Ian's 52: Week 21: Isolation (pg 12)
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That's a different take on the theme! I agree with everyone else and prefer the blue version as I feel it suits the image more and the lighting works better 
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Hi Ian,
Sorry to be repetitive but I really do like the blue version of the image that you posted.
I like the framing and I like whatever PP it is that you've done to it. Definitely got a very arty feel - although "mechanical" isn't the first word that springs to mind
Two fairly minor niggles for me.
There seems to be an odd "glowy" bit going on around the lower part of the cuff on her wrist which is a bit distracting.
The inside of her hand looks overly bright - you seem to have lost a bit of detail there.
All in all I think it works well though and it gets a from me.
As much as I think your knork / fork shot is technically good, it just doesn't have the same emotional impact as shot no.1.
Sorry to be repetitive but I really do like the blue version of the image that you posted.
I like the framing and I like whatever PP it is that you've done to it. Definitely got a very arty feel - although "mechanical" isn't the first word that springs to mind
Two fairly minor niggles for me.
There seems to be an odd "glowy" bit going on around the lower part of the cuff on her wrist which is a bit distracting.
The inside of her hand looks overly bright - you seem to have lost a bit of detail there.
All in all I think it works well though and it gets a
from me.As much as I think your knork / fork shot is technically good, it just doesn't have the same emotional impact as shot no.1.
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Week 9: Play
I knew what I wanted to do this week, but doing it has been a PITA.
Not many opportunities to get Zombies into a photographic 52, but with Play, I was certified a win.
"Zombies!!!" is a simple and daft card game where you make up your own map with card tiles and try and get your "survivor" to the helicopter (and safety) before another player. Each person takes it in turns to place zombies (to foil other players), place random map tiles (in the hope of turning up the helicopter), play cards (such as the wonderfully titled "I will survive... You on the other hand may not.") and try and move forward to the helicopter.
It's dead simple, and has 3 supplements (including "Mall Walkers" and Zombie Dogs!). It's just a bit of fun really and after watching the relatively amusing ZombieLand eariler in the week, I thought it apt as a choice for my subject.
So. How to photo this? And that's where the problems began. The figures are tiny, plastic and not the best quality. The floor tiles are shiny and reflective. The Zombies are grey, and they all look the same.
Dark lighting was key for me. I wanted mood, not flash, so I move the floor lamps as close as I could (limited equipment here). I tried wide-angle shots with the 10-20 - didn't really work. I tried zoomed shots with the 70-300 but I couldn't handhold at the high ISO. ISO1000, F5.6 meant a shutter around 1/50sec, and at 200+mm all I was getting was blur.
So out came the 50.
If lighting hadn't been an issue, I'd have shot at f16 to get the DoF, but it was. So after experimenting with a few shots at different DoF's, I settled on f2.8. That still allowed for some close focus, but it's not great.
I was trying to get a sense of how amusing it is to look at a Zombies!!! board and see all the zombies.
Post processing was very limited. A tighter crop despite swearing that I would make a real effort this year to get the composition right in camera. levels for light, curves for contrast, then a simple B&W conversion with a sepia tone and a slight vignette.
Lessong learned:
- Buy a cheap flexible desk lamp. Would have been able to throw much more light on the subject giving me much more control over aperture and shutter speed when taking the shots.
- Take your time. I spent a long time setting things up, moving them about, taking distracting zombie dogs out of the way, turning zombies this way and that. I'm more satisfied by the composition than anything else.
Self crit:
Too much DoF, not enough detail.
The "Zombies!!!" cards are illegible due to the DoF. Would have been better without them.
Ian.
I knew what I wanted to do this week, but doing it has been a PITA.
Not many opportunities to get Zombies into a photographic 52, but with Play, I was certified a win.
"Zombies!!!" is a simple and daft card game where you make up your own map with card tiles and try and get your "survivor" to the helicopter (and safety) before another player. Each person takes it in turns to place zombies (to foil other players), place random map tiles (in the hope of turning up the helicopter), play cards (such as the wonderfully titled "I will survive... You on the other hand may not.") and try and move forward to the helicopter.
It's dead simple, and has 3 supplements (including "Mall Walkers" and Zombie Dogs!). It's just a bit of fun really and after watching the relatively amusing ZombieLand eariler in the week, I thought it apt as a choice for my subject.
