Weekly GarethB's 52 challenge for 2019 - Week 48 - PLAY(ING)
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Thank you kindly Mark, indeed, it took a long, long time! I would say, however, that a strong wrist is more important than patience or skill!!
Thank you so much Joan!
My original idea would have used a similar technique, but rather than drops, I was aiming for little 'colour-pop rivulets' running down the leaf 'washing' the colour away, so to speak!
I'm regretting not pursuing this now however, it would have been far less, 'wrist-achingly' tedious....although I am pleased with the final result!
Thank you Grant! I appreciate the positive comment.
Thank you very much Daniel! I'm very pleased my wrist-shattering ordeal, selecting all those tiny drops wasn't in vain!!
Thank you kindly Pete!
Four hours selecting all those ruddy drops!!
And I did it the wrong way round of course!
I should have cropped first, then selected them!
What can I say....I am a complete numpty!
Thank you so much Joan!
My original idea would have used a similar technique, but rather than drops, I was aiming for little 'colour-pop rivulets' running down the leaf 'washing' the colour away, so to speak!
I'm regretting not pursuing this now however, it would have been far less, 'wrist-achingly' tedious....although I am pleased with the final result!
Thank you Grant! I appreciate the positive comment.
Thank you very much Daniel! I'm very pleased my wrist-shattering ordeal, selecting all those tiny drops wasn't in vain!!
Thank you kindly Pete!
Four hours selecting all those ruddy drops!!
And I did it the wrong way round of course!
I should have cropped first, then selected them!
What can I say....I am a complete numpty!
Week 31 - Life
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I've been a bit poorly this week....bit of a cold....but fortunately I had these in the bag a few days ago.
I went to a reserve/boating lake with the idea of taking a photo of a lifebelt, but it just didn't work.
As luck would have it, I was poking around in the bushes, and came across these mucky beggars.... 'at it'!!
So without further ado, may I present....
....creating a New Life!
Damselfies mating by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr
This is a stack of just two images, and unfortunately there are one or two 'stacking' artefacts which I tried to remove, but I don't think they're immediately obvious.
...as always, thanks for looking folks.
(Click here to go back to the contents page)
I've been a bit poorly this week....bit of a cold....but fortunately I had these in the bag a few days ago.
I went to a reserve/boating lake with the idea of taking a photo of a lifebelt, but it just didn't work.
As luck would have it, I was poking around in the bushes, and came across these mucky beggars.... 'at it'!!
So without further ado, may I present....
....creating a New Life!
Damselfies mating by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr
This is a stack of just two images, and unfortunately there are one or two 'stacking' artefacts which I tried to remove, but I don't think they're immediately obvious.
...as always, thanks for looking folks.
What a fantastic image. Perfect background, spot-on focus and excellent timing. What's not like about it; well maybe just a bit more breathing space in the bottom if I'm being really picky. As the saying goes, no harm for poking around!
I agree re. breathing space at the bottom....seems a bit cramped down there.
Perhaps I should have cropped a bit off the top, to balance it a little better?
It was awkward framing in those bushes, and I rattled of as many frames as I could before 'the action' was finished, and with a tiny crop after stacking (the best two images), that was indeed the bottom of the frame!
I'll try to take more time to frame more 'spaciously' the next time I'm poking around!
Many thanks for your positive encouraging comment Allan.
Until fairly recently, I too wouldn't have thought it could be possible to stack live insect images.
I must have shot about 30 images, and using the 'rocking-back-and-forth' focus method whilst shooting, I thought I'd have more to choose from, but as it turned out, I only had two images where each one was in focus.
I stacked them manually though, which sounds harder than it actually is, but there's an annoying little bit of stem that looks a bit suspect.
I am quite happy with the final result though, thanks for looking Allan.
Until fairly recently, I too wouldn't have thought it could be possible to stack live insect images.
I must have shot about 30 images, and using the 'rocking-back-and-forth' focus method whilst shooting, I thought I'd have more to choose from, but as it turned out, I only had two images where each one was in focus.
I stacked them manually though, which sounds harder than it actually is, but there's an annoying little bit of stem that looks a bit suspect.
