Ian's 52: Week 21: Isolation (pg 12)

Nice bit of catching up. Not totally struck with quad / reshoot, but I love the shot of the photographers and Mavis is very appealing!

Phil
 
I sympathise with your computer problems. I dual boot with Linux but can't do without XP for PSE.

Quad - I like the soft dreamy effect here. I think it might be even better if you cropped out the handle on the left so that you were left with just the four tines. Just my opinion, though.

Shoot - a lovely candid shot which shows how much they are enjoying themselves - makes me smile with them. The mono treatment suits the hard lighting. I think I'd like a black border round it to contain the white shirt on the right.

Mavis - she's gorgeous! Lovely soft background, and a great story to go with it!
 
And I thought I had computer problems! Glad you're back in action, Ian

Mavis: what a little duck! :D Geese are amazing birds and have lots of character. The best I can hope for is the stone one in our small garden, but Mavis sounds ideal, and the best of all possible worlds. I'd love to see her full length, though. :)

Jean
 
Catching up on your catch up session, Just lately i have had less time to get these images done, final go the single on do this morning, now catch up on other peoples images.

Quad - Great image of the fork, nicely focused and great DOF

Shoot - Well us TOG's alway make a good image when we shooting away.

Single - Depth of field works great on this image

Well done on all and well caught up
 
philthejuggler said:
Nice bit of catching up. Not totally struck with quad / reshoot, but I love the shot of the photographers and Mavis is very appealing!

Phil
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Thanks Phil. I saw some shots of forks in a photo mag this month and it really depressed me how other people can take a simple still life and turn it into something interesting, yet all I can do is boring. Totally agree with your comments.

Tracer said:
I sympathise with your computer problems. I dual boot with Linux but can't do without XP for PSE.

Quad - I like the soft dreamy effect here. I think it might be even better if you cropped out the handle on the left so that you were left with just the four tines. Just my opinion, though.

Shoot - a lovely candid shot which shows how much they are enjoying themselves - makes me smile with them. The mono treatment suits the hard lighting. I think I'd like a black border round it to contain the white shirt on the right.

Mavis - she's gorgeous! Lovely soft background, and a great story to go with it!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the comments. I'm down to a dual booted system with XP now just so I can keep CS3 and Lightroom. I wish they'd provide Linux support for Adobe software. Either that or I eat the learning curve with GIMP. Been told it's very good, but the UI is clunky and it doesn't have adjustment layers of which I'm a heavy user.

jeangenie said:
And I thought I had computer problems! Glad you're back in action, Ian

Mavis: what a little duck! :D Geese are amazing birds and have lots of character. The best I can hope for is the stone one in our small garden, but Mavis sounds ideal, and the best of all possible worlds. I'd love to see her full length, though. :)

Jean
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I'm sure the birds will feature again in my 52. They are so very calming to watch pecking around the garden and Mavis is just wonderful. When we go out with bread or broccoli stalks she runs over and rubs up against our legs. I really didn't think I'd warm to a pet like this.

jollyjack said:
Catching up on your catch up session, Just lately i have had less time to get these images done, final go the single on do this morning, now catch up on other peoples images.

Quad - Great image of the fork, nicely focused and great DOF

Shoot - Well us TOG's alway make a good image when we shooting away.

Single - Depth of field works great on this image

Well done on all and well caught up
Click to expand...

Ha! Glad someone else is having to catch up on comments as well as shots. It's not just me!

Thanks for taking the time to go through everything. I'll be over to see your catchup in a minute.

Ian.
 
Week 16: Stare

So this week I was determined to get a shot of the cat staring at me. He goes bonkers for the cat treats - you know the ones where the cat is leaping over buildings? Well Oscar actually gets onto his feet (from a permanent prone position on a cushion/in front of the fire/on the thick rug in the sunshine).

Never work with animals when you actually have an idea of what you want.... i.e. a cat staring at me from the top of the stairs. Just peering down from the top step.

What did I learn this week?
- Don't work with animals - especially lazy good-for-nothing cats.
- Don't get an idea in your head that requires some form of bribery to work. Cats are smart.
- Before setting up your dream shot, look at what you're doing. Beige carpet and white walls make for terrible backgrounds.

