weekly Manxmaid's 52 for 2017 - Week 51 & 52 Festive & Weather added (and COMPLETE!)

[Hertsman]

Hi Andrea
Colourfull -- very nicely framed and very bold colours

Height - doesnt necessarily convey height, but I do really like the colours and textures....

 

[dmb]

Height - good perspective and great colours, just don't lean over any further

 

[Fuji Dave]

Colour is a nice shot Andrea, like the green on in front. Height is a cracking shot, colours and lighting are great and love the rusty ladder.

 

[granddad john]

Gives a sense of danger and bang on for the theme Andrea. Shot of the week for me wonderful colour contrasts.

 

[d00d]

That's Colourful but wouldn't mind seeing a bit more of the surroundings.

Height, I like very much Fantastic colours, great POV ... close to the edge seeing the rungs from behind. And yes I see what @granddad john means about the 'sense of danger'.

 

[Manxmaid]

What a brilliant pairing of the orange and blue.
The colour of the water is really deep and contrast really well against the orange of the rails.
Plenty of texture too.
Really liking this one

Thanks very much, Tim. It's a bit annoying how distorted the railings look back on the computer as I thought I was fairly central, but it was a bit precarious too Glad you like the contrasting colours as they appealed to me, too.

Hi Andrea
Colourfull -- very nicely framed and very bold colours

Height - doesnt necessarily convey height, but I do really like the colours and textures....

Thanks, Dom. It's a shame it doesn't convey height to you as it was a fair drop down to the sea and my legs were starting to go wobbly! Glad you like the colours and textures, though

Height - good perspective and great colours, just don't lean over any further

Thanks, David - I definitely wasn't going to lean over any more

Colour is a nice shot Andrea, like the green on in front. Height is a cracking shot, colours and lighting are great and love the rusty ladder.

Thank you, Dave, it was nice to have some bold colours in those two.

Gives a sense of danger and bang on for the theme Andrea. Shot of the week for me wonderful colour contrasts.

Thanks very much for your kind comments, John! Glad you got the sense of danger from the angle

That's Colourful but wouldn't mind seeing a bit more of the surroundings.

Height, I like very much Fantastic colours, great POV ... close to the edge seeing the rungs from behind. And yes I see what @granddad john means about the 'sense of danger'.

Thank you, David. I deliberately left out much of the surroundings on the first one as it was quite a grey and messy environment with railings and ropes close by, and the distraction of the beach and seafront in the distance. Glad you liked the second one and got the sense of height and danger

 

[Manxmaid]

Week 46 - Remote


46 Remote by Andrea Thrussell, on Flickr

I had this location in mind from the off but it's very exposed and the weekend weather hasn't been helpful. I got the chance to go yesterday when it was much better but - alas - by the time I arrived the sun was already in the wrong place for my imagined shot and was creating too much glare, despite my efforts to work around it. I had to work from the other side so it's not the shot I wanted, with some rugged coastline in the background, but I think it still does give a sense of how remote and secluded a location this former farmhouse occupies.

The patches of blue sky were a nice bonus after some very grey days.

I'm hoping to get Build and Juicy crossed off in the next couple of days!

 

[granddad john]

Still an effective shot for the theme Andrea. The path gives a nice leading line and the lack of a road increases the sense of an isolated farm. At this time of the year I guess you've just got to take the light you can get

 

[Fuji Dave]

Remote is a great shot imo Andrea, love the colours and walkway up to the house along with a nice blue sky.

 

[LC2]

Nice use of leading lines to take you to the farm buildings.
Good work changing from your original vision to make good use of the light that was available, I'm imagining that the other side would have been in shadow. It certainly sells remoteness.

 

[d00d]

I like this very much for Remote. The buildings have a slight wonkiness that I like. That wide angle expanse draws you in then out ...

Good work.

 

[Dark Knight]

That still works fine for me Andrea, shame there is no rocky coastline but cool you found another PoV - nice leading lines and a good vast sky which helps the link to the theme

 

[Nostromo]

Remote
Looks good to me and fits in with the theme.

