weekly Sterling Archer's 2013 52 - Weeks 5,6 and 9 added (Catching Up)

Sterling Archer

Sterling Archer

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Mark
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2013 is already shaping up to be a really busy year for me with work, photography and my personal life, so I've decided that (to a certain extent) I'm going to have to play by my own rules for my 52.

My Rules

1. Where possible, each week will be done on time. However, as my workload isn't always going to give me the time I need to achieve this, I'm not going to stress myself out if I'm late for the odd week.

2. I will be using the chosen themes each week, but as a bit of a twist, each one will have a cinematic connection to it.

3. Last time I did the 52 I noticed one of the participants posted a 'What, why and how' for each photo. I thought this was a nice touch, and I'll be doing the same thing this year, as it will force me to think about my take on each theme rather than getting lazy.

4. Probably the most important rule of all - I will finish the year. For 2011 I had 48 completed weeks and could kick myself for not getting the other four themes done.

That's it. If you spot me breaking any of these rules, feel free to give me a kick up the arse.

Mark
 
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Photo 52 Week 1 - Sin (City) by MVS Photography, on Flickr

What

This is a self portrait in the style of the film Sin City, an adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel series.


Why

This was the third Sin City shot I planned for this week's theme, and it was easily the most challenging.
The first was going to be a shot of the 'Woman in Red' from the opening scene. However, I spent ages trying to find a city centre balcony before deciding it wasn't a strong enough image for the theme.
The second was a self portrait in the style of Kevin (Elijah Wood's character). This was basically a darkly lit (almost silhouette) shot of me wearing glasses, with the lenses whitened in Photoshop. It seemed lazy, and I didn't want to get off to a lazy start, so it was back to the drawing board.
I finally decided on a self portrait that was part Hartigan (scar on forehead) and part Marv (white plasters) and gave me the chance to experiment with light and new Photoshop techniques.


How

The self portrait was pretty straightforward. The camera was mounted on my tripod with remote trigger and off camera flash around 45 degrees to my right and at about waist height.

Shutter speed: 1/250
Aperture: F8
ISO: 100

In Photoshop, I cut out the background, leaving just me.

The rainy background was achieved by creating a black layer, adding noise with Gaussian blur and Motion blur, and then tweaking the levels to get the right effect.
The rain splashes on my shoulders and head were added using a water droplet brush downloaded from the photoshop.cc website.
The Marv plasters were created using the rounded rectangle tool and then manipulating the shapes in warp mode.
The scar was taken from a picture of an actual scar which was then duplicated and reshaped to make the cross shaped scar that Hartigan has.
The Sin City font was downloaded from Da Font (a great website for fonts)


There are plenty of better versions out there, but considering I usually keep my Photoshop processing to a minimum (levels & curves, spot healing and the occasional clone stamping to tidy up) I'm happy with it.
 
This is great, I did a sin city one too but yours is much better :)
 
Good clean photograph, and a cracking film (y)

Well lit, good composition and focus. The plasters are uber white, as in the film.

Rain looks very real.

Crit, well, I'd prefer the LH text not to be in a box. Not sure what white or black text, with no box would look like and whether it wood get lost in the rain :thinking:

Cracking start.
 
Its a great pic but I do agree with Andy about the text box seems a bit out of place though I have no suggestions as to what you would do with it
 
Sorry guys but I disagree, the box is right, arguably it should have a thicker black border and it might be worth tracking down the correct font, but the black writing on white box is spot on.

Take a look here
 
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in my defence i have never seen the film so i have nothing to reference it too if you say its right it must be
 
I've never seen the film so cant refer to that, but as an image its very striking.. like the background effect..
 
Hi Mark...good to see you back again (y)

& a belter to kick off with...I wouldn't have the foggiest how to create this type of image so no crit from me ...saw the film & loved it & your image is spot on :clap:
 
Hi Mark :)

Welcome back then, I was not doing a 52 until last year, so not knowing what people will come up with is fun - with your first shot and the 'movie' element' of your own rule, I'm really looking forward to your interpretations - this is a cracking start (y)
 
Thanks for the comments and crit.

I'm still on the lookout for the correct font for the text box, and will amend that part when I eventually manage to track it down.
 
Thanks, Christine. The plasters and writing are relevant to the film, but it has been pointed out that the writing on the left is in a different font.

I'm still trying to track down the correct one.
 

