weekly Sheylara (DSLR Noob) 52 for 2016 - Week 19-22 added

That's a very striking image, I think it works really well, the horizontals remind me of a barbed wire fence. Thanks also for the helpful explanation of how you made it.
 
susiejb said:
Hi Sheylara ....it looks fine to me, and that was inspired thinking to add the girl with the dog.....it reminds me of looking through a curtain on a bright summers day. Well done :)
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Thank you, Susie! I guess that eventually was the look I was going for - looking through a curtain - so I'm glad it worked! :)

alsjazzera said:
Hi, I like this one of my favourites of the week it does look a little like barbed wire to me which adds a sinister nature to it, probably not your intension.
I think the girl and dog are on the right side of the frame for me as the dog is looking into the emptiness while the girl is walking off
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Lol, actually, when I was editing the picture and was looking at it full sized and zoomed in, I thought the "barbs" looked like birds perching on wire, so not sinister but quite cool. But I do agree it could look like barbed wire, too. Thanks for saying it's one of your favourites for the week. That's a really nice compliment, thank you! :)

sirch said:
I agree with the others, a very strong image for the theme and leaves plenty for interpretation, good stuff!
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Thank you for your comment! I do it when a photo can be interpreted in different ways by different people!

Emja said:
Ooh - I like this a lot Sheylara! I agree with Allan about the placing of the girl. I also thought of barbed wire, but it feels as if the girl is 'escaping' it somehow - and the dog is looking out for her and being protective. A very thought provoking image any which way, and well done for the fab PP on it :clap:
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Thank you, Emma. That's a lovely interpretation of the picture and I love it!

rpn said:
First time visiting and no idea it took me 15 weeks!

Technology; nice idea and good use of dof to blur out the background including the big TV.

Horizontal; very clever and pp work. The inclusion of your niece and the dog makes a stronger image too.
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Thanks for visiting and commenting! Appreciate it!

Dark Knight said:
Well it may be last minute.com but boy that works great for me, I really like the background image with the dog looking back into the frame, well pulled together, love it (y)
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Thank you so much! So glad it seems to work for most people! :)

wallyboy said:
Works for me, I'd say a nice bit of photography there, well done :)
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Thank you for your nice comment!

SteveSc said:
That's a very striking image, I think it works really well, the horizontals remind me of a barbed wire fence. Thanks also for the helpful explanation of how you made it.
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Thanks for your lovely comment. :) Another vote for barbed wire; works for me! ;)
 
Week 16 - Vast

So, ta-dah! Another "Marmite" shot today! :)

Took my camera and Tigger to the beach today, wanting to do a "Tigger looks out into the vast ocean" kind of shot. Shots failed because I realised only when I got home that the dof was too shallow and you can't make out the sea.

Luckily, I had also taken shots of people looking out into the sea just in case. Those were better because I'd then started to experiment with different aperture settings. But they turned out looking like boring holiday snap shots.

Luckily, I'd also taken these shots of the sun because I wanted to try getting star bursts (had tried several times and failed).

Conclusion: Decided to submit this photo because star burst! (Yay *newbie dance of delight*) Well, also because I think it's more interesting to look at than the other choices. I've darkened the left side so there's a kind of light vs dark, battle between good and evil in the vast blue sky thing going on. Everyone knows that if there's a story behind a picture, it instantly makes it a good picture even if you don't like it, right? :p :exit:

P.S. Hope I didn't fry my lens! Had a polarising filter on, but not a UV filter.


Vast by Sheylara, on Flickr
 
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Hi you have done a good jobl with this, my first thoughts for the theme was sky but I didn't think it would work well at all, how wrong was I
Well done
 
I like that Sheylara - and whilst it's a simple image, it's effective. I like the processing changes you've made (thanks for explaining) - as whilst they don't look totally natural, that's the point - it's about the contrast you've created.

