weekly Drodd's Photo52 for 2011 - Week 51, 52 and bonus: Light, Glass, Nature (post 1545)

SilentGoddess said:
Hi Dawn!

Finally I have time to do a recap on your "Finish" photos and to my surprise you are ready and with the next theme!
Ok, FINISH! I love your rose photo! I like the lighting of the flowers and the DOF. What I like the best is how the yellow is not very bright but a bit dimmed. I would enjoy looking at the photo from my wall. I just find the petals on the table a bit distracting and I would have preferred not to have them in the shot. Because I know you are creative person you may try to PP the flowers with the Plastic Wrap in Photoshop. I think it will look good! But definitely #1 is my favourite.
The second place is for the jigsaw. I image on the jigsaw and the frame create very complete composition. The lighting also makes it look like an old painting from a gallery!
Photos #3 and #4...hm... to be honest not a fan! But love the first two so you congrats on them! ;)

For the "Trio" theme...
I have to say I like both photos but prefer the musicians. The lighting I think is good and also the BG you have selected complements the photo and the colours in the figurines. The photo reminds me of an old photo in a magazine or newspaper. Great job and quite handy to have such beautiful collection!

The tulip shot is good too but for me the lighting is a bit..hmm.. not right. I would like to see the front of the flowers bit more lighted. Now I feel there is not mus of a detail in the flowers and those water drops on the front are bit lost. The composition is very good though!

Rayna
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Hiya Rayna,

Thanks a lot for popping past to leave some very valuable, indepth critique and comments about week 9 and 10. Much appreciated (y)

I've had mixed opinions about the petals, and might see what it looks like with them removed. Unfortunately I am not familiar with Photoshop so don't know about the 'plastic wrap' technique you mention, but thanks for the tip ... something I will consider if ever I get Photoshop.

A few people have commented that the tulips look a bit dark, but on my screen at home the lighting looks fine. Just wondering now if my new monitor isn't calibrated right .... I will have to check it out. I'll take a look at the pic on my works monitor tomoz. I took loads of photos of the tulips and other flowers and particularly like the single flower shots as opposed to the trio (but for this theme I had to post the three shot).

Using natural lighting for the flower shots was something new for me, and maybe with more practice I will get it right :D

Thanks again for your comments.

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
Hi Dawn, two more nice shots to add to your collection (y)
Personally I prefer the musicians shot and the only thing I will mention is that I am seeing a strange halo around the figures, not sure if it's been caused by pp or resizing. Other than that it's a very nicely composed, lit and titled shot.
I'm not so keen on the tulips shot because of the depth of field. The middle tulip is a bit to blurred for my taste. I would either try to get all three nice and sharp or put the tulip on the right even further back so that only the left flower is in focus and the other two less by degrees.
 
hewhoknows said:
Another good set Dawn, they both are nice but i prefer the trio of musicians. All look very well exposed and composed.
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Hiya Matt,

Thanks for the comments, much appreciated.

posiview said:
I had to smile when I saw your first trio. Well composted and exposed. The background really duits to mood of the photograph.

Nice composition with the tulips. Thing I'd like to see a tad more depth and the tulips look a bit dark (on my work's PC).

Cheers.
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Hiya Andy,

Thanks for the comments, I quite like the background of #1 too, it is just a piece of mottled card.

I can appreciate about the DOF with the tulips, unfortunately I didn't have much room to create such as I had these on a window sill with a piece of white canvas and paper stuck to the window to diffuse the light. But will bear it in mind for next time.

Amazing how some folk say they are a bit dark because they don't appear like that on my computer screen, but will check it at work tomorrow (as that is a very poor quality screen so if anything it will be interesting to see what it looks like on that :LOL:)

Mentalblock said:
Flowers for the 'finish' - It's the lighting I like and the look of the flowers from them being dead.

Flowers again for the 'tri', although they appear a little dark, but that could be my works monitor.
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Hiya Neil,

Thanks for the comments on week 9 (y) Cheers for letting me know that the tulips look a bit dark, I defo have to look into why they appear fine on my home monitor but not on others.

