weekly Don's 52 for 2022 - Catchup

Don153 · 20 Feb 2022

SimonH said:
Looks like a great place to visit.
Certainly looks heavy….

It is indeed a lovely place. On a clear day there would be wonderful views out over Portsmouth Harbour from several parking spots along the road.

seaodyssey said:
They spent a lot of time making that canon, with all the figures on it. I find the photo chosen to be bit dark, but I guess it would be below decks.

There were a few canons with very ornate workmanship. This one was quite gory, but some were clearly meant to be objects of beauty. I found it a bit odd that e would try to make a work of art out of a working killing machine.

The photo is a bit dark, although I've never used a flash like that before, so I am quite pleased with it.

Darkslinger · 21 Feb 2022

Great stuff Donal, I think that I like #2 the best. The high contrast of the mouth of the canon against the low contrast background is really dramatic.

HelenC · 23 Feb 2022

It looks really interesting from your varied shots. I think you chose the right image for the theme.

Bebop · 25 Feb 2022

I don't know which I'd have chosen but they are all on theme and what an amazing cannon! Thanks for a heads up on visiting there - not too far from me!

Don153 · 25 Feb 2022

Darkslinger said:
Great stuff Donal, I think that I like #2 the best. The high contrast of the mouth of the canon against the low contrast background is really dramatic.

Thanks. I was quite pleased with all of them.

HelenC said:
It looks really interesting from your varied shots. I think you chose the right image for the theme.

Thank you.

Bebop said:
I don't know which I'd have chosen but they are all on theme and what an amazing cannon! Thanks for a heads up on visiting there - not too far from me!

You could probably get some great shots over the harbour from the car park that is about a mile East of Fort Nelson. Unfortunately, there was almost zero visibility last weekend - so we will have to return.

Don153 · 3 Mar 2022

Candlelight. I've used three different exposures and masked the images in Affinity to make this. The flame was 1/200s. Most of the candle was 1/5 and the rest was 1/2s. I've just noticed that I also took a 2s exposure, but I forgot to blend that one in!!!

Darkslinger · 3 Mar 2022

That's a beautiful Zen shot Donal. The colour of the candle complements the bronze of the statuette.

Boots · 3 Mar 2022

A very nice result, and a well handled bit of technique.

-Oy- · 3 Mar 2022

That's really nice! I think a bit more space at the bottom?

Cloudforest · 3 Mar 2022

Lovely idea and execution.

Don153 · 3 Mar 2022

-Oy- said:
That's really nice! I think a bit more space at the bottom?

Thanks, and I agree. I thought it didn't look quite right when cropped it last night. Here it is with less cropped:-

-Oy- · 3 Mar 2022

Nailed it! :banana:

Bebop · 4 Mar 2022

That works really well. Just the right exposure for each piece.

SimonH · 4 Mar 2022

That's a good shot, works really nicely

Don153 · 9 Mar 2022

Week 9 - Damp.

I thought that this week's challenge sounded easy! For some odd reason I really struggled. I've tried all sorts - and taken some really rubbish photos. Still, it is all part of learning.
With the deadline rapidly approaching, I resorted to Chambers Dictionary where the first word in the definition for Damp is "vapour".

Iwent out to the car to get my tripod for a steaming kettle photo when I noticed the Moon was surrounded by vapour. So here it is-

This a composite of two exposures taken with the EM1 at 400mm handheld.

Bebop · 11 Mar 2022

Fascinating and ticks the box nicely.

I had come here thinking that you had shot it through the window. I think you need to add which week it is for, both here and in the main thread.

Actually perhaps you did shoot it through the window and it is two weeks in one ha ha!! I see of course that you posted it on Wednesday, before the latest theme was announced - I am just late here.

Don153 · 11 Mar 2022

Bebop said:
Fascinating and ticks the box nicely.

I had come here thinking that you had shot it through the window. I think you need to add which week it is for, both here and in the main thread.

Actually perhaps you did shoot it through the window and it is two weeks in one ha ha!! I see of course that you posted it on Wednesday, before the latest theme was announced - I am just late here.

Very good point!

Perhaps I should have claimed that I shot it through the window. It was taken in a bit of a rush after my other efforts came to nothing.

By pure coincidence, I was taking photos through the kitchen window yesterday before I read about this week's challenge. (Just put a bird feeder up).

These 2 are already available for "Through the Window" if I cannot think of anything more "artistic".

Bebop · 11 Mar 2022

The detail in that pigeon shot is fab. I think we'll all be cleaning our windows this week ha ha!

Darkslinger · 12 Mar 2022

Your moon shot is a good take on the Damp theme Donal. Really love your pigeon shot.

seaodyssey · 12 Mar 2022

To be honest I don't think the moon has any vapour around it, but it does look like it has in your Image.

The Pigeon & Squirrel shots are very clean and detailed. I think my window shots will be a lot grubbier.

ShinySideUp · 12 Mar 2022

That's an angry-looking pigeon!

Don153 · 16 Mar 2022

1)
I spotted a recently fallen tree today. Unfortunately, the weather was awful, but I do like the stone bridge in the background. Taken through the car window.

2)
I visited a local pub yesterday. It is a lovely pub, and I am sure that wonderful photos are just waiting to be taken.

However, I think that I will have to go with the Pigeon.

Darkslinger · 17 Mar 2022

I wouldn't turn my back on that pigeon, he looks like he's ready to go a couple of rounds

SimonH · 20 Mar 2022

Great shot of the pigeon. There's a huge amount of colour in them when the light's right and you look closely.

