weekly blakesters 2014 52 - Retired Gracefully

[superpippo]

Who's bought practical photography?

 

[Dark Knight]

Who's bought practical photography?

Nope... why is that mate ??

 

[blakester]

Who's bought practical photography?

I may or may not have got my inspiration from that publication Alan

Nope... why is that mate ??

There's an article in there which has a shot which bears a passing resemblance to mine above Dean

 

[The goblin]

Hi Iain,

Sense, the cathedral shot looks amazing on Flickr. I like the whole curvy effect! What do you do in processing to get that deep textured/ contrasty feel; I can’t even explain what I mean! I’m hoping you know what I mean from that obscure question!!! But yay, a crit point, it looks a little squiffy at the bottom, maybe a little straighten, rotate needed!

Feet, ah, may not be pebbles, but feet still get in there!!!Nice contrast, how did you do this?

Ending, somebody pass me a crowbar, or possible a shoehorn!!! Great contrast and I particularly like the reflections on the spoon.

I agree with DK about the knife being too low, but I prefer the original composition, it’s a military thing (more army I think) as we always go away with our own KFS set packed!!! The military (and probably your lot) love a TLA!

 

[blakester]

Hi Iain,

Sense, the cathedral shot looks amazing on Flickr. I like the whole curvy effect! What do you do in processing to get that deep textured/ contrasty feel; I can’t even explain what I mean! I’m hoping you know what I mean from that obscure question!!! But yay, a crit point, it looks a little squiffy at the bottom, maybe a little straighten, rotate needed!

Feet, ah, may not be pebbles, but feet still get in there!!!Nice contrast, how did you do this?

Ending, somebody pass me a crowbar, or possible a shoehorn!!! Great contrast and I particularly like the reflections on the spoon.

I agree with DK about the knife being too low, but I prefer the original composition, it’s a military thing (more army I think) as we always go away with our own KFS set packed!!! The military (and probably your lot) love a TLA!

Hi Marsha,
The deep textured/contrasty feel that you mention is from the HDR I expect. The HDR was put together in photoshop which handles the effect differently to photomatix which I used previously.
I then took it back into lightroom and mucked about (technical term ) with the sliders.
Yes it is a little skewed, once I had put the images together in photoshop photo merge, I had to use the transform tool to adjust the image. There are parts of it that need a little tweaking with.

Feet, yes they managed to sneak in didn't they?
I created this by applying ink to the side of my hand and fingertips to create the feet on a white sheet of paper. Took the image into photoshop and inverted it, converted to B&W and again took it back into lightroom for some more mucking about with sliders

Crowbar? Shoehorn? How very dare you? Judi says its on theme and I agree

I went with the original composition in ending because of the KFS thing, I just never tried the knife upside down to bring its tip level with the fork prongs. Compositionally, Deans suggestion is bang on, but I can see from an OCD point of view how it could be viewed as being wrong

 

[blondie606]

Hi Iain

think I prefer the edit of Ending...sits better with my OCD super slim DOF , mono suits to a tee & I like the fretwork base However..... I do find the reflection in the spoon of the said fretwork base a trifle distracting.....

 

[blakester]

Hi Iain

think I prefer the edit of Ending...sits better with my OCD super slim DOF , mono suits to a tee & I like the fretwork base However..... I do find the reflection in the spoon of the said fretwork base a trifle distracting.....

Thanks Lynne
I too prefer the edit due to the composition.
I am not sure how to answer your liking the fretwork but not its reflection

 

[Pinkbikerbabe]

I like your second edit for Ending, and for me it fits the theme with the focus being at the end of the cutlery. Very well composed and processed and great use of depth of field.

 

[blakester]

I like your second edit for Ending, and for me it fits the theme with the focus being at the end of the cutlery. Very well composed and processed and great use of depth of field.

Thanks Mandy
You're my favourite too for saying its on theme

 

[cowboy]

I prefer the edited one myself.

It has an almost surgical feel to it

 

[superpippo]

Hi Iain
All influences aside, I genuinely think that the concept of the ends of these common cutlery bits fits the theme. Well laid out in the edited version and a lovely silvery b&w feel. edit not quite symmetrical and I think that I would like a bit more dof on the cutlery. But super shot nonetheless - and full marks for spending a whole £10 on a prop - I hope that you can get further use from it

 

[blakester]

I prefer the edited one myself.