Barrysprout said:
Hi Dawn, two more nice shots to add to your collection (y)
Personally I prefer the musicians shot and the only thing I will mention is that I am seeing a strange halo around the figures, not sure if it's been caused by pp or resizing. Other than that it's a very nicely composed, lit and titled shot.
I'm not so keen on the tulips shot because of the depth of field. The middle tulip is a bit to blurred for my taste. I would either try to get all three nice and sharp or put the tulip on the right even further back so that only the left flower is in focus and the other two less by degrees.
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Hiya Colin,

Thanks for the critique and comments. I'm not sure what halo you are seeing, but will once again check that out on my works monitor. I think my home monitor (which is a new 24" monitor) may need some calibration tweeking (not sure how to do that, but will have to figure it out :LOL:)

I agree with what you say about the tulip shot. I was at first in two minds about posting this pic as it was a tough choice between quite a few that I took, but it got late last night when I posted this and in the end went 'eenie meenie ...' you know the rest. Perhaps I should have given more thought to which to post.

The tulips pic is actualy a rotation of the original, as they were actually taken facing upside down not to mention they didn't want to play ball because as I positioned them, they moved, I think that is why the one looks slightly OOF.

Anyway all part of the learning curve of this project.

Thanks again everyone for your comments and critique.

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
Hi Dawn

as usual , another superb offering:clap:

The musicians Trio is just brilliant , almost has a 3D appearance to me & the background you used works so well . I imagine it would look good framed & on a wall , what a superb collection of pieces to own :clap:

Tulips....love the way you've caught the water droplets (y) If it was a touch brighter the color may have come out more...what lens did you use ? I still stuggle with lighting but have just bought a softlight box thingy ,all white & with lights shining through it from 3 sides it really does help though still not natural light . Cost about a tenner from fleabay & comes with several different backgrounds to put in it though I guess you could put anything in it .
Roll on week 11 :)
 
blondie606 said:
Hi Dawn

as usual , another superb offering:clap:

The musicians Trio is just brilliant , almost has a 3D appearance to me & the background you used works so well . I imagine it would look good framed & on a wall , what a superb collection of pieces to own :clap:

Tulips....love the way you've caught the water droplets (y) If it was a touch brighter the color may have come out more...what lens did you use ? I still stuggle with lighting but have just bought a softlight box thingy ,all white & with lights shining through it from 3 sides it really does help though still not natural light . Cost about a tenner from fleabay & comes with several different backgrounds to put in it though I guess you could put anything in it .
Roll on week 11 :)
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Hiya Lynne,

Thanks for your comments, I always look forward to seeing what you think of my pics :D

I'm glad you see the 3D sort of thing going on, because that is something I was trying to create ... i.e., like one was actually watching this trio perform. I love my soul and jazz music ... hence why I bought this set when I saw it (apparently there is a singer for the set, but unfortunately I don't have her ... may be time to see if I can find one somewhere). Also liked how they are not complete figures.

I have quite a few classics in my collection .... my other favs being a set of nuns with musical instruments and then there is my Clarice Cliff golliwog band :D (some of which might feature in future weeks if they fit the theme).

Like your idea of it frames ..... :thinking: maybe another to add to the list of prints :D

As for the tulips, thanks for your thumbs up on the water drops .... it was something I saw on AndySnap's recent thread and thought I would try it. The natural light was a bit more of a challenge than I had expected. These photos were taken with my 18-55 (non IS) kit lens, tripod mounted and at very quite a close focal length (at times had to kick the camera into manual focus as I was too close for auto focus).

Hey, it sounds like I may have to visit the fleebay some time .... that is when I get time to ... as I am always so busy with sorting through pics :LOL:

There are so many bits of equipment that I would like to get .... but have to restrain myself from spending too much.

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
Hi Dawn,
Well i love the musical trio. Great light, lovely background which brings it all together into a nice strong image.

The tulips are good but like Andy i think a little more depth is needed. I love the water droplets on them though.
Best wishes
Ceri
 
fido18 said:
Hi Dawn,
Well i love the musical trio. Great light, lovely background which brings it all together into a nice strong image.

The tulips are good but like Andy i think a little more depth is needed. I love the water droplets on them though.
Best wishes
Ceri
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Hiya Ceri,

Thanks for the compliments about the musical trio, it seems they have are a hit :LOL:

The more I look at the tulips pic, the more I appreciate all the constructive critique from folk. Which all helps towards my learning.

