weekly alltaken's 52 project for 2013 - Week 14 & 15 added!

A

alltaken

Messages
204
Name
Steven
Edit My Images
Yes
I'm reluctant to do this after seeing the standard of the contributions, a standard which I know mine will be nowhere near, but I've had the camera for 6 months and have been procrastinating for far too long, so anything that will get me thinking and taking pictures, is a good thing.

Week 1 - Sin.
Week 2 - Season
Week 3 - Gravity.
Week 4 - Wild
Week 5 - Space
Week 6 - Work
Week 7 - Gluttony.
Week 8 - Time
Week 9 - Juxtaposition.
Week 10 - Letter
Week 11 - Electric
Week 12 - Direction
Week 13 - Tacky
Week 14 - Value
Week 15 - Greed
 
Last edited:
alltaken said:
I'm reluctant to do this after seeing the standard of the contributions, a standard which I know mine will be nowhere near, but I've had the camera for 6 months and have been procrastinating for far too long, so anything that will get me thinking and taking pictures, is a good thing.
Click to expand...

Well, there's no better way to learn than practice and setting yourself targets!

I like the composition on this, but wonder if perhaps the glass and lighter are a little hard to see, but maybe that's my rubbish laptop screen!
 
Thanks for your comments crossroads, it didn't look quite so dark on my laptop screen as it does now. I've added a slightly lighter version. Any lighter and the shadowy effect I'm looking for is gone.
 
its a bit too dark and cant see any cigs the tiles are not a good bg i think you should have been lower down with a totally black bg and a bit more light on the subject
 
Great to hear your reasons for joining in. I'm sure you'll learn a lot from it!

The photo needs more light. You can do some pretty cool things with off-camera flash when you're dealing with glass and liquids. I'd suggest experimenting with light in non-standard positions (ie. out to the right hand side, etc.)
 
I've added another effort, this time using more light. Unfortunately, I don't have an external flash yet. The first one was done by putting the light off in the room but opening the door to let a little light through.

The second, I used a candle in hopes that it would have created more shadow than it did.

I'll choose between them when the next subject is announced.
 
Hi Stephen & welcome to the 52's :wave:

Don't worry about other's photo's..we all started knowing nothing ( & I still no nothing !) but this is a great place to learn , 6 months ain't long to have had a camera either ....take a chance , join in & at week 52 you'll be surprised at just how well you've done (y)

To your shots....whiskey & ciggies....yes please :LOL: Possibly a lower point of view , like the shadows you've got & the focus on the glass looks spot on (y)

The bottle shot...again the focus on the glass & bottle looks good , nicely sharp , try not to crop the tops of things ( bottle top).
A good solid start to your project mister...keep at it.. (y)
 
Hi Stephen - Welcome (y)

The 52 is a great place to learn from others, so look, join in and have fun !!!

Sin - The second shots crop is a bit tight at the bottom and rh side for me, so out of the 2 I prefer the first shot, liking the long shadows - Good idea and the fist theme done and dusted (y)
 
Hi, there, by taking part you will see an improvement in your photography (y)

Sin #1 for me. It's simpler than #2 and you've cropped the top of the bottle. I like the shadows in #1 and also the texture in the table.

Good start.
 
The road leading to the tree tunnel appealed to me, but I have to admit that this week's effort is nothing more than an opportunistic snapshot. It's been a fraught week, and I simply haven't had time.

Edit: The suggestions below have been taken on board and here is the final choice for week 2.


Week 2 - Season by alltaken2012, on Flickr
 
Last edited:
Hi, Steven, yup, says Season to me. Well composed, but I might have set camera up to remove the dark lower left bits and the branch poking in lower right. Grad filter or bracket exposures would have given you a nice moody sky.

You got a b&w version?

Cheers.
 
Hi steven, good start to your 52 (y)
Your image for season may have been opportunistic but it still works.
Good lead in lines with the path, taking the viewers eye in and through the scene. A few minor tweaks as Andy has mentioned and its spot on.

This is now my third 52 challenge and have come to learn that sometimes its a case of get an image in and move on. Life has a habit of getting in the way of our photography at times. Iain
 
Thanks for the helpful advice gents. Andy, I did consider going back to re-shoot based on your suggestions, but sadly much of the snow on the trees has now melted and the effect wouldn't be the same.