Don153 · 22 Mar 2022

SimonH said:
Great shot of the pigeon. There's a huge amount of colour in them when the light's right and you look closely.

Thank you. I usually find pigeons very difficult. They always seem to look like a plastic toy.

Don153 · 22 Mar 2022

This week's efforts. I keep forgetting that close ups of shiny surfaces will show up even the tiniest amount of dust.
First, an old technology analog clock:-

Second, a bunch of Hi-tech 10 Gigabit fibre optic drivers (SFPs).

I like the look of the clock, so I will go with that one.

Bebop · 22 Mar 2022

You'd see a lot more dust in my house

Both work for the theme. I've no idea what an SFP is. Are these all connected or is it a packet of new ones?

Is the clock in a mounting? Is it in a car? I seem to be full of questions tonight ha ha! Well done on photographing such a reflective subject.

Don153 · 22 Mar 2022

Bebop said:
You'd see a lot more dust in my house Both work for the theme. I've no idea what an SFP is. Are these all connected or is it a packet of new ones?

Is the clock in a mounting? Is it in a car? I seem to be full of questions tonight ha ha! Well done on photographing such a reflective subject.

An SFP has a laser transmitter and receiver in it. It connects communications kit to a fibreoptic cable and transmits data at very high speeds. They are about 5 cm long and 1cm across. If a bit of equipment needs to connect to fibre cable, then an SFP is usually used. (I'm afraid that I'm not very good at explaining things.) It is a packet of new ones.

The clock is in a car. It was a pain to photograph without all sorts of reflections. I didn't even try using a flash and there wasn't much light. I had to get a tripod with the legs at three completely different angles, and a horizontal bar to hold the camera. I set it up to do in-camera focus stacking with the individual exposures 1/5s, F4, ISO1600.
It sounds like a lot of effort, but it is a great way to learn about photography. I must admit that when I thought about photographing the clock, I had assumed that I would simply take a single handheld exposure...

Darkslinger · 23 Mar 2022

Both very nice shots Donal. Sounds like you need the IBIS of the Olympus system for you Aston Martin shot

wornish · 23 Mar 2022

Two very nice images.

Peter123 · 23 Mar 2022

Both good images.
FWIW I would have chosen the second but both are tech.

Don153 · 23 Mar 2022

Darkslinger said:
Both very nice shots Donal. Sounds like you need the IBIS of the Olympus system for you Aston Martin shot

Thanks Bill.
I had assumed that the IBIS would do the trick... when I looked at the first attempt, I realised that I needed to do some focus stacking - and I don't think that the IBIS would have coped with that. The combination of long exposures and holding the camera still would have been too much. That's why the tripod had to be manhandled into the confined space.
It's all good learning experience.

SimonH · 23 Mar 2022

Both nice shots Donal. Second one for me, and thanks for the explanations

Boots · 23 Mar 2022

I like your chosen shot, and I think it works well for the theme.

Darkslinger · 23 Mar 2022

Don153 said:
Thanks Bill.
I had assumed that the IBIS would do the trick... when I looked at the first attempt, I realised that I needed to do some focus stacking - and I don't think that the IBIS would have coped with that. The combination of long exposures and holding the camera still would have been too much. That's why the tripod had to be manhandled into the confined space.
It's all good learning experience.

Now I feel a little silly, I didn't see that you're already using the Oly...

I do use the focus stacking in low light hand held while in the woods shooting mushrooms and such, down to a 1/10 sec or so. How long was your shutter speed for the AM shot?

Don153 · 23 Mar 2022

Darkslinger said:
Now I feel a little silly, I didn't see that you're already using the Oly...

I do use the focus stacking in low light hand held while in the woods shooting mushrooms and such, down to a 1/10 sec or so. How long was your shutter speed for the AM shot?

No need to feel silly at all. I read your comment as saying that the IBIS could have done the job.

I'll have to try the handheld focus stacking when I get an opportunity. I think that the shot above was 1/5s. I was trying various exposures and different apertures. I was also having to position my arm above the clock to stop the awful reflections that were coming from above. Half of the bevel was getting completely overexposed with the rest in almost total darkness.

rpn · 23 Mar 2022

I agree with your chosen shot. You've done an excellent done shooting item with a glass surface. Very tricky to avoid any sort of reflections. Sometimes polarising filter does help.

HelenC · 24 Mar 2022

Two good shots and bang on theme.

Don153 · 30 Mar 2022

rpn said:
I agree with your chosen shot. You've done an excellent done shooting item with a glass surface. Very tricky to avoid any sort of reflections. Sometimes polarising filter does help.

Thank you.
I'm not sure that I would have bothered with the shot if I had known how bad the reflections would be. It was a great learning experience.
A polarising filter is definitely on my watch list at the moment.

Don153 · 31 Mar 2022

Late again...

1) Cigarette butt

2) Crisp bag(??) in Swan's nest along with two eggs.

3) Rubbish bin and doggie bin at local fishing pond

4) Just 100 yards away from the bins...

I have to go with 1) I think. It just looks like the "nicest" image to me.
I wish that I could have managed a decent shot of the swan's nest. I suspect that there should be a good photo there somewhere, but I was only able to point the cameraat it from two positions, and I wasn't really able to make good use of either of them.
4) is a bit more of a statement than a nice image, and I'm not really comfortable with it.
Comments and criticism are very welcome.