weekly Raptor Mike's TP52 challange 2015 - CATCH UP!! Weeks 14, 15, 16 & 17 added

Week 4 - Companions

I had a different idea for this but in the end decided it was daft so went a different route. So I was going to take a photo of mine and my wifes wedding rings together but though if I included the hands too it might make for a better picture. Now I will add I'm not upto date with the pictures thread so sorry if this has already been done.

I used my 60D with my Tamron 17-50mm at f8. I used a shoot through brolly with a speedlight on -3. The camera was held with my tripod arm sicking out and I use a cable release. I had to do some cloning and selected softening on my wife's had to repair dry skin. I left mine alone to give a bit of contrast between the male and female hands. For the same reason I also had my wife's fingers close together to give a more slender look while mine were more spread.

It's a bit late because I've been waiting for my new Westcott brolly to come.


week 4 comapnions jpg by Raptor Mike, on Flickr
 
Hi, nice feeling to Companion and decent composition. Looks a little under exposed and I wonder what a slight vignette would look like.

Cheers.
 
posiview said:
Hi, nice feeling to Companion and decent composition. Looks a little under exposed and I wonder what a slight vignette would look like.

Cheers.
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Pinkbikerbabe said:
Companions - a lovely idea for the theme, I agree it does look a little bit under exposed.
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Thanks folks. I didn't want it too bright so it looked less harsh and a little cosy. Good idea about the vignette. I'm not normally a fan of them but agree it would've help this image.
 
Nice interpretation Mike (y)

I agree with Andy & Mandy about the exposure,
but we established your monitor was a little brighter than mine,
with the grey blob thing.
 
It doesn't look under exposed to me. Nice image Mike, on theme, but it needs a little something to cosy it up ... not sure what.
 
Raptor Mike said:
Thanks guys. My monitor was only calibrated a week or two ago. @Cobra what grey thing are you on about :confused:
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Don't worry about it, I've lost the plot, I never had,
you was the wrong "Mike" :D
 
Raptor Mike said:
Ahh that's k then. For a minute I thought I was loosing more of the plot... I haven't got much left as it is ;)
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I have (a lot) less than you it seems :D
 
Image fits the theme and it works but is a little 'flat' I feel; a little more brightness and contrast perhaps?
 
Week 5 - Elegant
So another late one. I had planned to do this on Tuesday night but the bulb in the lamp was broken :rolleyes: and as said in the main thread its been a hard week at work so I finally got around to it tonight. I was goin to do swans but haven't had the time or energy to go down the road to take them. Then I saw the lava lamp in the bedroom. So here we are. Taken with my 60D and Tamron 17-50 using a cable release. No flash used. I've done some fiddling in lightroom (the trial for that runs out in 4 days). I hope it falls withing theme, and I don't think it's my best entry.

Week 5 - Elegant by Raptor Mike, on Flickr
 
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Very elegant. They look like red eggs. Thank heavens oyu didn't do swans too! :)
 
Do people really still own Lava lamps? :p

I guess they are elegant in their own way.
And we've had an over load of swans so you made the right call on that Mike (y)
 
Thanks.
We've had this one for years. We kept it for giving a nice light but it still never gets used really, hence why I didn't know the bulb was broken until Mrs raptor tried it.
 
Yep - I'd say that works for elegance.
There's definitely something elegant in the shape and curves of the lamp, and they are kind of elegant when switched on.

As an image I think it would have worked better for me with a bit more light spill from the lamp to keep it grounded on whatever surface it's on rather than the sort of 'floating in mid air' feel.
Perhaps evene a bit of perspex or something underneath to add a reflection ???
 
Week 6 -Watery
SO off I went to Lyme Regis again for this. These where taken on the west side of the Cobb, Monmouth Beach. I was hoping to get more of the rocks in the sea but the tide had come in too much. There are rock pools further up the beach but again with the tide. Balancing work, sunset and tides :banghead:
So anyway I wanted swishy water. I do have some with longer exposures, one even at 3 mins, but I think they looked too misty. Please let me know your preference.
In order of capture:
1

_MG_6025 by Raptor Mike, on Flickr

2

_MG_6034 by Raptor Mike, on Flickr

3

_MG_6048 by Raptor Mike, on Flickr

After the sun went down I walked back to the carpark when I saw the sea all pink and Golden Cap in a pink haze. SO this one is just to show that, not for the 52.