Just a tip, which wouldn't have created a better image, but would have allowed you to play with the features of your camera - you could have adjusted the "metering" and exposure of your shot in camera, especially since you knew you wanted to lower the exposure on the left of the frame anyway. If you use the exposure compensation button (just to the right and behind the shutter release, it's a +/- button) you can tell the camera to make the scene darker than it would (make it a negative) or make it brighter (a positive). Alternatively, you could potentially have used Highlight metering mode on your specific camera, although that might have led to it exposing for the sun which would have left the frame terribly dark and too underexposed.

Only thing to remember if you dial in "exposure compensation" is to undo it after your shot(s)! It's even more important to remember that if you ever dial in positive comp, as forgetting will likely lead to the rest of your shots having blown highlights which are unrecoverable!

Anyway, making that change would keep the sun blown (as it should be), but would probably make the star burst that little bit "tighter" and more defined, especially in the middle. You might need to go over the clouds and paint on some exposure increase though (or use a gradient to lighten the highlights on the right).

Just a suggestion as to how to play more with the camera and try different stuff rather than improve the image - it's good as it (y)
 
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alsjazzera said:
Hi you have done a good jobl with this, my first thoughts for the theme was sky but I didn't think it would work well at all, how wrong was I
Well done
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Thank you, Allan. Appreciate your kind comment! :)

LC2 said:
Hi Winter
Horizontal - Works for me, adding your niece and puppy dog add extra interest
Vast - I like that shot. Very dramatic with a large dynamic range.
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Thanks for your positive comments, Tim!

pjm1 said:
I like that Sheylara - and whilst it's a simple image, it's effective. I like the processing changes you've made (thanks for explaining) - as whilst they don't look totally natural, that's the point - it's about the contrast you've created.

Just a tip, which wouldn't have created a better image, but would have allowed you to play with the features of your camera - you could have adjusted the "metering" and exposure of your shot in camera, especially since you knew you wanted to lower the exposure on the left of the frame anyway. If you use the exposure compensation button (just to the right and behind the shutter release, it's a +/- button) you can tell the camera to make the scene darker than it would (make it a negative) or make it brighter (a positive). Alternatively, you could potentially have used Highlight metering mode on your specific camera, although that might have led to it exposing for the sun which would have left the frame terribly dark and too underexposed.

Only thing to remember if you dial in "exposure compensation" is to undo it after your shot(s)! It's even more important to remember that if you ever dial in positive comp, as forgetting will likely lead to the rest of your shots having blown highlights which are unrecoverable!

Anyway, making that change would keep the sun blown (as it should be), but would probably make the star burst that little bit "tighter" and more defined, especially in the middle. You might need to go over the clouds and paint on some exposure increase though (or use a gradient to lighten the highlights on the right).

Just a suggestion as to how to play more with the camera and try different stuff rather than improve the image - it's good as it (y)
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Thank you, Paul. It's really kind of you to take the time to share these photography tips! :)

Yes! I've learned to use the exposure compensation button, but largely leave it alone because, like you said, there might be a tendency to forgot about it, which I have done. :LOL: Actually, the biggest problem with shooting on a bright, sunny day is that I can't see the playback on the tiny screen very well, can't see if it's over- or underexposed or anything, really. So, it's mostly just guesswork and shoot and cross fingers. :p

I have yet to learn about metering, what it means and how to use it. Something I need to look at pretty soon, I guess! o_O But, really thank you for the tips. Will try them out some time, although I'm quite worried about frying my lens and sensor shooting the sun!

CliveNX said:
Nice star burst in a vast sky, very moody too.
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Thank you for your comment, Clive!
 
There's definitely something biblical about this shot as David says. That starburst is awesome and the ominous darkness certainly counterbalances the optimistic brightness of the sunshine. Simple but very effective shot. :clap:
 
Horizontal - I like the hint of the girl and dog behind the screen very arty.
Vast - I like the star burst on the sun and the darkened sky.
 
d00d said:
Vastness of biblical proportions. :clap:
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Thank you, David. That was what I was going for, so I'm pleased you said that. :)

Carl Ayling said:
There's definitely something biblical about this shot as David says. That starburst is awesome and the ominous darkness certainly counterbalances the optimistic brightness of the sunshine. Simple but very effective shot. :clap:
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Thanks for agreeing with David and your nice comments. :)

