Tracer's 52 for 2010 (part 2) - FINAL Week 52 - "Together"

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A landmark - just hope I can make it through to the end of the year.... You can find my first 26 here: Tracer's 52 for 2010 - Part 1

I found this week's theme a bit intimidating - I take photos for fun, but "art" sounds much more serious :shrug:. Anyway, here goes:

Week 27 - "Art"

art3130b.jpg


This is a single fuschia flower in the garden, lit with off-camera flash using my patent technique of holding the camera with one hand and the flash in the other :thinking:. I've then applied the Dry Brush filter from PSE.

Edit Original version now replaced following Sarah's most helpful comments, below.

I used this method last year on a bright orange montbretia and the overall effect was really striking - unfortunately they don't come out until later in the summer.

Click on the link to take you straight to the pictures in Part 2.

Wk 28 - "Relaxation" Wk 29 - "Grace" Wk 30 - "Endings" Wk 31 - "Electric" Wk 32 - "Transform" Wk 33 - "Mobile"
Wk 34 - "Surfaces" Wk 35 - "Light" Wk 36 - "Project" Wk 37 - "Film" Wk 38 - "Dirty" Wk 39 - "Rage" Wk 40 - "Console"
Wk 41 - "Distant" Wk 42 - "Secret" Wk 43 - "Urban" Wk 44 - "Train" Wk 45 - "Share" Wk 46 - "Faith" Wk 47 - "Distortion"
Wk 48 - "Lead" Wk 49 - "Space" Wk 50 - "Close" Wk 51 - "Romantic" Wk 52 -"Together"
 
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That's very pretty.

Beautiful colours and that filter is really very effective.
Could maybe be toned down a touch to make it look a little more photographic. I find these filters work best when applied to a duplicate layer and then tweaking the opacity to let a little of the original show through . . . although I suppose this week the theme was art :)

Is there anything that can be done in the top right?
Maybe a bit of cloning or burning. The line from the edge of the card is a little bit too distinct.
 
Many thanks, Sarah, for your really helpful suggestions. For some reason PSE isn't as bright as some viewers and so the edge of the card didn't show up at all when I was doing the PP. However I can just see it in Faststone so I've dealt with it now, I hope.

I hadn't thought of adjusting the opacity of the filter layer but you are quite right that it does work better here. I've now replaced the original.

Thanks again for taking the time and trouble to point this out. (y)
 
I think this fits the bill for Art very well. The fuschia looks slightly over-exposed on my screen, but the filter you've used gives it the appearance of one of those full page prints in an old-fashioned book. The presentation adds to the Arty look. (y)

It would have been interesting to see the original as well, Tracer - I was too slow off the mark! :)

Jean
 
Yep i like that, although i was drawn to the pink bud, but i like it and unsure but is there a glow around it? Reason i ask is because if i move my head about it goes to black at certain angles. maybe just my works pc monitor.

Keep it up.
 
Yes, I like it too. A simple, colourful image with subtle PP. I see a 'glow' around the flower too. Is it some sort of side effect to the conversion? iain
 
Tracer said:
Many thanks, Sarah, for your really helpful suggestions. For some reason PSE isn't as bright as some viewers and so the edge of the card didn't show up at all when I was doing the PP. However I can just see it in Faststone so I've dealt with it now, I hope.

I hadn't thought of adjusting the opacity of the filter layer but you are quite right that it does work better here. I've now replaced the original.

Thanks again for taking the time and trouble to point this out. (y)
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Glad it was helpful - and I definitely prefer the new version.
 
jeangenie said:
I think this fits the bill for Art very well. The fuschia looks slightly over-exposed on my screen, but the filter you've used gives it the appearance of one of those full page prints in an old-fashioned book. The presentation adds to the Arty look. (y)

It would have been interesting to see the original as well, Tracer - I was too slow off the mark! :)

Jean
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Thank you Jean. I have added a link to the original if you want to see it.
 
davidh6781 said:
Yep i like that, although i was drawn to the pink bud, but i like it and unsure but is there a glow around it? Reason i ask is because if i move my head about it goes to black at certain angles. maybe just my works pc monitor.

Keep it up.
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blakester said:
Yes, I like it too. A simple, colourful image with subtle PP. I see a 'glow' around the flower too. Is it some sort of side effect to the conversion? iain
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clud17 said:
lovely image and composition, im getting a bit of a glow round it too on my monitor. Its certainly an artistic shot so well done.
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Thank you, David, Iain and Chris. I don't know why you are seeing a glow - there isn't meant to be one and I don't get it myself either on my CRT monitor or my OH's Macbook :shrug:.
 
