Tracer's 52 for 2010 (part 2) - FINAL Week 52 - "Together"

Sorry I'm a bit late but opportunities were scarce. I'll catch up with the rest of you asap.

Week 40 - "Console"

console4174.jpg


I was inspired to create this image by a very beautiful song by the 17th-century composer Henry Purcell, who set these words by Dryden. I am a keen amateur musician and find it a very consoling activity.

The idea is simple but it took me ages with the remote, trying to get the pose and the focus right. I had to bodge a makeshift background and couldn't get rid of the folds on the right - I like to think they add a sense of the sweep of the music.... :thinking:

I always intended to crop the head as I don't do self-portraits. Just as well, as I found I was making the most horrible faces!

If you play the guitar you may be surprised by the right-hand position. On this kind of lute the little finger rests on the soundboard at all times, and the thumb plucks underneath the fingers.
 
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A clever idea and interpretation... I should have sussed it from the image, but I'm feeling thick today... It's nicely shot and lit, and the background works very nicely with the tone of the wood.
 
Very clever PP on the rage shot. I really like the sense of movement that you've got into it - and done quite subtly too. My first thought when I saw it was "How did you manage to get the head in focus and the rest of the body blurred?"

Console. Another (y) from me - although I'm afraid you lost me with the hand position.
I like the combination of black and red and the framing is spot on. The strong diagonal line works well and you certainly don't need the head in shot on this one.
Not too keen on the folds in the fabric, but they're not a major issue and I'm happy enough to go along with the "sweep of the music" explanation :LOL:
 
Yes -thats an appealing image for Console and an unusual interpretation. Having done a shot of myself playing the guitar earlier in the '52 I appreciate the effort that goes in to getting a shot like this right. Well done!

Phil
 
Excellent shot, Tracer, and a very good take on the theme (y)

I think the composition is excellent. It works really well without your head in the picture. I also love the colours and the background really matches the dark wood on the lute. I did not notice the folds until you mentioned it. The black clothing finished it off nicely and does not distract from the lute.

:clap::clap::clap:

Jenny
 
jgs001 said:
A clever idea and interpretation... I should have sussed it from the image, but I'm feeling thick today... It's nicely shot and lit, and the background works very nicely with the tone of the wood.
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Thank you John. I was able to do this with available light which made it much simpler.

ladysue said:
A different interpretation of the theme. Very cleverly posed.The colour of the instrument against your black clothes is beautiful.
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Thank you Sue. It was my husband who suggested black when he found me scratching my head over a motley collection of shirts.

SarahLee said:
Very clever PP on the rage shot. I really like the sense of movement that you've got into it - and done quite subtly too. My first thought when I saw it was "How did you manage to get the head in focus and the rest of the body blurred?"

Console. Another (y) from me - although I'm afraid you lost me with the hand position.
I like the combination of black and red and the framing is spot on. The strong diagonal line works well and you certainly don't need the head in shot on this one.
Not too keen on the folds in the fabric, but they're not a major issue and I'm happy enough to go along with the "sweep of the music" explanation :LOL:
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Thank you Sarah. The background is a fitted double sheet, precariously hung from a wardrobe. The elasticated corners caused the folds, but when I tried to straighten them the whole lot came down on top of me. :D
 
philthejuggler said:
Yes -thats an appealing image for Console and an unusual interpretation. Having done a shot of myself playing the guitar earlier in the '52 I appreciate the effort that goes in to getting a shot like this right. Well done!

Phil
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Thank you PHil

justlooking said:
Beautiful looking instrument and unusual take on the theme. I like warmth of the colours.
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Thank you JL

jennyb said:
Excellent shot, Tracer, and a very good take on the theme (y)

I think the composition is excellent. It works really well without your head in the picture. I also love the colours and the background really matches the dark wood on the lute. I did not notice the folds until you mentioned it. The black clothing finished it off nicely and does not distract from the lute.

:clap::clap::clap:

Jenny
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Thank you Jenny. My husband was a great help with the colour scheme. He doesn't have time to take part in these challenges but he's also a keen photographer and is always very interested in what we are doing each week.
 
Tracer. Another big catchup.

Light: Lovely shot of the vaulted storage room. Seems to be crying out for some subtle HDR PP.

Project: Stunning colours. Great capture.

Film: Clever idea. Thought we'd see more of this type of thing for film.

Dirty: Certainly dirty. The desaturated works better in my opinion. I would have rotated it so it wasn't quite square in the frame, if you see what I mean.

Rage: :D Nice one. PP works well.

Console: Very well shot. Great colours. The red background and black clothing really sets off the instrument.
 
I wanted to post a moon shot but the weather hasn't been so good here in the last couple of days. Instead I am posting this one which is my favourite moon image so far, and which I took it a little while ago. There just happened to be the right amount of cloud and a bit of a halo.

Week 41 - "Distant"
distantmooncloudsmall2.jpg


The clouds were scudding past quite fast at different levels. A thin cloud just in front of the moon reduced its brightness just enough to retain some detail. I have combined three raw conversions and increased the colour saturation a little. It looks better on a black background.

I have applied a little noise reduction -- there is still some in the darker clouds but I didn't want it to go too mushy.
 
Well exposed moon nicely framed by some interesting cloud. I can see why you like it (y)
 
Tricky, yet very well captured (y). Love the effect very moody for the full moon (which getting detail of is also tough). Nice bit of the corona caught in the high clouds that aren't obscured too. (a Halo is actually a much wider circle, you woulnd't see it in this image, as the thick clouds are too close).
 
Great moon shot - I particularly like the central framing which normally ruins a shot but this one thrives on the composition.