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
Hiya Dawn, I nearly missed your trio photographs..The musicians trio stands out for me, the lighting and composition are excellent, and the background suits the subject well. I like the idea of the tulips, but I feel this one would benefit from a bit more saturation in the colours, or some extra lighting, to brighten it up a little. Maybe even a b+w conversion might suit the tulips?
 
chriseve1979 said:
Love the figurines! They're superb!
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Hiya Chris,

Thanks for the compliments.

michael23 said:
Hiya Dawn, I nearly missed your trio photographs..The musicians trio stands out for me, the lighting and composition are excellent, and the background suits the subject well. I like the idea of the tulips, but I feel this one would benefit from a bit more saturation in the colours, or some extra lighting, to brighten it up a little. Maybe even a b+w conversion might suit the tulips?
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Hiya Michael,

Thanks for the comments about the musical trio and the feedback and suggestions about the tulips. I will try your idea about the saturation and will also see what they look like as a b&w conversion.

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
Dawn, your plethora of items for finish leavs me feeling inadequate. Of them all I far prefer the roses and agree that it could be improved by teh removal of the fallen petals as the flowers are clearly not in their first flush of youth ;) I loke the tones and lighting you used.

And so we come to Trio (still trying to get chocolate biscuits out of my head :() I adore those jazz musicians (y) The setting is spot on. Lighting not AS good but I find black hard to light so can't suggest improvements. The tulips are beautiful but not as appealing as the jazz men...
 
TinaC said:
Dawn, your plethora of items for finish leavs me feeling inadequate. Of them all I far prefer the roses and agree that it could be improved by teh removal of the fallen petals as the flowers are clearly not in their first flush of youth ;) I loke the tones and lighting you used.

And so we come to Trio (still trying to get chocolate biscuits out of my head :() I adore those jazz musicians (y) The setting is spot on. Lighting not AS good but I find black hard to light so can't suggest improvements. The tulips are beautiful but not as appealing as the jazz men...
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Hiya Tina,

Thank you for the kind words, valuable comments and feedback. I think I have a lucky run so far with these themes, and am worried that one day soon I will be snookered for an idea :LOL: (although I hope not)

I think you are right about the petals of the roses, I haven't yet had chance to revisit the pic as I have had such a busy week so far .... and will be for the next few weeks. I just hope I manage to keep up.

When the trio theme was announced, I knew immediately what I was going to use for the subject .... and I think it has worked quite well. Indeed black is a difficult colour to get right as far as lighting etc, and definitely a colour I intend to get more practice of shooting.

If I get some time, I am also going to get more tulips and see if I can do another shoot using natural light again, as this is still an area that I could do with further practice too.

Thanks again for your feedback.

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
Hiya,

Well after a hectic week at home and work, and another on the forecast, I am surprised at how I have managed to keep up with posting, processing pics from last weekends Manchester meet (although some still to do), then doing a tog shoot at a charity event this weekend and still getting the new 52 complete before time .... talk about burning the candle at both ends :LOL:

Anyway, fortunately when I saw the theme for week 11, I was prepared and knew straight away what I was going to do.

Firstly, the re-shoot .... well not technically a re-shoot of my Week 3 (Style), but more a revisit of the image, taking on board the majority of critique and applying some post processing techniques I have learned since then. I just don't have the time to do a re-shoot (after all that image took me the best part of a week to complete) but as this is my project and learning experience I decided that a revisit is the same as a re-shoot. So here is my revisit of week 3 - Style:

Style (revisited)

5521354986_f850244116_b.jpg


(for ease of comparison .... here is the original image):

5376535698_2615c35909_b.jpg


So .... now onto Week 11's theme: Knowledge

Today (well as I am posting this after midnight, it would be yesterday) I attended my first event as official tog. It was a Red Nose Day charity event at the campsite I frequent. What a day it was too! I actually can't believe I am still awake after all the activity of the day :LOL:

Anyway ..... it was quite an active day covering a variety of photography styles from action shots, portraits, animals, birds, etc, etc (not to mention contending with a bit of rain). So when I saw the theme of Knowledge .... I couldn't believe my luck that I had got a picture from the day's events that tied in with the theme.

There was a falconry display with some absolutely gorgeous birds, for which I got some really good pics.

So when I read what the theme was for this week I thought of the photo I took of the owl, a bird that is often associated with knowledge and education and an old rhyme from school days popped to mind ......

