Monthly 2014 ETC : Brian of Bozeat

superpippo said:
Hi Brian - that joiner shot of Harrold is tres good. Good comp, excellent colours and suitable textured b/g
Stevington is another super shot . Good pov, bright but fading light in bottom and good clear stars. Just not sure about that ghostly movement(?) feel at the base.
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Thanks Alan, you've raised a very good point there. It's some stray long grass/wheat that has moved in the wind during the 30 second exposure... BUT, now that you've said it I can see how it would look to someone who wasn't there, I knew what it was so I didn't see it that way. Rats!
 
I really like this one Brian even if it isn't trails. As a stand alone shot away from the project it's really good. Usually a central composition would be a little poor, but the offset looking up perspective is very appealing to me. The foreground movement in the grass is also a keeper for me, some nice movement to add a bit of interest is good, especailly when it's not the main part of the shot.
 
OK, so this is today's test shot with some new kit. I'm disappointed in the tree movement (actually more disappointed that I didn't snap a static shot from this exact position, perhaps to clone from?) Anyway - I am pleased with the motion blur in the water, and the light looks a lot nicer than I expected having been huddled around my tripod with a brolly in the rain in the middle of a busy road bridge!

Taken with a 10 stop ND and a 2 stop Grad to match the exposure for the water with the sky.




Hardwater Mill by Brian of Bozeat, on Flickr
 
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minnnt said:
I really like this one Brian even if it isn't trails. As a stand alone shot away from the project it's really good. Usually a central composition would be a little poor, but the offset looking up perspective is very appealing to me. The foreground movement in the grass is also a keeper for me, some nice movement to add a bit of interest is good, especailly when it's not the main part of the shot.
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Many thanks for your critique. I was thinking today that I might try an (upside down) grad ext time to try and calm the horizon glow down a bit, and maybe pop a flash at the windmill...
 
Good idea. You could always light paint it with a torch... And take a selection of sweet wrappers with you to act as coloured filters for the torch. ;)

Above image is a good effort. I would be tempted to try a crop and remove the Silver Birch trees to the left.
 
And I had the chance yesterday to have another go with the 10 stop... I'm much happier with this one, the wind was almost non existent at ground level so the trees behaved themselves this time, which is a good job as they are the only static objects in the frame!


Olney-4 by Brian of Bozeat, on Flickr
 
Looks like a cracking building there, Brian.

Square crop works well here and nice detail in the sky.

LH pilar/lion look a little hot and the gold ornimeadorning the top seems to befloating but good use of lighpainting.

Cheers.
 
posiview said:
Looks like a cracking building there, Brian.

Square crop works well here and nice detail in the sky.

LH pilar/lion look a little hot and the gold ornimeadorning the top seems to befloating but good use of lighpainting.

Cheers.
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Thanks Andy, I have edited that pillar now. the top is on a very dark column, ive done my best! (I can see it on my calibrated screen :D)
 
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Brian - do you keep changing things in here...... I'm sure there was a running track joiner when i looked in last?

Nice work on the LE's, although the movement in the trees is at odds with the smoothed out water - agree a static image would certainly give you something to work with to "fix" this issue, the PP side shouldn;t be too hard either.
 
overbez said:
Brian - do you keep changing things in here...... I'm sure there was a running track joiner when i looked in last?

Nice work on the LE's, although the movement in the trees is at odds with the smoothed out water - agree a static image would certainly give you something to work with to "fix" this issue, the PP side shouldn;t be too hard either.
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Thanks Graham, I did remove the track picture for a rework, thought no-one had seen it!
 
thats the one, (y)

reaslly like the way the angles coming in on the 12 then straight for 234 and then back angled for 678.

Just find the 2 looking straight down the track too simlarly positioned, and too similar viewpoint too.

What about throwing in a couple of angled frames? not necessarily angled when taken, but cropped to an angle before joining?
 
overbez said:
thats the one, (y)

reaslly like the way the angles coming in on the 12 then straight for 234 and then back angled for 678.

Just find the 2 looking straight down the track too simlarly positioned, and too similar viewpoint too.