Needless to say, the shot came out awful. Boring boring boring.

So when #2 daughter decided he "smells like a dog" and needed a bath, much hilarity ensued.

Here he is after being rubbed dry with a towel and put outside to dry off in the sun.

My week 16 entry.

4549303820_148f537b49_o.jpg


For once he looks serious. Probably decided I can do more than open tins.

That'll teach him to be a better model. I might have defended him more if he'd given me the shot I wanted.

Good ole' Oscar.

Ian.
 
Awww - poor cat - he is certainly looking daggers at you! Love the shot and the back story - purr-fect! :LOL:
 
That is a seriously p####d off soggy moggy. :naughty:

I gave Izzy (our cat) a week off from the lens this week :LOL:

Caught him well. I have found that black and white cats are a pain in the backside to photograph due to the complete change in contrast, metering etc...
 
lovely shot - made me lol. He does look rather sorry for himself.. expect he will make you pay for it later !
 
Poor Oscar - cats so hate water. That stare says it all :D

I love the lighting on this, and if looks could kill...

I also know what you mean about photographing animals. I have learned never to have a shot in mind. I just take what I can get but I am sure that's not the right way to go about it.

Jenny
 
Great take on the theme. Funny too. That is a look of "I would have you if I were a tiger" :LOL:
 
Some great detail in the fur there. Not easy with the colours involved.

Really captured the mood of the subject :LOL:

Andy
 
Nick T said:
You can't beat a good cat shot - the little buggers have always got so much emotion in their faces.
Like it, and the B&W works nicely too (y)
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Thanks Nick!

Tracer said:
Awww - poor cat - he is certainly looking daggers at you! Love the shot and the back story - purr-fect! :LOL:
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Thanks. I'm quite enjoying adding a bit of text to each shot. Makes it more interesting and is good to look back on.

Lynton said:
That is a seriously p####d off soggy moggy. :naughty:
I gave Izzy (our cat) a week off from the lens this week :LOL:
Caught him well. I have found that black and white cats are a pain in the backside to photograph due to the complete change in contrast, metering etc...
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/agreed. We have a tabby, but she's 1/4 bengal or something and is mad as a bag of snapping turtles. I'd rather stick with a big softie who will do anything for treats than a savage bundle of fur that will claw my eyes out as soon as look at me.

jeangenie said:
:LOL::LOL::LOL:
... so true!

Fantastic shot, Ian - and really made me laugh out loud! I hope peace and harmony have now been restored and Oscar's back in his rightful place on a comfy chair! (y)

Jean
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He's upstairs somewhere hiding from the hoover. We won't find him until 4. Tea time.

justlooking said:
lovely shot - made me lol. He does look rather sorry for himself.. expect he will make you pay for it later !
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He makes us pay all the time! Noisy bugger when he's hungry. Doesn't help that the chickens can get through the cat flap so they come in, scoff his grub, then leg it whilse he just watches them. The only time he gets his dinner is if Grebo (the 1/4 bengal bundle of claws and fur) is there to chase the chickens away.

jennyb said:
Poor Oscar - cats so hate water. That stare says it all :D
I love the lighting on this, and if looks could kill...
I also know what you mean about photographing animals. I have learned never to have a shot in mind. I just take what I can get but I am sure that's not the right way to go about it.
Jenny
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It's absolutely the right way to do it Jenny. Just go with the flow.

DC2Z said:
Really good capture and the B&W finished it off very well
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Thanks!

blakester said:
Great take on the theme. Funny too. That is a look of "I would have you if I were a tiger" :LOL:
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Ha. I didn't think of that. Sometimes he loses his temper, but he just scrags the rug. He's too scared of anything else.

foggy4ever said:
Now that is a steely glare, I know I have cats :D well captured.
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Thanks Scott.

daddy day care said:
Some great detail in the fur there. Not easy with the colours involved.
Really captured the mood of the subject :LOL:

Andy
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And thanks Andy.

So many positive comments... No critique??

Ian.
 
