weekly pjm1's TP52 in 2016 - week 31 Fauna

Nice little story board Paul, I quite like them TBH.
 
Hi Paul, it works from a story point of view so well done for that, the last two pictures are the better ones, the food is really well lit.
Your son in the first shot looks a little unanimated, if you see what I mean though I am sure thats a result of having some idiot lying underneath him and shoving a camera in his face :)
Its nice that you take the trouble to explain what you have done I am sure it helps a lot of people, I really should put a bit more effort in myself sometimes.
 
Hi Paul. Excellent montage for the theme but yes, I too like #3 best of all. Just on his peaceful looks alone you'd know he'd been highly active during the day. :clap:
 
Active, tells a nice story and a healthy meal :)

He's a little static in #1, I'd like a little motion blur.

I'm bloomin' starving now :)

Cheers.
 
Oops I seem to have got a bit behind replying to replies! :oops: :$

LC2 said:
Hi Paul,
Sign - I do love the look on her face, not sure it's terror, more screaming at her brother :) It's a great shot.
Flora - As you say, it's a simple looking shot, but well executed with the lighting where you wanted it to highlight the (is frond the right word?) and deep blacks. I'm torn between the original and re-edit. I prefer the composition of the original, but the lighting of the second.
Active - 3 nice shots, the 2nd & 3rd could stand alone. I prefer the 3rd of the set for the theme (y)
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Thanks Tim. I was particularly pleased with the lighting on that series of images - both on her and on the background. It just worked. I'm not 100% on flora, but that's just me and plants :) It was a bit of a PABD image to be honest! Thanks for all comments on Active too... I was quite pleased with the food shot as it was my first proper attempt (and it was rather nice to eat too!)

Cobra said:
Nice little story board Paul, I quite like them TBH.
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Cheers Chris... I quite like your comments ;) (only kidding, I appreciate all feedback!)

alsjazzera said:
Hi Paul, it works from a story point of view so well done for that, the last two pictures are the better ones, the food is really well lit.
Your son in the first shot looks a little unanimated, if you see what I mean though I am sure thats a result of having some idiot lying underneath him and shoving a camera in his face :)
Its nice that you take the trouble to explain what you have done I am sure it helps a lot of people, I really should put a bit more effort in myself sometimes.
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Cheers Allan, you're right about the shot on the trampoline. One of those where the idea didn't quite stand up to the implementation... I tried a couple of series over two days and nothing quite worked. The shutter speed and using flash was a difficult combination and I didn't quite get it right. Live and learn though and it is all good experience. In order to minimise blur on the face/eyes, I had to shoot him at the top of the bounce, which was also when he was least excited, facially... even with flash I couldn't freeze action otherwise :(

Thanks for the acknowledgement re: my explanations... I started off doing it more for myself (to remember what I did) but now I'm just in the habit of detailing any lighting setup etc. Hope some do find it useful/interesting.

Carl Ayling said:
Hi Paul. Excellent montage for the theme but yes, I too like #3 best of all. Just on his peaceful looks alone you'd know he'd been highly active during the day. :clap:
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Cheers Carl. He was shattered!

posiview said:
Active, tells a nice story and a healthy meal :)

He's a little static in #1, I'd like a little motion blur.

I'm bloomin' starving now :)

Cheers.
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Thanks Andy. I posted a picture of my meal on facebook, tagging my wife in to make her jealous. Her friends saw the picture first and suggested they leave the restaurant and invade our house for dinner. I'm glad they didn't - the prospect of half a dozen squiffy women wanting to be fed isn't something I'd appreciate on a Saturday night (any more, now that I'm sensible and all!)

As for motion blur, I have dozens of shots with motion blur in... just a shame you can't make him out ;) Hard to get the balance! Maybe I should have tried rear curtain sync?

rpn said:
Nice story Paul without it the shots don't really connect. Agree with Andy about #1
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Cheers Stan. I know what you mean, but I think that's the point of a story board - to make you wonder how they're linked and think about it. At least that's what I like. Thanks though for looking and commenting (y)
 
Great set of images for Activity Paul I think I would have been asleep after jumping around and a nice roast dinner too
 
Nice looking beef, but I like the one of him sleeping. :)
 
I like the story behind the montage Paul, I like the last photo the most. Nice to see your explanation as well.
Something we should all start possibly adding to the occasional photo ? Your idea around the theme and your
photo choice really nice
 
chrispp said:
I like the story behind the montage Paul, I like the last photo the most. Nice to see your explanation as well.
Something we should all start possibly adding to the occasional photo ? Your idea around the theme and your
photo choice really nice
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Thanks Chris, appreciate you taking the time to comment. Really need to catch up with mine now!

