weekly blakester's 52 for 2012, Week 52 "Busy (Beach Party)" Post 1215 FINISHED

Dark Knight said:
Damn.... I take my hat off to you mate, that is wonderful, great imagination :clap:
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Wow Dean, that is praise indeed :)
Thanks for your kind comments, they are much appreciated.
They make it worthwhile me lurking around that graveyard this evening :lol:
 
Hi Iain, you've done a great job with Age. Prefer the edit as the original looked a bit heavy. Sure is an ugly building, only saving grace is large underground carpark with free parking for motorcycles.
Spread - sheer brilliance. Would make a good tutorial on light-painting
 
blakester said:
Cheers Dean :thumbs:
If there is a Xmas meet, I will certainly show you where it is, no worries.
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Christmas meet? All the twinkly lights in London:thumbs:

fazer said:
sheer brilliance. Would make a good tutorial on light-painting
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Yes, we need to know details! This shot is superb :clap:
 
brilliant idea and well executed - this is so hard to get right too

only crit I have is that the gravestone is slanted - I know the horizon is ok, but I wonder if the image would look better with a very slight rotation?
 
Bilko said:
Fantastic, iain, great shot.
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Thanks Robert :thumbs:

fazer said:
Hi Iain, you've done a great job with Age. Prefer the edit as the original looked a bit heavy. Sure is an ugly building, only saving grace is large underground carpark with free parking for motorcycles.
Spread - sheer brilliance. Would make a good tutorial on light-painting
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Thanks John, you're right, that building surrounding the statue is a s ugly as sin, I believe it is an old BT building?
Tutorial? I will post a few details below.

The goblin said:
Christmas meet? All the twinkly lights in London:thumbs:



Yes, we need to know details! This shot is superb :clap:
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Yes Marsha, there is usually a Xmas meet arranged. We went to Hyde Park Xmas fair last year but it was absolutely packed and not really photography friendly, too busy.
I will post a "How I did Spread" below.

sturisoma said:
brilliant idea and well executed - this is so hard to get right too

only crit I have is that the gravestone is slanted - I know the horizon is ok, but I wonder if the image would look better with a very slight rotation?
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Thanks Summer, yes you are quite right, the gravestone is "on the huh" as they say around these parts :lol:
It is a very old headstone and it has subsided over the years, I did try various angles to correct it and plumped for this one. It was either headstone or horizon being straight and it didn't look quite right the headstone being straight :lol:
 
As a few have asked for a tutorial on how I managed to capture my image for "Spread", I have posted below. Not a tutorial as such because I am far from an authority on this, more of a how I did it than a definitive tutorial.


43 - Spread by iain blake, on Flickr

Equipment:
Camera
Cable release
Tripod
Light source: I used a set of battery operated led fairy lights which were bunched and taped together that I made up for doing light orbs before:


Close Encounter by iain blake, on Flickr

A torch or other small light source is fine also.

I set the camera up on the tripod with the cable release attached.
I set the camera to manual, with manual focus too.
I focussed on the headstone using a torch to illuminate it to assist as there was very little ambient light in the graveyard.

Settings wise: Low iso (200)
Aperture 2.8 to let in as much ambient light as possible.
Shutter speed to bulb.

At first I tried to set the shutter speed to 30 sec but it wasn't letting in enough ambient, hence bulb.

I then activated the cable release and locked it open.

Wearing dark clothes and gloves to minimise any chance I would be in the frame, I moved behind the headstone and switched on my light source.

Try to move the light source smoothly and keep it moving so as not to get "hotspots" on your light painting.

This took quite a few goes to get a composition I was happy with.

This is probably only about the third time I have done light painting, and as such, as I said, I am no authority on it. This is how I did it and it worked for me.
Funnily enough, the first time I tried it was for my 52 in 2010, this was for the weekly theme of "Light" my take was light as a feather ;)


35 Light by iain blake, on Flickr

It was very much trial and error for me but it is quite fun to do. I hope this is of some benefit to others. Iain
 
Superb shot for spread :clap: can't offer any crit, I really like that shot from 2010 light as a feather looks really simple but I bet it isn't. excellent :clap:
 
alsjazzera said:
Superb shot for spread :clap: can't offer any crit, I really like that shot from 2010 light as a feather looks really simple but I bet it isn't. excellent :clap:
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Thanks Allan :thumbs:
Light as a feather is quite simple, honestly.
I don't do enough light painting, I enjoy the results and it lets you get quite creative, you should give it a go. Iain
 
Once again, Iain, you've produced the goods.

Great ambient lighting to compliment the added lighting. The detail when viewed in Flickr, with black BG, is great. I had a similar idea but Isabelle would not stand still long enough. I feel, in all honestly, you're trumps anything I would have produced, mainly, but not solely due to the grave stone.

What's on the floor lower right if the grave stone?

cheers.
 
Iain,

Spread - Very cool idea. Sounds a bit complicated to me, but I do like the outcome. The most original take I've seen on this theme.

Oh, and I think the Light entry for the 2010 challenge is great!
 
michael23 said:
What a cracking picture Iain, a super bit of light painting that. Excellent work, well done!
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Thanks Michael, I enjoyed creating it. I should light paint more often.

posiview said:
Once again, Iain, you've produced the goods.

Great ambient lighting to compliment the added lighting. The detail when viewed in Flickr, with black BG, is great. I had a similar idea but Isabelle would not stand still long enough. I feel, in all honestly, you're trumps anything I would have produced, mainly, but not solely due to the grave stone.

