blakester's 52 for 2010, Weeks 51 & 52 Page 12 (Finally Finished)

[dan_yorkshire]

That is exactly the shot I was thinking of Iain, my friend has two young girls who dance and had I found the time would have tried to capture something veryt similar.

Not sure whether it requires the flowers or not but a really strong image all the same.

Dan

 

[Lynton]

Iain,

Grace........

pretty much echoing what everyone says above.......... colouring / lighting / pose / DOF etc etc all pretty much nailed....... how many takes did you have to do??????

Love that it seems a little abstract as well - in just having the feet and lower legs........ IMHO, one of the best of your 52 so far.

 

[DC2Z]

Love the softer colours and the lighting.

Perfect for this weeks theme

 

[Tracer]

Just beautiful - colours, lighting, composition, everything! The flowers are a master stroke.

 

[blakester]

Iain,

Grace........

pretty much echoing what everyone says above.......... colouring / lighting / pose / DOF etc etc all pretty much nailed....... how many takes did you have to do??????

Love that it seems a little abstract as well - in just having the feet and lower legs........ IMHO, one of the best of your 52 so far.

Thanks Lynton, how many takes? Not too many, 5 or 6 maybe. Apparently its quite difficult standing on pointe these models can be so tempramental.

Love the softer colours and the lighting.

Perfect for this weeks theme

Cheers Darren.

Just beautiful - colours, lighting, composition, everything! The flowers are a master stroke.

Thanks to you too Tracer, much appreciated.

 

[blakester]

Week 30 of 52, this week's offering on the theme of "endings".
I hope this speaks for itself, without the use of a crowbar. My take on the theme, C&C welcome as always.

 

[justlooking]

No crowbar needed. I think the black and white suits the image very well. I find the gate handle a little dominating. Love the textures in the wood.

 

[clud17]

Nice job, i like the tones of the mono conversion, i agree about the door knob, its a whopper. You have controlled the dof of the graveyard well too.

 

[blakester]

No crowbar needed. I think the black and white suits the image very well. I find the gate handle a little dominating. Love the textures in the wood.

Thanks JL, I like the image in colour but agree that the subject suits B&W hence the conversion. The gate handle does dominate, I agree but I feel it adds interest and balance to the image rather than a more central look through the gate to the graveyard beyond. I appreciate your comments and opinions, thanks.

Nice job, i like the tones of the mono conversion, i agree about the door knob, its a whopper. You have controlled the dof of the graveyard well too.

Thanks to you too Chris, much appreciated.

 

[dlh]

You've framed the graveyard nicely through the hole. I don't find the handle too distracting, but the tiny gap on the right keeps pulling my eye across. What I would have preferred is the focus on the graveyard and the gate oof as that's where the eye naturally rests.

 

[blakester]

You've framed the graveyard nicely through the hole. I don't find the handle too distracting, but the tiny gap on the right keeps pulling my eye across. What I would have preferred is the focus on the graveyard and the gate oof as that's where the eye naturally rests.

Thanks Darren, how about this one Darren?

 

[dlh]

That works better for me Iain, although I'm sure it'll be a personal preference thing. What I would like to see now is someone in shot bent over looking at the gravestones. Bet you haven't got one of them?

 

[mmcp42]

hmm
I wondered about "swapping the focus"
now I've seen both I prefer #1
good to lose the right hand few mm though!

oh and well conceived and 100% on topic!

 

[daddy day care]

Second version for me. Your eye is drawn past the gate and into the cemetary.

Black and white works well for this as well.

Andy

 

[jgs001]

Iain, I missed your Grace shot... very graceful, and the delicate colours work very well.

Endings... gotta be the second one.. the framing through the gate works really well, as does the mono

 

[blakester]

In response to comments above, I have cropped my original endings submission.


It does seem as if the second posting with the alternative focus is the preferred option though.

 

[blakester]

That works better for me Iain, although I'm sure it'll be a personal preference thing. What I would like to see now is someone in shot bent over looking at the gravestones. Bet you haven't got one of them?

Nope , you've got me on that one Darren.

hmm
I wondered about "swapping the focus"
now I've seen both I prefer #1
good to lose the right hand few mm though!

oh and well conceived and 100% on topic!

Thanks Mike, I have now lost those rhs mm

Second version for me. Your eye is drawn past the gate and into the cemetary.

Black and white works well for this as well.

Andy

Thanks Andy, I am drawn more to the second one myself.

Iain, I missed your Grace shot... very graceful, and the delicate colours work very well.