A wise old owl lived in an oak
The more he saw the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Why can't we all be like that wise old bird?

5521355370_1a8c6ca463_b.jpg


I have always been fascinated by these gorgeous birds and after doing a bit of research tonight about them have learned so much about why they are associated with knowledge.

BTW the latter image is pretty much reflective of the type of photograph I am taking after all the practice and learning. I thought I would mention this, because I realise that quite a number of my submissions to this project have had some degree of processing to make them into an image from a photograph that I have taken (which is still very much my strength and interest), but I do love taking photographs as the starting point.

All comments and critique for this week will be very valuable, because I feel this is a turning point in some way ..... 11 is a power number in numerology (something I reflect on in my daily life) so I will greatly appreciate any feedback you may have.

Thanks for taking the time to read so far and looking at the pics.

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
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Good morning Dawn ,hope you're having a lie-in today after what sounds like a really hectic week or 2 :) acutally , I'm begining to wonder when you find time to sleep !

First off...Congratulations on your 1st Official Tog job :clap:

Revisit :

It's easy to see how you've tweaked the original & applied the stuff you've learnt...you could have submitted it as your Knowledge shot as well as you've used your new knowledge to enable you edit it (y)

Knowledge...what a great idea & a beautiful Owl . I'm still learning about bird photography but from what I've picked up - you've captured the eye's spot on (nice n sharp) , good natural background suitably oof & lovely positioning (y) The only nitpick is it looks a touch over sharpened ( but that may just be my monitor ). Love the words behind the picture & the frame suits it really well :clap:
 
Hi Dawn,

I really like your 'Tulip Trio' submission - love the lighting, especialy on the water droplets.

For your 'knowledge' submission, I like how you've linked it to something that's personal to you (a rhyme you remember from school), because that's what I think Photo52 is all about - a personal project.

In terms of the photo I think it's excellent, as Lynne says above, eyes are focused spot on. I really like the angle of view as it's exactly how it should be, totally focused on the owl and the background blur emphasises this.

However, I do also agree that it is oversharpened.

Overall an excellent photo and submission IMO :)

Will :D.
 
blondie606 said:
Good morning Dawn ,hope you're having a lie-in today after what sounds like a really hectic week or 2 :) acutally , I'm begining to wonder when you find time to sleep !

First off...Congratulations on your 1st Official Tog job :clap:

Revisit :

It's easy to see how you've tweaked the original & applied the stuff you've learnt...you could have submitted it as your Knowledge shot as well as you've used your new knowledge to enable you edit it (y)

Knowledge...what a great idea & a beautiful Owl . I'm still learning about bird photography but from what I've picked up - you've captured the eye's spot on (nice n sharp) , good natural background suitably oof & lovely positioning (y) The only nitpick is it looks a touch over sharpened ( but that may just be my monitor ). Love the words behind the picture & the frame suits it really well :clap:
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Hiya Lynne,

Thanks, I had a lovely lie in today, didn't wake up till 10am :LOL: I was absolutely shattered after the busy week and running around yesterday at the charity event. As for sleep, I seem to manage on less as I get older :LOL:

Thanks too for the congrats on the first tog job. As it was a charity event I wasn't paid in money (my time and travel was my contribution to the event and all proceed from sale of the photos are going to the charity too). However I have been given a complimentary weekend stay at the campsite (which suits me fine as we love going camping there). So in the April school holidays I will be going there for a well deserved rest :D

What I enjoyed the most about yesterday was the experience and the opportunity to take photos at an organised event. Something that has lifted my confidence of taking photos in public.

Now that you mention it, yes I suppose I could have submitted just the first image for knowledge because it has been a learning experience.

But heyho, I wanted to do both (something that I am going to try to achieve whenever there is a double take on a theme).

The bird display at the event yesterday were amazing and it was great to see that they are well cared for as they all looked so healthy and one could see that the owner took a lot of pride in his birds. I tried to get some shots of them flying .... but boy they are quick and photographing birds in flight is an area I still require lots of practice.

I think you are right that it may be a tad over sharpened (something I am still trying to get to grips with as sometimes I received comments that images are either not sharp enough or too much .... it's a matter of finding the balance).