So. How to photo this? And that's where the problems began. The figures are tiny, plastic and not the best quality. The floor tiles are shiny and reflective. The Zombies are grey, and they all look the same.
Dark lighting was key for me. I wanted mood, not flash, so I move the floor lamps as close as I could (limited equipment here). I tried wide-angle shots with the 10-20 - didn't really work. I tried zoomed shots with the 70-300 but I couldn't handhold at the high ISO. ISO1000, F5.6 meant a shutter around 1/50sec, and at 200+mm all I was getting was blur.
So out came the 50.
If lighting hadn't been an issue, I'd have shot at f16 to get the DoF, but it was. So after experimenting with a few shots at different DoF's, I settled on f2.8. That still allowed for some close focus, but it's not great.
I was trying to get a sense of how amusing it is to look at a Zombies!!! board and see all the zombies.
Post processing was very limited. A tighter crop despite swearing that I would make a real effort this year to get the composition right in camera. levels for light, curves for contrast, then a simple B&W conversion with a sepia tone and a slight vignette.
Lessong learned:
- Buy a cheap flexible desk lamp. Would have been able to throw much more light on the subject giving me much more control over aperture and shutter speed when taking the shots.
- Take your time. I spent a long time setting things up, moving them about, taking distracting zombie dogs out of the way, turning zombies this way and that. I'm more satisfied by the composition than anything else.
Self crit:
Too much DoF, not enough detail.
The "Zombies!!!" cards are illegible due to the DoF. Would have been better without them.
Ian.
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Certainly no way out for this guy. I like what you've done here and I can read the zombies on the card at the front. The angle, lighting and processing brings across the impending doom and frenetic (as much as it can be on a board game) nature of the beast. Has made me want to download Left for Dead now
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Don't let them eat his guts! Nice shot. Dof is as little narrow though. Maybe a bit more and a tripod and you'd have the perfect combination.
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What a bizarre looking game! I like the shot and the colours you've chosen to process with, the composition is great and the angle.
Although I can see where you're coming from with 'too much DoF', I think if you had any more in focus it might take away from the image that the guy is trapped, I like it, it gives a feel of isolation
Although I can see where you're coming from with 'too much DoF', I think if you had any more in focus it might take away from the image that the guy is trapped, I like it, it gives a feel of isolation
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very odd game, fit the theme though and the colouring fits the game
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What a weird game - and that poor player looks doomed !
I like the composition and I like the mono conversion.
And I think I like the DoF. I see where you're coming with your self crit, but actually the narrow DoF really does draw your eye to the main character.
I'd quite like the be able to read the writing on the Zombie cards, but I far prefer them in and illegible than left out completely.
A bit more DoF would let me read them, but then would you lose the focus on the character? . . . I don't know. It's all about compromise, and the one that you've come up with works pretty well for me 
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I like this shot - I like the subject matter, the composition and the mono conversion. I'm not to struck with the foreground cards & agree with you that the shot would have been better without them.
Phil
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Certainly no way out for this guy. I like what you've done here and I can read the zombies on the card at the front. The angle, lighting and processing brings across the impending doom and frenetic (as much as it can be on a board game) nature of the beast. Has made me want to download Left for Dead now
Download it. You know you want to
Agreed. My tripod is ultra-cheap though and won't get down that low. And I'm not dipping into that 16-35 fund... Promise....
What a bizarre looking game! I like the shot and the colours you've chosen to process with, the composition is great and the angle.
Although I can see where you're coming from with 'too much DoF', I think if you had any more in focus it might take away from the image that the guy is trapped, I like it, it gives a feel of isolation
Thanks Louise. Reading through the comments it seems the DoF is marmite. Just goes to show that critiquing your own stuff can sometimes be a bit too harsh.
Thanks!
What a weird game - and that poor player looks doomed !
I like the composition and I like the mono conversion.
And I think I like the DoF. I see where you're coming with your self crit, but actually the narrow DoF really does draw your eye to the main character.
I'd quite like the be able to read the writing on the Zombie cards, but I far prefer them in and illegible than left out completely.
I'm glad someone else is undecided like me. Thanks for commenting Sarah.
Cheers Phil. Thanks for echoing what I was already thinking.
Thanks for a counter point of view!
For anyone interested, Zombies!!! can be found on the web here and you can buy it from Amazon here or probably find it on flea-bay.
