weekly overbez's 52 in 2014... Week 52 - SUPPORT added... *** FINISHED ***

Aaaaand week 42 - Change


[URL='https://flic.kr/p/pKM3XJ']
5 separate shots merged in PS
SOOC of just one

Easier than I thought it might be. Pleased with the black BG even SOOC. Black paper taped to the wall 18" or so behind match, flash camera right and A3 white card reflector camera left. Both "flagged", with place mats leaning against OJ cartons. :LOL:
Set the match, manual focus, static shot, light match from behind with a second match, then press the remote release repeatedly.

5 Shots loaded into PS as layers, blend mode lighten, move to suit.

.[/url]
 
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Very interesting photo and nicely done! Well exposed and I like it very much. Great idea for the theme.
Thank you also for explaining how you did it.

By the way, what does SOOC mean?
 
mr.si said:
Very interesting photo and nicely done! Well exposed and I like it very much. Great idea for the theme.
Thank you also for explaining how you did it.

By the way, what does SOOC mean?
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Cheers Simon, it is interesting isn't it, I love the shooting off of the sparks as it ignites.

SOOC is Straight Off (or out) Of Camera, basically the image I would have if I used the jpeg produced by the camera with no processing at all. The link under each image every week is just that, I literally take the RAW file and convert it to 1200 pixels with no adjustments to White Balance, exposure, shadows, sharpening, colour etc.
 
Hi Graham, a great pic reading your explanation I honestly thought it would have taken you ages but you have made it sound so easy
it works brilliantly I am impressed :clap::clap:
 
alsjazzera said:
Hi Graham, a great pic reading your explanation I honestly thought it would have taken you ages but you have made it sound so easy
it works brilliantly I am impressed :clap::clap:
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Thanks Allan, I never said it didn't take me ages...... ;) the actual static shot was fairly straightforward, even catching the moment of ignition was fairly repeatable, I got two decent bursts, but this set had the nicer burning shots.

And we know you're a man who doesn't impress easily too. :)

Cheers.
 
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Hi Graham

I've spent ages looking at your shot for Balance 7 even after reading your description of how it works I still cannot get my head round it - it's one of those things that though the eye can see it the brain is point blank refusing to belive it :wideyed: I have no crit at all on that shot just :notworthy::notworthy:...amazeballs :clap::clap:

Change...another superb idea combined with excellent execution ...each point of the life of the match caught perfectly...again I say :notworthy::notworthy::clap::clap:
 
blondie606 said:
...amazeballs
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Thanks Lynne :D

If you think Its weird seeing the wine bottle image... Its even weirder when you put the bottle in, you let go, and it just stays there.... My eldest's head nearly exploded when he did it himself :)
 
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I don't mind a glass of Rioja. (y)

Very nice Graham ... it's all been said: composition, pov, shadows, lighting ... perfect.
 
Change ... interesting and very well done. I love the way you've caught second left match flaring ... would make a great image on its own.
 
Balance - well that one really messed with my head! Like everyone else, I was convinced the wood must be glued to the base somehow, but knowing that it isn't just makes you think "WHAT??" Great shot though with a lovely piece of wood and just enough reflection on the bottle to make it a solid object.

Change - Well caught, well spaced and well stitched together. Another great shot (y)
 
Cheers @d00d , yeah I do particularly like that second one, with the flame creeping round from the rear.

Thanks @susiejb , I did have two others from this series, making 7, but thought that this 5 told the story well enough.

Thank you @XenosElaine , I did put a lot of thought into the reflections and also highlights on the wine bottle, spacing and layering the matches was the easy part. Using "lighten" blend mode let's the lighter pixels come through the black, making it dead simple, no cutting or masking necessary.

posiview said:
Duvel in a bottle...and a posh one at that. Not too many though :)
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Errrrm... Cheers Andy,. :thinking: :)
 
OOOOOooo, Change, well done here. I really like the sparks flying off the top of the second from left match. Nice clean BG, good overall lighting.

I'd prefer if it were flipped so the burnt one was on the LHS.

Nice smoke as well.

Cheers.
 
Thank you Andy... Making more sense now :)

Appreciate the kind words, the moment of ignition was the best here of the 10 or so sets I took.

Smoke has worked well, amazing the difference the clarity slider made here, only needed a bit but it really brought it to life.

Can't say i considered arranging then the other way...... Reading left to right seemed the only way to go.
 
Graham - fantastic shot! Brilliantly set up, very well executed (and difficult to get the exposure right across all three) and a superb final image. This is one where it's obvious you've had to use PP but you really can't see how - as Lynne says!

I think any minor crit of the relative exposure individual matches is missing the wood for the trees: it's a blooming brilliant concept, and makes for a genuinely wonderful image. 10/10 gold star! :clap:
 
posiview said:
I may be wrong....long week and all that, but wouldn't left to right mean the burnt one was on the left :thinking:
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OK... You're teasing me now aren't you Andy? You start on the left with a fresh match, light it, and it burns to it's burnt state on the right. :p

pjm1 said:
10/10 gold star! :clap:
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Thanks Paul... I shall wear it with pride.