No glow for me either.

Just a well lit, well composed and well processed image of a fuschia.

Nicely done (y)

Andy
 
An excellent art shot tracer, very well done.
 
daddy day care said:
No glow for me either.

Just a well lit, well composed and well processed image of a fuschia.

Nicely done (y)

Andy
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Thank you Andy - I'm glad you don't see a glow either

jennyb said:
A beautiful "arty" shot. I just love the water droplets and the colours.

Well done with this one.

Jenny
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Thank you Jenny. The water droplets were unplanned and at first I was annoyed by the rain. :LOL:

jgs001 said:
An excellent art shot tracer, very well done.
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Thank you John.
 
This one needs some explanation. The horrible weather this week put paid to any ideas of lazing-in-the-sun shots and I've been racking my brains for ideas. Today I put new strings on my lute, and as I bundled up the old ones to throw away I noticed that with the tension off they relaxed into these interesting shapes.

Week 28 - "Relaxation"

relaxation3.jpg


The strings are a special synthetic 'gut' which is opaque white and shows up well here. I like the way you can see different pictures in the patterns. I hope you agree that it fits the theme!

As some of you know already I am a keen amateur musician. My main instrument is the violin but I also love playing the lute even though I can only manage the very simplest stuff at the moment. It has a beautiful gentle sound and just the thing to relax with (!) late at night.
 
These are very easy on the eye Tracer. When i first looked, I thought you had been light painting. With a gentle explanation, this fits the theme and is very creative. Not much more to add, I think each person viewing these will see different shapes/objects within each string. Well done (y) Iain
 
What a very clever idea and you have pulled it off beautifully :clap::clap::clap: I would bet that this is the most "out of box" shot for the theme this week. It is really intriguing. If it was hanging on the wall I would not be able to stop looking at it, trying to read something into it!

Jenny
 
Really like this image and it would look brilliant hung in an office to calm and relax. The 3 patterns to me seem to make up charaters.
Very good out the box thinking
 
blakester said:
These are very easy on the eye Tracer. When i first looked, I thought you had been light painting. With a gentle explanation, this fits the theme and is very creative. Not much more to add, I think each person viewing these will see different shapes/objects within each string. Well done (y) Iain
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Thank you, Iain - I haven't tried light painting yet but must give it a go some day.
jennyb said:
What a very clever idea and you have pulled it off beautifully :clap::clap::clap: I would bet that this is the most "out of box" shot for the theme this week. It is really intriguing. If it was hanging on the wall I would not be able to stop looking at it, trying to read something into it!

Jenny
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Thank you Jenny. It was just a fluke that I thought of it but I'm pleased with the result.

clud17 said:
Great idea and cool shapes, im still sat relaxing watching the tele wondering what the hell to do for this week. definitely lots of scope for imagination making things out of the shapes
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Thank you Chris.
 
DC2Z said:
Really like this image and it would look brilliant hung in an office to calm and relax. The 3 patterns to me seem to make up charaters.
Very good out the box thinking
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justlooking said:
Nice shapes.. look a bit like doodles, I can see little cartoon person in the middle one :D
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Thank you Darren and jl - they seem quite human to me. :LOL:

ladysue said:
A very different take on the theme. They are relaxing to look at as well as being relaxed in the way you describe. Very clever.
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Thank you Sue.
 
Great picture for Art, and very relaxing too ;) The perspective is spot on and so clear too. I too can see a glow around the flowere but it doesn't detract from the image at all (y)

Art: At first glance I also thought you'd been light painting :D

I like the symmetry you've got here and the middle one looks like a bull, head down, charging :D

A great take on the theme :clap::clap::clap:
 
I would never have guessed what it was if you hadn't told us.

I almost thought they were little doodles of people. As you said, there's something very human about all 3 of them.
I really can imagine this hung on an office wall somewhere - it would definitely hold my attention.

I can't think of anything else constructive to say, other than I like it . . . I'm disappearing now to go back and try to see some more patterns in them.
 
Wonderful shapes, and they've come out so clearly too. Again I'd never have guessed at what they are, but you can understand why, being under so much tension, they'd curl like that when removed.
 
The actual image makes no sense to me as I have no idea what they are - however, I would agree that looking at image (and I've been staring at them for a few mins) definitely is very relaxing so a big (y) from me.
 
SarahLee said:
I would never have guessed what it was if you hadn't told us.

