thing Id think about changing is trying to get her feet in the image and possibly change it to black and white for that gritty feel.
 
that is a truly great image for the theme.........

I am sitting here still struggling for inspiration..............

Me too :thinking: might just do a huge catch up when I get back from holiday and take the topics with me :LOL::LOL:

I like this shot kind, kinda plain and simple but yet effective (y) reminds me of a night out having too much to drink as usual :LOL: and this is what it ends up like but not sure on the morning after or trying to remember what happened :naughty: :naughty:
 
Ingredients is wonderful. Before I realised how close you were, I was telling myself "that's not rosemary". Clearly it is. Just magnified. The contraption that looks like it needs a weightlifter to carry clarified the fact that you were close, and it's worked really really well. Very good take on the theme and a fine macro shot.

Stop is also very good, but the shadow (from flash? or daylight?) on her thigh is quite distracting. I think it's because I can't work out why it looks like that. Did you have a flash firing at her palm as well as one overhead?

Otherwise it's a strong take on the theme. Well done.

Ian.
 
Thanks for all the comments and crit. Interesting that there's a few comments on the shadow - I actively wanted the shadow in, I felt it added to the shot!

Ian - the shot was lit with strong overhead daylight (which probably caused the shadow) and some fill flash.

Phil
 
I don't know what else I can say about your ingredients shot Phil - That is simply brilliant. I absolutely love it !!!!

Stop : Again most of it has been said already, but it really is a thought-provoking and intriguing shot.
I actually like the shadow of the hand on her thigh. It reminds me of somebody grabbing at her and adds to the feeling of vulnerability.
Definitely one worth viewing large and on black on your website - for some reason it seems to lose something shown here on white.
 
I've been well and truly beaten to it on both shots... Both corkers and spot on theme... That setup for the macro is quite astonishing, what's the arm in the background ??

Stop.... a very thought provoking image containing a lot of vulnerability... the bare feet really add to that, shame about the toes though. Excellently done.
 
The 4th or 5th shot of a hand facing towards the camera but your shot has a much deeper feeling to it and I really like it.

Was unsure of the shadow to start with but its growing on me, the composition is spot on.

One of my favourites from a really tough theme
 
I don't know what else I can say about your ingredients shot Phil - That is simply brilliant. I absolutely love it !!!!

Stop : Again most of it has been said already, but it really is a thought-provoking and intriguing shot.
I actually like the shadow of the hand on her thigh. It reminds me of somebody grabbing at her and adds to the feeling of vulnerability.
Definitely one worth viewing large and on black on your website - for some reason it seems to lose something shown here on white.

I've been well and truly beaten to it on both shots... Both corkers and spot on theme... That setup for the macro is quite astonishing, what's the arm in the background ??

Stop.... a very thought provoking image containing a lot of vulnerability... the bare feet really add to that, shame about the toes though. Excellently done.

The arm is actually the top strut of my stroboframe. Basically one flash is on a mini ball head on the stroboframe with a diffuser. The other is out on a bracket which is attached to the tripod foot on the mp-e.

The 4th or 5th shot of a hand facing towards the camera but your shot has a much deeper feeling to it and I really like it.

Was unsure of the shadow to start with but its growing on me, the composition is spot on.

One of my favourites from a really tough theme

Yes - I struggled with the theme at first. Glad you came to like the shadow!

I love this image Phil, it's the sort of thing I would have liked to have done for this theme but still haven't managed to do anything :LOL: Very powerful image nice work!





Thank you so much for all your great comments - now to isolation.....
 
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Week 21 - Isolation

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Week 21 - My first thought on this was a picture of a local interesting landmark where someone has placed a picnic bench on top of a tall post with two model people looking like they've fallen asleep on it - unfortunately I couldn't seem to get an interesting shot of it!

I then spent the rest of the lunchtime at Pitsford water where I thought an isolated fisherman would fit the theme. I liked the soft tones of the grey water and decided to go with a shot destined for B&W conversion.

On the PC I got rid of some irritating wording down the side of the boat, converted to grayscale, upped the blacks & contrast and then toned slightly blue. I also added a slight white vignette to help draw the eye into the shot.

Canon 1DMKIII, 400mm f/5.6L, 1/2000s @ f/5.6 handheld, ISO 400.

Hope you like it,

Phil
 
I like that Phil, certainly says isolation to me. The subject definately suits the processing you have used. My only critique would be to see the fisherman and his boat in the top left hand corner. He would then be looking into the frame and the open expanse of water. (y) from me, Iain.
 
I like that Phil, certainly says isolation to me. The subject definately suits the processing you have used. My only critique would be to see the fisherman and his boat in the top left hand corner. He would then be looking into the frame and the open expanse of water. (y) from me, Iain.

Thanks Iain!

I think if it had been an option I might have gone for the boat in the top left of the shot, but items outside the frame prevented that viewpoint. I'd have liked to have taken both and compared.

Phil
 
Thanks Iain!

I think if it had been an option I might have gone for the boat in the top left of the shot, but items outside the frame prevented that viewpoint. I'd have liked to have taken both and compared.

Phil

Its so inconvenient when that happens :D
It's a good image besides that, I think we 52'ers have got more critical (in a good way) as the weeks have passed and people have improved and developed. Our expectations have risen and things which at the start would have been overlooked are now being mentioned. Cheers Phil, looking forward to tomorrow's theme. Iain
 
Says 'isolation' to me and I think having so much water in the bottom of the image and the boat towards the top of the frame definitely tells me that the fisherman was in an isolated location (sorry, I know that may not make sense, but it does in my head!)
The mono treatment has worked very well too.
 
Nice one Phil,

Isolation was a great theme. I went for the punishment interprition of isolation and you went for the pleasure, that boat is very invitinng.

I'm looking forward to the new challenge!


Excuse my ignorance but what is "vignette":thinking:
 
Says 'isolation' to me and I think having so much water in the bottom of the image and the boat towards the top of the frame definitely tells me that the fisherman was in an isolated location (sorry, I know that may not make sense, but it does in my head!)
The mono treatment has worked very well too.

Nice take on the theme, and I like that although it definitely fits 'isolation', it seems to be in a nice, calm and relaxed way rather than thinking of isolation as being a bad thing. Nice processing too :)

Thanks both - I was pleased with the outcome of the processing!

Nice one Phil,

Isolation was a great theme. I went for the punishment interprition of isolation and you went for the pleasure, that boat is very invitinng.

I'm looking forward to the new challenge!


Excuse my ignorance but what is "vignette":thinking:

Many thanks for the comments! A vignette is normally a darkening or lightening of the edges of the photo. If you look at this shot you will see a more obvious dark vignette:

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In the boat shot there is a slight light vignette to help pull the eye into the shot.

Phil
 
Trying to catch up -

"Stop" - great pose, lighting and DOF. Definitely says "stop" to me.

"Isolation" - a lovely peaceful image. I like the slightly tinted mono treatment - not quite so keen on the paler vignette that I find distracts rather than draws me in, but that is a very minor niggle.
 
Sorry been busy and not commented of late.
STOP: I like it, its strong and has a genuine feel to it ;)

ISOLATION: nice concept, i would like to see more expanse of water and maybe a smaller shot of the boat to give it real depth, having said that the image is a good one ;)
 
Definetely says Isolation to me. I think I would have prefered a little more colour, even if it was only in the water.
 
I like that a lot Phil :clap:

The subdued tones in the PP really make it for me, and he definitely looks isolated.
My only niggle would be the same as Iain's regarding positioning him so he was looking into the frame. However, sometimes we can't always frame things the way that we want and it doesn't really distract from it.
 
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