weekly Em's 52 for 2016 - Celebration added

[Emja]

Right I'd better post this before I change my mind...I've already spent enough of my Sunday morning messing about with it!
The original plan was to have William in his full Nasa outfit (a present from my cousin after a trip to the Kennedy Space Center) and do a head and shoulders shot, but I realised that to cut out unwanted reflections I'd have to have the room very dark and he'd never be able to stay still enough. I would have loved to have some rim lighting, but this just shone through the white plastic at the back of the helmet and showed up through the visor and I had to keep it very dark as there were so many scratches on the plastic - it's very well used
But still - no photoshoppery just a lot of faffing with backdrops and a torch...!

 

[brrnd]

Works well with the grumpy looking alien reflecting in the glass (plastic...) of the helmet. Although I'm not so sure about the light to the right of the alien.

 

[Emja]

Works well with the grumpy looking alien reflecting in the glass (plastic...) of the helmet. Although I'm not so sure about the light to the right of the alien.

Cheers Bernd - it was the torch I was using to light the face bouncing off the backdrop to the right - I quite liked the blue tones of it, but it probably is a bit distracting.

 

[sirch]

Well done considering no photoshoppery, it's a shame the rim light didn't work as that would have made the helmet stand out a bit more clearly but the reflection of the alien is very good

 

[Allan.H]

Looks fine to me you have done well with the little light you had, nice set up pic too

 

[Hertsman]

Thats great, and plus extra points for showing how you did it as well.

 

[susiejb]

Well done Emma, having spent the last hour or so with a globe and a stupid little Alien free from Lild, I know how the time can drift by, I've given up for now it's definitely back to the drawing board.
I think your alien looks great, that's an excellent idea to have him reflected into the helmet, I rather like the blue light, it adds to the spacey feel.

 

[Cobra]

LOL very good Emma, well thought out and executed

 

[Emja]

Well done considering no photoshoppery, it's a shame the rim light didn't work as that would have made the helmet stand out a bit more clearly but the reflection of the alien is very good

Thanks Chris...I'm sure it could be improved with some photoshoppery but that's a learning curve I keep putting off!

Looks fine to me you have done well with the little light you had, nice set up pic too

Thanks Allan

Thats great, and plus extra points for showing how you did it as well.

Thank you Mark - now my daughter's headed off to uni I suppose at least I have a little space for this sort of messing about without driving the rest of the family mad!

Well done Emma, having spent the last hour or so with a globe and a stupid little Alien free from Lild, I know how the time can drift by, I've given up for now it's definitely back to the drawing board.
I think your alien looks great, that's an excellent idea to have him reflected into the helmet, I rather like the blue light, it adds to the spacey feel.

I feel your pain Susie - I started yesterday with a Lego astronaut and a tiny alien from William's collection, but the shots looked truly terrible!

 

[Emja]

LOL very good Emma, well thought out and executed

Thanks Chris - not quite how I imagined it, but hey

 

[rpn]

Nice idea and you deserve a round of for all the effects you put into and thoughts behind it. I thought it's some sort of food processor bowl with image of ET superimposed.

 

[Emja]

Nice idea and you deserve a round of for all the effects you put into and thoughts behind it. I thought it's some sort of food processor bowl with image of ET superimposed.

Oops...I should definitely get to grips with photoshop
The helmet definitely looks better in this one - Will and his cousin trying out their suits together at my auntie's a couple of years ago.

 

[Emja]

Though actually @rpn the picture is one of the original puppet for ET, which was initially going to be a horror film. I can't see this one riding his bike across the moonrise...
http://www.15minutenews.com/article...nd-here-are-the-original-designs-to-prove-it/

 

[DowntonMini]

I like your Alien Emma love the reflection of the slightly deformed Alien in the visor of the helmet.

 

[Carl Ayling]

I like the lighting as is Emma - that dark silhouette of the helmet works well. Excellent thinking behind the shot and ... without any shoppery, excellent.

 

[LC2]

I think it's all been already said, but for the effort involved and getting the effect you were after without PS.

 

[posiview]

The second one for me, a great fun photograph.

Cheers.

 

[d00d]

Liking the underneath pier in sepia.

 

[Emja]

I like your Alien Emma love the reflection of the slightly deformed Alien in the visor of the helmet.

I like the lighting as is Emma - that dark silhouette of the helmet works well. Excellent thinking behind the shot and ... without any shoppery, excellent.

I think it's all been already said, but for the effort involved and getting the effect you were after without PS.

The second one for me, a great fun photograph.

Cheers.

Liking the underneath pier in sepia.

Thanks all - your comments are much appreciated!

 

[Emja]

So with high winds making my original outdoor plan a bit difficult I tried to get to grips with oil and water in the kitchen...just as tricky I reckon!
I wasn't totally pleased with any of the finished results - the oil kept blending too quickly, my torch kept running out of charge and I managed to smash a pane of glass
Keeping the container out of the image was also hard as the bubbles kept moving around the glass bowl I had them in, but it was fascinating to see the difference in effects from the same materials and lighting.
The first few had autumn leaves as the background and the last couple brightly coloured paper - I liked the flower shapes the bubbles took on in these, but marks on the glass that I didn't spot until later led to some very patchy pp...! I found it really hard to compose these abstract shots too, so it would be great to hear thoughts on which ones might have been the more successful.

