MentalBlock's 2011 52 - Week 52 'Glass' added & 52 FINISHED

[Mentalblock]

The 52 Spreadsheet so I know where it is!

[post=3344480]Week 3 - Style[/post]
[post=3347746]Week 4 - Open[/post]
[post=3379795]Week 5 - Hard[/post]
[post=3407492]Week 6 - Clutter[/post]
[post=3436677]Week 7 - Delicate[/post]
[post=3447409]Week 8 - Chaos[/post]
[post=3471708]Week 9 - Finish[/post]
[post=3492539]Week 10 - Trio[/post]
[post=3508415]Week 11 - Knowledge & Re-shoot[/post]
[post=3555454]Week 12 - Moderation[/post]
[post=3556092]Week 13 - Empty[/post]
[post=3560133]Week 14 - Object[/post]
[post=3600001]Week 15 - Wrong[/post]
[post=3644057]Week 16 - Re-shoot[/post]
[post=3664586]Week 17 - Tropical[/post]
[post=3664950]Week 18 - Power[/post]
[post=3676151]Week 19 - Divided[/post]
[post=3679558]Week 20 - Promise[/post] and a second image [post=3689061] Week 20 take 2[/post]
[post=3699170]Week 21 - Twisted[/post]
[post=3720938]Week 22 - Hidden[/post]
[post=3741311]Week 23 - Broken[/post]
[post=3758332]Week 24 - Bright[/post]
[post=3787907]Week 25 - Rescue[/post]
[post=3819119]Week 26 - Sensual[/post] - NSFW, may be!
[post=3835062]Week 27 - Elaborate[/post]
[post=3848454]Week 28 - Celebrate[/post]
[post=3864523]Week 29 - Smell[/post]
[post=3892697]Week 30 - Weird[/post]
[post=3906559]Week 31 - Wind[/post]
[post=3906965]Week 32 - Evolution[/post]
[post=3938280]Week 33 - Record[/post]
[post=3979797]Week 34 - Work[/post]
[post=3979840]Week 35 - Blur[/post]
[post=3993234]Week 36 - Time[/post]
[post=4019939]Week 37 - Mix[/post]
[post=4041644]Week 38 - Fun[/post] and a second image [post=4056517]Week 38 - Fun[/post]
[post=4057584]Week 39 - Volume[/post]
[post=4074229]Week 40 - Explode[/post]
[post=4094747]Week 41 - Rapid[/post]
[post=4099455]Week 42 - Weave[/post] - the official one! [post=4098035]Week 42 - Weave[/post] - not the official one!
[post=4145144]Week 43 - Abstract[/post]
[post=4152946]Week 44 - Pair[/post]
[post=4165585]Week 45 - Safe[/post]
[post=4209123]Week 46 - Living[/post]
[post=4227187]Week 47 - Light[/post]
[post=4232711]Week 48 - Cute[/post]
[post=4256333]Week 49 - Talk (well not really!)[/post]
[post=4257808]Week 50 - Weather[/post]
[post=4272662]Week 51 - Light[/post]
[post=4276104]Week 52 - Glass[/post]

Week 2 - New

I had so many ideas for this one. But knowing I would be spending most of this week in London, I decided to get an iconic shot of the 'New' Scotland Yard sign. Fading light and no interesting background in the shot left me feeling unhappy with it being my 52 for 'New'. So before I left the in-laws this afternoon, I took a walk in the woods behind their house and found these 'New' Blue Bells shooting up around a tree root.

I never realised in all the years of visiting that Blue Bells appeared in the wood behind them. I'll have to go back when they are in bloom.

I held off on posting a second image of a bud, but it's on my Flickr if you want to see it.

Thanks for looking

 

[blondie606]

Hi Neil , I just wanna reach in & tear that moss stuff to see whats hidden,almost looks like it's wearing a hat
Lovely colors & DOF though,good luck with the last 50

 

[posiview]

Similar to one I was going to do.

Green, my top colour. I agree about the moss on top, really distracts and I want to see what's underneath.

Might also benefit from a tighter crop of a retake from a different angle.

 

[Mentalblock]

Thanks for the comments.

Andy - A retake isn't an option. Not back at the in-laws during day light for a while, and I doubt I'd find the same spot if I was! I did take a few others at different angles, but as I was not in appropriate clothing, I declined getting on my hands and knees and thus failed at getting the focus I wanted. I’ve had a look at you Flickr 52 – I hope you got ‘new’ socks for Christmas!

