Soggydiverdans 52... Including week 12, (but only in moderation!!)

I think it would have been better if the door was in focus too and then you used a tripod and a smaller aperture to increase DOF so the camera was still in focus too...

I quite like it squint but i'd have maybe included the full safe and lost some of the background space
 
I agree completely with you two, and, if I get the time, I will reshoot this week...

I didn't realy know how to use the camera... as it was my brothers D80, and I couldn't figure out how to change the apeture (amongst other things) (I couldn't use my 400d as it was the model!) and one of my self-imposed rules was to use full manual for all the shots (something I need to improve)

i did try straightening it, but getting one thing straight meant everything else looked worse...



I am fully planning a reshoot later on in the week, but also aware I may not get the chance around work...

ty for the comments!
 
Hi Dan, great idea for the theme "open"
I like the way the camera is peeking out of the safe.

I agree that you need greater DOF to bring more of everything into focus.
Smaller aperture and use a tripod if you've got one. I find still life pics are MUCH easier with a tripod. I also think you need a bit more light as the whole thing is a bit dark. Perhap shoot close to a window to ger some daylight (not much of that this time of year!). To really set it off try having a plain background.

Great idea and there's a really good pic trying to get out there(y)
 
thanks Patrick.
I'm not sure my brother will lend me his camera again for a reshoot
although if he does, I'll have to get him to tell me how to alter the apeture on his camera.
(It's a Nikon! and mine's a Canon!!)
 
Firstly thanks for your advice on my Style entry.
Of your three Style subjects, like others, I prefer the e-reader. Your idea or not, the shot was well executed.
 
Well, this weeks topic was Hard, in most senses of the word!

I was planning on taking a photo of some difficult sheet music, but just thought that was too... cliché (as I saw it was on the cover of most of the books!)

Then I saw this sitting on the desk.
I'm not the most sporty person in the world (never won any sporting event) and this is the only medal I've ever received, and to me it represents the most painful, Hardest thing I have ever attempted in my life.
A 50 mile bike ride up (and down) Staffordshire hills to raise money for charity, only months after I actually learned to ride a bike. I completed it, and was awarded this medal (along with thousands of others, I'm sure!) - but it shows that no matter how hard something may be, it is do-able, and the harder it is, the prouder you can be,


week5 by soggydiverdan, on Flickr


Setup.
This shot I had the medal on a random... hand... that I had in a wardrobe, placed on the floor.
the camera was tripod mounted (as I only have a zoom/macro lens that only works at 200mm up it was quite far above it!) and for the lighting I had it in a relatively dark area (but still not dark dark) and used the flash on my compact camera off to one side to really bring out the writing (as it was too flat with just the natural light)
the setting were:
ISO: 200
Aperture: F29
Exposure Time: 4secs
(to give time for me to get the compact camera to flash)
The only pp I did was to lighten the shot slightly (as it was a little bit dark beforehand)

I took on board the comments from last week i.e. tripod, and really thought about the lighting.
I'm really really chuffed about this shot, the only thing I didn't even attempt was to clone out the 'ring' on the hand.

I am also aware I could probably improve it thousandfold, and, that's what I'm hear to learn:)

Thanks for viewing, IMHO, my best shot so far:)
 
Well done Dan (on the shot and the bike ride)

Not the most conventional of lighting techniques but 10 out of 10 for innovation. It has worked really well. Good exposure and the writing has come out great (y)

I think you are right to say that it's your best shot so far. many more to come though.

Andy
 
Hi Dan

You've done very well to light the medal the way you have, it is spot on. A good achievement both for your photographic skills and bike riding.

Simon.
 
Hi Dan, what a great story - it really adds to the pic.

That's a very innovative lighting set up and it has worked well as the medal is very nicely lit and has a great three dimensional look. Good sharpness and detail.

soggydiverdan said:
I'm now looking for a flash that I can remove for the camera... eek:)
Click to expand...