Cheers
 
simple - Lovely shot especially given the circumstances
sign - lovely story behind it and a great picture I really like the second shot too.
flora - I do like daisy but the reshoot of the sprig of fir is the best
activity - what an active day lovely collection I like the 3rd picture best of the group although the first is the most active
 
Hi Paul,
great story telling in your set of photos! As a stand-alone photo my favourite is #3, with would kind of work for the theme... I also like your food photo, but I find the trampoline photo a bit static. But others call it "levitating"...
 
pjm1 said:
Thanks David :) Maybe I'll get into this planty-flowery-thing photography lark!



Cheers Dean...

No worries about holding the macro lens steady with small f/numbers - I have complete photonic overkill at my disposal :) I set up one of my (lower powered) studio heads firing through a large 120cm softbox held on a boom above the flower. It looked quite stupid really - I had maybe 8-10 inches between the softbox and the flower into which space I took my camera (required me to lie on the wet grass though). Radio trigger means I just moved myself and the camera towards the subject to get it into focus, shoot and BOOM, portable nuclear reactor.

The good thing about this setup is I have a decent amount of very very soft light on tap. Unlike the pringle tube setup, I don't have to try to position the light - it's basically my own overcast sky which is static but unlike the sky, I can dial it up to 11. I have 1.5 stops still to go on my lower power head and by switching to a 400Ws head I have another stop. This was all at (I think) ISO 200 so, again, there's plenty of latitude there too.

God I love lighting equipment :)
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Thanks for the info Paul, really like hearing how people manage things in their set-ups (y)
 
Gosh, I've been lax in thanking you all!

susiejb said:
Love the 'levitating' one on the trampoline Paul, I think that one makes a brilliant stand alone image.
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Thanks Susie... understandably it wasn't a universal hit and I learned more from trying to take that shot than most others over the last couple of months! So that and your comment makes it a relative success ;)

minx said:
simple - Lovely shot especially given the circumstances
sign - lovely story behind it and a great picture I really like the second shot too.
flora - I do like daisy but the reshoot of the sprig of fir is the best
activity - what an active day lovely collection I like the 3rd picture best of the group although the first is the most active
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Thanks Minx - yes, a very active day! I think he enjoyed all three parts in equal measure though :)

brrnd said:
Hi Paul,
great story telling in your set of photos! As a stand-alone photo my favourite is #3, with would kind of work for the theme... I also like your food photo, but I find the trampoline photo a bit static. But others call it "levitating"...
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Cheers Bernd... agree totally with your comments!

Dark Knight said:
Thanks for the info Paul, really like hearing how people manage things in their set-ups (y)
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Cheers Dean, I always try - partly so I remind myself!

Emja said:
Looks like you can cook as well as take a mean photo - multi-talented ;) I like the sleeping one best - the lighting on his face is perfect for me this time...and there's nothing like a snooze after a bout of activity :)
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Thanks Emma. Cooking is one of my passions and I don't get to do enough of it, what with all of my other hobbies. But it's probably the most productive one when I do! That was a "curry" taken in a slightly different direction ;)
 
I like that Paul it's almost as if the ships bow is about to burst out of the image.
 
Thanks Chris, Mark and Dean... Sorry for not commenting sooner but I only arrived back late Sunday night and work has been rather hectic since! But then that's my fault for taking a three week holiday ;)

Loads of thread comments to catch up on, loads of photos to import to Lightroom and then upload and a few themes to get images up for... I did manage to keep up (more or less) with the themes as they were being posted each week, so I have a few shots from the holiday which should work for some of them.

All not helped by my desktop PC dying while I was away and my server needing a bit of TLC (I forgot to power it down before I left!) All better now, after a fresh Win10 install on the desktop and a few critical updates on the server.

Better get catching up!
 
Thanks Dean... I have a lot of catching up to do - posting pictures (and in some cases, still taking them!) as well as commenting on everyone's threads.

I will get there but I don't expect to be caught up within the next week or two. Work is manic (which is good) after coming back from holiday and with our two kids starting school and nursery respectively there's quite a bit going on in our lives as well :) I will get there though so don't strike me off!

Edited to add next catch-up...

Week 29: Hidden

So this was the start of our holiday - a week at my parents' in the East Midlands. Had a lovely time and the kids enjoyed playing in Nana and Grandad's garden with all the flowers and an archway to run/cycle through right in the middle of all of the carefully tended flowers :eek:

Fortunately they wanted occasional quiet time and tended to hide themselves away in a secluded corner of the garden with mummy's iPad. Case in point the evening this was taken when it was WAY past bedtime and we were out looking for them...

 
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And here are two images for Week 30 (Lonely). Sailing into Venice just after sunrise was amazing... the decks of the ship were packed with hundreds of people looking and taking pictures (the number who were seemingly trying to using flash to illuminate San Marco's from half a kilometre away was amusing though ;) ) yet Venice itself was as empty as I think you're likely to see it. The occasional runner and perhaps a small boat getting into position for a busy tourist day ahead (it was Friday). But other than that, we were all alone in entering Venice with nobody there to see us sailing in...





