Fifty Two.. - Project catch up! 3 new weeks done..

This is an incredibly difficult shot to pull off - well done :clap::clap::clap:

I think you've judged the coins falling into the jar very well - if they'd been too sharp there wouldn't have been the sense of movement. I like the coins round the bottom of the jar, too. The very small criticism I have is the reflection in the bottom of the jar, but it doesn't dectract from a cracking good shot! :)

Jean
 
Thanks everyone! :)

Jean: I couldn't work out how to get rid of that reflection at the bottom of the jar.. It's where the glass curved in - any ideas? And thanks! :)
 
jamlid said:
Thanks everyone! :)

Jean: I couldn't work out how to get rid of that reflection at the bottom of the jar.. It's where the glass curved in - any ideas? And thanks! :)
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I usually use black reflectors/polyboards/black card (whatever's to hand, really). But if it's the table top which is being reflected it's difficult, unless you want to stand the jar on black.

I think if you move the jar to the edge of the table, that would then help with the heavy reflection on the right,then use a black reflector to get rid of any other reflections the jar threw at you. You'd probably still have the lighter reflections around the bottom of the jar, though. Not an easy one, tbh, and I can (and have :() spend hours chasing first one reflection then another! :bang:

Sorry I haven't got a magic, instant solution. :)

Jean
 
jgs001 said:
I agree, very nice and clean, simple, clear image
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I think that says it all and its so crisp it crackles :)

Good shot and meets the theme nicely!

Love the flow of the coins and the £1 that we see just not making it :)
 
Thanks very much John! :) And that pound coin accidentally landed in my pocket.. :p

Jean: good idea! I hadn't thought of just putting it at the front edge of the table! I'll remember that for future :)
 
Week 9 - "Identity"



Well here's my photo for this week, albeit two days late! Had a very busy week.. but very good! This photo is of my dog Sadie's collar. She unfortunately passed just before Christmas. My initial plan was to do fingerprints.. But before I took them, I checked on here and everyone did that! New plan, dogtag! :)

Things I learned:
External flashes aren't always the best
Two light sources makes a massive difference to photos
Trying a bunch of different lighting positions is as good as changing the composition (at times!)
My garage isn't the best place for taking pictures
Using the individual focus points on the camera can be handy

:)


EDIT: Also, over the next few weeks I'm going to re-shoot my first two weeks so they match the themes. I joined in with the 52 late so just used any old shot. If I remember correctly, the themes are Reflection and History :) I want to have a full set for the year as at the end of the year I'm going to get a large print made of all my photos from the year!
 
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Glad you had a good week and well done for catching up. :clap:

I like the dog tag idea for Identity, although I'm sorry Sadie's no longer around to wear it.

You've gained some good learning points about lighting from it, but I wonder why you used the garage floor? I'm a simple soul and would have shot it outside in daylight. :LOL:

The piece of concrete immediately in front of the tag is a bit sharper than the tag itself, and I think the composition would be improved by including a bit more of the collar and positioning the tag on the bottom right hand 'third'. But then reading your 'lessons' it looks as though you'd tried different focus points so I'm probably just being thick here. :)

Jean
 
Thanks Jean :)

I took a few with more of the collar in shot, but there was something about it that just didn't really work for my tastes. I'll have another look through them all in Lightroom and see if I can find others that work. I initially tried shooting it when it was hanging up on the garage wall, but it just didn't work. So I tried using the garage floor, I liked the cracks in the floor :p

The focus of the actual writing on the tag was very strange. I don't know if it's because the engraving of the name in the actual tag is very blunt already, or if my focusing was just off! I used f2.8 as I wanted just the tag in focus :)

Thanks for the constructive criticism Jean, it's always appreciated!
 
Well I've found another one I really like! Focusing is better, composition is more interesting and I think it's possibly better. May make this my photo for this week :)

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jamlid said:
I took a few with more of the collar in shot, but there was something about it that just didn't really work for my tastes.

So I tried using the garage floor, I liked the cracks in the floor :p

The focus of the actual writing on the tag was very strange. I don't know if it's because the engraving of the name in the actual tag is very blunt already, or if my focusing was just off! I used f2.8 as I wanted just the tag in focus :)
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Sometimes, things just do look a bit odd, and you're right to go with the flow. Yep, the cracks add interest - and if you wanted to experiment with lights I can see why you shot indoors.

I've noticed our dogs' tags fade or wear down very quickly, so that may be it. :)

I'd be interested to see any of your other shots if poss. :)

Jean
 
Thanks Jean :D Well, the more I look at it, the more I like it! I think it catches the eye alot better and the actual composition of the shot is far better. The tag shows as the focal point much more in this one too.. So this shall be my shot for the week :)

Thanks for the help/advice Jean

Now to get this weeks done!
 