Awwww poor Oscar.
He's not very happy with you is he? :LOL: :LOL: :LOL:

And don't be surprised at all the positive comments. It's a really great shot!!!!

Cats aren't an easy subject to shot, but the eyes are fantastic, you've done a great job on getting the exposure right for the black and white fur and I love the hedgehog / just been washed texture going on there. :clap:

It's worked brilliantly.
 
I would say poor Oscar, but I'm not a cat lover so I won't :) Definitely giving you daggers there. I like the idea of the stare on the stairs, but failing that you've captured the wet moggy's evil stare nicely here (y)
 
Really like that one Ian, at first I thought it was a little blown but the more I look and my eyes get used to then it grows on me.

The eyes are brilliant and love how the light picks out every stray hair.

Well done
 
SarahLee said:
Awwww poor Oscar.
He's not very happy with you is he? :LOL: :LOL: :LOL:

And don't be surprised at all the positive comments. It's a really great shot!!!!

Cats aren't an easy subject to shot, but the eyes are fantastic, you've done a great job on getting the exposure right for the black and white fur and I love the hedgehog / just been washed texture going on there. :clap:

It's worked brilliantly.
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Thanks Sarah. Although it was #2 daughter that gave him the bath he was looking like it was anyone in his line of sight was responsible.

dlh said:
I would say poor Oscar, but I'm not a cat lover so I won't :) Definitely giving you daggers there. I like the idea of the stare on the stairs, but failing that you've captured the wet moggy's evil stare nicely here (y)
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Cheers Darren!

dan_yorkshire said:
Really like that one Ian, at first I thought it was a little blown but the more I look and my eyes get used to then it grows on me.

The eyes are brilliant and love how the light picks out every stray hair.

Well done
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Thanks Dan. Yeah. Looking at it again, the whites are a bit blown. Something I never noticed there. Will need to look at that in future I think.

Digitall said:
The cat is good and the stare is what is required for this week. However the space to the left needs something more as there is quite a lot of it and tends to make the eye go there quite often.

Allan
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Thanks Allan. I tried flipping it horizontally as I wasn't comfortable with the space to the left. It just looked wierd when I did that. The patio doors are to the right, so puting the cat on the left of the frame would have had a distracting door in the way.

Funny how we like to be led into a shot from left to right.

Glad someone else has mentioned what I was already thinking!

Thanks all.

Ian.
 
Excellent shot Ian... how mean can you get ... I mean... washing the cat :LOL:
 
Excellent shot and a really steely stare.
Cats rule, quite literally :)

I think the shot would have been even better with the cat framed to the left, but still works as is.
 
jgs001 said:
Excellent shot Ian... how mean can you get ... I mean... washing the cat :LOL:
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Easy. Pick up cat, drop in bath, laugh at daughter as she coos and shampoos him. Laugh at cat. Continue laughing at cat for many many more minutes.

namllihs said:
Excellent shot and a really steely stare.
Cats rule, quite literally :)

I think the shot would have been even better with the cat framed to the left, but still works as is.
Click to expand...

I'm in agreement on this. Need to watch out for it in the future. I doubt Oscar would be up for a reshoot.

Ian.
 
Great shot Ian! I quite like the space as the brick is a nice background, really like the texture of the grass it looks like a really plush carpet and adds a little surrealness :)
 
Thanks Sonia!

Ian.
 
Week 17: Peace

I knew what I wanted out of this week's theme and whether it's a crowbar to others doesn't matter.

4568366283_e10efc92f6_o.jpg


This is a river walk down at the Weaver near the Dutton Locks. My wife and I often walk this path. Down to the lock, have a sit down and a cig. Maybe watch a boat or two going through the lock, then head back.

It's a romantic, quite, peaceful walk, and we always head down there to escape the hustle and bustle of family life and work.

I wanted to do colour this week specifically as well, so this is a learning curve for me. I'm pretty sure I've overcooked the saturation, but other than that I'm quite pleased.

Taken at 35mm, f14, ISO400, 1/320 sec I then exported 2 stops over and 2 stops under into Photomatix to HDR it. The actual shot was quite (deliberately) underexposed so as not to blow the sky, and I've had limited success with handheld 3 exposure HDRs, so this time I took one shot then made four more from it with Lightroom.

