Monthly Southdowns' 2013 etc Thread - December Great Eggscape Posted

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Mark
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Well, here goes nothing! I'm going to try all 6 etc's each month, but may fall a little short; we'll see :)

Here's the first for January; my physiograms. Even though there's three, I'm still making this a single submission.

People may or may not like my borders, but I like to make things look the way they would on my wall, even just digitally, so you'll probably see a lot of these, hopefully all in keeping with the images :)

These were done using a laser pointer suspended from my kitchen light, and I'm very pleased with them given that I'd never even heard of this technique until yesterday!

The middle one results from some fat spots on my lens! I was trying to create smoke to show the laser beam up, but the smoke worked less well than the fat spots did!


Physiogram.jpg by MarkBerry1963, on Flickr
 
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Great shots Mark. I'm really dreading the physiogram part of this month! Did you manipulate them with Photoshop like Nicky?
 
Thanks Jason :). No, they're not manipulated at all (other than a bit of sharpening from the raw files).
 
I should have said, there's nothing to dread :) I was surprised by how easily the patterns form when you think you'll just have a tangled mess!
 
Hi, Mark, liking these and I'm looking to have a go myself. Some cracking patterns to be had.

Cheers...you nutter...err, guess that makes two of us!!
 
Great shots, they are fun to do aren't they? I really like number 3, awesome to capture it all in camera :)

I was scared to use a laser pen in case it damaged the camera sensor, I assume you haven't had any problems?
 
Thanks everyone :)

Nicky, no problems with the sensor from the laser. I figured that if they sell them freely they can't be that dangerous, and the sensor can take more than my eyes can: I can't look straight into the sun, but my camera can! I've used it before far more intensely than this, and it's fine :)
 
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thanks, that's handy to know.
 
True, but everyone does take shots into the sun, and the laser pointers are very low power (more extremely well focused torches than anything else).
 
These are very nice images. Can I ask what spinning/swinging methods you used to get those patterns? I was struggling to get anything other than ever decreasing concentric circles.

The use of a laser pen has really defined the lines well.

Ian.
 
Hi Ian. Most of the time I just used random pushes in different direction, but I'm pretty sure the top one was from a straight back and forth push; starts off straight, but gradually goes off track, giving this pattern. The weight of my torch was a tiny bit off centre too, which I think helped.
 
Thanks Derek!
 
Here are three for city/night lights. I still hope to do all 6 themes this month, but by posting three of these I give myself a backup plan!!

#1 Not completely happy with the composition here; I'd have liked the leading lines to take you to the wheel instead of past it, but there was just no way to achieve that unless I hired a hotel room and took it from the window!!!

EDIT: The first version I posted was cropped a little too tight on the left, so this is an edited version. An extra 257 pixels makes a huge difference! :)


City Lights 1.jpg by MarkBerry1963, on Flickr

#2 Some of the lights at the end of the pier had been turned off, but I'm pleased with this none-the-less. This one needs to be seen BIG for full benefit :)


City Lights 2.jpg by MarkBerry1963, on Flickr

#3 I really like this, but I'm not completely sure it fits the theme. I guess it's more night than city lights, but the concept was escaping the bright lights; this is underneath the pier. The light is a tiny bit blown, but you can still see detail, and it's quite an interesting light that suits the scene, which is why I put it on the third :)


City Lights 3 - Under The Lights.jpg by MarkBerry1963, on Flickr
 
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Well done :clap: Mark for finishing the first month already and we are not even a third way into January!

I like all three and agree with you self critique on the first. In addition I wonder you could 'straighten-up' the wheel to be more vertical. Appreciate that the shot was taken with a wide angle lens but the lean looks a bit odd!
 
Cheers Stan :)

Finished in that I've posted 6 images, but I do want to try at least fairy lights, domes and star trails still :)

#1 actually is already straightened, but I stopped once the lamp posts on the right were vertical. Going any further A) made the wheel look better BUT cropped too much, and more importantly, B) made the lamp posts lean to the right which looked even more odd than the leaning wheel!

I figured I've just made the ride even more exciting!
 
