weekly NickD's Photo52 Challenge - 2015 - Support added

NickD

NickD

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Right, back on the photographic hamster wheel!

Not much in way of rules, no jokers, and I'll attempt to deliver within the week where possible.
Last time around I found crit to be the most time consuming aspect, so where people post multiple entries for the same theme, I will pick one and crit that. People who do monster catch-ups... well I'll do my best, but can't promise anything. I would expect the same in return.

Onward!

Pattern - Well, recurring motifs anyway... close enough.
The Bali bombing memorial by the old cabinet war rooms. I've always really liked the idea of the etched ball with the doves, and I hope I've managed to keep enough of the text to cover the salient points of the tribute.

Doves by NickD71, on Flickr

Bliss - There was only one idea for me, I'm not a religious type, but have always had many Buddha images/sculptures around, there's just something about the serenity in the facial expression, the bliss of detachment. I did consider trying to knock something up from stuff I've got around, but it felt a bit unnecessary this early in the game, so I went out hunting... and found a Buddha in Battersea (found four to be precise).

The Way by NickD71, on Flickr

Thanks for looking! :)
 
I saw the pattern on preview in the front page, and I thought it was some weird tyre tread
 
Welcome to 2015 52s Nick. Two great images to start with - I particularly like the one for patterns, great dof with plenty of detail in the granite ball and just enough bg to get the context :clap:

With over 90 starters for the year, I don’t think any of us have a chance of commenting on every entry every week, but I hope to keep popping in to each thread at least once in a while. Good luck for the rest of the year.
 
Great start, liking the patern on the ball, I to thought it was a tyre tred at first, the buddha certainly looks blissful.
 
Hey Nick :)

Patterns - Oooo very nice, liking the contrasting background although it could do with a tiny rotation, the detail in the stone is excellent, the green in the carvings adds some nice depth :)

Bliss - Again some great detail, nicely exposed, and liking your PP work here, a very effective metallic look you have kept (y)
 
Hi Nick and welcome

Two strong images for the themes. (y)

Pattern is very well shot with that contrast between the ball and soft but still readable plaque in the BG.
 
Hi, two great images to start, I really like the first one, the writing in the background really adds to the image. I look forward to seeing more from you.
 
Patterns, nice and close and a very interesting piece of art.

Bliss, cracking interpretation. Lovely greys and detail. I'd prefer a front on, symmetrical take.

Cheers.
 
Super start to your 52 love both shots
 
Pattern - This is a super shot. Using just part of the dove sculpture is spot on as is the use of just the right amount of DoF to bring in context of the memorial at the back

Bliss - Nice mono conversion and the lighting was good enough to not flatten the shapes of the Buddha and it's surrounding
 
Thanks for your input people!

@Dean - I struggled for ages on a straightness compromise, and ended up with this. The plaque is curved, which made it difficult (But straighness and distortion have never been my strong point... as my next submission will demonstrate further). I can't take credit for the metallic effect, that's as the shot came... gold obviously. I figured you've seen one gold Buddha, you've seen 'em all, so went for the conversion.

@Andy - I do have a nice, central, straight on shot, but I felt this looked a bit less snapshot... I have been known to be wrong though.

@Peter - I got lucky with the light on Bliss, The pagoda has four depictions around it, luckily at that time of day it fell nicely on the best of the four.
 
Week 2 - Fragile.

Well, maybe not actually fragile, more 'relatively fragile' compared to it's peers.

I have crockery, glasses, etc, and the Christmas baubles are not yet back in the loft, but I started seeing more literal shots come out, and so decided against an evening of wanton destruction... and the inevitable clean up afterwards.

I went with the Albert Bridge, otherwise dubbed 'The Trembling Lady', due to it's tendency to move, even after it was reinforced shortly after it's initial opening. I took the standard bridge shots, which suffered much less from distortion (not that I really mind it in this shot), but wanted include the instruction for soldiers to break step, as when groups from the nearby Chelsea barracks marched over it, the rhythmic stepping would set it wobbling.

More stuff here for anyone interested - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Bridge,_London

The Trembling Lady by NickD71, on Flickr

Thanks for looking! :)
 
Hi Nick, an interesting take on the theme, it had clicking through to read a description. So it's certainly on theme, lighting looks good, I like the light trails there, inclusion of the sign I like too. Looks like you made the best of the composition for this shot, it looks like you would have had to be stood on the road to include more of tower at middle left.
 
Hi, a very different take on the theme which is nice to see, I like the inclusion of the hut although it looks a little tight to the left hand side, i like the distortion too (y)

Pattern is very good to the blues in the stone work well with the yellowish BG
 
I didn't get the link the theme until reading your explanation. Sounds like a latter day Millennium Bridge. Great shot though. The lighting has been captured really well. I'd have preferred to have seen a little blueness in the sky but realise that may not always have been possible. I also quite like the wide angle distortion on the "hut" on the left.
 
That something so large could suffer from fragility is not something I even contemplated. Well done for thinking about it and then actually getting out there and doing it. I really like it (y)
 
This is an awesome bridge, remember it well from my Chelsea era, vaguely remember the toll booths but not the notice attached to them. Interesting history thanks.