What about throwing in a couple of angled frames? not necessarily angled when taken, but cropped to an angle before joining?
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Thanks, I stood there trying to think of how I was going to emphasise the leading lines, RE: the angled shots, well I had plenty but I actually like this just as it is. :)


minnnt said:
Any normal shots Brian? I get what you're trying to do but for me it wrecks it. Lol.
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Normal? what the heck is normal? Anyone can do "the same as everyone else" I'm here for the challenge. ;)
 
Here's a Black & White. I've done LOADS of Black & White so not so much of a challenge this one. This came about as by product of another shoot, what I'm trying for here is to get some separation from the tonal contrast as well as texture & focus. Details in post 60 (below)


Teasel by Brian of Bozeat, on Flickr
 
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minnnt said:
Lol, fair enough. Good luck with your challenge. :rolleyes:
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Oh dear, :oops: :$ did I sound SO pretentious? :LOL:

Really though, I can't help thinking that I can use the technical tools of photography well enough to feel competent but there's still lots about the artistic side of photography that I find challenging. For example, I would like to understand more about why I like some of the things that I like. To be able to know exactly why some images "work" for me and others don't is probably an unattainable goal (not that that will put me off trying). The only way I know of learning is to keep making the next image a logical step based on the results of the last, I am going to publish all of my attempts (even the failures) here so don't be too surprised if you don't like what I do! All I ask is that you support me in my efforts the same way that I will support you in yours, isn't that the point?

The teasel shot above is a good example of what I am trying to do. The shot itself I'm happy with technically (exposure, focus, processing) but what I am going for is more than just selective focus via a shallow depth of field, I have attempted to emphasise the high contrast "jagged" form of the teasel by shooting against a low contrast OOF background, the composition is deliberately close to central and vertical to suit the subject. I like it because I feel that there is a balance between the shapes of the positive and negative spaces... This was shot yesterday as part of something I was trying in colour, I went out with an idea in mind but it wasn't working, whilst "working the shot" I started thinking that if I could get it to work in black and white first then I might understand more about why it wasn't working in colour, I came away with some very pleasing colour shots in the end, so even though this is a "cutting room floor" shot, as we have black and white as one of the themes this month I thought I might as well blog it to remind me of how chuffed I felt driving home after the shoot.

:cow:
 
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'sup, the edit Pagoda is much better a I can see soem detail in the tower.

Joiner, the composition, drop shadow in each frame and the gray BG works well, and I ike the light coming from the left.

The subject matter could be better, though, if you had some runners on the starting line, perhaps.

B&W teasel (never heard the word before), nice detail and well exposed. Well composed against a contrasting BG. It has shades of Karl Blossfeldt

Your last post....you might want to disengage the engineer in you sometimes. I could express this more elequently but I have work to do :)

Cheers.
 
posiview said:
'sup, the edit Pagoda is much better a I can see soem detail in the tower.

Joiner, the composition, drop shadow in each frame and the gray BG works well, and I ike the light coming from the left.

The subject matter could be better, though, if you had some runners on the starting line, perhaps.

B&W teasel (never heard the word before), nice detail and well exposed. Well composed against a contrasting BG. It has shades of Karl Blossfeldt

Your last post....you might want to disengage the engineer in you sometimes. I could express this more elequently but I have work to do :)

Cheers.
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Hi Andy, thanks for your comments.

I totally agree that some runners would have made the leading lines shot better overall, it was a spur of the moment thing whilst I was helping out with the timing (resting a small injury last week) and I had to move positions when the running was going on. I was pleased with the way the lines come together though. I might be able to get an improvement another time maybe? although the impact has gone now so I don't know... I think it works for me as a joiner because I just picked the points of interest in the shot and didn't try to record the whole scene (IYSWIM) this was a breakthrough for me.

Thank you for the link, I had never heard of Karl Blossfeldt before, I will save that for some bedtime reading. (y)

"You might want to disengage the engineer in you sometimes" Ouch, that is excellent advice! I will give it a go and report back.

Man hugs :)

:cow:
 
minnnt said:
Any normal shots Brian? I get what you're trying to do but for me it wrecks it. Lol.
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Wouldn't it have been just a straight, uninteresting shot of a running track at night though? Being a joiner makes us look at it differently. It suddenly becomes lines, lanes, patterns. If it was a straight panoramic shot, then you'd all just be saying that it needs people, and that car at the right is distracting... etc etc... He had an idea, and he saw it through. I think it works quite well. I know for a fact I'd have not have found it as interesting if it was a straight shot.
 
minnnt said:
Yeah you're right, good shot Brian!
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minnnt said:
Is that a better reply?
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There's no need to be sarcastic. We all have our own opinions and they are all welcome here.

minnnt said:
For me, I'd like to see a non joiner effect picture, what's wrong with that?
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There's nothing wrong with that, no one said you were wrong. David asked you a question about your opinion, gave his own opinion on the image and then (because his opinion differed from yours) explained why he thinks a single image would have been less interesting.
 
minnnt said:
Is that a better reply?

For me, I'd like to see a non joiner effect picture, what's wrong with that?
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Is it a better reply? I've no idea. I didn't realise this was some sort of competition :) I'm just offering an alternative view. I personally find it more interesting as a joiner.
 