I am quite happy with the final result though, thanks for looking Allan.
Hi Gareth,
Life - Bug Shot - No Comment (though I do like the blue).
Free Week - The tight crop works, there is so much detail in the leaf and droplets. Whilst it is selective colour, it is so not obvious. Very nicely done.
Closed - Sorry, another bug shot so no comment.
Wide - That takes me back, it's been years since I used a micrometer (or even a set of verniers) in anger. Well captured. That is some serious magnification.
Dirty - I don't see anything on my monitor, and I tend to think I have it too bright a lot of the time.
Looks spot on to me and nicely done for the theme.
Drink - Love the colour, love the frozen motion, just love it
Full - I agree with Allan, great shot, well executed.
Life - Bug Shot - No Comment (though I do like the blue).
Free Week - The tight crop works, there is so much detail in the leaf and droplets. Whilst it is selective colour, it is so not obvious. Very nicely done.
Closed - Sorry, another bug shot so no comment.
Wide - That takes me back, it's been years since I used a micrometer (or even a set of verniers) in anger. Well captured. That is some serious magnification.
Dirty - I don't see anything on my monitor, and I tend to think I have it too bright a lot of the time.
Looks spot on to me and nicely done for the theme.
Drink - Love the colour, love the frozen motion, just love it
Full - I agree with Allan, great shot, well executed.
Thank you very much Tim ( @LC2 ) for the detailed comments!
You've got me curious now....why the aversion to insect images?
I'm sure you've explained before (and maybe you're sick of explaining, so I won't push it!), in fact I seem to recollect you saying something at the end of last year's 52, right when I joined....but memory being what it is, I can't remember!
You've got me curious now....why the aversion to insect images?
I'm sure you've explained before (and maybe you're sick of explaining, so I won't push it!
), in fact I seem to recollect you saying something at the end of last year's 52, right when I joined....but memory being what it is, I can't remember!
Hi Gareth,
Now that's an absolute stunner of an image for your Snappers Choice. Amazing and all the time you spent on it! Well done
Life is another incredible image. Super sharp, wonderful colours and perfect for the theme. What's not to like
Now that's an absolute stunner of an image for your Snappers Choice. Amazing and all the time you spent on it! Well done
Life is another incredible image. Super sharp, wonderful colours and perfect for the theme. What's not to like
Yep, that leaf image took ruddy ages!! I've learnt my lesson....and like I said the last time...."Never again!"
Thank you kindly Dominic!
They have no shame at all!!
Week 32 - Interior
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Here is my entry for the interior theme.
I had a couple of ideas, and I'm not sure which one I prefer.
The first is the interior of Happisburgh Lighthouse which is the only, independently run working lighthouse in Great Britain.
It's located on Norfolk's east coast, in the village of Happisburgh (pronounced 'haysburgh') and was built in 1790.
Not having a wide angle lens meant that I had to be quite choosy of angles and since it was quite busy, it was tricky shooting around the dozens of other visitors up there.
This image is the interior of the large 'fresnel' style lens which houses the surprisingly small bulb.
Lighthouse 5 by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr
The view from the top - lens structure on the left....
Lighthouse 8 by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr
Close up of the bulb....
Lighthouse 4 by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr
Here is the stairway leading to the top....that's our guide Shaun Fordyce, who grew up in the adjoining bungalow, and whose father was the last official keeper, before Trinity House closed it in 1987.
Lighthouse 3 by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr
This next image was shot last year, but shows what it looks like from the outside....the weather was much nicer on that day!
Lighthouse 12 by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr
My next idea was to show the interior of one of my vaping devices.
I don't normally go to all the trouble of making fancy coils these days, being that I am spectacularly lazy!
I thought I would make an effort for the theme however.
These are not that fancy, but they look quite nice whether heated or not....I did both.
They are known as 'Clapton' coils - I think because they resemble a guitar string (Eric Clapton?)....but don't quote me on that!
They are created by winding a very thin wire around a slightly thicker wire, and then wrapped 5 or 6 times around a 3mm shaft....it's supposed to improve the flavour and uptake of liquid, giving a bigger cloud!