I've tried really hard to make it look like it's not HDR. The only reason I used HDR was because the contrasting light/shadow between the sky and non-sky was fairly high. I could have used an ND Grad filter, but I don't own one and to be honest, I'm quite pleased with how Photomatix has handled this.

Really after some critique on this. As far as "interestingness" goes, it 'aint got much. But it means something to Alison and I, so it may end up on the wall. This is why I love photography. Sometimes a dull landscape can take on new meaning when it's a place you know and love so well.

C&C welcome as always!

(Edit: Desaturated version at the top of page 10)

Ian.
 
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It was annoying me, so I did a de-saturated version which I think I prefer:

4569147800_768affd936_o.jpg


Ian.
 
Definitely says Peace to me.
Personally I prefer the 1st image. Love the reflections in the water.
I really could imagine sitting by the river for an afternoon and relaxing.
 
Ian, I love this one - so peaceful. I prefer the second version. I thought the first was just a bit overcooked. The reflections are fantastic and I just love the colours.

I have never done HDR but I think the processing makes the picture leap out at you.

Definitely one to hang on the wall, especially if it is a place that means so much to you.

Jenny
 
Ian,

2nd one for me. Personally I think the saturation on the first is a bit OTT......:shrug:

Hmm actually scrolling down and looking at both now on same screen....maybe a slightly toned down version of the first? Is first out of camera or played with in photoshop (or similar)

However, just now asked "She who must be obeyed, (not the cat!)" and she says the original one as the 2nd version looks a bit "meh and washed out" - goes to prove, 2 people, 2 differnet opinions, but as Lord and Master of the household, I have banished her upstairs to make the bed!

Either way though, looks very tranquil and peaceful...(y) a bit like the broads here in winter.. come now to Octiber will be full of bloody holidaymakers....

:LOL::LOL::LOL:
 
Nice image Ian, it is a lovely peaceful scene so it sits on the theme well. Personally i like the second de saturated look. I understand why you would go for a hdr and i think you have worked it well and not overcooked it. Composition is spot on and i love the reflections.
 
Looks a very peaceful and tranquil place, nicely caught.
Good sky, crisp and clear reflections. I too prefer the 2nd one.
 
That's beautiful Ian.
Definitely says "Peace" to me and it's lovely to be able to freeze a place / point in time that has special meaning for you.

Different people / different monitors . . . I guess you're going to have a lot of mixed opinions on this one.
For me, somewhere in between the two.
The first one is definitely oversaturated for my tastes, but I think you've taken the edit a bit too far and it looks too drab and washed out.

(y) on the HDR though . . . you've managed to keep it subtle.
 
Not a crowbar shot, imo, Ian. It's very beautiful, tranquil and you've composed and framed it well.

Version 1: I've been struggling with washed out skies this week because I was also aiming for a river shot, so I sympathise. By the end of the week I was saying I really need an ND filter! I have no idea how to HDR an image, so full marks to you for doing a good job from just one image. If the original was underexposed, then I think you've done a particularly good job in controlling the shadows while still getting good highlights. As for being overcooked - I love the colour of the reeds, the sky and the reflections, but for me the greens are a tad too vibrant and jarr slightly with the tranquility of the scene.

Version 2: At first I thought you'd overdone the desat, but that was just in contrast with the first version. The sky, reflections and greens look great - but the reeds look a bit drab.

Sorry to ramble, but I am getting to a conclusion! (At last! :LOL:) The colours in the first version look like summer, but because the trees on the left bank are still bare it creates a visual contradiction. The second version is more 'true' to the season, but I think it needs just a slight boost to brighten it up.

But the main thing is, it's a special location for you and Alison, and as such it derserves pride of place on your wall. (y) :)

Jean
 
I much prefer the first version Ian.

It may be a touch overdone on the saturation but I don't think that detracts from the image. I really like it.

Second version looks a bit dull and washed out to me.

HDR is not overdone and was the only way to get the detail you needed without an ND filter.

Andy
 
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