 

[Manxmaid]

Still an effective shot for the theme Andrea. The path gives a nice leading line and the lack of a road increases the sense of an isolated farm. At this time of the year I guess you've just got to take the light you can get

Thanks, John, I was disappointed to find the sun so low in the middle of the day, but walking that bit further and shooting from the other side has worked almost as well. I suppose as photographers we have to always be prepared for changeable weather and other obstacles

Remote is a great shot imo Andrea, love the colours and walkway up to the house along with a nice blue sky.

Thanks, Dave, this view seems to work quite well and the colours benefit from having the low sun behind me. I'll have to check the angle of the sun in advance next time

Nice use of leading lines to take you to the farm buildings.
Good work changing from your original vision to make good use of the light that was available, I'm imagining that the other side would have been in shadow. It certainly sells remoteness.

Thank, Tim. I think the nice leading line of the path is a bonus. Yes the other side would probably have been in shadow to some degree and it will teach me to plan ahead in future, especially at this time of year when the sun barely gets out of bed!

I like this very much for Remote. The buildings have a slight wonkiness that I like. That wide angle expanse draws you in then out ...

Good work.

Thanks, David, I know what you mean about the wonkiness and I don't think the line of the hill helps. I studied the lines of the barn quite closely and I'm still not sure if it's really wonky or just some slight distortion, although I wouldn't expect it so close to the centre of the frame. Glad you like the image

That still works fine for me Andrea, shame there is no rocky coastline but cool you found another PoV - nice leading lines and a good vast sky which helps the link to the theme

Thanks, DK, it's good that the compromise has worked out so nicely, helped by the lovely light and sky. I've learned my lesson and will check the location of the sun in future

Remote
Looks good to me and fits in with the theme.

Thanks, Dominic.

 

[Manxmaid]

Sad to say that our 15-year-old doggy is struggling with her legs and possibly some dementia and we seem to be closing on that decision that most animal owners face at some point. She's been doing really well up until the last few weeks but it looks as though age is catching up on her and she's occupying a lot of my time and emotions; I don't think I've used the camera since my image for Remote.

I am still determined to finish my 52 and have a couple of ideas, but being four themes behind is somewhere I didn't expect to be again. Time always seem short at this time of year so I'll fit my final efforts in when I can. I'm very grateful for the comments here and I'm sorry I have only been reciprocating sporadically.

 

[granddad john]

Sorry to hear of your dog's illness Andrea. Yes you're right we all go through it at some time and it's never easy; we found looking back at all the joy they brought helped ease a painful decision. Be strong.

Look forward to seeing more of your photos when you're ready

 

[Fuji Dave]

So sorry to hear about your dog`s illness Andrea, don`t worry about the 52 and spend all the time with her.

 

[michael23]

Sad to say that our 15-year-old doggy is struggling with her legs and possibly some dementia and we seem to be closing on that decision that most animal owners face at some point. She's been doing really well up until the last few weeks but it looks as though age is catching up on her and she's occupying a lot of my time and emotions; I don't think I've used the camera since my image for Remote.

I am still determined to finish my 52 and have a couple of ideas, but being four themes behind is somewhere I didn't expect to be again. Time always seem short at this time of year so I'll fit my final efforts in when I can. I'm very grateful for the comments here and I'm sorry I have only been reciprocating sporadically.

Sorry to hear that Andrea, thoughts are with you

Really like your remote picture, great composition, lovely colours and sky.

 

[Bebop]

So sorry to hear about your dog Andrea. We faced that hard time with our 14yr old labrador some years ago. It's heartbreaking when they're such a big part of your family.

Love the sky and leading lines in your Remote image. I'll pop back and visit your thread if you decide to post more. I'm not going to do the 2018 52 as I've been so rubbish at keeping up with this one, but it has been a great experience and I thank you for the time you've taken visiting my thread.