The light was wonderful and although we got to see loads more of what is undoubtedly a beautiful city, it never looked better than it did here, just after sunrise...
 
pjm1 said:
but I've sort of lost track ;)
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Oh shush you :p

Interesting angle of the boat, as Dean said it looks bloody huge!

Nice portraits & lighting of the kids playing quietly, I'd frame that one, hang it on the wall to remind them than they "can do it" when they start misbehaving :D

I particularly like the 1st Venice image, it looks kinda dreamy :)
Nice catch up Paul (y)
 
Hi Paul. Welcome home - looks like you had a fabulous time. Beautiful image of the kids enjoying quiet time - love that curly hair. Both terrific shots of Venice but #2 is my fave with it's more vibrant colour, particularly in the sky, and the way the light falls on the water in the fg. :clap:
 
Nice to see you back Paul. Some really beautiful shots you've taken.

Life; love that shot, the pov makes the ship even more massive.

Hidden; perfectly lit and well caught.

Lonely; fantastic light and two views of Venice from a different angle. Very unusual to see Venice so quiet and hardly any souls about.
 
Welcome back Paul

Hidden is a stunner lovely details and lighting.

The 2 images of Venice are lovely the lighting is really nice I would imagine that was quite eerie arriving at such a big tourist destination and there being no one about.
 
Cobra said:
Oh shush you :p

Interesting angle of the boat, as Dean said it looks bloody huge!

Nice portraits & lighting of the kids playing quietly, I'd frame that one, hang it on the wall to remind them than they "can do it" when they start misbehaving :D

I particularly like the 1st Venice image, it looks kinda dreamy :)
Nice catch up Paul (y)
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Carl Ayling said:
Hi Paul. Welcome home - looks like you had a fabulous time. Beautiful image of the kids enjoying quiet time - love that curly hair. Both terrific shots of Venice but #2 is my fave with it's more vibrant colour, particularly in the sky, and the way the light falls on the water in the fg. :clap:
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Dark Knight said:
Wow, fantastic light on both of them Venice, compositionally I prefer the landscaped 1st with the sweeping leading lines across the frame, although I also like the water leading up the frame in the second... lovely mate (y)

Enjoy the catch up by the way :D
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rpn said:
Nice to see you back Paul. Some really beautiful shots you've taken.

Life; love that shot, the pov makes the ship even more massive.

Hidden; perfectly lit and well caught.

Lonely; fantastic light and two views of Venice from a different angle. Very unusual to see Venice so quiet and hardly any souls about.
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Downton Mini said:
Welcome back Paul

Hidden is a stunner lovely details and lighting.

The 2 images of Venice are lovely the lighting is really nice I would imagine that was quite eerie arriving at such a big tourist destination and there being no one about.
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thirsty_camel said:
Hi Paul, Love your hidden shot and the expressions but find the light on the right a bit distracting and my eye keeps being drawn away from the center of the image.

Your Venice shots are great, love the light in them (y)
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Thanks everyone :) It's tough to get behind but I'm set on catching up and took a specific shot for Fauna which isn't great but keeps me in the running. I'll come back to that when I've had a chance to process & upload.

It seems the Hidden shot is an unexpected success... it was one of those grabshots which I didn't really expect to work but the light coming from the ipad was actually really quite soft and worked nicely. @thirsty_camel makes a good point about the light. I tried it without but I felt it was just a bit too simple with only the kids in shot and I thought the light falling on his arm and the side of the chair then raised the question "where's that from then?" so left the standard lamp in shot.

Venice was my favourite stop on the cruise - amazing place and I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. Fabulous. And arriving in at sunrise was the icing on the cake for me :) I even brought out my filters just in case but in the end the better shots were when the sun was well out of frame.

Thanks for the very kind comments everyone... I need to get round to commenting on all of your threads once I've done my bit of catching up with the themes (y)
 
And very quickly (because processing it didn't take any time!) here is my snapshot for Week 31: Fauna. In this case, classical Sorrento fauna - a tourist horse & cart.

Shot at the prerequisite f/1.4 which is apparently mandatory according to the unofficial Sigma user's guide :)



Not my best ever shot, it has to be said, but I'm not really used to shooting animals and in this case, I wanted to minimise the distraction of the non-fauna aspects of the image through shallowness of field.
 
Very nice Paul, the DoF works well IMO :)
 
The iPad photo is very well lit and exposed. And nice dinosaur T-shirt. Amazing how technology works apparently to calm every kid.

#1 is my favourite of the Venice photos, but they both work very well in the early morning light.

The head of the horse is very detailed and sharp, pity you can’t see it’s eyes.
 
Hi Paul, massively behind on commenting again, sorry 'bout that...

Lovely shots from Venice! Lighting looks fantastic - like you said, so rare to see Venice so quiet too. I loved my 3 day stay in Venice, was one of the best breaks I've ever had - so many awesome things to photograph on literally every corner. Looks like you're having an incredible trip too Paul - enjoy! :)
 
HI Paul, never been to Venice but after seeing your photos quite tempted. The detail on the horse's head and OOF background work really well
 
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