What's on the floor lower right if the grave stone?

cheers.
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Thanks Andy, I would have preferred a statue, figure or person but as they were in short supply, the headstone had to do. On the floor lower right of the stone is the remnants of stone which marked out the edge of the grave itself. Over the years, it has sunk into the ground but you can just make out the outline of it.

Nathalie said:
Iain,

Spread - Very cool idea. Sounds a bit complicated to me, but I do like the outcome. The most original take I've seen on this theme.

Oh, and I think the Light entry for the 2010 challenge is great!
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Thanks Nathalie, it is not as complicated as I have probably made it sound, its really not.

Dark Knight said:
Funnily enough.... London Christmas Meet thread :)

Sign up SIGN UP :geek:
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Yes I saw that Dean, I will leave it until nearer the time to commit, lastminutedotcom and all that, you know ;)
 
Delta Skies said:
Superb light painting Iain. I would have expected this to have been three shots - the gravestone, left wing and right wing - so a big thumbs up from me.
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Thanks Peter, I wouldn't even know where to start to blend three separate exposures :lol:

Dark Knight said:
Ahhhh you'll be there, you know it !!!!

No Winter Wonderland visit this year :lol:
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We'll see, it is some time in advance so its a difficult one to call whether or not I'll be there.

superpippo said:
Hi Iain

Age - like the new edit - much better

Spread - superb, stunning, very original idea and well executed.
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Thanks Alan, much appreciated :thumbs:
 
you just keep getting better :thumbs: Can't offer any crit as I'd not have a clue how to create something like this ( even after reading your tutorial) so just a mahoooosive :thumbs: from me & a :clap::clap:

baffles me how you managed to get even light density on both wings & the halo :thinking:
 
blondie606 said:
you just keep getting better :thumbs: Can't offer any crit as I'd not have a clue how to create something like this ( even after reading your tutorial) so just a mahoooosive :thumbs: from me & a :clap::clap:

baffles me how you managed to get even light density on both wings & the halo :thinking:
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Thanks Lynne, much appreciated your kind comments.
It really isn't that difficult, maybe I jus made it seem so with my explanation sorry.
The even light density I guess is down to the led lights being bunched together, they emit light from the side too. Unlike a torch which is more directional. I would recommend if you are doing this to remove the top of your torch so that the bulb is bare and emits more multidirectional light.
 
Iain, it may only be the third go, but you've done a great job at it. Nicely spread out too. I've some ideas I found to try out... when I can find the time and the needed bits.
 
jgs001 said:
Iain, it may only be the third go, but you've done a great job at it. Nicely spread out too. I've some ideas I found to try out... when I can find the time and the needed bits.
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Thanks John, curious to know your ideas, I will look forward to seeing them. I really should do more lightpainting it is an enjoyable technique.
 
Onto Week 44, I have re-used a couple of the figures I made for magical, and also made a bike for them. This is a bicycle made for two. Together on a tandem. C&C welcome as always.


44 -Together by iain blake, on Flickr
 
OMG that's AWESOME! How did you get it to stand up? Your attention to detail is amazing, I love how their hair looks like it blowing back!

My only really tiny crit (and it's minuscule) is some of the spokes have caught the light a bit and look a bit lost against the white BG, particularly on the front wheel. But it's still a superb shot :clap: :clap: :clap:
 
michael23 said:
A great shot that Iain, I like the subtle shadow, only thing I am being drawn to is a bit of grey creeping in to the bg, but that's being really picky.
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Thanks Michael, I edited the background as much as I could. It is a compromise but I am going to live with it.
 
The goblin said:
OMG that's AWESOME! How did you get it to stand up? Your attention to detail is amazing, I love how their hair looks like it blowing back!

My only really tiny crit (and it's minuscule) is some of the spokes have caught the light a bit and look a bit lost against the white BG, particularly on the front wheel. But it's still a superb shot :clap: :clap: :clap:
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Thanks Marsha, I stood it up by suspending it from a thin wire then cloning it out. Yes there are some flaws with it but as mentioned to Michael above, I am looking at it as a compromise. My laptop is playing up and it took me most of the evening to get it up and running, editing my photo and posting it before the laptop crashed again. Hence why I am posting this from my phone.
 
nice prop building, your pic really shows up the detail nicely lit and exposed
 
Nice, very nice.

Liking the composition, the contrast...there's a real metallic feel to it. I'd agree, being picky, a bit more black in the shadow, maybe.

For me, thought, it's the hair. Love the flowingness of it :)

Cheers.
 
alsjazzera said:
nice prop building, your pic really shows up the detail nicely lit and exposed
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Thanks Allan, I do enjoy a little craft and prop building, its quite satisfying to create something from scratch.

Dark Knight said:
Very creative indeed :clap:

A bit more shadow would be nice, as I think it would add a bit more depth to the frame, but as Michael says... that's a bit picky, but you need picking up on something ;)
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Cheers Dean, I agree about the shadow but there were some compromises to be made.

Delta Skies said:
Great shot. It almost has a sketch feel to it which I like. I'm with Michael and like the subtleness of the shadows blending into the white background.
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Thanks Peter, I was tempted to make it sketch like but decided not to :lol:
 
Hi Iain, it's lovely to see your wire models being reused! I like the subtle shadow. White backgrounds are a nightmare to edit, I have gone loopy trying to sort them out!!:lol:
 
Lovely shot Iain, reminds me of using my dad's pipe cleaners to create these types of shapes. As others, I would liked to have seen the shadows deeper to add depth or not at all, as you say though, a compromise. Can't take away the fact it's a brilliant idea.
 
Spread is a wonderful shot! Very original. Got to be my favourite for week 43!!

Together - another cracker! I also thought it looked like a pencil drawing! Brilliant work.
 
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