Enjoy your dog while you can

 

[Allan.H]

Remote is very Wuthering Heights isn't it, I like it great big sky really overpowering the small farmhouse
Sorry to hear about your dog have been through the same thing recently

 

[Hertsman]

Remote is very Wuthering Heights isn't it, I like it great big sky really overpowering the small farmhouse

I knew that image suggested soemthing to me, and its exaclty that...

 

[Manxmaid]

Sorry to hear of your dog's illness Andrea. Yes you're right we all go through it at some time and it's never easy; we found looking back at all the joy they brought helped ease a painful decision. Be strong.

Look forward to seeing more of your photos when you're ready

So sorry to hear about your dog`s illness Andrea, don`t worry about the 52 and spend all the time with her.

Sorry to hear that Andrea, thoughts are with you

Really like your remote picture, great composition, lovely colours and sky.

So sorry to hear about your dog Andrea. We faced that hard time with our 14yr old labrador some years ago. It's heartbreaking when they're such a big part of your family.

Love the sky and leading lines in your Remote image. I'll pop back and visit your thread if you decide to post more. I'm not going to do the 2018 52 as I've been so rubbish at keeping up with this one, but it has been a great experience and I thank you for the time you've taken visiting my thread.

Enjoy your dog while you can

Remote is very Wuthering Heights isn't it, I like it great big sky really overpowering the small farmhouse
Sorry to hear about your dog have been through the same thing recently

Thank you so much for your comments, everyone. I wasn't expecting that after just posting an update as to why I haven't been posting images, so thank you all. She is still with us and we're taking it day by day and trying to keep her happy and comfortable, but it feels like a 'long goodbye' to a member of the family and it's very up and down.

I haven't felt slightly like picking up a camera, although I do have some ideas, but I've also had a rotten cold since Boxing Day so I'm looking at everyone finishing their 52s and preparing for 2018 and wondering if I'm fated never to finish one! :banghead: :banghead:

Anyway, hopefully I'll see the symptoms easing off over New Year and I'll try to rattle off the last few 2017 images, even if they have to be shoehorns. I don't want to start my next 52 with a catch-up.

 

[Bebop]

I hope you feel better soon Andrea.

I'll still pop in if you want to finish your 52 later. I seem to remember being told there were no rules - which is just as well for me as I was always late posting!

 

[Manxmaid]

I hope you feel better soon Andrea.

I'll still pop in if you want to finish your 52 later. I seem to remember being told there were no rules - which is just as well for me as I was always late posting!

Thanks very much, Bebop I popped out today for a walk (shuffle) with the dog and some much-needed fresh air to try to see these germs off, and I think I've now got four of the remaining six themes in the camera. Just need processing now...

 

[Manxmaid]

Week 47 - Build


47 Build by Andrea Thrussell, on Flickr

So, as explained above, this will be a rapid catch-up over the next day or two as I really don't want to start 2018 with a backlog and I really DO want to finish a 52 for the first time!

This is possibly the shoehorny one, as although the cottage is surrounded by scaffolding and builders' equipment, TBH I think it's more 'repair' than 'build'. This is one of the traditional thatched cottages at the National Folk Museum on the island, which is a working farm and tiny village showing how people would have lived and crafted in the past. I'm pretty sure this reflects some repair work on the thatch after the recent storms and heavy rain.

I thought there was a good contrast between the old stone and thatch and the modern poles with the bright yellow cloth surrounding the site,

 

[Manxmaid]

Week 48 - Juicy


48 Juicy by Andrea Thrussell, on Flickr

This was the easiest one as I have a prolific lemon tree that loves the conditions in the room at the back of our house and throws out flowers and fruit almost all year round. It's no competition winning image but hopefully conveys the juiciness and freshness of the fruit. I expect I'll be adding a slice to my Lemsip later

 

[Fuji Dave]

Build is nicely on theme, as they had to build the scaffolding round the building for repair looks a nice place too. Juicy is a very nicely taken shot, you can see the juice well also like the BG and shadow. Both on theme too.