Lynne – The moss is actually on part of the root that over hangs the shoots; you can’t make that out from this shot. Other angles probably would have been better, but as noted above, I wasn’t happy with the focus on these. Having looked through your 52, I think I prefer your first attempt at accommodation; a great idea.

Here is one of the other angles.

 

[blondie606]

Ahh,all becomes clear for the 2nd shot ! Getting down n dirty in the woods ( that doesn't sound quite right ?!) def needs proper clothing Still like the 1st shot though . I've got an ever growing list of "accomodation" type shots to work my through thanks to this challenge....grrrr

Onwards & upwards for the next 50 odd weeks I guess

 

[Spooky]

a good effort; great colour and texture - like the idea and fancied shooting something like this myself but lurgie got in the way of that!

A shallower dof and closer cropping around the subject might enhance the focal point.

 

[Mentalblock]

The trend appears to be to add your 52's to your original post, and as Dawn (Drodd) has created a spreadsheet in Google docs (Linky : https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?...thkey=CK7rjrAE) I thought I may as well follow the trend!
So I’ll start from week 2, wasn’t overly impressed with my week one!
Week 3 will be up later.

 

[Mentalblock]

Here's week 3 then - 'Style'

The first is my favourite, but if I could have got the background a consistent white in the second, I think this would have been the one.
It's either my white background isn't white, my lighting is wrong, or my white balance is out - I think!

These are with thanks to a helpful colleague who was kind enough to trust me with her recent purchase and latest pride and joy.
As a bloke, these are just shoes to me, but I'm told that shoes from this Christian Louboutin bloke are a big deal in terms of fashion and style. I just see it as a waste of money, money that could have gone toward my D90. That's what my wife will be getting told if she comes asking for a pair!

 

[Marts]

I definitely prefer image 1. i think i still would if you sorted the background in image 2. The composition does it for me. Very stylish

 

[luckless]

I agree, image number one for me This represents style in so many ways, a really great capture and the colours are stunning.

 

[Mr G]

yip image one gets it from me i like the colours in this one and the close up works good shot nice one

 

[Mentalblock]

I definitely prefer image 1. i think i still would if you sorted the background in image 2. The composition does it for me. Very stylish

I agree, image number one for me This represents style in so many ways, a really great capture and the colours are stunning.

yip image one gets it from me i like the colours in this one and the close up works good shot nice one

Thanks for the comments.
I really like #1 and it is growing on me, but I was trying to simulate a product shot in #2 with a crisp white background and a composition that would show the hight of the heels and some detail in the stitching. It's frustrating me that the background isn't what I wanted - note to self, must try harder, or get better background material!

Now, what can I go and 'open' while holding the camera?

 

[antihero]

week 3: image 1 deffo works best for me, lovely colours! you managed to catch the detail well and those babaies look like they could do some serious damage!

 

[HopefulM]

style - image 1 with the red background, I love it - it's just brilliant

However......
I can now no longer look at this thread because of 'shoe envy'

 

[posiview]

Style, I prefer #2 and would have liked to see the 'C' in Christian and 'S' in Paris, minor point. I like the composition and wonder how the hell anyone can walk in these

 

[TinaC]

As a woman who doesn't 'do' shoes, I think #1 is the more stylish in terms of composition and it makes the viewer think a bit, #2 could be a catalogue shot and I would suppose it is the white balance that is preventing the white?

 

[soggydiverdan]

I prefer number 1, myself, mainly because number 2 is... to catalougey...
if that makes sense!

 

[Mentalblock]

Thanks for all the comments on week 3.

Work has me away most of this week, so it was back to the DIY studio for a quick shot to get week 4 out of the way.
Also a reason to practice my white balance and getting the back ground sorted!

So, using an 'Open' tube of sweets, here's my week 4.

I like the shot and had a bit of fun taking it, not to mention a sweet or two!
I had an idea of the tube bursting 'open' and the sweets shooting out of the top. But I just couldn't get the right. I tried dropping the sweets in to the shot with a view of rotating the image and doing some pp work to layer the image over a shot of the tube, but all I got was a floor full of sweets and not a single sweet in shot!

 

[blondie606]

Hi there

Sorry I missed your earlier weeks:bonk:

Love the shot of the shoes with the red background ,very stylish & i think it works really well .

Week 4 & another lovely shot ,great colors & another great idea

 

[Barrysprout]

Lovely shot. What lighting did you use?

 

[antihero]

well done, nice lighting and although the crop is a bit tight (for my tastes, but who says I have any!) it works well!