Cheers for the comments. I'll try and get round to everyone's this afternoon...
Ian.
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Cheers Arthur.
It is nice to sit down and play a boardgame around the table. Even if it is a bit daft and #2 daughter cheats madly. Beats watching the telly, and seeing the kids with their noses buried in their mobile phones.
Then again. I'm getting old...
Ian.
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Morning Ian. I've just spent an enjoyable half hour reading through this thread and looking at the photos and, as usual, I'm very impressed with your work. They are all excellent and fit the themes really well but as I think is the consensus, the two stand-outs are the portraits of you and the missus. Both stunning in different ways, the lighting of your wife is top and the pp is spot on, lovely eyes, the one of you is good as well (if a bit scary, good job I know what a nice fella you are) great lighting and composition and as usual the b&w conversion works perfectly.
Really enjoyable thread to read through and I will be nicking your lighting ideas later for a self-portrait.
Cheers
Andy
Really enjoyable thread to read through and I will be nicking your lighting ideas later for a self-portrait.
Cheers
Andy
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Cheers Andy, and thanks for stopping by.
You know you should really get stuck into this 52 lark. You'd have fun!
Ian.
You know you should really get stuck into this 52 lark. You'd have fun!
Ian.
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very odd looking game, but I bet your shot has got loads of people googling to find out more. You already know the dof is a problem, though a tripod would have solved any issues, and given the flexibility you wanted by way of shutter and aperture settings....albeit a little more expensive than a desklamp, I admit. I still like the result given what you have used, its kind of cute in an odd way
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That was my thought. I've looked at this shot a few times and to use a word not often heard, I am flumoxed! I really don't know what to say.
Photographically, I'm not too keen and every time I look I am drawn to the dice over on the left. Other than that, it's an odd shape with a hugely distracting foreground. Sorry, I'm sure I'll like next week's shot.
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I Agree about it being a wierd looking game! ALthough, my fascination with all things zombie may just cause me to look it up sometime
Lighting is good, angle is great and the DOF is spot on. Nothing really to add here, couldn't improve on this shot if i took it. Great work Ian, look forward to seeing your choice for Chemistry
Lighting is good, angle is great and the DOF is spot on. Nothing really to add here, couldn't improve on this shot if i took it. Great work Ian, look forward to seeing your choice for Chemistry
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Thanks. Another +1 for the distracting foreground....
very odd looking game, but I bet your shot has got loads of people googling to find out more. You already know the dof is a problem, though a tripod would have solved any issues, and given the flexibility you wanted by way of shutter and aperture settings....albeit a little more expensive than a desklamp, I admit. I still like the result given what you have used, its kind of cute in an odd way
Cute! Zombies! Good grief madam!
well its certainly not monopoly
Thanks Michelle.
That was my thought. I've looked at this shot a few times and to use a word not often heard, I am flumoxed! I really don't know what to say.
Photographically, I'm not too keen and every time I look I am drawn to the dice over on the left. Other than that, it's an odd shape with a hugely distracting foreground. Sorry, I'm sure I'll like next week's shot.
No need to apologise Lee. I'm rarely backward in coming forward myself. I don't consider it to be one of my better shots thats for sure.
I Agree about it being a wierd looking game! ALthough, my fascination with all things zombie may just cause me to look it up sometime
Lighting is good, angle is great and the DOF is spot on. Nothing really to add here, couldn't improve on this shot if i took it. Great work Ian, look forward to seeing your choice for Chemistry
Thanks Rich. You might be looking forward to it, but I'm not. Although I do have an idea.
Ian.
jgs001
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Now that's a weird game... however, the shot works very well indeed Ian. And overcoming the issues you faced, you've done a darn good job. A tripod would have allowed for the greater DOF, but then you'ld have lost the focus on the main character (who's toast...)...
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Ian. Great concept and the mono look suits it well, but as mentioned the narrow DOF doesn't quite suit the composition.
Man what a bizarre game though!!
Cheers, Rob
Man what a bizarre game though!!
Cheers, Rob
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Good shot Ian, never seen that game before!!!
Agree with your own self crit regarding too much DoF but the PP is very nice.
Well done!
Agree with your own self crit regarding too much DoF but the PP is very nice.
Well done!
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Hi Ian, I guess my comments are better late than never.