 

[Manxmaid]

Build is nicely on theme, as they had to build the scaffolding round the building for repair looks a nice place too. Juicy is a very nicely taken shot, you can see the juice well also like the BG and shadow. Both on theme too.

Thanks, Dave, I hadn't considered that take on 'build', so maybe it's slightly less of a shoehorn than I feared


My image for 'Broad' hasn't worked as well as I hoped so it looks as though my camera will be going out for some more fresh air tomorrow to have another go

 

[Manxmaid]

Week 49 - Broad


49 Broad by Andrea Thrussell, on Flickr

My befuddled brain has interpreted 'broad' as 'wide' and so this image takes in a wide view of the southern tip of the Isle of Man, looking across the width of the Calf Sound and the Kitterland islands to the full width of the Calf of Man in the distance. I have cropped it this way to add to the sense of width, too (I hope!).

I've tinkered and tweaked this image to try to make it more inspiring but the weather has been uniformly grey, wet and windy for days and I was lucky to get out today under this slightly broken sky. Storm Eleanor has already started battering us this evening, too

 

[Manxmaid]

Week 50 - Rustic


50 Rustic by Andrea Thrussell, on Flickr

Another from yesterday's trip out to Cregneash village. I had a couple of options for this theme, but this is the one I like best. Not only are the details of the roof thatch and its netting and fixings quite interesting (well, to me anyway!) but I like the way the various textures lend themselves so well to black and white. I'm not 100% happy as the clouds and failing light meant I was struggling to keep the SS up and I don't think this is pin sharp, but it's definitely rustic

 

[Allan.H]

Interesting to me also, nice tones and textures

 

[LC2]

Hi Andrea,

Build - Works for me. I like the mixture of the colours you've captured and the moody sky.
Juicy - ISO 2500. Bloody hell, I wouldn't have guessed that without looking (I was looking to see if it was a macro lens). That's the kit lens for the XT2 isn't it? You're giving me GAS!!!! (Though it's only slightly smaller than the 80D I got as a walkabout camera).
Anyway... Lovely crisp shot with plenty of detail and the colours pop really well
Rustic - Looks sharp enough to me, certainly as large as we can go on flickr anyway, and it nicely fits the theme. Works in B&W and we've al been struggling with weather and light for the last week or so.

Waiting on your 'Broad' shot. The finishing line is close now

 

[Manxmaid]

Interesting to me also, nice tones and textures

Thanks, Allan, glad you think so too I must remember these cottages next time we have a theme that calls for textures or history or something similar.

Hi Andrea,

Build - Works for me. I like the mixture of the colours you've captured and the moody sky.
Juicy - ISO 2500. Bloody hell, I wouldn't have guessed that without looking (I was looking to see if it was a macro lens). That's the kit lens for the XT2 isn't it? You're giving me GAS!!!! (Though it's only slightly smaller than the 80D I got as a walkabout camera).
Anyway... Lovely crisp shot with plenty of detail and the colours pop really well
Rustic - Looks sharp enough to me, certainly as large as we can go on flickr anyway, and it nicely fits the theme. Works in B&W and we've al been struggling with weather and light for the last week or so.

Waiting on your 'Broad' shot. The finishing line is close now

Thanks for commenting, Tim. I honestly hadn't noticed the ISO in the lemon image as it was so clean to process; noise never crossed my mind at all! I have been trying out Auto ISO for the first time and I am as impressed as you to see it was so high. I've had the Fuji a couple of months and am still getting used to it but I was looking for something smaller and lighter and it seemed worth a try from images and reviews I'd seen. I still have the Nikon D750, which is a fantastic body, and some lovely lenses but I was leaving it behind sometimes rather than lug it with me, whereas the equivalent Fuji kit is so light and easy to carry. I do need to make a decision whether to change over completely, but so far the Fuji is fun to use and I'm mostly impressed with the results. The little 18-55 is a cracking little lens and the reviews are correct that it's definitely not to be confused with the average bundled starter lens

Thanks for the encouragement - I feel a bit like a shattered marathon straggler being cheered to the line Hopefully we'll get a slight break in the gales tomorrow so I can polish off Broad and the last two should follow on quickly.