I've done a quick edit of the sharpening, and IMHO doing so seems to lose a bit of the detail in the feathers. If you want me to post the edit here for you to compare I will do.

Thanks for your kind words, compliments and critique, all very much appreciated.

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
Will James said:
Hi Dawn,

I really like your 'Tulip Trio' submission - love the lighting, especialy on the water droplets.

For your 'knowledge' submission, I like how you've linked it to something that's personal to you (a rhyme you remember from school), because that's what I think Photo52 is all about - a personal project.

In terms of the photo I think it's excellent, as Lynne says above, eyes are focused spot on. I really like the angle of view as it's exactly how it should be, totally focused on the owl and the background blur emphasises this.

However, I do also agree that it is oversharpened.

Overall an excellent photo and submission IMO :)

Will :D.
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Hiya Will,

Thank you for your compliments on the 'tulip trio', the more I look at it now, the more I like it.

Thanks too for the kind words and feedback on the Knowledge photo. Indeed it is a personal project and I find myself often thinking of ideas for the themes that have a personal relation to the subject.

I agree with you and Lynne that it may be a tad over sharped, and have explained my reasonings for the over sharp in my reply to Lynne above. I think I need to find the balance when sharpening ..... more practice for me :D

Thanks for your feedback, and encouraging words.

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
My regret with the 52 is I'm fnding it so hard to fit in the shooting that I don't have the time to contribute by commenting on others' threads. You have made such a contribution to the 2011/52 Dawn, and you deserve to be applauded for that.

The re-visit (rather than re-shoot) was well worth it. When I first saw the original image I loved the colours and the evocation of an old juke box. The new processing just smoothes off the edges from before and makes the image even better. It's great to see you both learning from this experience and applying that learning. Well done.
 
David Gethin said:
My regret with the 52 is I'm fnding it so hard to fit in the shooting that I don't have the time to contribute by commenting on others' threads. You have made such a contribution to the 2011/52 Dawn, and you deserve to be applauded for that.

The re-visit (rather than re-shoot) was well worth it. When I first saw the original image I loved the colours and the evocation of an old juke box. The new processing just smoothes off the edges from before and makes the image even better. It's great to see you both learning from this experience and applying that learning. Well done.
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Hiya David,

Thank you very much for the kind words, they are very encouraging.

I fully appreciate that time is a valuable commodity, and believe me I also find it challenging at times to juggle my work/life balance and keeping up with my photography. I set myself a goal this year to learn as much as I can to improve my photographic ability and develop it into something more than a hobby, hence why I spend every minute available to achieving this end.

Thanks for the compliments about the revisit of the Style image. I have been meaning to do a revisit of the picture since I posted it in week 3, so when I read the themes for this week I seized the opportunity to do it now and I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I did the edit too, with all the knowledge I have gained over the past weeks.

This project is probably one of the best things I could do to improve my learning and all the comments and feedback I receive from members here all contribute to same. I also learn so much from reading others 52s, most probably why I spend so much time in this area now.

I have learned so much from your own 52, and appreciate all the in depth detail you provide with each week - thanks.

What I most look forward to is reaching the end of the 52 and reflecting back on the progress made. I'm planning on putting together a photo book at the end of this challenge, as a reminder of my achievement.

Thanks again for popping past to comment.

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
Hi Dawn,

Sorry its been a while since I've visited your thread, time for a quick catch up:

Chaos
Blackpool Illuminations one works better then the abstract one (I just don't get it, sorry). I like the patterns and the effect of perspective with the lights.

Finish
I think the image is well exposed and composed illustrating the final days of a flower, the tones are nice and warm and fitting. The jigsaw you did well to get if its behind glass, I like the texture but I think the shot is let down by being slightly wonky. The hillclimb one, being honest I'm not a fan.

Trio
I love the fun factor with the jazz bad. Good positioning and good lighting. The background does make the image look a bit flat though so maybe if the shadows and highlights were a bit stronger you get get some depth back.

Knowledge
Nice study of an eagle owl, and nice bokeh. Eyes are nice and sharp as well so (y) Owls are actually quite dim, the skull of that eagle own under all the feathers is about the size of a golf ball. Take out the 1/3 of it taken up by the beak and the other 1/3 taken up by the eyes (which are fixed and a kindof cone shape) and you haven't got a lot of space for a brain!
 