Phil
 
ladysue said:
Distant- I like the moon shot. I still havent managed to get a decent one.I like the colours you have captured.
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dade_f said:
DISTANT: nice shot! great mix of colour and detail ;)
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justlooking said:
Wow - love your Distant shot - great composition and colours.
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clud17 said:
great shot and so well framed by the clouds. I was thinking along these lines initially and was fortunate for a good sky on Sunday night.
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Thank you Sue, Dade, JL and Chris. I have tried many times to shoot the moon and finally got lucky with the conditions.
 
dlh said:
Well exposed moon nicely framed by some interesting cloud. I can see why you like it (y)
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jennyb said:
Hi Tracer, I love the moon shot. I have tried photographing the moon but with little success. Great take on the theme (but not quite as distant as John's!). I love the colours and the compostion (y)

Jenny
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Thank you Darren and Jenny. Every time the moon is near full I keep a look-out for potential shots but so often am defeated by circumstances. After a clear day it is raining quite hard tonight...:bang:

jgs001 said:
Tricky, yet very well captured (y). Love the effect very moody for the full moon (which getting detail of is also tough). Nice bit of the corona caught in the high clouds that aren't obscured too. (a Halo is actually a much wider circle, you woulnd't see it in this image, as the thick clouds are too close).
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Thank you John, and thanks for giving me the proper terms. When I retire I hope to mug up my astronomy a bit :).

philthejuggler said:
Great moon shot - I particularly like the central framing which normally ruins a shot but this one thrives on the composition.

Phil
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Thank you Phil
 
I'm afraid I'm beginning to struggle...whether it's the days drawing in and the approach of winter I don't know, but I'm losing my mojo a bit. Still, I have finally got round to last week's theme:

Week 42 - "Secret"

secret42602asmall.jpg


It probably doesn't say 'secret' at first glance but it is an association of ideas - skeleton in the cupboard / Indian in the Cupboard. With Hallowe'en near I could have got a skeleton in Tescos but I have enough clutter already! The head was made by my son in school and I used it for "Poetry" at the beginning of the year. The painted cupboard door is original but not much of the rest is, hence the close crop. Hope you like it - I had fun with it.
 
Not sure it says secret, but I'm liking the image nonetheless. It's more scary or sinister and looks like a still from the video in The Ring. In fact the more I look at it the less I want to :LOL:

Turning the lights on now...
 
dlh said:
Not sure it says secret, but I'm liking the image nonetheless. It's more scary or sinister and looks like a still from the video in The Ring. In fact the more I look at it the less I want to :LOL:

Turning the lights on now...
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justlooking said:
like the textures in the picture... creepy though !
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ladysue said:
Its approriate for Halloween. Bit of a squeeze to make it Secret. I like the processing that gives it a metallic look.
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Thank you, Darren, JL and Sue. Maybe I should have used a skeleton after all :D.
 
I really like it and it does say 'secret' to me - I saw it as the door having a sinister secret.

Phil
 
I really like it... as has been said, it really needs a bit of a crowbarring to get secret... but for helloween it's great. Lovely textures in it, and the mono conversion really suits.
 
I do think a liberal application of the crowbar has been applied but it is a very good image in it's own right.

Very creepy, good textures and processing.

This would look really good as a metallic print.

Andy
 
jgs001 said:
I really like it... as has been said, it really needs a bit of a crowbarring to get secret... but for helloween it's great. Lovely textures in it, and the mono conversion really suits.
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daddy day care said:
I do think a liberal application of the crowbar has been applied but it is a very good image in it's own right.

Very creepy, good textures and processing.

This would look really good as a metallic print.

Andy
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Thnkk you, John and Andy. I still think of it as the secret in the cupboard and nothing to do with Hallowe'en, but it seems I will have to accept a crowbar...
 
I had several plans for this theme but the weather has been horrible for most of the week, and when it finally improved I didn't have much time.

Week 43 - "Urban"

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This is Buchanan Street in Glasgow - it runs almost due south which makes exposure difficult, and I had to combine two shots to get some detail in the sky. I like the position of the scurrying figures but could have done without the taxi in the middle. :bang:

Maybe it's too busy - but then that is urban life. It looks awful in colour, with red sandstone buildings 'contrasting' with puke green light standards and a violet taxi. :puke:
 
I like this Tracer, it has a good feel to it. I think the B&W conversion really works with the scene and I don't find the taxi distracting, it adds to the whole urban theme. It reminds me a little of a Lowri painting with all the little figures walking around. Iain
 
Thank you Iain. It was the Lowry feeling that attracted me to it as a subject.
 
I know that view. :) Shame you had "puke green light standards and a violet taxi" as I like the colour of the sandstone buildings in Glasgow. I don't mind all the people as I don't think I have ever seen that view quiet. Certainly fits the theme.
 
Hi Tracer,
Not long to go now - only 9 more weeks!

Distant : Love it, love it, love it (y)
Very atmospheric and as much as I like really clear detailed moonshots, it's nice to see a different approach to the theme.

Secret : I thought I recognised that face from earlier in your 52. And I actually think that it's spot on for the theme. It says "secret doorway" to me. The way that you've lined his eyes up with the molding on the door works very well and very clever combination of the two images.

Urban : Glad that you lost the puke and violet :LOL: Although even with more conventional colours I think this would work better as a B&W.
Very nice work on the sky and I really love the sense of perspective in the composition. (y)
I'm just a bit torn about the contrast. At first glance I thought that the blacks were maybe a bit "too black", but on looking again the way you have it is starting to grow on me.
 
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