 

[Charlottefitz]

I am blown away by your week 3 shot, the first photo out of the two. Christian Louboutins very stylish and you have captured them perfectly ! Not sure I would be able to walk in them without breaking my neck

Week 4 is such a fun shot, really colourful and a lovely take on the theme. I think the crop works well imo and you have got the white balance just right. I don't know how you managed to have any sweets left !

 

[Mentalblock]

Hi there

Sorry I missed your earlier weeks:bonk:

Love the shot of the shoes with the red background ,very stylish & i think it works really well .

Week 4 & another lovely shot ,great colors & another great idea

Thanks Lynne,
Don't worry about missing any photos. With so many taking part in the 52 I doubt we'll see them all, or have time to comment on all. But thanks for commenting on mine!

Lovely shot. What lighting did you use?

Colin, I have three young children that spend all my money and take up most of my time. As a result, I've created a DIY mini home studio as I cannot get out as much as I'd like. The studio is formed from sheets of poster paper for the background, various angle/ desk lamps, reflective model board and mirrors to help with lighting the shadows. These are all arranged to suit the shot and held with various clamps and stands formed of posts set in concrete filled bean tins/ paint pots.

For this shot, I had one light directly above the sweets (diffused with layers of tracing paper) and the reflective model board to the left to lighten the shadows. I set a custum white balance to suit the lighting and clicked away.

well done, nice lighting and although the crop is a bit tight (for my tastes, but who says I have any!) it works well!

Thanks Paul.
As you can see from above, I'm not using photography lighting, so I'm pleased people are happy with the result.

I am blown away by your week 3 shot, the first photo out of the two. Christian Louboutins very stylish and you have captured them perfectly ! Not sure I would be able to walk in them without breaking my neck

Week 4 is such a fun shot, really colourful and a lovely take on the theme. I think the crop works well imo and you have got the white balance just right. I don't know how you managed to have any sweets left !

I'm not sure how you girls walk in these things, do you get training in that school class us boys cannot go to!

As for not eating all the sweets; simple, the children would kill me!


Thanks all for commenting.

 

[Barrysprout]

Colin, I have three young children that spend all my money and take up most of my time. As a result, I've created a DIY mini home studio as I cannot get out as much as I'd like. The studio is formed from sheets of poster paper for the background, various angle/ desk lamps, reflective model board and mirrors to help with lighting the shadows. These are all arranged to suit the shot and held with various clamps and stands formed of posts set in concrete filled bean tins/ paint pots.

For this shot, I had one light directly above the sweets (diffused with layers of tracing paper) and the reflective model board to the left to lighten the shadows. I set a custum white balance to suit the lighting and clicked away.

Even more impressive then, well done.

 

[Niki.W]

Love the shoes! Prefer the red background shot.

Have been trying not to look at week 4's as i havent decided what to do yet. Great take on the theme, great choice in sweets and cracking shot.

 

[rmmackfc]

Nice shoes in Week 3s shot... great minds think alike

 

[Mentalblock]

Ok, week 5 and I'm still hanging in.
I found this week the hardest, especially as all my original ideas got snapped up early in the week.

Sticking with an original idea of hard materials, I opted for a trip to the Manchester science museum to snap some chunks of 'hard' metal. When I started walking around though, I realised that all the things on show were inventions that made 'hard' tasks easier, so gloves off and away I snapped.

I like the first one for it's composition, but the colours in the second keep drawing me in.

The train - The good old steam locomotive made travel easier and they were made of good hard steel and iron!

Gears - Making hard work easier and also made of hard materials

Thanks for looking

 

[SamuelSlade007]

neil,

love the perspective in the train image... simple and just right for me going off into the distance..

..also..love the shoes with the red background... the second image is just too stark for heels like that..

 

[blondie606]

Hi Neil

really love the 1st shot for Hard ,great DOF & detail & the color works really nicely

Bot so keen on the colors in the 2nd image(but thats a personal thing) but really like that you can see the grease on the cogs , makes me think it's worked Hard in it's life
Great shots & take on the theme

 

[PatrickO]

Hi Neil, I like both your week 5 pics a lot. Perfect for the theme in lots of ways.
Hard to say which I prefer - they are both very good. I like the excellent use of DOF in the first one and the subtle shades of colour in the metalwork. The red and green in the second one really zings and grab my attention.

Very well exposed and I love the amount of detail in these pics. Excellent focus.

I find the white painted thing of the left of the first pic a bit distracting..

Great pair of pics

 

[Mentalblock]

neil,

love the perspective in the train image... simple and just right for me going off into the distance..

..also..love the shoes with the red background... the second image is just too stark for heels like that..

Shoes an the train are my favourites at the moment.
Plenty of weeks left though to improve!

