weekly blakester's 52 for 2012, Week 52 "Busy (Beach Party)" Post 1215 FINISHED

Dark Knight said:
Very nice photo Iain... not that crow-bared for me, straight step fronts creating the spiral, straight ballistrades winding up the picture, and the bolt upright shadows cast up the wall

Really nice - well caught up :thumbs:
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Thanks Dean, I appreciate your views on how you see this, I will put the crowbar away :D

The goblin said:
Oooo that looks like a sea shell! I don't think it's shoe horned in at all, I think it fits the theme well. The lighting is great too. This has an almost abstract feel:thumbs:

I can't believe it's Saturday again tomorrow:bonk: aaaggghhhh
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Thanks to you too Marsha, maybe i need to take a step back at times and properly look at my photographs. I had a concept in mind, but wasn't sure how others would view it.

Yes the weeks are rolling by, I am hanging in there, just about. How are you finding it overall?
 
I was enjoying it, then work got in the way! Now I'm behind I can't concentrate on one thing, brain on overdrive! I'm hoping to get a grip and catch up next week! I'm on nights this weekend then four days off, the sun had better make a bloody appearance or I may have a tantrum!

How are you getting on now? Keep going, your photos are very much enjoyed by all :)
 
I love that Iain. I love that the picture has two interlocking halves: a dark side and a light side. It's definately not shoehorned for me, I see lots of straight, including your intended straight down.
 
Hi Iain

yet another great shot to add to the Pebbles collection , no crit just a bit :clap:

Straight...no crow barring needed....meets the brief on several counts , lokking straight down , straight window frames , straight shadows....ya get my gist :D Lovely image :clap:
 
The goblin said:
I was enjoying it, then work got in the way! Now I'm behind I can't concentrate on one thing, brain on overdrive! I'm hoping to get a grip and catch up next week! I'm on nights this weekend then four days off, the sun had better make a bloody appearance or I may have a tantrum!

How are you getting on now? Keep going, your photos are very much enjoyed by all :)
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Hopefully you'll be able to catch up in your 4 days off Marsha.
Work got/gets in the way for me too. I find at times I am submitting images that need a bit more effort putting into them but in order to keep up, I submit them anyway. Or they aren't particularly on theme and need a little crowbarring into place.
Thanks for your kind comments Marsha.

Southdowns said:
I love that Iain. I love that the picture has two interlocking halves: a dark side and a light side. It's definately not shoehorned for me, I see lots of straight, including your intended straight down.
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Thanks Mark, as said in above posts, maybe I should sit back and see how it is interpreted rather than trying to second guess.

blondie606 said:
Hi Iain

yet another great shot to add to the Pebbles collection , no crit just a bit :clap:

Straight...no crow barring needed....meets the brief on several counts , lokking straight down , straight window frames , straight shadows....ya get my gist :D Lovely image :clap:
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Hiya Lynne!
Thank you too for your comments and for taking the time to look in, they are much appreciated as I realise work/life has got in the way for you.
 
I like this one, the light on the walls looks blown to me but as I keep saying my monitor is not set up right *sigh* so could be just me. However I wonder how far you had to lean over the banister to get this? And that scares me :lol: so kudos for being brave :banana:

edit, I just used your pic to adjust the monitor slightly :lol: looks a lot better now hee hee
 
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sturisoma said:
I like this one, the light on the walls looks blown to me but as I keep saying my monitor is not set up right *sigh* so could be just me. However I wonder how far you had to lean over the banister to get this? And that scares me :lol: so kudos for being brave :banana:

edit, I just used your pic to adjust the monitor slightly :lol: looks a lot better now hee hee
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Thanks Summer, I think the light on the walls is a little blown but with the dark stairs and rail, it was a compromise between the two.

I was leaning right over the banister to position myself in the middle of the stair well :eek: Not for everyone I grant you but I don't mind heights, and anyway its not the fall that'll kill you, just the sudden stop :lol:

Glad my pic can be of assistance ;)
 
that's because I trust the quality of your shots - I knew you wouldn't have posted one as blown as it appeared to be, so now things are better, still not right, but I will find the correct buttons for changing stuff eventually ha ha
 
An early submission for the first time in a long while.
Inspiration struck early so i thought I'd crack on with the idea.

I wanted to get a photograph of someone posting a letter but I got a wee bit stuck ;)
C&C welcome as always....


