weekly Manxmaid's 52 for 2020: Week 51 & 52 - Showcase & Decorate

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Andrea
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I'm back for my eighth attempt at a 52 after completing it twice (2017 and 2018) but falling out halfway in 2019. My new role as chair of the local photography club took up the lion's share of my spare time in 2019, at the expense of photography for my own pleasure, so I am hoping that this year's 52 will help me to rediscover that.

My aims in 2020 will be:
To finish and to take a new image for each theme.
To challenge myself with new styles and techniques where the opportunity arises. This has been a big bonus of previous 52s and has resulted in some of my favourite images.
To have fun, not get bogged down trying to create the 'perfect' image, and share the beauty and idiosyncrasies of the Isle of Man!
To enjoy looking at everyone's images and try to comment regularly.

Ready.... :)

Completed themes and links:

Week 01 - Local Interest + Silhouette technique
Week 02 - Pleasure
Week 03 - Tool(s)
Week 04 - Discarded
Week 05 - Snapper's Choice
Week 06 - Wild
Week 07 - Broken
Week 08 - Ability
Week 09 - Winter
Week 10 - Depict A Book
Week 11 - Transport + High Key technique
Week 12 - Fence(d)
Week 13 - Flora + High Key technique
Week 14 - Time
Week 15 - Snapper's Choice
Week 16 - Your First Initial - A
Week 17 - More Than One of Something
Week 18 - Music
... Fell by the wayside again. Finishing with the last two images to get back into practice for a new attempt in 2021:
Week 51 - Showcase
Week 52 - Decor(ate)
 
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Week 1 - Local Interest + Silhouette technique


01 Local Interest +Silhouette by Andrea Thrussell, on Flickr

The best known local location is Bradda Head and Milner's Tower upon it, seen here framed by the arch of St Catherine's Well. The headland is a popular walking route and overlooks the horseshoe bay, while the tower was built in 1871 in the shape of a key, in honour of William Milner, a safemaker from Liverpool, who moved to the Isle of Man in 1860.

I have been waiting for a break from the grey weather so I could combine this with the silhouette technique and this evening we had a few minutes of colour after sunset, so here it is. I was pleased to get the dog walker and the stream of water in the frame for added interest. I wish I could have got both the headland and the arch in focus but there wasn't enough light for a long enough exposure, and having tried it either way (arch in focus/headland in focus) I prefer this one as Bradda Head is the main point of interest.
 
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Excellent start to the 52. That's a really lovely silhouette Andrea. Great colours, and the person and dog add interest too.

I can also spend too much time trying to get a shot I'm half pleased with. I'm hoping to stay the course and mainly be on time this year! :)
 
Very Nice Andrea, there is plenty there to look at, it all works well (y)
 
That's a striking comosition Andrea and I like the dual interest of the tower and the man and dog.
 
Excellent composition Andrea and also I like the moody look to the shot.
I don't think a long exposure whould have worked as well, as you would have lost definition int he clouds / sky which I think help to make the shot.
 
I like the way you've framed the main subject with the arch and there's some good colours in the sky too.
 
I really like the colours and the way you have framed it with the arch.
 
Stunning composition and exposure, really like that :)
 
Excellent start to the 52. That's a really lovely silhouette Andrea. Great colours, and the person and dog add interest too.

I can also spend too much time trying to get a shot I'm half pleased with. I'm hoping to stay the course and mainly be on time this year! :)

Thank you, glad you like it. That is my biggest problem and it's the main reason I got stuck halfway last year; spending too long over one image and then falling behind. I'm going to try not to let that happen again!

Great composition, and love the colours with all lines including the stream leading you into the picture.

Thank you, I was lucky with the way the elements came together in the short time there was colour in the sky :)

Great composition, love the sky, nice framing with the well head.

Thank you Clive, it's not an original composition (I even used it in my 52 a few years ago) but it seemed perfect for this theme and technique.

Very Nice Andrea, there is plenty there to look at, it all works well (y)

Thank you - the dog walker was a happy coincidence :)
 
Great start to your 52 Andrea, a great image and love how the man is also framed.

Thanks, Dave, I was lucky that they wandered along when they did :)

That's a striking comosition Andrea and I like the dual interest of the tower and the man and dog.

Thank you, Pete, it's one of my favourite locations.

Excellent composition Andrea and also I like the moody look to the shot.
I don't think a long exposure whould have worked as well, as you would have lost definition int he clouds / sky which I think help to make the shot.

Hi Tim, you're right about the long exposure. Ideally I would have used a smaller aperture but there just wasn't enough light left and I like the sky and clouds too.

I like the way you've framed the main subject with the arch and there's some good colours in the sky too.

Thanks, Dominic, as soon as I saw the sky I dashed down to take some photos as it's been very grey for days!
 
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Good job getting the technique in for the first week - the dog walker (coincidence or not) definitely helps to add balance / interest.
 
Good job getting the technique in for the first week - the dog walker (coincidence or not) definitely helps to add balance / interest.

