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

Hi Mark, have to say that blokes got a cushy number!!

don't think I can really critisice on anything(very new to this game!!), still trying to get my head round composition, against the rule, adjusting exposure and everything else!!!!
 
Getting around to the right, even side on to him would have given a better composition I think and colour would have enabled the cushions to 'shine', having said that a good photo from the iphone and well on theme.
 
Thanks everyone. This is the kind of helpful C&C I like :)

You're all right! I do think having him looking up would have destroyed what I was after, which was the cushy nature of his work, but I do think a different angle would have been more interesting.

I did want to show him surrounded by the cushions, which is the part of the composition I'm happy with.

Liz I didn't think of a crop on the left, because I wanted to keep the cushions all around him, and like the price labels a lot, but I'll try it as I can see what you mean.

The sepia is because theres more colour in the cushions than the bloke's clothes, and it drew the eye too much I thought, that and it wasn't pleasant colour; it all rather clashed. I tried B&W first, but it didn't work as well as the sepia with the local adjustments I made to bring the guy stand out a bit better.

But maybe the main lesson is that there's no rescuing a below par image. I'm still pleased with it as a first go at street photography (literally the first frame I took, appart from a couple just to make sure I could release the shutter covertly!), but may try a different shot for this week. At least I've got time having done this one so early :)
 
Hi Mark. Sorry but I'm not experienced enough to give true critique, I just tell you what I like and what may improve it!

I liked your soft shot when I first saw it, but I think the cropped version is so much better! I like that the guy on the chair is looking the other way!

It's a great photo for an iPhone and :clap: for trying something new!
 
Thats the one, you've still got the foreground interest but there is now something to lead your eye to him, it almost looks like you're spying on him :D:D:D:D
 
Definitly think the crop's better on this one, the bloke on the chair was lost in the previous one.

I can understand why you've gone for the sepia if the colours of the cushions were so strong and mixed as to be distracting too, the only thing though that is distracting me is the vignette as I feel it's a little too strong for me.

Other than that, great shot and a nice foray into the world of street photography :)
 
I really like both images & both crops work well in different ways. My subjective taste would've been BW also, but with a milder tone! Keep snapping on the iPhone - it really opens up possibilities! Mandy
 
Thanks again. So taking these comments on board, here's my final edit of this one. I'm now going to shoot another for this week.

Not sure whether I like this better or not; no vignette, and normal B&W:


W15 - Soft Job 3.jpg by MarkBerry1963, on Flickr
 
Mark,

Entrance - A good set of images. I think you picked the best three for the triptych. My favourite is the left hand image and I think it would have worked very well as a stand-alone too.

Soft - You sure picked a difficult subject matter! I'm torn between the original image and the tighter crop, but I think my pick would be the original because I like the inclusion of the handwritten price labels. A note regarding the exposure; it looks like the highlights in the shoe are blown? But then again, if it was taken with an iPhone, I don't think you have any control over that.
 
Soft - liking the different take on things. Interesting shot. Against the 'rules' but works. I agree with Andys comments. The angle works well for this particular shot and the fact its for 'soft'. The crop is good too but I think I am leaning back towards #1 for the theme. It needs the fuller picture.
 
Hi Mark


:clap: for trying something new & for a phone image it's pretty darn impressive !

No idea what this "rule" is that some have mentioned but if you have broken it , it's worked....I liked the original version but agree that the crop is better...both B&W & sepia work for me......nice work mister :clap:

slight blown white on the shoe but thats really minor & probably unavoidable on a phone camera
 
Thanks again.

Nathalie, Lynne, the shoes are blown a touch, yes. With an app as opposed to the native camera you can select your focus point and exposure point separately, but that's as far as it goes, and with no raw file there's little you can do to recover it. Also, I'd forgotten just how difficult it is to work with jpegs in Lightroom, because changes become cumulative and destructive, so it's quite likely I introduced some problems along the way!
 
