weekly Southdowns' 52/2012 - Week 52 - Busy SP Posted. Thank You, and Goodnight :)

Southdowns

Southdowns

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Name
Mark
Edit My Images
Yes
My rules are below the links :)

The list below shows thumbnails of the last 6 images posted; click to go!

Week 1: Direction and More Direction
Week 2: Fear and Fear - My Nightmare
Week 3: Sigh
Week 4: Sweet
Week 5: Secure
Week 6: Industry
Week 7: Root
Week 8: Handmade
Week 9: Money
Week 10: Win
Week 11: Shiny
Week 12: Magical
Week 13: Vice
Week 14: Entrance
Week 15: Soft
Week 16: Pride
Week 17: Short
Week 18: Flight
Week 19: Authority
Week 20: Leave
Week 21: Random
Week 22: Temperature
Week 23: Abstract
Week 24: Symmetry
Week 25: Secure Reshoot
And Moody
Week 26: Joy
Week 27: Small
Week 28: Straight
Week 29: Letter (NOT FOR KIDS)
And Edit
Week 30: Contrast
Week 31:Mineral
Week 32: Dark: Joker for Now
Week 33: Time Lapse
Week 34: Body
Week 35:
Age
Week 36: Up
Week 37: Duo
Week 38: Flow
Week 39: Friendship
Week 40: Change
Week 41: Natural: Joker for Now
Week 42: Age
Week 43 AND 44: Spread/Together
Week 45: Pack
Week 46: Art
Week 47: Colour
Week 47: Pack Reshoot

Week 48: Shadow

Week 49: Glow

Week 50: Round

Week 51: Negative

Week 52: Busy


Rules:

- 4 jokers allowed, but will try to post every week - jokers will be to allow "off theme" shots.

- Shots may be up to one week late depending on work :(

- 2 shots max per theme other than edits of the originals. S*d that for a game of soldiers!

- Will post even if I don't achieve the results I wanted; fails will generate good feedback too, hopefully!

- Except on joker weeks, will not look at anyone else's ideas until I've posted mine, but will afterwards and will offer my feedback.

- All shots will be new; no using appropriate ones I've already got!

:rules: These rules to be strictly enforced by, umm, Southdowns ;) :nono:
 
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OK so here goes nothing! As soon as I saw this weeks theme I couldn't get wrong direction out of my head.

I had great fun shooting these two tonight with my wife's help, and I hope they do the job. I'm not completely happy with them, but like 2 more than 1. I just don't have the PP skills to achieve exactly what I'm after yet, but hey, that's the whole point of this right?

I guess I bit off more than I could chew really, as I was doing light trails, traffic direction, lots of PP things AND shooting to a theme, all for the first time ever! Oh, and I couldn't find the bulb shutter setting in time for the arrival of my wife in the car either, but there was no way I was going to ask her to ignore a no entry sign a second time!


Wrong Direction 1.jpg by MarkBerry1963, on Flickr


Wrong Direction 2.jpg by MarkBerry1963, on Flickr
 
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Hi Mark, I like the idea of the first pic, and is almost there. I would prefer the light trails to be more a little more "solid" It is a very good attempt, also perhaps a little more contrast is needed. I really do like the low key version in your last post, that is my fave out of the set. It would be great with a longer light trail.
 
Thanks Michael!

Re the last one (my fave too), I have lots of shots from the same location with longer light trails, but with those you lose the cars, which I thought were essential to the idea. In colour it's not so bad because you can tell headlights from taillights, but in B&W you need to know where the front of the car is to get the direction of travel.

I'm sure someone with the skills I lack could combine several of my frames to get longer trails AND the shape of the cars, but not me; the result I got when I tried looked like I'd used scissors and Sellotape!!!!!! Pasting the arrow in is about the limit of my abilities so far :(

I guess some kind of curtain flash could do it too, but that's way beyond my skill level/kit bag contents.

I'm glad I did use a shorter shutter speed to get at least one shot with actual cars in it though, as a last minute flash of inspiration.
 
I'm using Lightroom and Pixelmator (very good PS alternative). The problem with that approach is that the headlights are white, so there's no colour to bring out! I'll have a look through my shots later though to see if there's one with tail lights I could use.

I guess the limitation I've created for myself is that I want it to be wrong direction, not just direction :)
 
michael23 said:
:bonk: The wrong direction has just clicked :LOL:
Click to expand...

I don't know, I go out in the wind and rain, work 'till the small hours trying to understand how the select and clone tools work, explain my thoughts, and only now do you get it! :bang: I don't know why I bother, I really don't!

Actually, it's because I'm subtle and nuanced…...










…….or on a different planet to the rest of you :wacky: ;)
 
Delta Skies said:
Blimey Mark - 4 images !
Click to expand...

Oh no no no, that would be breaking my own rules! It's two images, plus two interpretations ;)

Delta Skies said:
My preference is #2. I like the simplicity of it and the tone of blue really suits it well.
Click to expand...

Thanks :) As an image I like that one a lot, but I don't think it hits the theme, and especially not my take on it (wrong direction). The light trails on the left are meant to be headlights (they're actually tail lights desaturated and brightened), but as my daughter and wife say, they just look like lines on the road.
 
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Hi Mark, as Images I have to say I really like the second one and it does match the theme, but for your idea of wrong direction I prefer the first one but would like to see longer and smoother trails.

Cracking start though and you obviously have lots of ideas and techniques to explore, going to be a good 52 i reckon..
 