SteveSc said:
Like this alot. Lovely skyburst and the way you've processed it to the dark on the other side works really well.
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Thank you Steve! :)

susiejb said:
Love this one Sheylara, I tried sky and it just looked like sky o_O but you've managed to really make it look vast and powerful ....the swirling clouds, the darkness, the starburst, very well done :clap:
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Thank you, Susie. I wasn't actually sure it conveyed a sense of vastness but I was just pleased with the starburst, lol. But thanks for saying it worked. :)

Emja said:
Ooh...I do like a starburst! I really like this one - the darkening of the sky works really well for me :clap:
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Thanks, Emma! :)

minx said:
Horizontal - I like the hint of the girl and dog behind the screen very arty.
Vast - I like the star burst on the sun and the darkened sky.
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Thanks for your comments, minx! :)
 
Week 17 - Rough

I'm not quite sure this works for the theme, because the "rough" components in this photo might be overshadowed by the relaxing spa theme of the whole scene, lol. :p I found composing this shot very, very challenging. Adding the flowers in the background made it a bit off-theme, but without them, the photo became flat and boring.

Also, the background is splotchy. Tried to fix it in photoshop but didn't know how to completely smoothen it.


Rough by Sheylara, on Flickr
 
Hi Sheylara. Composition works and the DoF too and that exfoliator serves to fit the theme. I think it would be better if the area of sharp focus included the jar as well as the crystals.
 
I find myself agreeing with Carl, I would have liked the Jar in focus too, but then perhaps the flowers would have been in too much focus...
Another shoe-d in shot for rough, it seems a lot of people have found this theme a bit challenging.
 
.... sweet picture, with interesting backdrop, flowers and other niceties.

I think you need to focus/zoom in on those FG crystals some more. :)
 
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A subject with which I have no familiarity but you have set up the shot beautifully and captured it well. For me the DoF is good but as a minor nit-pick I would like all or none of the top right flower
 
Rough - I agree it would be nice if the jar was in focus, but I like the tranquil set up
 
Rough - I agree with previous comments about the jar being in focus. The flowers in the back, I think the smaller bottle works but would probably have left the flower out of the bigger one. Good idea for the theme though.
 
Sorry have to agree with the above comments regarding the focus, it works compositionally but if you include the label people expect to be able to read it
 
Horizontal - excellent, very artistic and love the colours but even in B&W would make an interesting photo. Rough - agree with other comments - would have liked the jar in a focus too
 
A nicely set up scene - I think it works with or without the flowers and it definitely works for rough for me. Like Susie, the one thing that niggled me about the shot was not being able to read the writing on the jar - I would have liked to see that in focus.
 
Carl Ayling said:
Hi Sheylara. Composition works and the DoF too and that exfoliator serves to fit the theme. I think it would be better if the area of sharp focus included the jar as well as the crystals.
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LC2 said:
I find myself agreeing with Carl, I would have liked the Jar in focus too, but then perhaps the flowers would have been in too much focus...
Another shoe-d in shot for rough, it seems a lot of people have found this theme a bit challenging.
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d00d said:
.... sweet picture, with interesting backdrop, flowers and other niceties.

I think you need to focus/zoom in on those FG crystals some more. :)
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sirch said:
A subject with which I have no familiarity but you have set up the shot beautifully and captured it well. For me the DoF is good but as a minor nit-pick I would like all or none of the top right flower
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posiview said:
A Pleasant still life, nice muted colours. It doesn't scream Rough, then again mine doesn't and sometime a subtle approach works well.