Photo 52 Week 2 - Season by MVS Photography, on Flickr

What

Macro of a snowflake or a pain in the arse, take your pick.
Snow (2008) is a Bosnian drama film about the hardships of an isolated, war torn village, set after the 1992-95 Civil War. The remaining villagers remain cut off from the rest of the world, until one of the young women begins selling her homemade jams across the country.
This brings the village to the attention of some property developers, who show up to buy out the entire village just as the first major snowstorm of the season threatens to deepen their isolation.


Why

As with last week's theme, this was my third option.
With rumours of snow, the theme seemed almost too easy. In reality, they never are.
My first option was going to be a nod to The Shining, attempting a shot of a large Overlook type hotel from a nearby hill. However, all scouting trips resulted in failure to find anything that looked remotely as big as The Overlook, and so I moved on to option two.
Option two was Fargo. With the flat Cheshire plains providing a similar backdrop to Fargo I was planning to either find a woodchipper (which I did, but on a country lane as it was getting too dark to shoot) or recreate the 'ice scraper in the snow' scene. The problem with this was that by the time I had decided on it, we were hit by too much snow to get the car up the icy, ungritted hill and out to Cheshire.
Snow (the film) uses the change in season for a dramatic change in pace and direction, and as I have been itching to try a snowflake macro since I got my 105mm macro I saw this as the ideal opportunity.


How

Ideally, this would have been one for the tripod. However, snowflakes are ridiculously delicate, and the wind was either breaking them up or, more annoyingly, waiting until I was about to press the shutter before making a snowflake collide with the one I had just spent five minute focussing on, completely ruining the shot. The latter happened about nine times before I managed to find a spot with a little more shelter.
The problem with this was that with the camera on the tripod there was no way to get close enough for the shot, so I had to go handheld.
This meant I had to increase the ISO, which I didn't want to have to do on this shot, but the cold wind was forcing me to keep my shutter speed fairly quick.
The balance between shutter speed, aperture and ISO proved to be as delicate as the snowflakes.
Anyway, before I started shivering too much, I got the shot, and promptly ran in to put the kettle on.

Shutter speed: 1/80
Aperture: F11
ISO: 1250
 
Very nice indeed. Not done one of these yet.

Nice OOF foreground...looks like a blanket, no pun intended.

Lovely detail in the flake and the BG suits the season.

What lens?

Cheers.
 
Beautiful shot!
 
That is a fantastic shot, I love the even green background, and the way you have frozen the single snowflake is impressive. But the best part is the way that the balance of the snowflake on the pile gives a real sense of movement, I'm imagining it rolling down the pile from left to right before stopping and adding to the mass!

The when where and why is a nice touch, very interesting to read, thanks.
 
Super work here - love how you've singled out one snowflake as visible in amongst all the others.

Guessing this is already a pretty tight crop?? Other wise I might suggest going in a bit tighter. (y)
 
Thanks all.

Graham - The crop could go tighter, but the high ISO becomes pretty evident so I played it safe. Would definitely fancy getting even closer. Fingers crossed for a fresh flurry over the weekend.
 
Lovely shot! Beautiful snowflake you found!

Makes me want a 105mm macro even more!

You found half the problems i had when doing mine :LOL: Damn that falling snow, cold winds and cold hands :razz: I didn't even attempt with a tripod, learning from experience when i had a go a few years ago!
 
Nice shot, I doubt I could warrant the spend on such a lens as I don't really do the whole macro thing
Shame about the DoF being quite so shallow as others have said, but given your shivering, good job :)
 
nice capture agree about DoF on macro lenses just got one myself its difficult but rewarding if you get a pic like that :clap:
 
Sin...Great idea and well executed and it's one of my favourite films :clap:

Season.... Great detail and another reason I wish I had kept my macro lens:bonk:

(y)
 
Thanks all.

Starting to fall behind now. I've got Gravity in hand, but am looking for the right background, which is proving hard to find. Should be pretty straightforward once I've got it though.

Wild is fully planned out, but relies on me being able to leave work for a full lunch hour, something that seems like a distant memory.

I've also got a decent idea for Space, so I'm hoping to get at least two of them done this week.
 
Sterling Archer said:
...but relies on me being able to leave work for a full lunch hour, something that seems like a distant memory.....
Click to expand...

haha, I know exactly what you mean - my "lunch break" consists of being pestered by staff about this that and everything else (or for them telling me they're going on a break!) and usually apologising for taking a call with a mouthful of sandwich!
 