Here is a tighter crop converted to b&w and the colour settings tweaked a bit. I'm afraid my pp skills aren't really that good yet either.


week 2 - alt version by alltaken2012, on Flickr
 
I prefer the version with some colour in but like the tighter crop of the last one.. nice lead in lines with the car tracks, certainly fits the 'season' theme
 
Thanks once again gents. I've taken your suggestions on board, and have cropped the original colour version. I agree it does look better without the distracting wall in the l/h side. :)
 
I had a very frustrating time trying to do this one. I had an idea in mind and was let down by my lack of know how so couldn't shoot it. I couldn't understand how people were getting their backgrounds so perfectly dark / white until a bit of searching showed me how people use "white boxes" and lights and reflectors, which is something I want to explore in future. So at least I learnt something new. :bonk:

In the meantime, here is my effort. In the first I decided to put something in the background (a potted plant) to try and make the image less boring.

The second has my, frankly crap effort at whitening the background before I read up on light boxes. :D


Week 3 - Gravity by alltaken2012, on Flickr


week 3 - Gravity by alltaken2012, on Flickr
 
Last edited:
Hi, Steven, #1 is too busy for me, the BG really takes over he water/tap.

#2 is much better with a cleaner BG. I really like how the pattern in the BG, the three curves compliant the water.

I also quite like the reflection. Bit underexposed and I'd like to see the water a bit shaper.

Cheers.

NB, what was the Idea you mention in your post?
 
Last edited:
Like the 2nd gravity shot, very nice BG really goes well with the flowing water.
 
Hi Steven

#2 for me... I quite like the effect going on in the BG :)

You don't neccessarily need lots of lights n softbox etc to help with background ( though it will help) try using large sheets of stiff paper....white or black & a piece of card covered in tin foil to act as a reflector
 
Thanks very much for taking the time to comment guys.

Andy, the idea in retrospect wasn't that good. i planned to have a (my) hand holding a mobile phone with a text message "it's over" or similar on it with the background, perhaps a busy street completely blurred. The idea behind it was of gravity bringing you back down to earth with a bump! But honestly, I think i would have been over thinking it.

Thanks for the tips re: whitebox Lynne. All comments and tips gratefully taken on board. :)
 
Hi Steven.

You have got some great detail on the bird, so maybe a much tighter crop and lose most of the sky and all of the telephone wire, theres some lovely colour in the post thats lost in the larger image.

But great sharpness on the bird.
 
I think the pole would work if you cloned out the telephone wire maybe? and maybe cropped to make him looking into more of a negative space type shot would be nice

I do like the way youve caught him though great detail.
 
Much better without the wires, and I think the closer crop looks a lot better too, with more bird and less sky.
 
Season: Much prefer the first version, the lines lead in better without the crop and the delicate colours suit the picture.

Gravity: This time prefer the second - the plant adds too much distraction and the creases in the backdrop lead the eye in nicely

Wild: Edited version much better without lines although might prefer it lightened just a tad
 
Hi steven :wave:

Not been in here yet :bonk:

Sin - like the background, shadows and props. (y)
Season - nice lead in path, kept detail in the snow, a bit of interest in the sky, just loose the branches bottom right.
Gravity - your second tap shot has a great background, shame it just draws attention to the not 100% shiny tap and the reflections within :LOL:
Wild - lovely bird shot - some type of hawk?? I might have been tempted to clone out rather than crop out the wires - I think the crop makes the post look too stumpy, and dangerously close to clipping his tail feathers off.

Space next... any ideas??
 
Thanks once again for your helpful and kind comments everyone. They've taught me that sometimes even the small details are important and can make or break a picture. :)

Graham, I did have an idea for the space theme, though not a brilliant one.

Unfortunately, having taken the shot I don't feel that it really works in the way I thought it would, so it's back to the drawing board.
 
Thanks again for the helpful comments folks. Like another 52'er, this week has been a bit hectic. As I mentioned a few posts ago, I did take a shot, but felt it didn't work.

The idea of this was to convey the idea of 'infinite' space, with the pylons stretching out to the distance. I feel I could have had a better shot if I had been more to the right, so that the pylons ran across the picture at more than an angle.


Week 5 - Space by alltaken2012, on Flickr

So I tried to think of something else and got more and more frustrated as I saw others posting really good ideas. Now this may not be eggsactly what you were expecting, but here is my doomed effort for week 5.

Empty space.


Week 5 - Space by alltaken2012, on Flickr

With the obligatory "you're not fooling anyone with your attempt to cover up bad photography with a b&w conversion" version.


Week 5 - Space by alltaken2012, on Flickr

Ah well, there's always next week. :)
 
Last edited:
like the pylon pic but as you have already said bit more to the right as for the eggs one empty space might have been better (y)
 
Good thinking with the pylons - love the way the road draws you into the image. and the white line dead in the corner is a nice touch.

Agree with allan on the eggs - one space would have worked better. Would also have left you 5 in the tray - and odd numbers generally work better than evens. Is it is, you have spaces :LOL:. But the colours, lighting & focus on this one is all really good
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top