Hi Dawn
Thanks for posting on my 52 even though I fell way behind ..and now looking at yours I feel embarrassed, you have fitted in sooo much more than I have, and still managed to come in on time. It must be a woman thing ;)

Your Owl is as sharp as a tack ..looks fantastic great shot love it..well done ..
 
Hiya Dawn!

Congrats on your first tog event! The Re-shoot photo is great! I like the PP and the original image too. My only concern is that in the PP you seem to have lost a bit of the sharpness and definition of the original image. But I still love the it and if I haven't seen the original I wouldn't have a critique.

I like your "Knowledge" interpretation too. Even without the rhyme I associate owls with knowledge and wisdom. Not sure how true it is but...still. Great focus on the eyes and also great angle. As already commented it does look a bit over sharpened.

Great job again!

Rayna
 
cw318is said:
Hi Dawn,

Sorry its been a while since I've visited your thread, time for a quick catch up:

Chaos
Blackpool Illuminations one works better then the abstract one (I just don't get it, sorry). I like the patterns and the effect of perspective with the lights.

Finish
I think the image is well exposed and composed illustrating the final days of a flower, the tones are nice and warm and fitting. The jigsaw you did well to get if its behind glass, I like the texture but I think the shot is let down by being slightly wonky. The hillclimb one, being honest I'm not a fan.

Trio
I love the fun factor with the jazz bad. Good positioning and good lighting. The background does make the image look a bit flat though so maybe if the shadows and highlights were a bit stronger you get get some depth back.

Knowledge
Nice study of an eagle owl, and nice bokeh. Eyes are nice and sharp as well so (y) Owls are actually quite dim, the skull of that eagle own under all the feathers is about the size of a golf ball. Take out the 1/3 of it taken up by the beak and the other 1/3 taken up by the eyes (which are fixed and a kindof cone shape) and you haven't got a lot of space for a brain!
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Hiya Caleb,

Thanks for popping past for a catchup on my project 52 and also for the valuable critique and feedback.

Thanks too for the compliments about some of the images. I appreciate the abstract for Chaos is not to everyones taste. The Hill Climb one is an old photo taken well before my photography days and taken with a Nokia N95, but wanted to include it as it was the only photo I had with the word FINISH in it :LOL:

I'll have a look at the Trio band shot with your suggestions in mind. The jigsaw puzzle has no glass, but rather it is finished with a modge podge application to protect it. Not sure about the wonky, will check that out too as I tried to get it as straight as possible (both on the wall and once uploaded to computer).

Had to laugh at your explanation about an owls head, and I can imagine they are tiny. Not sure why they are associated with knowledge then, but heyho they are.

Cheers

Dawn :)


Mr G said:
Hi Dawn
Thanks for posting on my 52 even though I fell way behind ..and now looking at yours I feel embarrassed, you have fitted in sooo much more than I have, and still managed to come in on time. It must be a woman thing ;)

Your Owl is as sharp as a tack ..looks fantastic great shot love it..well done ..
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Hiya James,

You are welcome and thanks for popping past to comment on my project. Don't be embarrassed, you are doing a great job too. As for the woman comment .... I think it could have something to do with that, afterall we are good at multi-tasking, which is a generalised statement (but that's as much as I will say for fear of offending anyone :LOL:)

Glad you like the owl shot and thanks for your compliments.

Cheers

Dawn :)


SilentGoddess said:
Hiya Dawn!

Congrats on your first tog event! The Re-shoot photo is great! I like the PP and the original image too. My only concern is that in the PP you seem to have lost a bit of the sharpness and definition of the original image. But I still love the it and if I haven't seen the original I wouldn't have a critique.

I like your "Knowledge" interpretation too. Even without the rhyme I associate owls with knowledge and wisdom. Not sure how true it is but...still. Great focus on the eyes and also great angle. As already commented it does look a bit over sharpened.

Great job again!

Rayna
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Hiya Rayna,

Thanks for the congrats, compliments and critique.

When I looked at the revisit of the Style image, I also noticed that it seemed to have lost a bit of the detail, not sure why :shrug:, however I still like the result too.

After Calebs explanation of what an owl's head consists of I also wonder at how true the interpretation is. However, there are many cultures that regard the birds as a symbol of wisdom and read that the American Indians use their feathers in their head dressings because of the association with knowledge and wisdom along with other reasons to ward off evil spirits etc.