Personally, I usually stick to very simple, single core coils....I can't tell the difference nowadays....maybe my taste buds are broken!!
Heated coils....
coils 2 by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr
and now with no heat....note the colouration from having been heated previously - I rather like this one...
coils 1 by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr
...as always, thanks for looking folks.
(Click here to go back to the contents page)
Here is my entry for the interior theme.
I had a couple of ideas, and I'm not sure which one I prefer.
The first is the interior of Happisburgh Lighthouse which is the only, independently run working lighthouse in Great Britain.
It's located on Norfolk's east coast, in the village of Happisburgh (pronounced 'haysburgh') and was built in 1790.
Not having a wide angle lens meant that I had to be quite choosy of angles and since it was quite busy, it was tricky shooting around the dozens of other visitors up there.
This image is the interior of the large 'fresnel' style lens which houses the surprisingly small bulb.
Lighthouse 5 by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr
The view from the top - lens structure on the left....
Lighthouse 8 by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr
Close up of the bulb....
Lighthouse 4 by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr
Here is the stairway leading to the top....that's our guide Shaun Fordyce, who grew up in the adjoining bungalow, and whose father was the last official keeper, before Trinity House closed it in 1987.
Lighthouse 3 by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr
This next image was shot last year, but shows what it looks like from the outside....the weather was much nicer on that day!
Lighthouse 12 by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr
My next idea was to show the interior of one of my vaping devices.
I don't normally go to all the trouble of making fancy coils these days, being that I am spectacularly lazy!
I thought I would make an effort for the theme however.
These are not that fancy, but they look quite nice whether heated or not....I did both.
They are known as 'Clapton' coils - I think because they resemble a guitar string (Eric Clapton?)....but don't quote me on that!
They are created by winding a very thin wire around a slightly thicker wire, and then wrapped 5 or 6 times around a 3mm shaft....it's supposed to improve the flavour and uptake of liquid, giving a bigger cloud!
Personally, I usually stick to very simple, single core coils....I can't tell the difference nowadays....maybe my taste buds are broken!!
Heated coils....
coils 2 by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr
and now with no heat....note the colouration from having been heated previously - I rather like this one...
coils 1 by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr
...as always, thanks for looking folks.
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Thank you kindly Dominic!
I was going to try some stacking on #3, to see if I could get both the bulb, and the lens prisms in focus, but it all went badly wrong for some reason!
Thank you Rick, for the kind comment, and you mustn't struggle on my account!!
I was going to try some stacking on #3, to see if I could get both the bulb, and the lens prisms in focus, but it all went badly wrong for some reason!
All great shots Gareth, I'd struggle to pick a favourite
Wow!! You've taken and processed some stunning photos there Gareth
The first shot showing the lens detail is my pick of the lighthouse image and I absolutely love both vape coil shots. Both are jaw droppingly stunning
The first shot showing the lens detail is my pick of the lighthouse image and I absolutely love both vape coil shots. Both are jaw droppingly stunning
The coils were shot with my newly acquired macro tubes, and I was a bit worried that I might melt the end of the lens!
They were only a couple of centimetres from the front element!!
Luckily I only burnt my thumb when I carelessly missed the fire button and pressed it into the hot coils!
I do have a rather nice stripy pattern on my thumb now though!
Week 33 - Plastic
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Here is my entry for the 'plastic' theme.
They are some plastic forks that I had lying around, which I have arranged in a circular pattern - you wouldn't believe how long that took!!
They are lit with three flashes, each with just a red, green and blue gel on them.
I quite like how the lights blended to form some nice rainbow colours.
TP-52-2019 wk-33 - Plastic 1 by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr
...as always, thanks for looking folks.
(Click here to go back to the contents page)
Here is my entry for the 'plastic' theme.
They are some plastic forks that I had lying around, which I have arranged in a circular pattern - you wouldn't believe how long that took!!
They are lit with three flashes, each with just a red, green and blue gel on them.
I quite like how the lights blended to form some nice rainbow colours.
TP-52-2019 wk-33 - Plastic 1 by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr
...as always, thanks for looking folks.