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

I liked the eggs, two spaces fine for me. Definitely the colour one in this case, as there's a lot more to see. Purple background really goes well. I'm trying to convince myself I would still say that if I'd seen them the other way round!

There's a whole lot to like in the pylons one, including the sky and the slight stormy-feeling light. Only two niggles for me: annoying twigs to the right, and those anti-vibration thingies, some of which seem to be confusingly hanging unsupported as the wires are hard to see. So overall, I am an egg man! (you can do the next line ;-)
 
alsjazzera said:
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)
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overbez said:
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
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Thanks Allan and Bez. I did re-shoot it a few times with one empty space and two, but at the end of it, the current picture was the only one I was really happy with focus wise.

ChrisR said:
I liked the eggs, two spaces fine for me. Definitely the colour one in this case, as there's a lot more to see. Purple background really goes well. I'm trying to convince myself I would still say that if I'd seen them the other way round!

There's a whole lot to like in the pylons one, including the sky and the slight stormy-feeling light. Only two niggles for me: annoying twigs to the right, and those anti-vibration thingies, some of which seem to be confusingly hanging unsupported as the wires are hard to see. So overall, I am an egg man! (you can do the next line ;-)
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Thanks Chris. :) The background was supposed to be white! :eek: Now that you've drawn my attention to it, I can definitely see a purple hue in there. :bang:

I did take another version of the first picture with the pylons which may work better?


Week 5 alt edit. by alltaken2012, on Flickr
 
Hi, 'eggsactly', :bat:

#1 works for me, mainly because of the road. You've taken your time to get it right. I don't mind the pylons and like how they recede into the distance.

#2, eggs, again a decent submission. Colour for me. I would like to see all the lid and adding another egg would have much improved it IMHO.

Good show (y)
 
Road Work(s).

I thought the background would be a bit more blurred than it is at f1.8

I've tried to emphasise the colours in the sign to make it stand out from the background. I also had a yen to do a bit of selective colour with the sign in colour only, but I've no idea how to go about it. :(

Also not 100% happy with the blown sky to the l/h side, but a nd grad would have darkened part of the sign as well.

May take something else and before the week is up. :)


Week 6 - Work by alltaken2012, on Flickr

Edit: A helpful video on youtube showed me how selective colouring is done. My first attempt is a bit crude, but at least I've learnt something new today.


Week 6 - My first attempt at selective colouring by alltaken2012, on Flickr
 
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Hi Steven, spot on the theme for work ( you see lots of them around, but know one working) both are great but the 1st stick out for me.

Love the sharpness and rich colour in the sign and your eyes are draw to that, only after reading your crib and then looking at the background you kind of started looking at the detail, still a good shout on the theme (y)
 
Hi steven.

Bang on theme you've already picked up on the sky, i think the colour version is the best but i also think the shadow looks better in the selective colour one!

This challenge is great for learning new stuff, ive learned quite a bit myself over the recent weeks! Well done!
 
Well done steven, liking this weeks, think the additional works in the background add to the shot, I also would have imagined the BG to be much more OOF than it is, interesting one.

I know it's easy to pick up things like this after the event, but two inches to your left would have hidden that van(?) in the background behind the sign, and I'm not sure the SC version needs colour in the legs of the sign?

I don't really see the sky issue myself, the sign is too strong to be distracted from for me.

Also thinking it could take a crop of some of the foreground maybe?
 
Hi alltaken, hope you don't mind but I had a little play in lightroom with your pic, I love the simplicity of your photo and as others have said, the over exposed sky on the left isn't too distraction due to the boldness of the sign.

Cracking shot.


work1 by Allieowen, on Flickr
 
Work, on theme and the edit is an improv,t on a decent photograph. Step to the right for me so I could see a bit more of the road leading away.

Cheer.
 
Thank you everyone once again for your kind comments. It looks like the little details have caught me out again. I simply didn't see that van beyond the sign.

Allie, I have absolutely no problems with people editing my pics, thank you for taking the time to have a play with it.
 
Well done Steven, great spot.

On theme, on time and nice and sharp (y)
 
I prefer your first two shots for the tighter crop on the last one for me doesn't work as well. Really liked your space shot too with the pylons, the b&w eggs for me didn't work at all.
 
Hi Steven



Plyons shot is fab....white line coming from the corner lhs , the pylons draw you right in to the image , lovely bit of mist in background...a superb capture for me mister :clap:

Liking the eggs shot as well....5 eggs , 1 space would've been perfect :)

Work......right on theme...too many versions too chose from but like the closer cropped sc'd one ...good thinking mister (y)
 
A bit obvious this week, and boring if I'm being honest, but I was stuck for ideas.

I think most of us would go through an entire packet of biscuits if we let ourselves. I certainly would. :)


Week 7 - Gluttony by alltaken2012, on Flickr
 
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looks good to me - nice focus on the biscuits with the mug in the back adding to the image - saying they're my biscuite to go with that one cup of tea!

tiny bit close on the edges, but not clipped anything. Like it (y)
 
works better than most of the cake/sweets pics as this looks greedy the cup adds to the overall effect
 
quite like that. Nice stack of biscuits. WB looks a tad off, looks a tad blue. I thinks I'd prefer no cup, even thought I know there's a connection. I'd also like to see a bit more pop to the colour.

Cheers.
 
I like the Work(s) second one Steven (closer); the masts etc growing out of the sign in the first shot were a bit distracting. And I think this is the first colour on mono that I've liked! The mast is still a little distracting; the only way I can see to avoid it and still get the road is to get even lower, so the sign goes pretty much right to the top.