Edit @pjm1 settings were all manual as was flash. Any differences in exposure would have come purely from the light generated from the flame. The room was light so should have been relatively little differences. (y)
 
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Hi Graham :)

Balance - Oooo now that is clever and very well set up, I really like how the background and surface meet, the lighting and shadows produced are just great too - love this one, crisp, detail, shine :clap:

Change - Again very nicely done, thanks for the info on how this is done again :)

Struggle to give crit on this, but a minor niggle is the gap to the RH of the right match, by brain needs it to 'match' the left match, other than that love the way this is done, really impressed with your black and how it was achieved, great lighting too (y)
 
Dark Knight said:
but a minor niggle is the gap to the RH of the right match, by brain needs it to 'match' the left match,
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cheers dean. Good spot.... had noticed that myself... not sure how it happened as they are all perfectly evenly spaced (used guides in PS) and I'm sure when I cropped it, I had the heads of matches 2 and 4 on the lower thirds intersections. :thinking:

(Edited and replaced) (y)
 
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Balance: Well now...that is awesome. Agree with others that the subtle background and 'floor' help to focus all the attention on the subject. I really admire the craftmanship and thought process that has gone into this (y). I did look at the other one on flickr and like that alot too, the racing stripe highligt along the bottles lengh is beautiful.

Change: Bloomin' heck! That is how its done right there! Flawless and so mesmorizing. Love everything about it. Composition and placement of matches within the composite is spot on. Black backround is a good choise to contract with the light wood and orange flames. Like how the ignition match is on the left hand third. Perfect :clap:
 
Thanks Alan and Jason. (y) :D

So where does that leave us.... Week 43, Reshoot and / or Grow

As I didn't do Big when it came up a few weeks back, and I've had more pictures printed larger than just 6" x 4" for the album this year than ever before, I thought I'd go with my biggest printed shot. You've seen the photo itself before, (posted here for PURE), , but now it's been printed 5ft by 2ft, placed behind perspex in a custom made (by me), frame and hung on the wall in our front room.

Reflections, lack of space and shadow off the ceiling lampshade causing the problems here. Hopefully all handled reasonably well. :) (And, No, the real image has not been PS'd on here, it is actually in the frame.)



Week 43 - SOOC

Now this next one will either be Grow, or Week 44 Live depending on whether I can get my idea for Live done this week. :naughty:

Lets put it as week 44 - Live for the time being. ;)


Week 44 - SOOC
 
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Hi Graham ...I'm way behind with comments at the min, so starting with last one first !

Super idea for Big, and that certainly looks fabulous ...a great choice for the frame ... having a carpenter hubby makes you notice these things :)

Live ...I was just thinking to myself about half an hour ago ...I'll get down to the woods again later this week and get a fungi shot for Live! That one is really lovely ...smashing OOF background with those gorgeous bright autumn colours and a very nicely lit mushroom ... I love it.
 
Thanks susie, I often start with the latest if I'm behind, gives you a chance to get your opinion in first, rather than echoing that of everyone else before. :)

Must confess I did think of yourself and Lynne also who did some splendid mushroom shots last year. I did take my flash and a sheet of A3 card with me but had left the wireless flash trigger turned on in the bag, so flat batteries there, :(, meant I had to find one in some sunlight, the wet leaves on the ground gave up some really nice bokeh though. Colour is not tweaked much from the SOOC shot, looks quite Autumnal and Christmassy I think.

I do need to clone those spots out from within the OOF highlights! When I get a few minutes. :)

edit - spots in the bokeh circles just cloned out. Anyone care to hazard a guess at what caused them (can still see them in the SOOC link). :thinking: I do have a couple of dust spots on my sensor, but this was shot wide open. :thinking:
 
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Hi Graham, picture looks good in the frame, I don't get anything printed but Jane is always going on at me will get her to choose one herself, if you don't mind me asking where did you get it printed.

The mushroom to me needs a little more DoF but saying that it might well destroy that lovely bokah, agree with susie nice autumnal colours, I found a great mushroom at the weekend whilst out with the hounds,
went back with a camera a couple of hours later and someone had trashed it :(
 
Hi Graham

Saw your reshoot of BIG on flickr..... looks stunning , the colors really seem to pop & the frame is superb :clap: Lighting looks perfect on the walls ,no visible reflections or shadows....maybe a slight shadow on under the frame might make it look a little less flat...not quite sure how to explain what I mean :thinking:

Live.....lovely autumnal colors, great bokeh ( a little bright in places maybe ?) & well placed in the frame (y) For me...a slightly deeper DOF to get more of the shroom in focus maybe ?
 
alsjazzera said:
Hi Graham, picture looks good in the frame, I don't get anything printed but Jane is always going on at me will get her to choose one herself, if you don't mind me asking where did you get it printed.

The mushroom to me needs a little more DoF but saying that it might well destroy that lovely bokah, agree with susie nice autumnal colours, I found a great mushroom at the weekend whilst out with the hounds,
went back with a camera a couple of hours later and someone had trashed it :(
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Thanks Allan, had it printed from http://uk.foto.com/photo-poster.php , also have had my waterfall one printed from the same site in the bathroom at 50 x 75cm in just a cheap clip frame.