I almost thought they were little doodles of people. As you said, there's something very human about all 3 of them.
I really can imagine this hung on an office wall somewhere - it would definitely hold my attention.

I can't think of anything else constructive to say, other than I like it . . . I'm disappearing now to go back and try to see some more patterns in them.
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Thank you Sarah

jgs001 said:
Wonderful shapes, and they've come out so clearly too. Again I'd never have guessed at what they are, but you can understand why, being under so much tension, they'd curl like that when removed.
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Thank you John

ProG77 said:
The actual image makes no sense to me as I have no idea what they are - however, I would agree that looking at image (and I've been staring at them for a few mins) definitely is very relaxing so a big (y) from me.
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Thank you PG. They are old strings from a lute, which is a plucked instrument like a guitar. Taking them off has relaxed the tension and caused them to curl up, and the extra curly bits and knots at the ends are from where they were wound on to the tuning pegs at one end and tied on to the bridge at the other.
 
For this theme I decided to try photographing one of the swans on the canal. After raining for days it finally stopped so I got out my bike and started hunting...and hunting... Could I find one when I wanted? After a circuit of nearly 10 miles I was about to give up, but turned down one more branch and Bingo!

Week 28 - "Grace"

grace320634asmalldark.jpg


This one was doing absolutely nothing - it just kept on paddling lazily upstream for about 50 yards before tucking its head under its wing and drifting back down again.

Being a canal and under trees at this point the water was pretty dark and murky, but it sets the swan off well.
 
Perfect Tracer just perfect. You have controlled the light well on the swan's white feathers against the darkness of the water. I am sure it would have been quite easy to have blown the white but you have kept the detail in the feathers. Composition works well here with the full reflection in the water. Bang on theme too. Well done Iain
 
Tracer, that is really beautiful. Bang on theme and I could hang that on my wall. It is soooo difficult to take photos of white birds without blowing the highlights. I also really like just the touch of colour.

That was definitely worth the cycle ride :clap::clap::clap:

Jenny
 
nice reflection and the dark background makes the swan really stand out. well done
 
I can't add much to the above.

:clap: Simply beautiful.
The dark background works perfectly and you can't get any more graceful than that.
It's a bit of a shame that the shadow from its neck is falling across the white feathers, but certainly not a major issue and I don't suppose that you could do much about that anyway. I like this a lot.
 
Really like that shot mate. Nice contrast in the black and white.

It takes a while to adjust to the crop/composure seeing the swan so hight up in the shot, maybe a re-crop with more space above its head would aid that?

Dan
 
ladysue said:
The swan looks lovely with the dark background. Very graceful too.
Sue
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Thank you Sue
blakester said:
Perfect Tracer just perfect. You have controlled the light well on the swan's white feathers against the darkness of the water. I am sure it would have been quite easy to have blown the white but you have kept the detail in the feathers. Composition works well here with the full reflection in the water. Bang on theme too. Well done Iain
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Thank you Iain. I was really careful with the exposure, using manual spot metering and the old zone system, and I always shoot RAW -- even so I'm amazed at the dynamic range.

jennyb said:
Tracer, that is really beautiful. Bang on theme and I could hang that on my wall. It is soooo difficult to take photos of white birds without blowing the highlights. I also really like just the touch of colour.

That was definitely worth the cycle ride :clap::clap::clap:

Jenny
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Thank you Jenny - careful metering and shooting RAW is the answer. I enjoy riding along the canal as it is quite an oasis in the city.
 
karate-ka said:
nice reflection and the dark background makes the swan really stand out. well done
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justlooking said:
Love the reflextion and the contrast between the dark and light
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Thank you Ian and JL - I was lucky to find it in that particular place where the water was so dark.
SarahLee said:
I can't add much to the above.

:clap: Simply beautiful.
The dark background works perfectly and you can't get any more graceful than that.
It's a bit of a shame that the shadow from its neck is falling across the white feathers, but certainly not a major issue and I don't suppose that you could do much about that anyway. I like this a lot.
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Thank you Sarah. I agree about the shadow but plunging in with a reflector wasn't an option.:D Earlier in the day the sky was overcast which would have been better, but by the time I found the swan the sun had come out.
 
dan_yorkshire said:
Really like that shot mate. Nice contrast in the black and white.

It takes a while to adjust to the crop/composure seeing the swan so hight up in the shot, maybe a re-crop with more space above its head would aid that?

Dan
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Thank you Dan. I take your point, but I tried various crops and this is the one I prefer though I'm not sure why.
DC2Z said:
A cracking shot, works really well it the background and border.
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Thank you Darren
 
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