Either way I'm glad you got the idea of the owl/knowledge association as I did.

Thanks all for the great feedback.

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
drodd said:
Hiya Caleb,
Not sure why they are associated with knowledge then, but heyho they are.
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You can thank the Greeks. The Goddess of Wisdom Athena is depicted in common mythology with a little owl sat on her shoulder to act as her personal advisor and help her out if she didn't know something. Athena was also thought to be an owl in early life, or a bird goddess.
 
cw318is said:
You can thank the Greeks. The Goddess of Wisdom Athena is depicted in common mythology with a little owl sat on her shoulder to act as her personal advisor and help her out if she didn't know something. Athena was also thought to be an owl in early life, or a bird goddess.
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Thanks for the general knowledge information Caleb. It's amazing the other things, besides photography, that one can learn by doing this 52. (y)

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
michael23 said:
Hiya Dawn, well done on getting everything done and dusted so promptly. Critique wise, I think everything has been covered, it might be interesting to see the original image of the owl for comparison in terms of the sharpness. I also like your style re visit.(y)
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Hiya Michael,

Thanks for the kind words.

Here is the original owl image, saved as a JPEG from the RAW image and resized to upload here (but otherwise straight from camera):

5524211046_439873ccf2_b.jpg


Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
Hi Dawn,
Your revisit is an improvement on the original and i thought that was good.
The image of the owl is lovely. Very well captured. The composition is good, great focus on the eyes and lovely colours. With the oof background it all comes together to create a very strong image.
best wishes
Ceri
 
fido18 said:
Hi Dawn,
Your revisit is an improvement on the original and i thought that was good.
The image of the owl is lovely. Very well captured. The composition is good, great focus on the eyes and lovely colours. With the oof background it all comes together to create a very strong image.
best wishes
Ceri
Click to expand...

Hiya Ceri,

Thank you for the very encouraging compliments and kind words.

I am glad you like the images.

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
Hi Dawn, thanks for posting the original photo, I decided to have a play, hope that's okay? I am by no means an expert at pp, I might add, when I went to sharpen your image there was way to much, when using the my usual settings, which is a radius of 1.5 and then altering the amount percentage. So I decided to reduce the radius setting down to 0.5% and then adjusted the amount slider, to get a less processed look about the image. Here is my take on it done in Photoscape contrast altered
cropped
sharpened
black border added
saved at 100% quality. So with your full image, I reckon you will have a cracking photo once you can find the right balance of sharpness, which is always tricky.

Hope you don't mind me having a play,

dawnsowledit.jpg
 
Last edited:
michael23 said:
Hi Dawn, thanks for posting the original photo, I decided to have a play, hope that's okay? I am by no means an expert at pp, I might add, when I went to sharpen your image there was way to much, when using the my usual settings, which is a radius of 1.5 and then altering the amount percentage. So I decided to reduce the radius setting down to 0.5% and then adjusted the amount slider, to get a less processed look about the image. Here is my take on it done in Photoscape contrast altered
cropped
sharpened
black border added
saved at 100% quality. So with your full image, I reckon you will have a cracking photo once you can find the right balance of sharpness, which is always tricky.

Hope you don't mind me having a play
Click to expand...

Hiya Michael,

Thanks for the edit, I can see the difference. Thanks too for the link to Photoscape, I have downloaded it and will take a look at it some time. Not sure why the image was already so sharp as that was the original, so unless it had something to do with the camera settings :shrug:

I'll have to revisit this again, but at the moment I'm so busy trying to get all the photos from Saturdays event processed.

Thanks anyway for your edit.

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
Dawn, you put us all to shame, well me certainly :confused: I start with good intentions meaning to comment on fellow 52ers but get so distra c t ed....:confused:

Anyhoo, LOVE your owl and well remember that verse (now but not when yattering :)) I've learned something about sharpening owls today, so thank you. Sharpened or not that is a splendid photo (y)

I will endeavour to visit and do a proper critique each week from now (honest)
 
The re-shoot/process has shown your progression very well Dawn.
The owl shot is a great picture to start with, the only thing i think would have improved it is eye contact and although i have no experience with birds I reckon they wouldn't take modelling instruction to well.
Michaels sharpening process has brought a lot more of the detail out and makes a great shot stand out that bit more.
 
