ScotlandTheScared's 52 - Week 12 - Poverty (delayed due to man flu!)

ScotlandTheScare

ScotlandTheScare

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Week 1 - Reflection:
I thought laterally for this topic in order to avoid the obvious. I'm fascinated by pattern in nature (its part of my job as a geomorphologist) and so I took this photograph in such a way that the symmetry of the image is split 50/50. Thus micro-drainage patterns in the sand continue under the water but almost appear reflected.

This is the first time I've tried to take a photo to a specific theme - its harder than I thought...

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Not sure I know what it is but its an interesting image.

Good to see a totally different approach.

Enjoyed the link by the way aberal, some cracking images there.
 
I looked and then I read! :)

First impressions were: chocolate, wrappers, gold, foil!

Then I read!

The colours are luscious but I cannot get my head around the scale of what I'm looking at :)

Its out of the box - I like it :)
 
I gotta agree with John. It was only after reading it, that I sort of worked out what it was I was looking at. Good idea and well done for getting out of the mirror box. Good luck with the rest.
 
Interesting, different, nice textures and thought provoking.
 
Thanks all - yes - the scale is difficult. Think about the fractal nature of nature - you could be looking at a satellite image of a continental scale drainage system with loads of big rivers meeting the sea. In fact I estimate that the image area is about 3 m tall with loads of microddrainage structures.

Thanks for the link Aberal - not seen him before. Interestingly, one of my areas of specialism workwise is Antarctica (but I do computer simulations and have never actually made it to Antarctica yet).
 
OK - my attempt at History. Was doing my weekly shop and saw this. Had the camera in the car so took a set of 3 images intended for HDR processing. Image was handheld on rapidfire...

I think this says a lot about the history of my area - Tyne and Wear. Much of the heavy industry is gone and in this case they kept an old chimney to use for the new industry that seems to be spreading everywhere these days. Damn you globalisation! (I shouldnt complain - I do shop there!).

I've never tried HDR - but it would have been a pretty lacklustre shot without it so please dont hate me!

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I lived and worked around Newcastle for many years so I know what you mean about the changes.

I'm not a fan of HDR and the sky feels a bit overdone to me, but that's just a personal opinion. I like how the image shows the old (the tower) and the new (Tesco) but the proportions feel a bit wrong, maybe a tighter crop? :shrug::) The brickwork is really sharp though for handheld. Keep it up(y)
 
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Hmmm - I did try a slightly tighter crop in PS but it didnt work. Maybe I should go really tight to get the chimney to be about 2/3rds of the height of the picture? Maybe will play around later. The interesting part of the sky is at the top of the picture though.

I intentionally wanted to overdo the sky somewhat - partly for fun and partly because it has overcooked the contrast between clouds and blue sky - this kind of reflects the slightly unwelcome contrast you get with the subject of an old chimney with new branding on it.

For me - this photo52 is going to be all about experimenting around the themes... et voila!
 
I know what you mean about experimenting as I know I need to get out of my comfort zone and pictures like yours will help me do it :D
 
Week 2 - re-edit...

tried playing around in PS after Brujas suggestion. Ended up with this... is it any better or is there no hope of improving it?!

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quite like these, congrats and keep going(y)
 
Bruja said:
I think that is much better. You still get the effect you wanted from the sky but the tower is much more prominent now. (y)
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I agree. I liked the first one but the edit is a much better composition. Great subject with a neat twist on the History theme. Well spotted.

Is that a lightning conductor running down the left side of the lettering? Just wondered.

:)

Jean
 
Yup - its a lightening conductor and the chimney is the remaining part of a tobacco/cigarette factory where tesco extra now sits...
 
Great shot, I think the HDR is very well done and not at all overdone (to my taste).

It's also interesting that I actually prefer the first shot. I suspect that it boils down to the fact that there is more space at the top to allow a magazine header or headline, and therefore could be a front page image or a full page image to kick off an article. I could see Tesco actually using this image for an article on how it integrates with the local history for an internal magazine.

Great shot and looking forward to how you approach next week's theme.
 
OK then - help me sell it to Tesco! I'm unemployed at the moment - any income would be a bonus - even £30 from selling a photo.

Next topic 'Learning' is going to be very tricky...
 
OK - here is my week 3 photo on the subject of 'Learning'. A bit lacklustre I'm afraid but had no time to spend on it as am busy til Sunday now! My wife is marking a pile of university exam scripts and this shows the lubricant required to enable a smoother marking process... I got out my ancient (and quite frankly rubbish) screw on macro filters and took photos. Poor light so high ISO and loads of noise - kind of like the haze you probably feel when you are marking hundreds of these things...

Ah well - here you go. Be as nasty as you like...

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Jamie, Really liked the history shot, I missed that. As for the learning, it's a good shot, but I think needs the background to get the learning element in. Is that the exam papers behind the glass ? I think the graininess works well in this image.
 
I'm not sure the theme is coming through very clearly (at least not to me), it's one that needs explaining as to how it (loosely) fits with the theme. Is this an image you planned to take or one that you spotted and thought I can squeeze it in to the theme? Whatever the answer it's not important, the main thing is you've taken an image and have (hopfully) learned something in the process.