Thanks Fi, I was lining up the reflection of the sky in the stream when they walked into shot; my first thought was "grrr" and then I realised that they would add to the scene instead :)
 
That's a bit good that is :)
 
I'm sorry but the composition doesn't work for me. I think if you had stepped in front of that arch (I'm sure you did take a photo from that vantage point too) the composition would have been much more pleasing (to my eye)...
 
I like the arch as a frame for the main subject of the image Andrea love the touch of colour in sky.
 
Hi Andrea

Loving the composition of the Image, the lucky dog walker and the colours of the sky. Very Niice indeed.

Pete
 
That's a bit good that is :)

Well, thank you very much, Dave :)

I'm sorry but the composition doesn't work for me. I think if you had stepped in front of that arch (I'm sure you did take a photo from that vantage point too) the composition would have been much more pleasing (to my eye)...

It's our local beach so I have taken possibly hundreds from the other side :) I chose this composition specifically for the silhouette technique but thanks for your honest feedback.

I like the arch as a frame for the main subject of the image Andrea love the touch of colour in sky.

Thanks Mark - colour in the sky has been a very rare thing so far this year so even this little amount was a welcome sight :)

Hi Andrea

Loving the composition of the Image, the lucky dog walker and the colours of the sky. Very Niice indeed.
Pete

Thanks very much, Pete. It was blustery down there but probably a welcome breath of fresh air for all of us including the dog :)
 
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Oh that is a beauty Andrea!:clap:
Terrific start to the year!
I can't add anything that hasn't already been said...expert exposure, perfect framing, great composition...just wonderful!

Thanks very much, Gareth - I was lucky to have a slight break from the 100% grey cloud that seems to have been here for days!
 
Fantastic start Andrea! Great composition, really well framed, the light is perfect and the interest is definitely there - just brilliant.
 
This is stunning, I love the clouds they are so striking and the dog walker just added to the photo. I look forward to seeing more of your work.
 
Fantastic start Andrea! Great composition, really well framed, the light is perfect and the interest is definitely there - just brilliant.

Thank you very much, Jim, glad you liked it :)

This is stunning, I love the clouds they are so striking and the dog walker just added to the photo. I look forward to seeing more of your work.

Thank you, Heather - we've had wall to wall cloud for days so I suppose it did me a favour on this particular evening! Thanks again.
 
Excellent start Andrea, colours are really nice and the technique is spot on, well done.

Thank you, Paul - it was worth dashing out to get those deep colours after days of grey! Glad you like the composition too :)

Cracking start to your 52 Andrea. Great composition and exposure. Nice narrative too. :clap:

Thank you Lee, glad you like it. I probably wibble on a bit sometimes but like to give some background to the locations :)

Love your 1st image Andrea. Love the composition

Thanks Dave, I'm glad almost everyone liked the composition :)
 
Week 2 - Pleasure


02 Pleasure (Photography)
by Andrea Thrussell, on Flickr

I had a few ideas for this, mostly outdoors, but as the weather has been abominable I have resorted to an indoor photo. I've also been battling a cold since the weekend so I'm half a day late with my image and will catch up with comments tonight.

Photography obviously brings me a lot of pleasure and has done for many years, but more recently I have taken a lot of pleasure from printing my images - sometimes just for me or family, but mainly for photo club competitions. I really enjoy looking back through the prints so a selection of those plus a camera sums up 'pleasure' perfectly for me! Regulars may even recognise one or two from previous 52s... :giggle:

I am a bit annoyed about the reflection at the top but it's an overhead light and too dark without it.
 
A nice collection of photos there Andrea, what do you use for the printing?
Your X-T2 looks much tidier than mine :)
You've made the comment on the light/reflection. It doesn't worry me, but given the pictures and camera were about to disappear off, you could have taken the shot on a tripod, thereby allowing a lower iso and perhaps removal of the light?
(Not that the 2000 ISO shows up at all !)
 
Well that is a pleasure to look at your image Andrea, like how you laid out all those great prints with the Fuji on to Like you I print my best ones and you`ve got some crackers in that :clap:

Thanks Dave, I thought it was a good idea and hurried to get it done this evening so I didn't fall behind, but now I've noticed the reflection it's spoiling it for me :( I may do a re-shoot if I get a chance in the next day or two.

A nice collection of photos there Andrea, what do you use for the printing?
Your X-T2 looks much tidier than mine :)
You've made the comment on the light/reflection. It doesn't worry me, but given the pictures and camera were about to disappear off, you could have taken the shot on a tripod, thereby allowing a lower iso and perhaps removal of the light?
(Not that the 2000 ISO shows up at all !)

Thanks Tim, I print them at home on a Canon printer. It can do A3 but I've only printed A4 so far. Yes, the X-T2 is in great nick :) I was going to sell it but the used prices are so low it would hurt to part with it for so little!

I completely accept your comments about the light. I kept re-positioning myself and the prints etc and thought I had minimised it but now I can't unsee it :( As I said above to Dave, with the lousy weather and my cold I was keen to do it today and keep up to date but probably should have just waited. It's irritating me so much I will probably do a new version in better light or - as you say - use the tripod :banghead:
 
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