OK, lets try another one; Soft Target. Sorry if any of you are vegetarian, but it's all done in the name of art, and no bunnies were actually hurt in the making of this image. Never the less, no-one tell my daughter what I used her toy for, please :)

This is actually shot (sic) through the telescopic sight of my air rifle. It's NOT a composite image or Photoshopped in any way other than levels and a straighten.


W15 - Soft Target.jpg by MarkBerry1963, on Flickr
 
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Thanks everyone :)

A bit short of comments on this one; think I'll change my thread title as I guess people think they've already commented :)
 
Sorry to be so demanding! My fault, as I posted one you all commented on, then posted another, but I really would like to hear what you think of this one :)
 
What does Nicolas Cage say in Con Air, "Give me back the bunny!" :D

Like it, great idea and made me chuckle.

Few isues for me: I'd like to see the full scope circle, the cross hairs sharp and the leaf lower right could be removed. I'd like to see either the cross hair on the eyeball :D or a head on composition with the cross hair dead centre of the head.

Not that I've got anything against bunnies!!

Cheers.
 
Oi Andy. Do you have ANY idea how difficult it was to even get the shot at all?:bat:

I had the gun swinging about on a bit of wire hanging from the shed door frame, was standing on tip toe because my bit of wire was too short, had to use a wide aperture to get enough light to even register so had to focus spot on, nearly dropped the bloody camera several times, focussed manually because on autofocus the lens length kept changing and pushing the gun away from the camera, and shot several wikle dicky birds and the neighbours cat by mistake when I grabbed the trigger in a desperate attempt to stop myself falling over (somehow managing to reload by accident in between).

And you want the whole circle, plus stuff actually in focus? AND you want me to aim on it's eye when I had enough trouble keeping the damn thing from aiming at me, let alone at sweet wikle bunnykins. You don't ask much do you?!

Calm down Mark. Deep breaths……….

OK, sorry. So seriously, thanks, and I agree. I couldn't get the whole circle in without a wider lens. I do have my kit zoom, but I couldn't hold it against the sight and keep the zoom level AND focus; it kept pushing the lens in.

I think the only way to get the cross hairs and the bunny in focus would have been a much smaller aperture, but then I'd have had a very slow shutter and would have had shake and possibly an underexposed shot, because the sight cuts out quite a lot of light.

Yep the leaf I hold my hand up to. I'll have a word with the gardening staff!

Cheers mate. I think :LOL:
 
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Southdowns said:
Oi Andy. Do you have ANY idea how difficult it was to even get the shot at all?:bat:

I had the gun swinging about on a bit of wire hanging from the shed door frame, was standing on tip toe because my bit of wire was too short, had to use a wide aperture to get enough light to even register so had to focus spot on, nearly dropped the bloody camera several times, focussed manually because on autofocus the lens length kept changing and pushing the gun away from the camera, and shot several wikle dicky birds and the neighbours cat by mistake when I grabbed the trigger in a desperate attempt to stop myself falling over (somehow managing to reload by accident in between).

And you want the whole circle, plus stuff actually in focus? AND you want me to aim on it's eye when I had enough trouble keeping the damn thing from aiming at me, let alone at sweet wikle bunnykins. You don't ask much do you?!

Calm down Mark. Deep breaths……….

OK, sorry. So seriously, thanks, and I agree. I couldn't get the whole circle in without a wider lens. I do have my kit zoom, but I couldn't hold it against the sight and keep the zoom level AND focus; it kept pushing the lens in.

I think the only way to get the cross hairs and the bunny in focus would have been a much smaller aperture, but then I'd have had a very slow shutter and would have had shake and possibly an underexposed shot, because the sight cuts out quite a lot of light.

Yep the leaf I hold my hand up to. I'll have a word with the gardening staff!

Cheers mate. I think :LOL:
Click to expand...