 

[Bebop]

Fascinating 'tethering' on the thatch, and on theme for Rustic. It suits black and white (I'm really into black and white lately! ) You've got some nice detail in the sky and the stone, and some lovely textures.

Juicy - you can see the juice, so definitely on theme. Gin popped into my head, but lemsip probably more sensible for you

Build - That netting is nice and colourful - makes me think of a big smile across the image. Again you're captured nice detail in the sky and I think it counts as build, even if it's a re-build. You must live in a very pretty area.

I'm also running two systems with a Canon DSLR and a little Olympus Em5ii. There's a lot to be said for these smaller bodies and lenses. They make it more fun!

 

[d00d]

Wasn't sure about Build but it's a grower! Loving the colours and the see-through yellow.

Juicy ... lovely looking lemon, a drop dripping would add very nicely. But it still works being such a healthy looking one.

Good detail in Rustic .... would prefer to see it in colour ... I think ... but old thatch is normally pretty grey anyway.

... nearly there!

 

[Manxmaid]

Fascinating 'tethering' on the thatch, and on theme for Rustic. It suits black and white (I'm really into black and white lately! ) You've got some nice detail in the sky and the stone, and some lovely textures.

Juicy - you can see the juice, so definitely on theme. Gin popped into my head, but lemsip probably more sensible for you

Build - That netting is nice and colourful - makes me think of a big smile across the image. Again you're captured nice detail in the sky and I think it counts as build, even if it's a re-build. You must live in a very pretty area.

I'm also running two systems with a Canon DSLR and a little Olympus Em5ii. There's a lot to be said for these smaller bodies and lenses. They make it more fun!

Ah thank you for popping in again! I like the idea of the netting being a smile; the bright yellow certainly helps to cheer up what was a very dull afternoon. There are some very pretty places on the island and the cottage is part of a living museum in a small farming village, so lots of interesting things to see there during the summer. And yes, some of the lemon has gone in a G&T since, although I'm still on the Lemsip

I must admit that the Nikon has been very neglected since the Fuji arrived as I went on holiday almost straightaway, so I was immersed in the new system for a couple of weeks and have tended to reach for it since getting back. I like the traditional controls and definitely the lighter weight!

Wasn't sure about Build but it's a grower! Loving the colours and the see-through yellow.

Juicy ... lovely looking lemon, a drop dripping would add very nicely. But it still works being such a healthy looking one.

Good detail in Rustic .... would prefer to see it in colour ... I think ... but old thatch is normally pretty grey anyway.

... nearly there!

Thanks, David, I'm going to get there!

I agree that the bright yellow netting has probably saved a very drab scene in Build, which I am grateful for as I didn't really have the patience to start messing around with Jenga bricks as my back-up plan! There was a little bit of juice pooled at the bottom edge of the lemon but I couldn't muster a drip; I agree that would have been a nice detail.

No, you really don't want to see Rustic in colour - there was very little colour to be had as it was very overcast and dull. It's a while since I have visited the village though, and it was a reminder of what they have there so you may see more this year if there are suitable themes. Thank you again.

 

[Fuji Dave]

Rustic is sharp enough for 1/60 Andrea, like the tones and texture and think you did a great job at not blowing the sky. IMO you will finish

 

[Fuji Dave]

A Broad expanse of the sea/ocean, a nice shot it is too Andrea, goes very well in mono

 

[LC2]

Broad works for me Andrea. Broad and Wide a synonyms, so , and Gratz on getting over the line
I think you've done a good job with the sky, this past week has been horrible for getting a decent sky, and what you have definitely says moody.
B&W suits it. I like the leading line you've captured, using the road to lead the eye down to the sea and then off towards the island.

 

[Dark Knight]

Loving that Rustic image Andrea, the building stands out against the sky a treat, love detail like this !!!

Nearly there, keep em coming