Thanks for looking

Hi Neil

really love the 1st shot for Hard ,great DOF & detail & the color works really nicely

Bot so keen on the colors in the 2nd image(but thats a personal thing) but really like that you can see the grease on the cogs , makes me think it's worked Hard in it's life
Great shots & take on the theme

Thanks for the comments.
#1 is my favourite. I only had my lunch hour, so I'll have to go back again as I never got around all of the museum.

Hi Neil, I like both your week 5 pics a lot. Perfect for the theme in lots of ways.
Hard to say which I prefer - they are both very good. I like the excellent use of DOF in the first one and the subtle shades of colour in the metalwork. The red and green in the second one really zings and grab my attention.

Very well exposed and I love the amount of detail in these pics. Excellent focus.

I find the white painted thing of the left of the first pic a bit distracting..

Great pair of pics

Thanks Patrick.
There were so many opportunities for focusing on various bits of machinery/ engines and having the fore and background OOF, but I'm using a bridge camera and the fixed lens is a bit limiting - it only goes to f2.8 and that's only available when I'm not zooming in :bang: A few months to go and I may be able to get a D90

 

[Mentalblock]

With three young children, our house has no shortage of clutter and I had decided on the shot/ pile of clutter I was going to use.
However, my wonderful wife presented me with a valentines gift this morning, which is probably the best valentines gift I've ever had, and after un-wrapping everything another pile of clutter soon developed and this had to be this weeks 'clutter' shot

Composition and everything is out (so is my old, but faithful, bridge camera ) and there is no PP, but looking at the thickness of the manual and all the new buttons, I'm more interested in learning how to handle the new toy

 

[michael23]

Nice pic, what an amazing present!! Look forward to seeing some photos from it! Just had a browse through your previous weeks, I have missed your thread somewhere along the line. Nice images, the train and gears ones stand out for me. Good luck with the rest of the project.

 

[luckless]

Well, it would have been better to have been Canon but its still a great present and a good shot! Enjoy learning what all the buttons do on your new toy just got a new camera myself and am doing the same thing!

 

[Mentalblock]

Well, it would have been better to have been Canon .....................

I'm not one of these Nikon/ Cannon one is better than the other people - possibly because I've not owned either of them until 24 hours ago! - I was looking at the Cannon 550 or Nikon D90 as they both appear to do very similar, but when I held them, the Nikon felt right and I liked the LCD panel on the top.

We're away in a few days to Bedgellert (Snowdon area) and I cannot wait. Just need to get a 67mm stepping ring for my filters and probably a spare battery. I may even get a second hand nifty 50 that people rave on about.

 

[soggydiverdan]

Ooooh nice present

**Wish I had someone who got me new cameras at valentines day**

 

[Mentalblock]

I struggled to be creative last week for 'Delicate'.
My wife ended up with loads of flowers from a Ladies Evening we attended, so I had planned on using these for delicate.
But as the days went by, I could see that loads of fellow 52'ers had the flower idea and had executed their shots better than I would have.

So, I hoped for inspiration while we were away at the weekend.
The inspiration came from me slipping on some rocks and nearly ending up in the river I was looking to photograph!

So I give you the River Gwyfrai (at least I think it's called that - I must check!). The river is not delicate in anyway, but I had to tread delicately getting to where I wanted to shoot from, plus if I had slipped and damaged my week old D90, people would have had to of been very delicate around me for a long long time!!

 

[posiview]

Hi, Neil, missed a few of yours...

#4, mmmmmmm fruit pastels....., good idea, composition works well, leading you down the tube. I'd like to see the front pastel in focus and an overall shallower dof so the tube blurs out.

#5, first one for me. Nice depth but I'd prefer a lower angle so all the pinston thingamajig was in the photograph.

#6, who cares is the composition is of, you got a D90...

#7, so how do you spell "tenuous link"? You've done well with the exposure and shutter speed. Compositions's a bit off for me. Too much empty space lower right. You might want to try squatting down and getting the rock, middle left, in your lower left third??

Cheers and enjoy your new camea...

 

[Sonriendo]

Loving your clutter pic - How lucky were you?

My favourite is your picture for hard - the train piston, nice perspective, composition and very well exposed.

 

[captures.in.time]

Hi

Really love the contrast in your shot from the pin sharp still objects and the moving water... especially the gravel in the bottom left. The water blur is perfect... can I be nosey and ask what shutter speed you used... It's just im trying to get a wee pocket guide together of shutter speeds for differing situations and you have caught the moderately flowing river really well here!

Great work

Mark