The image itself I like and think it works especially well on the abstract level. There are some interesting patterns and colours and coupled with the grain makes for an interesting image so you should be pleased (y)
 
I like the idea. I think I would have liked to see more of the liquid (Coke????) in the glass so that it is part way up the large leaf at the bottom, but I guess your wife was too quick for you. :D

I hope she got to the bottom of the pile, and well done for making the best of your screw-on macro - and for getting Week 3 done whan you're busy. :)

Jean
 
As a image I like the grain in the shot...it's something I try to avoid, but it's got it's merits with this shot, but I think it not working for this theme...

But that's not to say I don't like it...(y)
 
I love the abstract nature of the shot and the grain enhances that, and well done for attempting to get something new for this week. :)

It doesn't work for the theme though as you've lost the detail on the scripts, nice shot though (y)
 
jgs001 said:
It's a good shot, but I think needs the background to get the learning element in. Is that the exam papers behind the glass ? I think the graininess works well in this image.
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:agree: (y)
 
Like the way you really think outside the box and come up with some really creative ideas. Great interpretation of this weeks theme. Nice abstract. Lovely colours (y)
 
I guess it is a bit loose on the theme of learning, and I did have some with more in focus exam scripts. But I didnt think they worked so well. In any case - I wanted to give insight into the result of learning for us! My wife and I are both academics and are used to marking hundreds and hundreds of scripts at a time. Thus I wanted to convey the somewhat hazy out of focus feeling you get after a days marking... coupled with the drink required to help you forget how bad some of the answers were...

Oh - the drink wanst coke, it was prune grappa... (the shot was set up as it was shot in the middle of the day when I had 10 minutes spare).

This weeks theme of 'surprise' is going to be tricky! Am going to try and continue thinking slightly out of the box - but have no ideas at the moment!
 
Just caught up with your 52. I think the first two are really clever interpreations of the the theme.:clap: I see your thinking with the third, just not sure it works.
Good luck with the rest of the 52, and if you've any spare thoughts on Surprise I have a vacany for them.(y)
 
Maddog - no spare thoughts I'm afraid - not even a single flicker of inspiration... oh wait - hold on - I have just had an idea... though its somewhat personal to my wife and I (no - nothing dodgy!). Hmmm - I wonder if that will work... any advice on shooting still life?
 
I like the thinking behind the learning shot. It works well with the graininess as well (y)
 
ScotlandTheScare said:
Thus I wanted to convey the somewhat hazy out of focus feeling you get after a days marking... coupled with the drink required to help you forget how bad some of the answers were...
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My sympathies - I remember that feeling well. At least you and your wife undertand what the pressures are. I always thought the hardest ones were those which were 'just about ok' - the dreaded borderliners. :bonk:

ScotlandTheScare said:
Maddog - no spare thoughts I'm afraid - not even a single flicker of inspiration... oh wait - hold on - I have just had an idea... though its somewhat personal to my wife and I (no - nothing dodgy!). Hmmm - I wonder if that will work... any advice on shooting still life?
Click to expand...


Shooting still life, imho, always sounds easy - you can put the components just where you want them. They aren't going to move. You can choose the items to fit your purpose, etc, etc.

I've found the reality different! Composition - often hard to get the items to 'sit' where you want them. You suddently notice small blemishes which were previously unnoticed. Everything seems to have a reflection of something you want to avoid. Lighting becomes a whole battleground. It all takes much longer than you (well, I) ever imagined. :)

I hope I haven't put you off! Very best of luck. :)

Jean
 
OK - so I was going to do a still life, but when I was out and about this afternoon I saw this and decided it fitted the bill whilst maintaining my desire to remain 'out of the box' in my thinking. Apologies - this is another HDR - the sky was waaaaay too bright to allow me to capture this without bracketing. I went with a more cartoony look for fun - but I'll play around with it more sometime if I feel like it...

So - why does this image fit the idea of 'surprise'? Well - a number of months ago it was reported in the local rag that someone had climbed onto the roof of a building in Byker and rearranged the sign in order to make known their feelings towards their partner... can you find the surprise message?

**EDIT** I've posted a newly re-edited version a few posts further down - a bit less garish!

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Cool .I like it, good take on the theme.

I generally like these HDR styled images, bar for what seems to always be an unfortunte hot spot of colours, particulary red. i.e. the car i the lower 3rd of the picture. There's a bit of hot green above the window but that doesn't bother me much.
 
Yeah - theres a bit of colour issues - partly because the images dont quite line up! This wasnt a planned photo - was walking past and happened to remember the story of the 'I love u' sign. Had my camera but no tripod. Tried to steady myself on the bridge rail, but still a bit of movement...

Might try and tone down the red car in PS though...
 
I like the composition of the image the road really leads your eye through the frame but I'm not a big fan of over processed images, especially where the colours are so messed up, but that is my personal choice.

The surprise element is a bit Where's Wally, but I can imagine the surprise of the building's owner when they spotted it (or was told of it). I would imagine the surprise was quickly superseded by another emotion though ;)
 
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