I'm not sure about Hard and Soft. I see trees in winter and they seem quite hard.. both literally, and because they're tough, hardy things that sit there apparently dead until spring. Plus.. anyone who has crashed into a tree can attest to how hard they are :) The contrast to me is in the nature of the form and shape. With the second one being entirely man made and entirely geometric, and of course the exact opposite for the first image.
 
Nice work Brian, I too see soft in the curves of the tree and ripples, and hard in the straight, square edges of the bricks.

First I like the composition, having the reflection completely in the water, with separation from the bank stands out well, well processed too as I don;t see much (if any) haloing round the tree branches / sky.

Second works great too, well alligned to the rectangluar shapes, the reflection of the trees in the glass and the single round light (and its highlight) contrasting well.

If these are meant to be viewed together, does the second need quite so much blue in it?
 
Brian, I like the first B&W, the reflection is really appealing, the tree on the left distracts me a bit. I really like the second picture with the straight lines and the lone light, I think the B&W conversion really suits it

I have been very slack this month so far :-(
 
Pookeyhead said:
I'm not sure about Hard and Soft. I see trees in winter and they seem quite hard.. both literally, and because they're tough, hardy things that sit there apparently dead until spring. Plus.. anyone who has crashed into a tree can attest to how hard they are :) The contrast to me is in the nature of the form and shape. With the second one being entirely man made and entirely geometric, and of course the exact opposite for the first image.
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I think that's a much better description than hard and soft. I like that way of thinking about it, thanks.


overbez said:
Nice work Brian, I too see soft in the curves of the tree and ripples, and hard in the straight, square edges of the bricks.

First I like the composition, having the reflection completely in the water, with separation from the bank stands out well, well processed too as I don;t see much (if any) haloing round the tree branches / sky.

Second works great too, well alligned to the rectangluar shapes, the reflection of the trees in the glass and the single round light (and its highlight) contrasting well.

If these are meant to be viewed together, does the second need quite so much blue in it?
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Thanks for commenting Graham, I never meant them to be viewed as a pair, it was just that as I was processing them that I noticed they were very different and suited completely different styles of treatment. I uploaded them together but I didn't think anyone would see them that way. It's the first that has a hint of colour, to look like old paper was my thinking.... The trees are backlit (which is why they are trying to halo) it was a sunset, and a very tricky exposure! happy to say I got it in the camera and didn't need to go with a composite.

Longimanus said:
Brian, I like the first B&W, the reflection is really appealing, the tree on the left distracts me a bit. I really like the second picture with the straight lines and the lone light, I think the B&W conversion really suits it I have been very slack this month so far :-(
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Thanks Lee, I have been sitting here trying to fake a square crop on the trees by dragging my browser off the side of the screen and I think you might have a point about that tree on the left. I will try one in lightroom as a virtual copy and put them side by side on my desktop for a couple of days until I prefer one over the other!

Thanks for your comments on the second picture it is one I am very pleased with because it looks like nothing much in colour but the different shades of bricks made me shoot it to see what a b&w would look like. As with a lot of architectural shots this one stood up to a lot of sharpening and contrast which helped the "impact" no end.

Early days yet mate, and better weather will help!

:cow:
 
Really not a fan of selective colour, but this ain't half bad. It's subtle. I find the out of focus highlights too much of a repetition of the sharp flowers themselves, and it fights them a little.. making it a bit noisy.
 
Pookeyhead said:
Really not a fan of selective colour, but this ain't half bad. It's subtle. I find the out of focus highlights too much of a repetition of the sharp flowers themselves, and it fights them a little.. making it a bit noisy.
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Yes, I see what you mean about the OOF bits. I think I will try and burn them down a little to see if it helps. If nothing else it will give me more practice with my wacom! Thanks for commenting.
 
I tried my hand at a time lapse. Just a test to see how I got on, the zooms seem a bit jerky on you tube even though I exported it for you tube via the go pro studio... any ideas anyone?


That's me in the white hat btw!
 
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'Ello, Brian, I'd say you are proficient at B&W. The contrast is bang on for me. I have a good zoom in and couldn't see any blown bits and you have nice shadows. Some movement in the trees would have enhanced the soft element.

The second one was well spotted and I feel the orb would stand alone, bit it a bit closer.

Three Trees is another well spotted and well composed. The detail throughout is very nice. Hmmm, I may be wrong but I'm sure if an see some haloing especially around the left tree and the centre tree :thinking:

SC is a nice subtle photograph. I might like a closer composition, mainly because if the upper left BG flowers that have not been SCd

Timelapse...I remember that hat :)

Cheers.
 
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