weekly Nickbee's very late 52: final three photos added - done!

On theme, and I'm going to disagree with the comments on cropping, as it gives context.
However, my critique would be on the pp. I believe you really need to bump the exposure/whites up, you've been stung by the 18% grey exposure feature that all cameras have.
 
Thanks for the comments @susiejb @Dark Knight @SteveSc @Emja @d00d @LC2

I was mostly going for a laugh rather than a work of technical brilliance but point noted regarding brightness - I'd already bumped it up a little but you're all right, it needs more. As for the cropping, the first few shots I took were much tighter but without including the handle I felt it wasn't necessarily obvious that it was a fridge.

And with that, on to the next (by which I mean last) week.
 
Week 9: Numbers


09 Numbers
by nickbrotherston, on Flickr


Not sure if this one's borderline shoehorn but never has a racing car's number been quite so appropriate as the unusually-formatted one on the side of this Aston Martin LMP1 car.

I didn't have a real Aston Martin so I used a 1:43 model on the middle shelf of a glass TV unit with a flash bounced off the far corner of the room. No PP beyond cropping.

Edit: Looking at this again this morning, I realise that I should have used a narrower aperture.
 
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Nice shot and really like the reflections.I actually quite like the shallow DOF tbh....

If numbers had come up later in the summer, I would have been shooting race cars/bikes with that in mind for sure.
 
Lovely colours in your shot Nick and great reflection too.
I don't mind the shallow DoF, but maybe one to re-shoot when that gets pulled as a comparison.
@foggy4ever, Silverstone? Possibly Club? Are you going to be there on the 16th? I might be settling down for the day in the stands at the Loop.
 
@foggy4ever, Silverstone? Possibly Club? Are you going to be there on the 16th? I might be settling down for the day in the stands at the Loop.
Luffield. Haven't been for a few years. Used to enjoy the LeMans series for the Classic Endurance Race on the Saturday. More likely to find me at Oulton or Cadwell.
 
Luffield. Haven't been for a few years. Used to enjoy the LeMans series for the Classic Endurance Race on the Saturday. More likely to find me at Oulton or Cadwell.
Ah, the corner looked more of a 90' in the image, but then I don't know Luffield as I don't tend to go that side of the circuit.
We try to do the WEC at Silverstone (with the youngster) and then Le Mans in the summer, other than that it's Brands or forest stages.
 
007 ... what a number! Nicely done but I think you're right ... a narrower aperture would improve it. It can be so annoying when you think you've got it right then in the morning you find something not perfect.
 
Thanks @foggy4ever @Dave70D @Hertsman @LC2 @SamuelSlade007 @Emja @d00d

@Emja I'm not sure why there's no double reflection. The underside of the glass has a matte coating on it but I expected it to reflect internally. It clearly doesn't so I'll be using it again, I'm sure!

Great shot @foggy4ever The 007 Aston above was the subject of the only picture I've ever sold so it's fairly special to me! I'm glad to hear a few of you like a spot of motorsports, on the rare chanceI get the chance it's my favourite subject. I should be making a return trip to the Nurburgring 24hrs this year so hopefull there will be lots of opprtunities there, providing I'm sober enough.

Right, on to week 10 (but who's counting?)
 
Week 10: Attractive

Oh, if only I hadn't wasted the shot of my arse in week 3.


10 Attractive
by nickbrotherston, on Flickr

Forgetting anything posterior-related, I really wanted to take a photo of a moth flying near a flame. Obvious challenges included acquiring a moth and then getting it to fly where I wanted. Eventually I tried making a moth/butterfly out of paper but it looked awful. My backup plan was magnetism. I originally shot this against a plain wall and it looked really dull so I taped a bright blue sheet of plastic up and it transformed the picture.
 
Works well Nick, and the background does help a lot, I can imagine what a plain white would do to it, and I don't think it would improve it.
I wouldn't mind a bit more DoF, but I suppose the blur helps to give it perspective
 
Nice idea, blue background works very well, nice and sharp but I would like to see a tad more DoF.
 
Thanks @Shirleyr @Dave70D @LC2 @brrnd @Bruja @d00d @Dark Knight @Emja, I really appreciate the comments. There's something quite satisfying about making an intersting photo out of a dull subject.

I think I would have stuck with the shallow DOF although it's obviously divided opinion. I didn't actually have a lot of choice as I was at f8.0 anyway - this was the 'macro' end of my 18-135.

Right, as it's nearly week 13 I'll move on to week, er, 11.
 
11 Dark


11 Dark
by nickbrotherston, on Flickr

Sunglasses at night. It's literally impossible to be darker, or indeed more stylish, than that.

There was only supposed to be a single light source here but I couldn't control the flash bouncing off the other walls in the room so I ended up with light coming from two sides. This probably isn't a great photo, so hopefully there's some room for constructive criticism. There's no point in just sticking to what I know, eh?
 
I find the light reflecting from your shades on the RHS a bit distracting, but otherwise an excellent selfie. And yes, it's very George Michael :D
 
Dark, good composition and maybe the lighting on the arm could be toned down with a little pp but then I think you'd have to address the backlit ear too. Well done.
 
Thanks @Shirleyr @Bruja @brrnd @CliveNX @Dave70D @Emja @KernowChris @Dark Knight There are worse comparisons than George Michael I suppose! Noted about the bright arm on the glasses, I did take a shot where it was less obvious but I preferred the pose in this one. Selfies in the dark are pretty hard - you have no idea how it's going to turn out until after the shot.

And now for a double whammy: I'm finally up to date!
 
12 Power


12 Power
by nickbrotherston, on Flickr

13 Above


13 Above
by nickbrotherston, on Flickr

My youngest just turned two and has become obsessed with aeroplanes so we decided to take her to Duxford. I've never liked my submissions from being out and about as much as the stuff I set up at home but given the themes it seemed the ideal time to take my camera along.

'Power' looks straight into the engine on an SR71 Blackbird. When breaking the sound barrier these engines each generate 34,000 pounds of thrust, which someone else's maths tells me is about 60,000 horsepower.

'Above' is a P-51 Mustang. Planes hang from the ceiling like a 1:1 Airfix collection at Duxford. They're above, below, beside: it's quite a sight.
 
Great ideas Nick. I love Duxford; all that machinery and boy's toys. The Blackbird shot really well controlled DOF and the Airfix shot works well too, shame you couldn't get a clear shot but I remember how packed out that American hangar is.
 
Dark ... cool, if a bit 80s :exit:

Above is clever ... engine detail in FG ... with complete plane (more or less) above. (y)
 
I'm a bit like you, I'm never quite as happy with my outdoor photos as i am with the stuff i set up at home.
I think with your 1st shot that you've captured POWER pretty well and the fact that the window behind is blown out really helps to isolate the jet.
 
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