Real gun....I thought it had been Photoshopped..... :exit:
 
Oh no no no no nooooooooo. I did say in my original post; it's all frighteningly real!
 
Cheers Robert :)
 
Mark, i love the Bunny one, and the time that you took to get the shot, means i aint going to crit anything
 
Hi Mark, i am one that had commented but have had a revisit to comment on your additional photograph.
This works on a couple of levels, soft toy, soft target so (y)

I like this, and wouldn't make any changes to it. The leaf in the foreground I never noticed until it was pointed out. The crosshairs took my eye directly to the focal point and then around the rest of the image.

Its a creative and I am sure original take on this weeks theme. A fun image too so all round good work. iain
 
Thanks all, I'm really glad you like it :)

Liz, there's no problem with crit; it's just completely unreasonable demands like Andy made, such as getting stuff in focus! I mean come on, what does he think I am; a photographer?!!!! ;)
 
I'm very very pleased with my shot for Pride. In fact I'm so proud of it, I took a picture of myself holding it :). I hope you like it as much as I do, but please let me have some honest C&C…………………….


W16 - Proud of my Pride.jpg by MarkBerry1963, on Flickr

(Drop shadow is there to show off the white border. I removed a black one because it didn't work, but I'm not sure I've done the shadow all that well :()

I do have another idea that's got me quite excited, but I need some decent weather for it :(
 
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I like it :clap: the light area in the centre of your glasses is the only is the only thing thats a bit off, and maybe the frame should be the same width on all sides but I do like your thinking there.
 
Loving the soft shot Mark, very creative.
Excellent Pride shot too, the more I try and think how you done it the more confused I become :LOL:
 
alsjazzera said:
I like it :clap: the light area in the centre of your glasses is the only thing thats a bit off, and maybe the frame should be the same width on all sides but I do like your thinking there.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Yes I agree re the reflection on my specs, but I really don't know how to avoid it. It seems if I get the lighting anything like I want it, the reflections are always there :(

Ajophotog said:
Loving the soft shot Mark, very creative.
Excellent Pride shot too, the more I try and think how you done it the more confused I become :LOL:
Click to expand...

Ah well, it's easy. I just took the photo, printed it, then jumped in my time machine and met myself just before I took the photo. Turns out I'm quite a nice chap, now I've met me ;)

The really good thing about owning a time machine though is that I was able to go back and win last weeks lottery, so I could afford a time machine. You should get one :)

Clue; my daughter thinks its done using scissors, Blu-Tac, and Pritt. She's not too far off.
 
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Hi, Mark...nice to see you :wave:

Like your Pride. Well composed, great idea, I like the wry smile.

Only observation I'd say is the clipped knuckles.

Cheers and :clap:
 
posiview said:
Hi, Mark...nice to see you :wave:
Click to expand...

:wave:...........




.........and thanks :). Yes I agree about the knuckles, though I dont think it's too much of a problem because I wanted it to look a little like a snap shot anyway; kind of caught off guard holding something I'm proud of.

At least, that's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it!
 
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Southdowns said:
:wave:...........




.........and thanks :). Yes I agree about the knuckles, though I dont think it's too much of a problem because I wanted it to look a little like a snap shot anyway; kind of fought off guard holding something I'm proud of.

At least, that's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it!
Click to expand...

I usually have to think twice about mentioning such minor points because it's such a cracking photograph....but felt I'd mention in....don't want you getting too :banana:

Cheers.
 
Soft - excellent shot and can't believe thats from an iphone too.

Pride - love that shot, and like others get confused when looking at it :).
 
Hi Mark - Catch up time for me

Soft - Was thinking your original was way too busy at first, but after looking at the crop, then back at the original, I prefer it, a shame the guy blends in a bit, but still like the shot !!!
<EDIT> Just see your second soft shot.... what can I say, but Hahaaaaa :LOL: :clap:

Pride - Great Idea... like the dof and composition, well executed too in my opinion :)
 
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