Where the hell has the last few months gone? Luckily I now have a bit of free time to start catching up on my 52.

Weeks 3 and 4 are in hand, but require a lot of work, so for now they're on hold.

Anyway, here's weeks 5 and 6 to begin with...

Week 5 - Space


Photo 52 Week 5 - Space by MVS Photography, on Flickr


What

The Lovell Radio Telescope at Jodrell Bank Observatory

Film Referenced: Contact (1997)


Why

When my little brother was up visiting us the weekend I was planning this shot, I imagined covering him from head to toe in Post It notes to recreate the poster for Office Space. Week 6 gave me the same idea. However, the weekend proved too short and far too busy to do this, so I opted for a more straightforward approach.

While I would have loved to visit the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Socorro, New Mexico, it wasn't really feasible for one shot, so instead I visited Jodrell Bank with my daughters.


How

Thanks to the weather I didn't need my tripod, so this was a simple handheld shot.

Shutter Speed: 1/125
Aperture: F14
ISO: 100
 
Week 6 - Work


Photo 52 Week 6 -Work by MVS Photography, on Flickr


What

French Toast (Yum!)

Film referenced: Kramer vs Kramer (1979)


Why

Kramer vs Kramer is about a man who puts work before his family, costing him his marriage.

The morning after his wife has left him (and their son) Ted attempts to cook breakfast. First, he makes it in pieces, which his son doesn't like, then he burns it, burns his hand trying to save it, and drops the lot on the floor.

The scene shows the importance of a proper work/life balance, and that if you let it swing too much in one direction, the other suffers.

It also gave me a chance to show my daughters that I'm not Ted Kramer.


How

Shutter Speed: 1/200
Aperture: F8
ISO: 100

This one has been marked for a reshoot as I'm not that happy with it, and want something with less of a tenuous link.
 
Week 9 - Juxtaposition


Photo 52 Week 9 - Juxtaposition by MVS Photography, on Flickr

What

The Bridgewater Canal in Castlefield, Manchester, with Beetham Tower in the background.

Film referenced: 24 Hour Party People

Why

24 Hour Party People is a film full of juxtaposition, largely using the different personas of Tony Wilson - The man, the reporter and the music mogul.
The photo is taken in the same spot where Steve Coogan (as Tony Wilson) interviews a man about canals. The shot also juxtaposes the old canal in the shadow of the much newer Beetham Tower.

How

Three shots were taken and then stacked in Photoshop. One focused on Beetham Tower, one on the canal lock, and one with the dramatic sky.

Shutter Speed: 1/200
Aperture: F14
ISO: 200
 
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Come on Mark, CATCH UP :D (comment based on your rules) :rules:


I like your pics. Given the nature of your challenge I would find it very hard to critique so I'm just here to offer encouragement really. ;)

Your what/why/how format, makes for interesting reading. The only film I can ever remember anything about for more than 5 minutes after I have watched it is Terry Gilliams "Brazil"... I do hope you can fit it in one week. (now theres a challenge!) :LOL:
 
Space really like the shot well composed and a nice sky we haven't seen a lot of them recently

work it is a bit of a tenuous link as you say, handled the lighting well thats a plus point

juxtaposition works really well nice composition the only crit is a slight halo around the buildings

well done for keeping at it
 
'ello and welcome back :clap:

Space, like it. Well composed and nice detail thoughout. I'd like to see this one at sunset/rise.

Work, I'll await your reshoot.

Juxtaposition, I read your narrative and quite like the photograph but I'm struggling with the connection. I guess there is old and new in there.

Good catch up.

Cheers.
 
Hi Mark :)

Space - Real nice image that, liking the sky and the dominance of the telescope... spot on :)

Work - Now that's a tenuous link :D again a nice image, DoF used well although eye is drawn down to the pool of butter... Yum Yum (y)

Juxtaposition - A real interesting skyline, I like the B&W and nice moody sky but the building on the right catches my eye, perspective could do with a tweak :)

A nice little catch up... that's moved you up the board to where the rest of us play :D
 
Hi ya Mark , good to see you back here again (y)

Cracking set of shots for your catch up....


Space....super shot , fab exposure , beautiful blue sky & fluffy clouds plus love that you opted for not getting the whole subject in frame...works really well :clap:

Work....hmmm...I can't knock you for the tenuous link , good texture in the Toast though

Juxtaposition....right on theme...very dramatic in B&W..possibly a little haloing round the tall building & the one with the chimney ?
 
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