Thats a great shot, 2nd for me - good detail, textures and light! :)

Very nice! :clap:
 
It has to be the second one for me as the first one is showing unavailable :D

Good take on the theme and I'm sorry she's not with you anymore. It's a well composed image and the detail is really sharp - well done :clap::clap:
 
Thanks! :) I've sorted the link in the first image so it works now. I was just going to take it down, but I'll keep it up just so people can see and compare for themselves :)
 
Week 10 - "Wisdom"

Well, wasn't this a hard week! And a very very late week for me! Finally started my work placement this week for durham council. We do the IT Support for the entire of durham (all the schools, libraries, etc.) so it's been fantastic!

Well here it is:

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This week's theme was Wisdom and was VERY hard! Struggled massively trying to find something that I had that I could photograph..

I settled on photographing a keyboard. The ultimate modern-day medium of wisdom and knowledge. Keyboards are what we use to communicate our thoughts, opinions, knowledge, advice and wisdom to everyone around the world through the power of the internet.

I kept this shot as basic as possible. Minimal lighting and some high contrast to focus on the letters.


Week 11's should be coming this weekend. It's such a good subject, but I can't seem to settle on a really good idea.. I better get a couple of thinking caps on! :D


Better late than never! ;)
 
I like the graphic quality of this shot, and it's an unusual view of a keyboard. We're so used to seeing it from the front, I think approaching from the left of it makes a different shot to catch the eye. :)

Slightly off-topic, it always amazes me that the qwerty keyboard is the main means of communication with the computer. It's hardly changed at all from the old-fashioned, sit-up-and-beg manual typewriter. :nuts:

Glad to hear your work placement is going so well, and it's nice to know Durham IT resources are being well looked after.:)

Jean
 
Thanks Jean! :D

I find it funny that QWERTY was first invented to slow down typists! Typists had become so efficient and fast that the speed they were going at was jamming the machines up.. Thus qwerty was invented to solve this problem. Now that we use electronic keyboards that can't jam, would it not make sense to revert back to the method used before qwerty?
 
Well, I've been pretty down about my Photography lately.. I've had absolutely no inspiration for the themes and no inspiration to take photos in general.. I've managed to find some eventually and have a BIG job of catching up!

As I started the 52 late, I didn't do the Reflections and History ones.. Well, the History one is now done! I also managed to get two themes done in one day!

Themes I have left to do to catch up are:

Reflection
Poverty
Letter
Duo


Relationships
Here's the first one of my GF's cousin Evie and her daddy :)
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Up
This one was HARD! I tried allsorts.. There's a place near mine with about 15 massive Cherry Pickers, all together fully extended. It looks really cool, but its private property so I can't get in.
This certainly made me laugh! She's so cute!

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History
I chose this because it is a massive symbol of the place I've lived all my life. It's the knocker on the door of Durham Cathedral. It's said that if you were to knock and enter the cathedral you were granted 37 days to sort any problems out, etc. (if you were in trouble with the authorities).

I always see tourists and photographers stood around it taken straight on photos from it. They may look cool, but it's all been done before. I got on the floor and went for an odd angle, one that people don't normally see.

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First off - well done on catching up. It's 'orrible when your inspiration disappears - I sympathise. Really glad yours is back. :)

Relationships: I really do like this - it looks so natural and little Evie looks totally secure in her Daddy's arms - caught napping indeed. :clap:

Up: I thought this was hard too. Well done, though - you've caught a lovely expression and it says 'Up' in my book! :)


History: That's a great angle, talk about suffering for your art. :D

I love the texture and the highlights are well-controlled. Interesting story behind it, too. :clap:

Jean
 
Thanks very much Jean :) I always appreciate you coming to comment my photos! :D

Evie is so cute, this is one of my faves from the day. Just a shame the focusing isn't spot on.. I was just holding the camera at my knees and aiming :p
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3619/3456517781_67d219633f.jpg

The History shot.. I'm not sure if I should very slightly crop the right hand side to make it an even photo? It's bugging me that I should, but I'm not sure!
 
Finally, my college year is over!!! That was a very stressful last month or so and I'm really disappointed I've had to put my photography to the back of priorities while I keep my head down :(

But summer is here and I have plenty of free time! I'm determined to catch back up with this. I'm really far behind but I've promised myself to see this to the end :)

So here's what I've got to do :D

Reflection
Poverty
Letter
Duo
Longing
Dark
Simple
Linear
Emotion
Time
Inspiration

Hopefully doing a couple of them tonight :)
 
Simple - Week 18

I've been trying to get a shot of this for months.. when I was first told about it and saw it for myself I couldn't help but think what an amazing thing it is!

The story goes, a Farmer's wife passed away many many years ago, so the farmer decided to plant these trees on a field (running along a motorway). He planted the trees in the shape of a heart to show his love for his late wife, something that thousands of people have seen and something that will be there for a long time to come.

Something so simple as planting some trees can have a massive impact and that's why I love this!

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Your simple pic is a fab story Jamie, your History pic is an excellent image. B&W works very well in this one, superb.
 
Sorry I've missed all these shots...

They are all very good, and well done got catching up.
 
Thanks guys :) Gutted that it's been chucking it down today as I've got the day off work and planned to get out and do some photography!
 
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