Cheers.
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minx said:
Rough - I agree it would be nice if the jar was in focus, but I like the tranquil set up
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susiejb said:
Excellent idea Sheylara ...I'm in two minds about the flowers because when I zoom in to the bottom half of the photo I think it suits the topic well on it's own, being nosy I want to be able to read the writing on the jar :)
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SteveSc said:
Rough - I agree with previous comments about the jar being in focus. The flowers in the back, I think the smaller bottle works but would probably have left the flower out of the bigger one. Good idea for the theme though.
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alsjazzera said:
Sorry have to agree with the above comments regarding the focus, it works compositionally but if you include the label people expect to be able to read it
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CliveNX said:
I like your rough composition, not going to pretend i know what any of it is though:)
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dankabass3 said:
Horizontal - excellent, very artistic and love the colours but even in B&W would make an interesting photo. Rough - agree with other comments - would have liked the jar in a focus too
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Emja said:
A nicely set up scene - I think it works with or without the flowers and it definitely works for rough for me. Like Susie, the one thing that niggled me about the shot was not being able to read the writing on the jar - I would have liked to see that in focus.
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Thank you so much everyone for your comments and suggestions! :) I'm doing a group reply this time since most of the comments mention the dof, so I just wanted to talk about it a bit!

I do agree the writing should be sharp so people can read it, and I take on board the comments about the flowers, whether they should be whole, or totally cropped off. I think, Susie, you're right in that the bottom half of the photo could stand alone!

When I started setting up the shot and poured out the crystals, I was hit by an overpowering scent (they're actually scented bath salts), which I never knew about because I'd bought this jar only for decoration purposes years ago and have never opened it!

So, I'm allergic to perfume and chemicals, as in even being in the same room with someone who has scented deodorant on, or even someone doing the washing up with scented washing up liquid, makes me ill. So I was feeling quite terrible while shooting this, but wanted to do a decent job, so endured it for 20 minutes or so, shot different angles, compositions and dofs, then finally cleaned it all up before I downloaded the photos.

Then, seeing the photos on my monitor, I realised the shallow dofs which totally blurs out the jar, only focusing on the crystals, didn't work because it was basically white on white and had no impact whatsoever. Unfortunately, that was my original concept so I didn't take as many shots with a deeper dof, and the only one I had that was decent was this one with the jar slightly out of focus. I wish I could have reshot it but decided it wasn't worth opening the jar again and risk killing myself. :LOL:

Anyway, I've learnt from this experience that I'm never going to have a career as spa or beauty products photographer. :rolleyes: :LOL:
 
Week 18 - Covered

Guinea pig in a blanket!

Boring snap shot from a farm visit on Sunday. (I mean, the guinea pig is cute but my photography is boring.) I wish the blanket (towel) were a different colour but it's the way it is. I wish I'd been able to snap it from a different angle but we weren't allowed to move the guinea pigs physically and I was worried enough about being told off for covering it with the towel, so didn't want to push it! :LOL: (No, I didn't get told off in the end.)


Covered by Sheylara, on Flickr
 
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I wouldn't say it was boring, it's an appealing image and you have cropped it well and the focus and DoF contribute well to drawing attention to the subject.
 
Aww..that is one cute guinea pig. He must have thought you were about to kidnap him, throwing a towel over him like that! Great focus on the eye and good detail in the fur - I would say it was a good find for the theme if you hadn't confessed to tampering ;)
 
Cute image, nicely covered (y)
 
sirch said:
I wouldn't say it was boring, it's an appealing image and you have cropped it well and the focus and DoF contribute well to drawing attention to the subject.
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Thanks for saying that, Chris. Very kind of you. :)

LC2 said:
Lovely shot Sheylara.
Focus is bang on the eye and plenty of in focus fur too.
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Thanks for your comment, Tim!

Emja said:
Aww..that is one cute guinea pig. He must have thought you were about to kidnap him, throwing a towel over him like that! Great focus on the eye and good detail in the fur - I would say it was a good find for the theme if you hadn't confessed to tampering ;)
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Haha, aww, I would have liked to kidnap him. He is totally adorable! :) Thanks for your comment! ;)

Cobra said:
Cute image, nicely covered (y)
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Thanks, Chris! :)

Dark Knight said:
Aweee how cute is that, my daughter is going to like this one !!!

The background is a bit fussy, but the shallow DoF and Fluffy Cuteness do distract from that... like it :)
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Yeah, it was a difficult picture, with the fussy background, and the towel and guinea pig being nearly the same colour! But thanks for your comment! :)

d00d said:
Sharp on the colourful furry face. :)
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Thanks for commenting, David!
 
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