It has an almost surgical feel to it

Thanks Mark
I see what you mean about the surgical feel, cheers

Hi Iain
All influences aside, I genuinely think that the concept of the ends of these common cutlery bits fits the theme. Well laid out in the edited version and a lovely silvery b&w feel. edit not quite symmetrical and I think that I would like a bit more dof on the cutlery. But super shot nonetheless - and full marks for spending a whole £10 on a prop - I hope that you can get further use from it

Thanks again Alan
There were quite a few influences going on to achieve perfect symmetry, the pattern in the material, the difference in width of the cutlery and so on but I see what you mean.
It is something which is easily revisited though, maybe a different lens as the dog on my 105 macro lens is scary shallow.
Hopefully I will get more use out of it, I think it could be used as a gobo too, shining light through it would give interesting shadows I think. Just needs a little applied creativity.

 

[Phil-D]

Ending....... yes I think it fits too.....what else are they if not the cutlery ends?

Edited version for me too Iain, them fork tine ends look pin sharp to me

 

[blakester]

Ending....... yes I think it fits too.....what else are they if not the cutlery ends?

Edited version for me too Iain, them fork tine ends look pin sharp to me

Thanks Phil
I am happier with the edited version, the boy @Dark Knight talks a lot of sense (at times ) I thank Dean for the composition suggestion

 

[Allan.H]

Hi Iain, I do like them both and not that much of a crowbar needed
they are both nicely lit etc, just not your usual work
onwards and upwards

 

[blakester]

Hi Iain, I do like them both and not that much of a crowbar needed
they are both nicely lit etc, just not your usual work
onwards and upwards

Cheers Allan
Thanks for the vote on theme

 

[blakester]

Week 9 - Positive
My thinking was positive space, the result of which is below
C&C welcome as always.


Week 9 - Positive by iain blake, on Flickr

 

[Phil-D]

Well its colourful and you have some patience Iain took mi a second to realise that its two face profiles ........my missus is sat looking over my shoulder, straight away, she said that it would look better in B&W ........its unusual for me, but I might have to agree with her

 

[blakester]

Well its colourful and you have some patience Iain took mi a second to realise that its two face profiles ........my missus is sat looking over my shoulder, straight away, she said that it would look better in B&W ........its unusual for me, but I might have to agree with her

Cheers Phil (and Mrs Phil )
I will have a look at a B&W conversion, thanks

 

[blakester]

A B&W conversion, I am not sure about this to be honest, I like the vivid colours of the pencils but am open to opinions?


Week 9 - Positive (B&W) by iain blake, on Flickr

 

[beckyboy1]

Nice and colourful. I find it a bit distracting as I want it to be perfectly symmetrical but bottom LHS is pushed in more than the RHS. I'd be interested to see a B&W as well.

 

[beckyboy1]

And as if by magic there it is

I actually like it and find the lack of symmetry at the bottom not so noticeable

 

[blakester]

Nice and colourful. I find it a bit distracting as I want it to be perfectly symmetrical but bottom LHS is pushed in more than the RHS. I'd be interested to see a B&W as well.

Cheers Michael
I will take a little lack of symmetry to be honest, what a faff it was setting out 100 pencils by eye :banghead:
I think the trick to this would be to just set out one side and flip it in photoshop for perfect symmetry but that would be cheating
One must suffer for our art

And as if by magic there it is

I actually like it and find the lack of symmetry at the bottom not so noticeable

I am not so sure about the B&W but as said, I welcome opinions

 

[Phil-D]

A B&W conversion, I am not sure about this to be honest, I like the vivid colours of the pencils but am open to opinions?

Its a toughie.............I like the colour version, but we are in agreement that the B&W version is easier to make out the profiles

 

[blakester]

Its a toughie.............I like the colour version, but we are in agreement that the B&W version is easier to make out the profiles

Cheers Phil,
I am considering revisiting this but not tonight, my heads a shed gaffing with pencils

 

[Dark Knight]

The patience of a saint !!!!

I'm preferring the colour one myself, feels 'Springy' too... at first I thought you had done one side then flipped it, not until I looked at each corresponding tip did I notice they were different, really liking the bright colours

Wondering how it would look with a grey or pastel background rather than the bright white

Not that I'm trying to get you to set them up again

 

[blakester]

The patience of a saint !!!!