Love the image ... the way you've caught that nearest lamp glowing between the two towers.

Yes, any further back and that notice wouldn't be legible ... all important to the theme.
 
Hi, interesting narrative there. Wonderful bridge and hut. Nice sign on it was well. It's almost like two different photographs. Nice car trails.

Distortion works for me.

Cheers.
 
Hi Nick....made it to your thread finally :wave:

Pattern......beautiful , love everything about it , the frame filling subject the DOF works perfectly leaving the text just in view...no crit at all & a cracking start :clap:

Bliss...can see the connection but not really doing a lot for me as a subject but nicely lit

Fragile....great story behind the photo , quite liking the distortion ,love the light trails,,,hmm, no real crit on this one either (y)
 
Loved the picture didn't get the link until I read the story behind it.
Love the picture even more(y)
 
Thanks for looking in folks. Reassuring comments considering the liberty I took with the theme. It was indeed a forerunner of the Millennium bridge. OK, fair enough that the spread of car use rendered it unsuitable, but marching soldiers... Seriously! It's a beautiful thing thing to look at. But long exposures are a bit hit and miss due to vibrations from traffic. I could have improved composition a bit, but either by losing the sign, or risking getting hit by a car. I struggle with the uprights though... I like the distortion overall, but the verticals seem really random.
 
Hi Nick, I love this. Reading your description I can see how it's a great fit to the theme. I really the starbursts and the distortion works for me
 
Thanks a lot... Looks like I got away with that one!:)
 
Week 3 - Scenic.

A tough call this one. I was fully booked at the weekend with my Wife's folks over from Canada, we had things planned that could have offered some great opportunities, but not for this theme unfortunately. London based, in Winter, going to work and coming home in the dark... hmmm, doesn't really lend itself to scenic stuff. I started to look at scenic photographs, to try and break down what elements appealed to me in the images I liked of that type. I eventually came to the conclusion that, for me, it's water and sky that does it mostly.

Well, despite being pretty far removed from any kind of natural beauty in Westminster, we have water, and we have sky. I decided to try and replicate a shot I took a couple of years ago in the Autumn, of low sun from Westminster bridge. I hoofed it down there at lunch today to find pretty similar conditions as before, and as with last time, went with a B&W conversion to minimise the effect of the blown out highlights, and to maximise the silhouette effect on the structures.

I'm going to commit at this stage, as I reckon this is about as much as I'm going to get, but I'll be gutted if we get some decent snow tomorrow, as that would be a game changer!

View from the Bridge by NickD71, on Flickr

Thanks for looking! :)
 
Nice picture with the detail smack bang in the middle, works well.

PS You mention snow but I'm sure if there was snow in this picture it wouldn't make the slightest difference ;)
 
Hi Nick, it's a tough theme this week if you are working. Much more suited to summer evenings :( Kudos for getting out there and shooting it (y) Some dust spots could be cloned out of the sky, but other than that (y)
 
Hi, i like it, the silhouette of the buildings and the light on the water all make for a very good image (y)
 
I like that Nick ... B&W conversion works well, good idea.
 
Great scenic picture composition and b/w really does the job. being super picky I would have cloned out a couple of bits of the sky around the sun but what do i know still one of my fav's from the week so far
 
Thanks for your input everyone, I'm pleased you like it!

@ Martin - Well you say that... but who knows. A return to the Thames frost fairs of the middle ages would be great photographically, if not a massive pain in the arse in other ways.

@ Jill, Mandy & Simon - My cloning is both the problem and the solution. The mark at the top of the frame is dust (or oil, or whatever), but the mess to the left of the sun is where I've tried to lose a plane. PP is something I really need to work on... It's on the list, but it's a bloody loooong list!
 
Thanks Dean, never thought about the crop, it just felt natural for the shot. I often end up opting for 5/4 crops for reasons I don't understand, but it felt right to leave this 3/2. I guess portrait is not what we think of when we think of scenic.
 
Week 4 - Companions

It's been a day of herding cats!

My initial thought was to try a nice picture of the twins, companions since conception... unfortunately in the limited window I had to have a go, the twins had different ideas. Messing about with OCF, quickly lost the natural light to the other side, leaving me with some pretty heavy shadow from the LHS. I liked this one from the mess about family shots after I lost the light, largely down to Polly's laugh at Mummy, and the loving, protective feeling I get from Archie's position and expression. I get that others may not see what I see in the picture, as I know their personalities and as a result may read different things into the picture, even when they're absent, such is the parental bias. I tried to go with processing that suited the heavily biased lighting, probably not everyone's cup of tea, but the alternative (as I see it) was to try and minimise the shadows, which never really works for me.

Big Bro, Li'l Sis by NickD71, on Flickr

Thanks for looking! :)
 
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Nick, nice image and certainly meets the "Companion" theme. I read your comment about lighting. For me I would have liked a tad more light on the girls hair but I do understand the need to keep the attention directed towards the faces. hard balance but a reflector to capture some detail in the hair MAY enhance the image.
 
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