TinaC said:
Dawn, you put us all to shame, well me certainly :confused: I start with good intentions meaning to comment on fellow 52ers but get so distra c t ed....:confused:

Anyhoo, LOVE your owl and well remember that verse (now but not when yattering :)) I've learned something about sharpening owls today, so thank you. Sharpened or not that is a splendid photo (y)

I will endeavour to visit and do a proper critique each week from now (honest)
Click to expand...

Hiya Tina,

Thank you for your kind words ;)

Believe me, I know all about distraction, hence why I sometimes see a post by fellow TP 52'er, think yeh I will comment, but then a tiny voice from my son calls me and I land up moving away from my thought process. Takes me a while to get back to where I left off, but eventually I get there again in the end :LOL:

Appreciate your comments about the owl pic .... although I still have loads of practice to do with sharpening (which seems to be my current challenge).

Cheers

Dawn :)


Barrysprout said:
The re-shoot/process has shown your progression very well Dawn.
The owl shot is a great picture to start with, the only thing i think would have improved it is eye contact and although i have no experience with birds I reckon they wouldn't take modelling instruction to well.
Michaels sharpening process has brought a lot more of the detail out and makes a great shot stand out that bit more.
Click to expand...

Hiya Colin,

Thank you for the feedback ... I know what you mean about the eye contact, but as you pointed out they are not the most co-operative of models :LOL:

Agree that Michaels processing has enhanced the detail, I will have to have another go at the image at some point (when I have some spare time).

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
but thought I'd just let you all know that I do post outside of the 52 (when I get the chance, tonight being one of those moments).

Things have been so hectic lately with my photography, keeping up with the 52, doing a street meet with fellow TP'ers, photography at a charity event (of which I should have been working on tonight, but just needed some space to find my creativity), not to mention my personal 365 (which is so far behind with posting .... although I am on track with taking the pics).

On reflection at this late hour of posting, I ask myself "how do I manage to keep up?" .... I must either be either :wacky: or very determined! (prefer the latter :LOL:)

Either way, if you fancy venturing out of 52 land for a change of scenery, why not pop past my latest uploads:

Manchester tog day out:
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=304213

and

Spotted a togger:
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=3499491&postcount=1131

and if you are feeling really adventurous a few more pics on my Flickr link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/crystal_singer/

I must try to keep more up-to-date with my processing and uploading.

My work never ends.

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
Hi Dawn

I thought I better check in... I'm really struggling now to keep up with the 52... and keep up with posting crit/ comments etc on other peoples threads. It would not be so bad if my computer at work was a bit faster... It's so slow at lunchtime as our IT system cant cope with everyone surfing at once... so half the time it takes so long to load a page... mixed with my impatients that I dont bother!

Anyway defo need a catch up day soon. Im determined to stick with it... and Im off to NYC on holiday soon so bound to get a few done there! Anyway...

Loved all your last few shots. Especially the owl and the tri of band figures. The owl is a great take on the knowledge theme.

I liked the finished jigsaw too... simple but effective.

Hopefully i can catch up over the next few weeks!

Mark
 
markelliot said:
Hi Dawn

I thought I better check in... I'm really struggling now to keep up with the 52... and keep up with posting crit/ comments etc on other peoples threads. It would not be so bad if my computer at work was a bit faster... It's so slow at lunchtime as our IT system cant cope with everyone surfing at once... so half the time it takes so long to load a page... mixed with my impatients that I dont bother!

Anyway defo need a catch up day soon. Im determined to stick with it... and Im off to NYC on holiday soon so bound to get a few done there! Anyway...

Loved all your last few shots. Especially the owl and the tri of band figures. The owl is a great take on the knowledge theme.

I liked the finished jigsaw too... simple but effective.

Hopefully i can catch up over the next few weeks!

Mark
Click to expand...

Hiya Mark,

Thanks for popping past for an update, and for commenting on some of the weeks.

I have missed your posts, and can understand how time can be hectic. We can't get access to TP from work, so I have to do all my catching up before or after work. But I know how it goes with slow connections during lunch time as we experience the same at work.

If I don't chat to you before you leave for NYC have a fantastic holiday.

Hopefully we will see you around soon.

Take care

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
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