When I first looked at this shot I thought the DOF was too narrow. When I went back to it I realised what you were trying to achieve and agree that it is a much more powerful image with only the poor guy (definitely toast) in the middle in sharp focus.
I had no idea what the distracting things at the front were until I read some of the posts.
All in all, I like it, especially the b/w/sepia tones.
Sadly, my husband an I can no longer play board games - one of us will end up in a bad mood. We used to play Monopoly and it was really cut throat
Jenny
When I first looked at this shot I thought the DOF was too narrow. When I went back to it I realised what you were trying to achieve and agree that it is a much more powerful image with only the poor guy (definitely toast) in the middle in sharp focus.
I had no idea what the distracting things at the front were until I read some of the posts.
All in all, I like it, especially the b/w/sepia tones.
Sadly, my husband an I can no longer play board games - one of us will end up in a bad mood. We used to play Monopoly and it was really cut throat
Jenny
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I like it the way it is - and I'm certainly going to be googling for Zombies myself
Google away, and don't forget the "!!!" at the end. Exclamation marks are everything!
Thanks John. Need new tripod.... Birthday is just round the corner...
Ian. Great concept and the mono look suits it well, but as mentioned the narrow DOF doesn't quite suit the composition.
Man what a bizarre game though!!
Cheers, Rob
Cheers Rob. Totally agree with your comments. Not sure I like the DoF either.
Point taken. Really going to work on my composition for a few weeks I think.
Thanks Dan. Seems like people like the PP, but I am beginning to hate it. Oh well...
Hi Ian, I guess my comments are better late than never.
When I first looked at this shot I thought the DOF was too narrow. When I went back to it I realised what you were trying to achieve and agree that it is a much more powerful image with only the poor guy (definitely toast) in the middle in sharp focus.
I had no idea what the distracting things at the front were until I read some of the posts.
All in all, I like it, especially the b/w/sepia tones.
Sadly, my husband an I can no longer play board games - one of us will end up in a bad mood. We used to play Monopoly and it was really cut throat
Jenny
Thanks for the comment Jenny. You're not as late as me this week... And as to winning. With three competetive girls in my household (two of which are hormonal teenagers) I see how fast I can lose so I can get out of the room!
Ian.
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OK, so week 11 is late, week 10 is somewhere in the ether and week 12 is already a day old and I haven't even looked to see what it is yet.
It's been a very hectic couple of weeks. Work, home life, pretty much everything is conspiring against me at the moment, and my photo-mojo is probably at an all time low.
Anyway, it's boring to yatter on about it and I want to get round to look at what I've missed over the last two weeks so here's Candid for week 11.
We were at college working with studio lights, and I was trying to get a natural pose from Kate as she was posing for the guy with the flash trigger. Hence these were shot in poor lighting with studio modelling lamps. This was taken in-between shots as people were milling about trying to get the lamps set right.
ISO 1000, f4 @ 1/125sec @ 105mm.
Not crop on this as I'm trying to get composition right, but I'm really happy with the expression on this.
Not sure about the PP and am going to try a few weeks without any fancy PP to see how I prefer them.
Well... I've bought myself a few more days and am on holiday next week. Can't flippin' wait to be honest.
Now to see what week 12 has in store and what everyone else has been up to.
Ian.
It's been a very hectic couple of weeks. Work, home life, pretty much everything is conspiring against me at the moment, and my photo-mojo is probably at an all time low.
Anyway, it's boring to yatter on about it and I want to get round to look at what I've missed over the last two weeks so here's Candid for week 11.
We were at college working with studio lights, and I was trying to get a natural pose from Kate as she was posing for the guy with the flash trigger. Hence these were shot in poor lighting with studio modelling lamps. This was taken in-between shots as people were milling about trying to get the lamps set right.
ISO 1000, f4 @ 1/125sec @ 105mm.
Not crop on this as I'm trying to get composition right, but I'm really happy with the expression on this.
Not sure about the PP and am going to try a few weeks without any fancy PP to see how I prefer them.
Well... I've bought myself a few more days and am on holiday next week. Can't flippin' wait to be honest.
Now to see what week 12 has in store and what everyone else has been up to.
Ian.
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Hi Ian, I' still trying to catch up with 52s, and yours in one of the all too many threads I've looked at but not got round to commenting on, so I've just had a good browse through and I have to say - thoroughly enjoyed what you are doing here.