Gluttony, I really like the crazy tower and the nicely positioned half eaten biscuit. Unlike the other two I don't go quite so much for the mug, perhaps because it seems to be floating a bit? Still a nice shot and on theme too.
 
overbez said:
looks good to me - nice focus on the biscuits with the mug in the back adding to the image - saying they're my biscuite to go with that one cup of tea!

tiny bit close on the edges, but not clipped anything. Like it (y)
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Thank you Graham. :)

The reason for the rather close crop is because until I get around to building a lightbox and getting some lights to go with it, a piece of A4 paper has to do the job.

alsjazzera said:
works better than most of the cake/sweets pics as this looks greedy the cup adds to the overall effect
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Again thanks Allan. :)

posiview said:
quite like that. Nice stack of biscuits. WB looks a tad off, looks a tad blue. I thinks I'd prefer no cup, even thought I know there's a connection. I'd also like to see a bit more pop to the colour.

Cheers.
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Thanks for your comments Andy, I did guess opinion would be divided on the mug, and I took a picture without, included below.

ChrisR said:
I like the Work(s) second one Steven (closer); the masts etc growing out of the sign in the first shot were a bit distracting. And I think this is the first colour on mono that I've liked! The mast is still a little distracting; the only way I can see to avoid it and still get the road is to get even lower, so the sign goes pretty much right to the top.

Gluttony, I really like the crazy tower and the nicely positioned half eaten biscuit. Unlike the other two I don't go quite so much for the mug, perhaps because it seems to be floating a bit? Still a nice shot and on theme too.
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Hello Chris, and thanks for the helpful comments. I think if I had better pp skills I may have had a go at cloning out the mast.

In retrospect, for the gluttony shot, I think I should have had a go at taking the shot on the kitchen table rather than assuming the white background would be best. The mug wouldn't seem to be floating, and it may have worked as part of the theme food>gluttony>table.

Here is one without for Andy and Chris. :)


Week 7 - Without. by alltaken2012, on Flickr
 
Very strong on theme no doubt - nice one!
I think a shallower DOF might have helped you here though, maybe having the mug further back? Or even a shot of one of the biscuits being dunked in your brew would've brought the cup into play a bit more? Nice shot (& tower stacking skills) all the same though! :)
 
Like the composition of the second gluttony pic. Good detail....yummy
 
The best way to enjoy a cup of Tea or Coffee, the biscuit tower fits the theme Gluttony and the sharp focus on the biscuit works well for me in this shot. Like it (y)
 
I think you've made a nice job of this shot. Nicely focussed with an offset 'tower' as opposed to all level tower. Well composed.
 
Like the idea and the focus point, would have preferred a wider crop, still good though. (y)
 
Again, thank you all for your kind comments and helpful criticism. :)

I'm expecting a bit of a marmite response to this weeks effort and am a bit unsure whether to post it, so I may replace it with something else by the end of the week. I do have another possible idea if this one doesn't pan out.

I really wanted to do something different from the literal interpretation of the theme and pictures of clocks and watches, so my interpretation of this theme is 'The Passage of Time'.

Though I know it's not to everyone's taste, I've chosen the selective colouring for two reasons. One, because I've newly discovered how to do it and wanted to tinker, but more importantly, I thought it would draw the eye to that part of the picture where I want the eye drawn to, and then onto the lines / crows feet. I've also tweaked the contrast to emphasise those lines.


Week 8 - The Passage of Time by alltaken2012, on Flickr
 
I think its a great shot for the theme, b&w works well and im drawn to the eye because of the selective colour. Only thing that draws my eye away is the ear-rings.
 
Hi Steven. I think you have done a fine job on topic here. I echo Lisa's comments in the way you have executed the composition and fair enough on the eyes it adds a focal point. I don't think the earrings are too distracting though. Good original thought on the subject.
 
I like it, lots of detail and a nice take on the theme.
 
Great idea and picture for me, you've edited wel,l as the details around the eyes are cracking. Well done on learning how to do SC in PS, I spent ages over the weekend just trying to get to grips with the whole layering/masking thing.

Only crit is as said prev. the earrings are a bit distracting and there are a couple of loose hairs that I would clone out.
 
Great detail in the face and the eyebrows for time, well worthy of posting up.

Only crit from me, is I might have just done the circle of the iris in colour rather than the whole of the eye, the red that's coming in in the corner and the tear-duct doesn't really work for me. Just the iris would add much more pop to this shot for me.
 
overbez said:
Great detail in the face and the eyebrows for time, well worthy of posting up.

Only crit from me, is I might have just done the circle of the iris in colour rather than the whole of the eye, the red that's coming in in the corner and the tear-duct doesn't really work for me. Just the iris would add much more pop to this shot for me.
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This is exactly what I was thinking! Lovely detail, but sticking to the iris would've been my approach to the selective colouring. Nicely cropped image, works really well. (y)
 
Hello all, thanks once again for all comments and suggestions. :)

I agree, the SC does look better with just the iris in colour rather than the whole eye. I've posted an edit reflecting your comments below.

I did, again with a helpful video on youtube to show me how, try and clone out the earrings, but after I'd finished the ear looked like something had been gnawing at it :LOL:, so I've decided to leave it alone. This is something I need to practice.


Week 8 - alternate edit by alltaken2012, on Flickr
 
Steven: a complete stonker! Love it...
 
Hi, cracking detail and bang on theme; well composed and nice lines.

Not keen on the SC, though, doesn't really add to the theme.

Cheers.
 
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