If you don't want to splash out on an expensive Canon speedlight then FlashInthePan http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/member.php?u=8656 often has good priced third party speedlights and can offer knowledgeable advice. Or alternatively I often just use a couple of cheap table lamps for still life pics.
 
Hiya Dan,

What a brilliant take on the theme and a lovely story to back it up too, congrats to you for the achivement in the race and for having a medal to remind you of same.

Thanks for the expo on how you set up for this shot, using the flash of the alternative camera is very innovative. As Patrick has alredy mentioned, I too also use table lamps for lighting, especially the halogen type. Picked some up at homebase for £6.19 the other day. They are great because you can fit different Watt bulbs from 5W - 20W (max), and they work well as one can position the lighting where you want it to shine and are also brill for reducing shadow if you get the positioning right.

My crit on the photo, even though it is a great pic, is I think if you cloned the light reflection towards the wrist, and lower index finger. Also it may have been better if you could have removed the medal ribbon which I can see between the fingers and the left of the hand. And as you have already pointed out, the ring. Also if you could clone the bit of skirting board (I think that is what it is) on the left.

Sorry if that all sounds a bit picky, but nowadays I find I am looking at images in greater detail, probably all due to me doing this Photo52 :LOL:

Well done though, indeed the best shot of your project so far.

Look forward to seeing what you come up with next.

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
Thanks for the crit, Dawn, and I did try to do all that,
But I'm really not very good at cloning (or any post precessing really!)
I didn't know what to do regarding the light glare, as I thought it made the image look more 3d

I may invest in a desk lamp for photography, and I've got a plan for 'Clutter' but don't know how well it'll work out... If all else fails, I'll just take a photo of my car boot or garage!!
 
Fabulous Dan - much improved, focus is spot on and the lighting has worked well for you.

How fortunate you just had a spare hand knocking about in the wardrobe :LOL: I fancy that you will be finding this weeks topic of clutter only too easy!!!
 
Nice shot Dan and as has already been said very well done with the lighting too (its something i always struggle with!). Great achievement aswell (y)
 
Hi,

Great story and well done on the challenge! I found the background to the medal distracting. How about placing it on black cloth (preferably velvet)?

Cheers
Dub
 
Thanks everyone,
I appreciate the fact about the background, dub, however I don't have any velvet kicking around, (well, apart from my curtains!)
I thought the hand would be good to show off the medal, however I really didn't think about what was behind it (it was the bottom of my wardrobe and a mirror in it -don't know why that seemed a good idea at the time!

If I reshoot later on (i.e. get a reshoot card), then I will (try) to improve the background.
 
Now, for the clutter one, I didn't want to do the normal of takin a photo of my desk, or my garage, or my car, or my wardrobe (well, you get the idea!) mainly as any shot would have been too embarrassing.
So this left me with two ideas, first of all, I wanted to take a photo of the 'clutter' that comes through the door every day (namely take away menus), which I tried, however I wasn't particularly happy with the results (as the only lens I have that does macro kinds of shots is a Sigma 70-300 which only does macro at 200 or more!

So then I thought of taking a photo of the clutter of inside a tin of sweets (still left over from Christmas!!)

My plan was to get one of the chocolates in focus, and blur the rest of them, to emphasise the clutter.
Here it is.

clutter1 by soggydiverdan, on Flickr

The post processing I did was to alter the exposure slightly to brighten it a bit, and alter the contrast etc, just to show the differentiation between the sweets, I also cropped it, as there were some of the green ones in the bottom right corner, which really drew the eye in a bad way.

I did also try to do some more... major post processing on another shot, which I think worked really well, however I don't think the rest of the world would (as I am just... odd!)

What I learned.
Think more about the shot, and if it doesn't work, then try something else which may work better.
Try the same shot with different camera settings, as what looks nice on the LCD may be really bright/dark on the computer monitor.
Don't delete from the camera, view it on the computer first
Macro is Fun!!
Don't be scared of post processing, there's always the 'undo' button!
You need to be really tall to use this kind of lens on a tripod to do macro work on the floor (I'm 6'1 and couldn't see through the viewfinder! - had to take a photo, then adjust!!)
If you want I'll also post my waay post processed image as well.
(Sorry if it isn't up to spec with my last pic! - but I like it! - I think...)
 