You have clearly put time, thought and effort into the shots week in and week out - and it shows! I also love your back stories and it was a good job I'd finished my coffee or it would have ended up all over the keyboard a couple of times.
I'm going to pick one absolute favourite that has everything - Present. It's a truly beautiful photo of your very beautiful wife (please tell her!) taken with love. I hope you've had it printed.
So catching up with Week 11 Candid: Another excellent portrait and at first I thought it was expertly posed, but reading your story, it's completely natural and is even better for that. Her expression and the light behind and on her fact work really well. I love it.
Jean
You have clearly put time, thought and effort into the shots week in and week out - and it shows! I also love your back stories and it was a good job I'd finished my coffee or it would have ended up all over the keyboard a couple of times.
I'm going to pick one absolute favourite that has everything - Present. It's a truly beautiful photo of your very beautiful wife (please tell her!) taken with love. I hope you've had it printed.
So catching up with Week 11 Candid: Another excellent portrait and at first I thought it was expertly posed, but reading your story, it's completely natural and is even better for that. Her expression and the light behind and on her fact work really well. I love it.
Jean
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Well done on (almost) getting back up to date . . . just one photo a week sounds so easy, but it really isn't !!!
Lovely shot for candid. Great thoughtful expression on her face and the B&W processing really suits it.
It's probably a bit too posed to technically be a candid shot, but I don't care because I far prefer this style to more conventional candids so :razz: to anyone who wants to moan about it!
I have to say that it's lovely to see a dark, moodier portrait too. The couple of times I've accidentally stumbled into the portraits forum those really bright high key portraits seem to be all the trend and I just don't like them at all.
This is far more to my taste.
Lovely shot for candid. Great thoughtful expression on her face and the B&W processing really suits it.
It's probably a bit too posed to technically be a candid shot, but I don't care because I far prefer this style to more conventional candids so :razz: to anyone who wants to moan about it!
I have to say that it's lovely to see a dark, moodier portrait too. The couple of times I've accidentally stumbled into the portraits forum those really bright high key portraits seem to be all the trend and I just don't like them at all.
This is far more to my taste.
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I know. That's what I love about this shot.
And again. The composition was what I was after and I'm really happy with it.
Hi Ian, I' still trying to catch up with 52s, and yours in one of the all too many threads I've looked at but not got round to commenting on, so I've just had a good browse through and I have to say - thoroughly enjoyed what you are doing here.
You have clearly put time, thought and effort into the shots week in and week out - and it shows! I also love your back stories and it was a good job I'd finished my coffee or it would have ended up all over the keyboard a couple of times.
I'm going to pick one absolute favourite that has everything - Present. It's a truly beautiful photo of your very beautiful wife (please tell her!) taken with love. I hope you've had it printed.
So catching up with Week 11 Candid: Another excellent portrait and at first I thought it was expertly posed, but reading your story, it's completely natural and is even better for that. Her expression and the light behind and on her fact work really well. I love it.
Jean
Thanks Jean, and thanks for looking. Still haven't told Alison about that shot yet....
Thank you!
One photo a week is fine when you have time on your hands. I shot Produce last night, will process on Wednesday and have it up by Thursday. No sweat... However the last couple of weeks have been mad busy, and hobbies tend to take a back seat. I certainly appreciate those who can bang out a shot a week. As to those bonkers 365ers... Well...
Thanks all!
Ian.
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Hey Ian, excellent Candid shot. The thing i like here is firstly the expression and secondly this is the first demonstration of this type of 'spotlight'-ing that i think actually works. I'm a complete newbie to lighting, how did you achieve this, snoot?
However you did it, works great, good job.
However you did it, works great, good job.
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Like that alot! Great lightling and a nice pose...
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Hey Ian, excellent Candid shot. The thing i like here is firstly the expression and secondly this is the first demonstration of this type of 'spotlight'-ing that i think actually works. I'm a complete newbie to lighting, how did you achieve this, snoot?
However you did it, works great, good job.
Thanks Rich.
I could say that yes, it was a snoot carefully placed on a metered head unit meticulously planned etc etc...
But it was a candid shot, so what it actually was was Kate staring at the two guys fiddling with the back of the lighting head trying to work out how high/powerful they wanted the lights and probably wondering what they were farting around at.
The only illumination there is from the modelling lights. One was on the models face, the other on the background. I've added the vignette PP for impact.
Just lucky!
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Ian.