 

[Carl Ayling]

Good on you for experimenting Emma and lovely positive results going by these. All good. I'm split between the main image and the bottom right with it's very vibrant colours and masses of bubbles.

 

[viv1969]

I really like them Em.
Love the colours of the autumn leaves, and the refraction.
I've never got a decent result trying this.

 

[Emja]

Good on you for experimenting Emma and lovely positive results going by these. All good. I'm split between the main image and the bottom right with it's very vibrant colours and masses of bubbles.

Thanks Carl - I think they're the ones I'm happiest with too

 

[Emja]

I really like them Em.
Love the colours of the autumn leaves, and the refraction.
I've never got a decent result trying this.

Thanks Ruth - it was certainly harder than I thought!

 

[susiejb]

This was my original thought Emma, but with grandsons four and six staying I decided maybe not a good idea. I love oil and water, so many fascinating patterns and shapes, what great idea to use the leaves, the first one is definitely my my favourite.
It does show up all the marks in the glass doesn't it, quite a few of my last try had Pyrex stamped on them

 

[Allan.H]

You have caught some interesting patterns I like the last 2 very psychedelic, I have only tried it once found it difficult and frustrating for the same reasons of movement and as Susie said Pyrex

 

[DowntonMini]

Some brilliant images there Emma, very creative indeed. I don't think I could pick a favourite as the are all as good as each other.

 

[brrnd]

Great idea and very well executed. My favourite is your main image with the reflections of the leaves in the bubbles.

 

[Cobra]

Great colours Emma, and great patterns too!
Although the last 2 are reminiscent of patterns in stained glass, and very effective, the first one is my favourite.

 

[Emja]

This was my original thought Emma, but with grandsons four and six staying I decided maybe not a good idea. I love oil and water, so many fascinating patterns and shapes, what great idea to use the leaves, the first one is definitely my my favourite.
It does show up all the marks in the glass doesn't it, quite a few of my last try had Pyrex stamped on them

I think you made the right decision - I made enough mess all on my own I did manage to get hold of a glass bowl without the Pyrex stamp, but didn't polish it completely clean after washing and ended up with annoying streaks. My first attempts were with an older bowl which had an amazing amount of scratches and knocks under the macro lens - I'd never noticed!

You have caught some interesting patterns I like the last 2 very psychedelic, I have only tried it once found it difficult and frustrating for the same reasons of movement and as Susie said Pyrex

Thanks Allan - the results were interesting but I don't think I'll be rushing to repeat the experiment - a bit messy and fiddly

Some brilliant images there Emma, very creative indeed. I don't think I could pick a favourite as the are all as good as each other.

Thanks Mark

Great idea and very well executed. My favourite is your main image with the reflections of the leaves in the bubbles.

Thanks Bernd - that was my original idea, I'm just annoyed I got the edge of the bowl in the drops too.

Great colours Emma, and great patterns too!
Although the last 2 are reminiscent of patterns in stained glass, and very effective, the first one is my favourite.

Thanks Chris

 

[sirch]

For me the picks are the last one which has a kind of fractal look to it and the one above it which has nice colours from the leaves. Well done for trying it and it doesn't get more liquid than that I think

 

[Dark Knight]

Wow Emma, they are wonderful colours, very vivid and a good use of the poor weather, the bottom pair look very 'flowery' and that top/first one is great, very metallic even !!! nice set

 

[d00d]

wow most definitely ... you show true dedication to the art and technicalities of this photography lark. I really like the depth of #3.

 

[rpn]

Love all of them and a big round of for your persistent and determination.

 

[posiview]

Hi, #1 really works well. The leaves really had nice detail and really do pop.

Cheers.

 

[Emja]

For me the picks are the last one which has a kind of fractal look to it and the one above it which has nice colours from the leaves. Well done for trying it and it doesn't get more liquid than that I think

Thanks Chris - I appreciate your thoughts...there was vertainly a good amount of liquid on the kitchen floor by the time I'd finished

Wow Emma, they are wonderful colours, very vivid and a good use of the poor weather, the bottom pair look very 'flowery' and that top/first one is great, very metallic even !!! nice set

Thanks Dean - it was interesting to see the thick dark edge around the oil in the first which didn't appear in the others - not sure why but it made it very 3d.

wow most definitely ... you show true dedication to the art and technicalities of this photography lark. I really like the depth of #3.

Lol - it might make up for some of the shoehorns

Love all of them and a big round of for your persistent and determination.

Thanks Stan

Hi, #1 really works well. The leaves really had nice detail and really do pop.

Cheers.

Thanks Andy - I was pleased with the leaves, just a pity the bowl got in there too.

 

[Dark Knight]

...

Thanks Dean - it was interesting to see the thick dark edge around the oil in the first which didn't appear in the others - not sure why but it made it very 3d.


....

Exactly... chemistry hey is weird !!!

 

[Hertsman]

Good work Emma, I love the first one for the leaves within. Dedication wins though by the looks of it.

 

[Emja]

Good work Emma, I love the first one for the leaves within. Dedication wins though by the looks of it.

Thanks Mark

 

[Emja]

Some of the amazing fungi I found out on walks this weekend. The group shot definitely remind me of our family...us two older ones definitely looking a little more weathered than the youngsters!