Pink Cobb by Raptor Mike, on Flickr
 
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Definitely #2 Mike.
Nice subtle colours in the sky, and the sun just peeping over the hill makes it (y)
 
Cobra said:
Definitely #2 Mike.
Nice subtle colours in the sky, and the sun just peeping over the hill makes it (y)
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Thanks Chris. I nearly missed it because it set really fast. I thought I had a little while and all of a sudden it was disappearing. I was about 20 metres down the beach togging those rocks so rush back up to include them and got two shots before it set.
 
#3 for scenic is the best for me! #1 needs to be angled more towards the foreground for me and include more of those lovely rocks. I would also crop a little off the right of the image to take out the little bit of island creeping in.

#2 is really nice but again I think it would be better if you had 2/3 foreground and 1/3 sky, but it's still works well. The foreground is also a little dark and the image looks slightly underexposed.

#3 is my favourite! Perfect foreground/sky split, rocks in the foreground nicely lit by setting sun and a bit of movement in the waves. Good image!
 
Steven001 said:
#3 for scenic is the best for me! #1 needs to be angled more towards the foreground for me and include more of those lovely rocks. I would also crop a little off the right of the image to take out the little bit of island creeping in.

#2 is really nice but again I think it would be better if you had 2/3 foreground and 1/3 sky, but it's still works well. The foreground is also a little dark and the image looks slightly underexposed.

#3 is my favourite! Perfect foreground/sky split, rocks in the foreground nicely lit by setting sun and a bit of movement in the waves. Good image!
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Thanks Steven. These are cropped from the bottom so there is more pebbles in the originals. I will take another look but was worried about too many pebbles in the foreground.
 
Hi Mike ... 3 very nice low POV long exposure images (y)

I really like #1 because of the sunlight on the stones.
 
Hi Mike.

I'm scratching my head wondering how I've not commented on your thread yet. :thinking:
I must be losing the plot.

BLISS - Swap that beer for a JD and I'm in. :)
I can agree that if there's something good on, then a drink, a nibble and a comfy sofa IS pretty blissful.

FRAGILE - Two good shots, but I prefer the one with a few scattered bricks at the base. Great idea though.
And the tape on wifey's bump is funny :)

SCENIC - The very last edit for me Mike. By far the simplest and the prettiest.

COMPANIONS - Very nice idea :) A tad under-exposed maybe, but the hands do make a very pleasing shape....heart-like :)

ELEGANT - Lava lamp!!! I haven't seen one of those in years. I'll agree it's not your strongest shot, but it fits the theme nicely :)

WATERY - Some real beauties there. Wonderful light. My favourite would have to be number 2...with my only bug being the central position of the horizon. That's just my personal pet hate though so take no notice :LOL:

Sorry for not dropping in sooner Mike...looking foward to seeing more :)
 
Thank you everyone for your input and thanks @viv1969 for all those comments, no need to apologize (especially as I'm so slack myself :sorry:)

Here are numbers one and two before cropping
1

_MG_6025 pre crop by Raptor Mike, on Flickr

2

_MG_6034 pre crop by Raptor Mike, on Flickr

I know what some of you mean about the hozizon being too central but I didn't want to have too may pebbles in the foreground. What do you all think?
 
Raptor Mike said:
Thank you everyone for your input and thanks @viv1969 for all those comments, no need to apologize (especially as I'm so slack myself :sorry:)

Here are numbers one and two before cropping
1

_MG_6025 pre crop by Raptor Mike, on Flickr

2

_MG_6034 pre crop by Raptor Mike, on Flickr

I know what some of you mean about the hozizon being too central but I didn't want to have too may pebbles in the foreground. What do you all think?
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I think they're both much better with more pebbles :)
 
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