I'm preferring the colour one myself, feels 'Springy' too... at first I thought you had done one side then flipped it, not until I looked at each corresponding tip did I notice they were different, really liking the bright colours

Wondering how it would look with a grey or pastel background rather than the bright white

Not that I'm trying to get you to set them up again

Cheers Dean
As I mentioned above, I may well revisit this, i still have the pencils set up with some sellotape holding them in place

 

[Dark Knight]

... i still have the pencils set up with some sellotape holding them in place

Hahaaaaa you fcuker

 

[blakester]

Hahaaaaa you fcuker

Do you blame me?
Do you realise how much of a faff it was setting those rascals up? I wanted to wring every last photo opportunity out of them before I put them back in their boxes

 

[Judi]

Very colourful and sharp, I prefer the colour to the black and white for your patience, surprised that you can see at all after setting that up

 

[blakester]

Very colourful and sharp, I prefer the colour to the black and white for your patience, surprised that you can see at all after setting that up

Thanks Judi
Me being colour blind didn't help either
Mrs blakester had to lets say make a few adjustments on my behalf

 

[posiview]

Colour for me, all the way.

Cracking idea and well thought out. What's that at the top? Looks like it has a hat one .

I might have been tempted to do one side and flip in post

Cheers.

 

[Dark Knight]

Do you blame me?
Do you realise how much of a faff it was setting those rascals up? I wanted to wring every last photo opportunity out of them before I put them back in their boxes

no don't blame you at all... Wish I had thought of that when I tried to do my shot with only a dozen pencils... Was driving me nuts

 

[crazylady]

Hi Iain

Ending - prefer the 2nd edit with the knife in the middle. Like the reflection in the spoon too, really like the metal holey stuff (excuse the techno speak please!) what is it?

Positive - really really like the colour version, although the B&W I guess makes it slightly more obvious its 2 heads. Great work as always and well worth the time spent setting it up

 

[siblingchris]

Loving the colour version - on the white background those colours just leap out at you!
Took me a mo to realise what you'd done with the shaping of them though

 

[Allan.H]

Hi Iain, just for the patience to do that, if I had a hat it would be off now
colour one for me though I would like to see the pencils in a different order
I do have one crit crop the top a little the top 2 or 3 pencils are a little disturbing

the more i look at them though the B+W is quite appealing too

good work as always

 

[Pinkbikerbabe]

The colour for me as well, another creative idea from you I like it very much.

 

[mercurius]

Ending - a classy shot. Great lighting and DoF.

Positive - colour works much much better than the b/w conversion. It's a good idea for the theme too.

 

[blakester]

Colour for me, all the way.

Cracking idea and well thought out. What's that at the top? Looks like it has a hat one .

I might have been tempted to do one side and flip in post

Cheers.

Cheers Andy
All comments taken on board final edit below.

no don't blame you at all... Wish I had thought of that when I tried to do my shot with only a dozen pencils... Was driving me nuts

Cheers Dean
A revisit below.

Hi Iain

Ending - prefer the 2nd edit with the knife in the middle. Like the reflection in the spoon too, really like the metal holey stuff (excuse the techno speak please!) what is it?

Positive - really really like the colour version, although the B&W I guess makes it slightly more obvious its 2 heads. Great work as always and well worth the time spent setting it up

Thanks Hazel
Ending - the base is a sheet of fretwork metal from B&Q.
See edit for positive below which I think shows the heads more clearly.

Loving the colour version - on the white background those colours just leap out at you!
Took me a mo to realise what you'd done with the shaping of them though

Cheers Chris
Hopefully the edit below is a little more obvious.

Hi Iain, just for the patience to do that, if I had a hat it would be off now
colour one for me though I would like to see the pencils in a different order
I do have one crit crop the top a little the top 2 or 3 pencils are a little disturbing

the more i look at them though the B+W is quite appealing too

good work as always

Cheers Allan
Edit below with the disturbing part removed

The colour for me as well, another creative idea from you I like it very much.

Thanks Mandy

Ending - a classy shot. Great lighting and DoF.

Positive - colour works much much better than the b/w conversion. It's a good idea for the theme too.

Cheers Merc
I much prefer the colour one too.

 

[blakester]

Please see edit below, taking on board a lot of comments/observations.
No C&C expected as its an edit, thanks for looking


Face to Face by iain blake, on Flickr