Endings... gotta be the second one.. the framing through the gate works really well, as does the mono

Cheers John, I am particularly pleased with grace.
Another vote for the second one, thanks.

 

[stu_the_flat]

Its a really coo shot, I might have been tempted to step back use a longer lens and try and enlarge the grave stones to make them more striking,

Stuart

 

[DC2Z]

2nd version for me, love the way your eye is drawn into the cemetary.

Works wondefully in B&W

 

[jeangenie]

Hi Iain, big catch up time from me!

Art: I love the sketches and the idea. I've gone back several times to try and choose a favourite, but there are favourite elements in each one and in the end I decided they had to be a complete set - a quadptych? Excellent take on the theme, Iain.

Relaxation: Like Jenny, I read the label as 'Hell' :bang: There's nothing I'd change about this - it's a great take on the theme, the colours work well and the compostion is interesting with plenty to see in the shot. Definitely a winner.

Grace: This is just beautiful. I could see it printed large and framed to grace the reception area of a dance studio. Elegent, simple, stylish and definitely graceful.

Endings: I'm glad I didn't go with a take on this idea because I know I wouldn't have executed it as well as this. I like both versions - they each tell a different story, but perhaps the second one with the graveyard in focus meets the theme better. Either way, another winner.

Jean

 

[ladysue]

Hi Iain
I prefer the second shot with the graves, which are the main subject, in focus. I wonder if you could have done without the handle completely but then you wouldnt know it was a gate. I like the black and white conversion.
Sue

 

[SarahLee]

Second one for me with the gate out of focus. I'm just finding what's beyond the gate far more interesting than the gate itself.
Although I think that the angle of the first one is maybe a little stronger - you don't have the bright bit of sky showing through the top right cutout in the gate.

 

[blakester]

When this weeks theme was drawn, I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to achieve from the image and its subject. Below is a figure which I made through the week. I thought a music CD album cover would work as a theme.
Below is my take on this weeks theme.......

Wire(d) For Sound

 

[blakester]

Its a really coo shot, I might have been tempted to step back use a longer lens and try and enlarge the grave stones to make them more striking,

Stuart

Thanks Stuart, but not quite sure what you mean about enlarging the grave stones, I have them as big in the frame as I could get without clipping some of them with the aperture through the gate.

2nd version for me, love the way your eye is drawn into the cemetary.

Works wondefully in B&W

Cheers Darren

Hi Iain, big catch up time from me!

Art: I love the sketches and the idea. I've gone back several times to try and choose a favourite, but there are favourite elements in each one and in the end I decided they had to be a complete set - a quadptych? Excellent take on the theme, Iain.

Relaxation: Like Jenny, I read the label as 'Hell' :bang: There's nothing I'd change about this - it's a great take on the theme, the colours work well and the compostion is interesting with plenty to see in the shot. Definitely a winner.

Grace: This is just beautiful. I could see it printed large and framed to grace the reception area of a dance studio. Elegent, simple, stylish and definitely graceful.

Endings: I'm glad I didn't go with a take on this idea because I know I wouldn't have executed it as well as this. I like both versions - they each tell a different story, but perhaps the second one with the graveyard in focus meets the theme better. Either way, another winner.

Jean

Thank you to Jean for your positive comments.

Hi Iain
I prefer the second shot with the graves, which are the main subject, in focus. I wonder if you could have done without the handle completely but then you wouldnt know it was a gate. I like the black and white conversion.
Sue

Thanks Sue, I tried different shots without the handle but preferred it in to balance the image.

Second one for me with the gate out of focus. I'm just finding what's beyond the gate far more interesting than the gate itself.
Although I think that the angle of the first one is maybe a little stronger - you don't have the bright bit of sky showing through the top right cutout in the gate.

Thanks Sarah, that bright bit is a touch distracting I agree.

 

[dlh]

WOW Iain. Amazing effort and creativity gone into this. I had to double take and then triple take before I realised what you'd done there. Great colour and the use of a spotlight to create the shadow is spot on (pun intended). The only little thing I'd like to see is a tiny bit more space above and left/right of the frame (keeping it square). But that's really just a niggle and I think this is great

 

[justlooking]

Love your electric shot - you must have spent ages making him .. wonder if he will star in any more photos in the future !

 

[philthejuggler]

Love the idea, love the figure you've created and the composition is just great! I'd have preferred slightly softer lighting to reduce the glare from the cable, but not so soft as to lose the shadow.

Phil

 

[holryn]

Haha - terrific imagination there Iain - well done.