Thanks :)

I'll blame my wife for the length and smoothness of the trails in number 1; how dare she have suspension on her car and not drive all the way down a one way street the wrong way? You just can't get the staff these days. :bang:

My 7 year old daughter refused point blank to stay in the car while my wife drove down there. She was convinced she'd go to prison if she did!:police:
 
Good to see the whole family getting involved and the best bit about the wife getting caught is that your photos would of provided the evidence lol

The punishement would of been 3 points and a fine for her and a few nights on the sofa for you :LOL:
 
Hi ya Mark...crikey...what a start to your challenge !

Like your thinking for the images & theme...the 1st 2 are my pick...8 you've already done better than I could at pasting the arrow in so good work (y)


Did you use a tripod for any of them ? This would have helped eliminate the jiggly bits in the trails & also turn the IS off on your lens ( if it has it)
Light trails...if you fancy doing more find MWHCVT 's post's on them...he does know his stuff.

Look forward to seeing your next 51 images :)
 
#2 for me Mark, for its simplicity, colour tones and crop. It has an abstract feel to it which I like.
Good start to the 52, I like your thinking on these, something a wee bit different. Iain
 
Thanks Lynne :) I used a tripod for all of them, yes, but it was incredibly windy, to the extent that I had to take the strap off the camera because it was completely uncontrollable! Plus, my tripod is a very cheap and flimsy one, so I didn't stand a chance really!

I'll take a look at MWHCVT's guides, thanks.
 
Cheers Iain (y)
 
Just read MWHCVT's guide on light trails; IS off, thats where I've been going wrong every time I've used my tripod!

The IS is in the body, not in the lens on my camera (Sony A200); I assume the same principal applies though?
 
Hi Mark

Solid eforts on the light trails - not the easiest of subjects to capture but I like the interpretation on theme and think ambition should never be thwarted. Appreciate your thoughts that the cars need to remain but also agree that longer light trails might make for more effective shots.

All the best for next week's entry

Spooks
 
Second one looks best to me.

Did you create the trails with a lamp or torch in the first one? I like the idea but would look better with smoother trails. I don't know if 2 lamps attached to the ends of a stick to create a pair of tail lights would work better?
 
Spooky said:
Hi Mark

Solid eforts on the light trails - not the easiest of subjects to capture but I like the interpretation on theme and think ambition should never be thwarted. Appreciate your thoughts that the cars need to remain but also agree that longer light trails might make for more effective shots.

All the best for next week's entry

Spooks
Click to expand...

Thanks. That's the beauty of this; it forces you to try things you've never done before!
 
spudey said:
Second one looks best to me.

Did you create the trails with a lamp or torch in the first one? I like the idea but would look better with smoother trails. I don't know if 2 lamps attached to the ends of a stick to create a pair of tail lights would work better?
Click to expand...

Cheers. The trails on the first one were genuine ones from my wife's car driving down the road, but it was by necessity a one take affair, and the road was bumpy. The dog legs at the far end are where she pulled over fearing no-where to turn around further up, and me not being able to close the shutter because I'd not found out where the bulb setting was! I do have a cable release, so no excuse really :(

The main point is, I've learned an awful lot from the experience, with "plan better" probably being the biggest lesson :)
 
Oh bu**er it, this is way too much fun, and I can't stop thinking about the theme, so here are a few more taken today. Someone stop me if I'm being greedy!

What do you think?

1) Was reluctant to do a sign shot given that others have done them so well already, but on the wrong direction theme, this sign is pointing away from the church it's directing you too (which in one of my other lives I'd tell you was the right direction ;)):


Right and Wrong Direction.jpg by MarkBerry1963, on Flickr

2) A well trodden direction:


Well Trod Direction.jpg by MarkBerry1963, on Flickr

3) Someone has ploughed their own direction (not sure about the tone; I like it but it's a bit off the wall?):


Plough My Own Direction.jpg by MarkBerry1963, on Flickr

4) Which direction is best, home or away?:


Which Direction.jpg by MarkBerry1963, on Flickr

5) Follow my direction (you have no choice):


Follow My Direction.jpg by MarkBerry1963, on Flickr
 
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Thank AgentG. I think I overstepped the mark though with all those extra shots, as no other feedback. My bad, as I didn't realise so many others had yet to post thier first images.

I'll try not to get so carried away next week, but it's so damn exciting doing this!
 
I really like the second image in the thread. A very original light trail and a great crop. Very science fiction-y :)

Good luck with the project!
 
So here's my take on Fear; Fear of the dark!

Again not 100% happy, and again probably too ambitious given my skill levels so far, but I thought t was worth a go. Please let me know if it works and how it could be improved.


Fear of the Dark.jpg by MarkBerry1963, on Flickr
 
Yes; that's it! I KNEW there was something screaming "nighttime" at me from the second one (which I produced first in fact), but it hadn't clicked it was night vision! Thanks Michael.
 
Hi, Mark, I really like the simplicity and crop on direction #2. Right and wrong direction...wow, I actually moved my head back on this one...almost has a 3D effect. (y)

Fear, liking the processing on this and the composition and shadows (especially the teddy bear). Works well.

Cheers and good luck.
 
Thanks guys!
 
My worst nightmare. I seriously did NOT need to feign fear to make this one. Hope you "like" it! I also have a colour version, in which you can see blood, but despite that it doesn't work as well as this one does. It's on Flickr though if you want to take a look :)


Buried Alive 2.jpg by MarkBerry1963, on Flickr
 
ooooo.... very Edgar Allen Poe! Suits the theme well and the oof elements adds to the nightmarish element.

Good stuff so far
 
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