29 - Letter by iain blake, on Flickr
 
Hi Iain

Straight - another good shot. Difficult lighting handled well. :thumbs: I might have shoved it over to the right a bit but I am bad with heights so i probably wouldn't have done it anyway:D

letter - good choice for theme. Very nice processing. The spare colours, the look in the eyes and the hand also give me a feeling of incarceration. Quite disturbing in a way. Good shot:clap:
 
michael23 said:
Well, I really like that Iain. Processing works very well. Can't fault it!
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Thanks Michael, much appreciated :thumbs:

The goblin said:
Superb! Great idea, I would never have thought of that:clap: Love the processing, the composition and everything.

Although, is it me but is half your eyebrow missing over the right eye?
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Thanks Marsha, I did enjoy putting this together.
No, no missing eyebrow, just a bit lighter coloured on that side.


superpippo said:
Hi Iain

Straight - another good shot. Difficult lighting handled well. :thumbs: I might have shoved it over to the right a bit but I am bad with heights so i probably wouldn't have done it anyway:D

letter - good choice for theme. Very nice processing. The spare colours, the look in the eyes and the hand also give me a feeling of incarceration. Quite disturbing in a way. Good shot:clap:
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Thanks Alan, I wanted the window in the frame to balance the composition which meant having a little of the upper stairs in the frame.

As mentioned above, I enjoyed putting this together. That was the feeling I was trying to convey, one of being trapped.

mtjhome said:
Letter - I like the unusual take very much. Colours and vignetting work well. - How did you do it - PP or posing?
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Thanks Mike, glad you like it. It was done in pp Mike, a photograph of the letterbox with the flap adjusted by transforming it. I took a sp of me looking over a black mounting board to get the correct composition, then blended them in photoshop.
 
blakester said:
That was the feeling I was trying to convey, one of being trapped.
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That's a bit ironic considering your job!

blakester said:
It was done in pp Mike, a photograph of the letterbox with the flap adjusted by transforming it. I took a sp of me looking over a black mounting board to get the correct composition, then blended them in photoshop.
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You see I would be stupid enough to have attempted to shoot it with me actually looking through the letter box, then dropped a lot of swear words as I repeatedly got it wrong:bonk:
 
The goblin said:
That's a bit ironic considering your job!


You see I would be stupid enough to have attempted to shoot it with me actually looking through the letter box, then dropped a lot of swear words as I repeatedly got it wrong:bonk:
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:lol: Yes it is a bit Marsha!

This was a random letterbox to someone's house which I spotted. It was either this or a proper postbox. I preferred the colour tones of the brickwork.
 
Straight (down)... love it, lots of straights, and doesn't need a crowbar... the shadows add to the theme... but... I'd like to see a crop of just the stairs ;)... but that's just me.

Letter :D... very clever and nicely implemented... I was wondering about how you'd done it, the skew on the letters doesn't seem quite right... which I guess is the transform ?

I'd have gone the same route as Marsha, it has to be said... not that I have a nice letterbox like that. As I recall, we had a very similar theme a couple of years ago, I got a shot of my hand posting a letter into a letter box.
 
cracking shot love it :clap:
 
nice shot bit scary though, looks like you are ready to pounce.
 
jgs001 said:
Straight (down)... love it, lots of straights, and doesn't need a crowbar... the shadows add to the theme... but... I'd like to see a crop of just the stairs ;)... but that's just me.

Letter :D... very clever and nicely implemented... I was wondering about how you'd done it, the skew on the letters doesn't seem quite right... which I guess is the transform ?

I'd have gone the same route as Marsha, it has to be said... not that I have a nice letterbox like that. As I recall, we had a very similar theme a couple of years ago, I got a shot of my hand posting a letter into a letter box.
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Thanks John :thumbs:
I have a crop of the stairs which I shall post later, just for you ;)
I can't at the moment, I am posting from an iPad.


sturisoma said:
cracking shot love it :clap:
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Thanks Summer, glad you like it.



alsjazzera said:
nice shot bit scary though, looks like you are ready to pounce.
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:lol: Thanks Allan, I wouldn't pounce too quickly, it took me ages to squeeze myself inside the letterbox ;)
 
Hi Iain

Letter - Excellent shot, very clever idea, well thought of and great pp, I wouldn't have guessed if you had not said how it was done :thumbs:

michael23 said:
Well, I really like that Iain. Processing works very well. Can't fault it!
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I can... The crop is a tad off center and the bricks need re-pointing :D

b****r... I best get my ass into gear :thinking:
 
SP...nice.

I like the close composition and the eyes really are somewhat menacing :D The Letters really stand out.