Possibly more DOF on the mushroom needed, I had my mini tripod with me, but needed the camera at ground level so had to hand hold it,

blondie606 said:
Hi Graham

Saw your reshoot of BIG on flickr..... looks stunning , the colors really seem to pop & the frame is superb :clap: Lighting looks perfect on the walls ,no visible reflections or shadows....maybe a slight shadow on under the frame might make it look a little less flat...not quite sure how to explain what I mean :thinking:

Live.....lovely autumnal colors, great bokeh ( a little bright in places maybe ?) & well placed in the frame (y) For me...a slightly deeper DOF to get more of the shroom in focus maybe ?
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Thanks Lynne, I did desat the walls and settee by a bit to help the colours in the picture come out. I used flash bounced off the ceiling and settings to kill ambient, I think this helped with the reflections, as well as a polariser.

Mushroom is bright in parts, nothing blown though. was quite damp which wouldn;t have helped. Agree on the DOF, but as said to Allan, needed something solid and dry at ground level really... which I didn't have. :(
 
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Excellent idea for change Graham (y) .....five shots and merged in PP.......:thinking:.............I would have had to do it in one shot :p :D

Yep, looks great on the wall, its a superb shot and certainly qualifies for big (y)

I'm unsure on the mushroom, its well composed and lovely colours (y) but, As Allan said, a little more dof maybe....:thinking:.....and like Lynne, I did think the light was a bit harsh in places :)
 
Cheers Phil. On the matches I did consider trying to pass it off that I had 5 matches set up and Lt them all one after the other and just took one shot. :LOL:

You may all be right on the mushroom but I do love the colours and the bokeh there. :)
 
Big, nowt better than printing your own work :clap: I have 16 small ones printed and framed on or livingroom wall.

Works really well, I might have been tempted to go for a front on composition, maybe incline the camera upwards...IYSWIM.

Live, hmmm, the bokeh on the left really draws my eye away from the fungi. Nice shallow DOF.

Cheers.
 
Cheers Andy. Different angle would have made life a fair bit easier, I wanted the settee in for scale though.

posiview said:
Live, hmmm, the bokeh on the left really draws my eye away from the fungi.
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In a good way right. ;), I think it's as much part of the shot as the mushroom so I suppose there's no saying the fungi can't be supporting the bokeh? Or am I clutching at straws now. :LOL:

Cheers Andy. :)
 
Hi Graham

Big - it's on theme and a lovely print you've made there. I really like that image! The photo you've taken to include it is perhaps a bit less "wow" to be honest, but it captures the idea.

Grow - super image of the 'room, excellent POV and the bokeh behind is excellent. Lighting really nice as well, for me. I agree that stopping down might have helped bring more of the subject in focus, which would have been a good thing, but then you might have weakened the background bokeh, so it would have been swings and roundabouts. Apart from stacking (which would seem a bit odd at f/5.6!) difficult to know what to do.

I like it as it is! :)
 
Thanks Paul. (y)

Well its Rally Car day today, they came past in week 44 last year, and were made to fit the theme of 'left'... the shoehorn is here if anyone wants to borrow it after me. :D

Now, shall I pretend this was the first one that came past, or the one that finished first, or the first one I liked...... You get the idea. :)



Week 45 - SOOC

Going back out after lunch, so there may be some more, depends what the weather does. Rain forecast :(.
 
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And let me be the 'first' to comment ;)

Yep, it'll certainly crowbar into the theme for me Graham, Mk2 Escort, those were the days :cool: When we were kids we use to lift out and change 1600 crossflow engines with a bit of rope, a scaffolding bar and brute force.......how things have changed!

Excellent panning with just enough motion blur, good focus on the windscreen, dof just right across the area of focus and love the low pov (y)

My only niggle is the angle, I don't get it :p you see loads of motorsport shots angled like this .....I much prefer the angle it was shot sooc :)
 
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Cheers Phil, bit of rope eh! :eek:, lucky you still have all your fingers!

Not sure about the angle, it just felt right, and gave a bit of a lead in from the corner, also the fact that
Phil-D said:
you see loads of motorsport shots angled like this ....
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might have something to do with it.

Can't see you going much on the only other one I got earlier this afternoon then. :p



SOOC

And it's raining so I ain't going out for the last stage. :(
 
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Hi Graham, out of the two I like the second one better, not a great fan of cars, which is a bit of an understatement

so from a picture point of view the second one the vignette works well and i prefer the angle its on and the composition both nice and sharp considering the speed.
 
Hi Graham :)

Re-Shoot - Well handled PP having peeped at the SOOC for a change, that print stands out beautifully with them great colours, well straightened verticals too :)

Live - Super macro shot, love the bokeh and such a well lit fungi, the colours make it look magical (y)

First - A good angle for the shot, the low PoV adds to the sporty feel, good freezing of the car and keeping the dust kicking up at the back, the sky is rather grey but that for me helps the red car become the centre of attention - Nice one (y)
 
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