 

[jeangenie]

That's a really creative interpretation, Iain, and I absolutely love it. The shadow and reflection add even more to the figure. Great.

Jean

 

[ladysue]

I like your man- he is very amusing. You are very creative. His hair and its shadow are great.
Sue

 

[daddy day care]

This is superb Iain.

I love the fact that you have gone to the trouble of making this figure yourself.

The spotlight works a treat. The crop is just right. Other things like the reflection and shadow make the shot great.

Looks like a vinyl record for the floor as well.

Andy

 

[blakester]

WOW Iain. Amazing effort and creativity gone into this. I had to double take and then triple take before I realised what you'd done there. Great colour and the use of a spotlight to create the shadow is spot on (pun intended). The only little thing I'd like to see is a tiny bit more space above and left/right of the frame (keeping it square). But that's really just a niggle and I think this is great

Thanks Darren for your positive comments, unfortunately there is no more space left & right, there was room above but it wouldn't be square

Love your electric shot - you must have spent ages making him .. wonder if he will star in any more photos in the future !

Thanks JL, it took me a few hours to make the figure, with a wee bit more tweaking it to get it finished. He could star in future photos...watch this space

Love the idea, love the figure you've created and the composition is just great! I'd have preferred slightly softer lighting to reduce the glare from the cable, but not so soft as to lose the shadow.

Phil

Thanks Phil, the spotlight is a maglite torch and would have liked the light a bit softer on the figure but couldn't manage it without losing the shadow

Haha - terrific imagination there Iain - well done.

Cheers Paul, much appreciated.

That's a really creative interpretation, Iain, and I absolutely love it. The shadow and reflection add even more to the figure. Great.

Jean

Thanks for looking/commenting Jean, glad you like it.

I like your man- he is very amusing. You are very creative. His hair and its shadow are great.
Sue

Thank-you too Sue, I particularly like his hair/dreadlocks too.

This is superb Iain.

I love the fact that you have gone to the trouble of making this figure yourself.

The spotlight works a treat. The crop is just right. Other things like the reflection and shadow make the shot great.

Looks like a vinyl record for the floor as well.

Andy

Thanks for your comments too Andy. The floor was completely unintentional, its actually a piece of perspex that shows up the scratches on it with the lighting I used.

 

[SarahLee]

I'm absolutely amazed by your creativity this week Iain !!!

Before I even get onto the photograph that little wire man is amazing. I hope you've kept him and not thrown him away.

And the photograph itself is just brilliant too.
Love the spotlight effect and the shadow is really effective - not a thing that I'd want to change about this.

 

[blakester]

I'm absolutely amazed by your creativity this week Iain !!!

Before I even get onto the photograph that little wire man is amazing. I hope you've kept him and not thrown him away.

And the photograph itself is just brilliant too.
Love the spotlight effect and the shadow is really effective - not a thing that I'd want to change about this.

Thanks Sarah, through this 52 I hope to expand on not only my photography skills but other artistic aspects. Little wire man is alive and well and may feature in future themes .
Thank-you again for your positive comments.

 

[dan_yorkshire]

My favourite for the week Iain.

Great idea, well shot, nice lighting and well processed.

Teeny bit blown on my monitor but other than that....Spot on!!

 

[blakester]

I revisited my wire craft this week, I transformed some plain wire into the subject below. I couldn't make my mind up with which image to go with, so I have posted all three. Your C&C welcome as always.

1.

2.

3.

 

[dlh]

Another fantastic model Iain. I have no idea how you managed to get it to stand up in that first shot. If I had to choose one it would be #2, mainly because I love that fan I would like to see a little more separation from the wall as you've managed with 1 and 3, just to lose the texture. But these are all very creative once again.

I was struggling to find the link to transform, but it's clicked now. Doh!

 

[daddy day care]

All excellent shots again Iain.

Number 2 is my favourite as well. Reflections from the metallic surface on the fan are well controlled. You have a small shadow on the left hand side of the frame though.

Andy

 

[clud17]

Iain, i love your last couple of offerings, great work with the wires, it must have been fiddley creating the models, i'm no good at that sort of craft as my fingers are too big and clumsy.

Wired for sound is great and the spotlight set works really well with the theme you have set.

Your transform pictures all work pretty well to me, i think the fan version stands out for me, you have set a very good pose, the colours are fantastic and its a quirky image. Well done

 

[ladysue]

Definitely number 2 for me too in the transform set. I love the colour of the fan, the fact that the man appears to be turning the fan and that his hair is being blown. Good images and clever craft again Iain.