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Hiya Dan,

Well done on your take for the 'clutter theme' a very bright and colourful image indeed (just as I like them). You are fortunate to still have chocs left from xmas, in this house there is no chance of left-overs of chocs, just a tin or box full of empty wrappers. :thinking: thinking of which that is what is missing from your pic, some empty wrappers :D

I think you have set out to achieve what you wanted to do, i.e., get one of the chocs in focus and the others OOF, so well done there.

Thanks for the expo of your settings, processing and your learning experience from doing this photo. I always enjoy reading how others went about achieving the result. Had to laugh at your explanation of using the lens and how high it was .... well there would be no hope for me then at my hight for using a 70-300 for macro :LOL: Oh and yes macro is great fun, once the bug bites it is quite addictive.

I'd really like to see the other image you so kindly brag about :D so please post.

You are defintely getting into the swing of this Photo52 now and I look forward to seeing your photos.

Good luck with the rest of the project.

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
:LOL: Dan, believe me I would have got through a couple of choc during the photo shoot...... where there is choc there is no stopping me, and I would have probs landed up with an tin full of emty wrappers :p

I was joking about the 'bragging', but so you should do ..... I absolutely love the abstract image (just the kind of art I love). I think it would look brill with a nice dard heavy border around it. Did you flick it into 'negative' for this image? I love playing around with the 'negative image' processing. Especially love the colours and the way it has picked up the word 'Quality'.

Well done on both images and thanks for posting the abstract image to settle my curiosity.

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
Hiya Dan,

Better, but I would lose the inner white border and increase the black frame, something like this (hope you don't mind but it is always better to show what I mean than try to explain):

5428776004_e4007bd253.jpg


The reason I think the heavier border works is because there are some very bold shapes and colours in the image and the dark border sort of tones them, yet mainting their glory and brings them into focus, at the same time give the overall image some scope and depth (hope that makes sense).

I can't tell you how much I love this pic .... I have to have a go at doing something similar (if you don't mind me nicking your idea) as I would love to create a similar image, it would make a fab pic to hang at home. That is if I can keep from eating all the chocs beforehand :LOL:

You are defo on a roll with this image (well in my eyes you are), others may disagree, but at least you have a fan for this one. Well done (y) one of the best images I have seen so far.

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
michael23 said:
Dan, I love your image! Both versions that is, the black border certainly sets it off. I have done a few things similar in the past in pp, but I have never had a subject that suited it really. But in your case it suits the style perfectly! Dawn, I also like your edit with the thicker border too.
Click to expand...

Hiya Michael,

Without wanting to hi-jack Dan's post, thanks for the comment re the edit. (All part of my own learning experience).

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
I like the original one the best :). Nice idea. I am still not sure what i will do for this week :)
 
Fabulous idea Dan, the first picture loks really festive and I also like your processing on the other one. Your DOF is superb picking out just the one sweet - but really don't know how you can possibly have any left from christmas in February :faints: :LOL:
 
My brother and I got 4 of the huge tins between us, along with shortbread and other stuff... and we're both trying to loose weight!

Thanks for the comments, tbh I couldn't remember if it was large or small aperture to get such a narrow DoF, so I experimented... the beauty of Digital, eh!
 
Hi, there.

Your 'hard' is hard on some many levels.

First that springs to mind is the shiver that runs down my spine when I recall my last charity ride and that was just 30 miles.

Nice crisp photograph, the simplicity works well with the subject matter, that is it doesn't detract from the inscription on the medal.

Your 'cluttered', my first response was 'How the hell can anyone have Christmas chocolates left in February...!".

Anyway, great depth but I feel it works better in portrait, especially with a tad off the bottom. Great Christmas feel, with the colours...

Cheers.
 
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