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The first two are nice and well photographed night scenes with pretty lights and colours but it is the third for some reason which is really holding my attention and making me look at it. Unlike the first two I would not necessarily fancy it as a calender picture but it kept my attention for a lot longer just looking to see what else I could find such as the tiny stalagmites on the ceiling
 
Really nice Mark, I like them all.
#1 looks a bit strange with the wonky wheel tho. I don't know what editing programme you use but it might have some sort of distortion correction tool? Cool picture anyway, is this in Portsmouth/Southsea?
#2 is lovely, personal preference but I may have cropped some of the left hand side out where there's a bit of empty space. Nice ratio of beach, sea and pier tho.
#3 I don't know why but it just works. Might be a cool place to try some orbs :shrug:
 
Thanks Christine, Jason :)

These were all taken in Brighton.

#3 I'm really pleased with, so I'm very glad you like it too. I really wanted it to be one of those "keep exploring" shots, so I'm very happy that that's worked. And yes, it'd be a great place for all kinds of light painting, just so long as no-one thought you were trying to burn the pier down!!!!

#1 I had already corrected in Lightroom as far as I could, but hadn't thought the tools in Pixelmator (which I use instead of Photoshop), would help me much. You spurred me on to have a go though, and I think it's worked surprisingly well. Not perfect, but not bad either:


City Lights 1A.jpg by MarkBerry1963, on Flickr
 
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I thought so Stan, thanks :)
 
Star Trails

This is Jill windmill on the South Downs. These are the first star trails I've done, and I've learned a lot :)

I do have more frames to make longer trails, but the cloud was starting to come in so they don't look quite so good.


Jill's Trails.jpg by MarkBerry1963, on Flickr
 
You've got clear skies?! Did you purposefully find the north star to work around, or was it pot luck? If so, how did you find it? Brilliant photo, I'm off to favourite this on Flickr :)

Good work with the ferris wheel from your earlier post too, that looks much better.
 
I really like your star trail shot, I like the nice blue sky with the stars and the well exposed foreground subject
 
Thanks Jason, Adam, I'm pleased with it for a first attempt :)

Yes I did deliberately work around the North Star. There are three ways I know to find it: look North and it's the bright one, follow the last "leg" of the plough to the next bright star, or, my preferred one, use the Star Walk app on an iPhone (I think they do it for Android as well)!
 
Hi Mark

This project looks really interesting and contemplating a go.

Without any detailed comments I must say that I really like what you have achieved. Those physiograms are good but for me the subject (not your choice) is a bit mundane.

Your night light shots are super. I admire the way that you capture the light and the colours - all interesting images to look at.

Just 2 points;

1. Don't know why you couldn't have afforded a hotel room for the wheel :D
2. When do you sleep, eat and drink beer?
 
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I really like some of the work here, you have given me some incentive to get out there and have a go myself, looking forward to following your thread now!
 
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Southdowns said:
Thanks Jason, Adam, I'm pleased with it for a first attempt :)

Yes I did deliberately work around the North Star... my preferred one, use the Star Walk app on an iPhone (I think they do it for Android as well)!
Click to expand...

Google do a Sky Map app for Android that's very good - looks like the iPhone one does in the advert from what I can tell.

I really like your under-the-pier photo, it's really textured and interesting. It also puts me in mind of the old Tomb Raider video game :)
 
Great set of photo's , star trail is my fav upto now! I seriously need to get a grip and try some other techniques!

Matt.
 
Thanks everyone, I'm loving this challenge. It makes a nice change from the 52 last year (which was great, but different!).
 
Here's my submission for Fairy Lights. It's not quite what I wanted, as I just couldn't get the perfectly focused image I was after, probably because I don't own a macro lens. Still, I think it's turned out OK, just not what I had in mind :)


Fairy Lights.jpg by MarkBerry1963, on Flickr
 
I've been trying to figure out what that is Mark. Water drops on a mirrored surface?
 
Thanks Michael :)

Jason, almost! It's water drops (actually glycerine), on a glass sheet, suspended about 12" above a "bunch" of blue fairy lights :)
 
I was so close! I don't normally like bordered shots but that's nice, the crop works too.
 
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