On my laptop the surrounding brickwork is a tad bright :thinking: Now I know it isn't a composite bit your fingers look a bit strange (for want of a better word).

I did think, 'I wonder what a Kilroy take but one hand works much better.

Cheers.
 
Dark Knight said:
Hi Iain

Letter - Excellent shot, very clever idea, well thought of and great pp, I wouldn't have guessed if you had not said how it was done :thumbs:

I can... The crop is a tad off center and the bricks need re-pointing :D

b****r... I best get my ass into gear :thinking:
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Cheers Dean :thumbs:
You are too kind about not guessing how it was done, because I know it's not perfectly blended. This was the first time I have tried this kind of pp and am pleased with the outcome.

I will take another look at the crop but can't do much about the pointing 'cos its not my house :lol:

Best you get polishing that crown eh? ;)

posiview said:
SP...nice.

I like the close composition and the eyes really are somewhat menacing :D The Letters really stand out.

On my laptop the surrounding brickwork is a tad bright :thinking: Now I know it isn't a composite bit your fingers look a bit strange (for want of a better word).

I did think, 'I wonder what a Kilroy take but one hand works much better.

Cheers.
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Cheers Andy, as said above, this was my first go at this and realise it needs a wee bit of a tweak. It something I can revisit. Cheers
 
I am backtracking a little with this but as promised, below is a crop of the spiral staircase from my submission for straight. There is a slight difference to the processing too as this is a different version of the stairs. Iain


Monument spiral by iain blake, on Flickr
 
Very very clever letter shot Iain! I'm finding the fingers look a little unreal (they look a tiny bit pasted on), but not in too much of a distracting way; it still works.

Love it :)

BTW, I like the originals of both straight and letter more than the edits; letter edit is too dark IMHO, and straight loses the benefit of the lovely straight reflections/shadows.
 
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Thank you Iain, that is a cracking image of the stairs and messes with my head... love it ;)

I too prefer the original for Letter I think.
 
The goblin said:
Iain I prefer your original letter shot, in the edited version I can't see your eyes very well and it loses some of its impact!
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Thanks Marsha, me too. I often think it is better to take the comments and critique on board, to remember them for the next time as opposed to changing images and reposting. The opinions are all valid but its just that I think you can end up chasing your tail trying to incorporate evryones suggestions.

Southdowns said:
Very very clever letter shot Iain! I'm finding the fingers look a little unreal (they look a tiny bit pasted on), but not in too much of a distracting way; it still works.

Love it :)

BTW, I like the originals of both straight and letter more than the edits; letter edit is too dark IMHO, and straight loses the benefit of the lovely straight reflections/shadows.
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Thanks Mark. On the subject of the fingers, I do agree with you but this was the first time of trying something like this and for a first attempt I am quite chuffed.
To be honest, this has strayed away a little from what I think I am about with photography. It opens up the old argument of when does it cease to become a photograph. I try to get things right as much as I can in camera (as I am sure we all are) than spend an age in front of a computer screen. However, in this instance there was a lack of letterboxes that i could squeeze my frame into :lol: so it had to be a composite.
 
I think whether or not an image is manipulated is completely irrelevant if it's art. The ONLY time it matters in the slightest is if a photo is claiming to record a fact (e.g. journalism), in which case there should be minimal re-touching; no more than is required to make the image clear.

On my Photographic course a couple of weeks ago, Chris Weston made a good point. He said that no painter would EVER have a problem with leaving something he saw out of his painting if it was irrelevant, so why should it be a problem for a photographer to remove the same thing afterwards? Same applies to adding things; if it helps the image, why on earth not?

Getting it right in camera is important, because that makes it so much easier to create the final image, and might even make re-touching irrelevant.

In the end all that matters is what the final image says to people.

IMHO, obviously :)
 
That is a good point made there Mark.
PP isn't something that comes intuitively to me, I have really got to think it through and definitely seek guidance through google searches. That is probably the crux of my view of pp, keep it to minimum if possible but it is certainly different strokes for different folks ;)
 
Straight - Loving both these but #1 just wins it for me with the inclusion of the open window.

Letter - Very creative and good thinking. I prefer the exposure of the bricks on #2 but the exposure of the letter box and face of #1. Great shot though.
 
Delta Skies said:
Straight - Loving both these but #1 just wins it for me with the inclusion of the open window.

Letter - Very creative and good thinking. I prefer the exposure of the bricks on #2 but the exposure of the letter box and face of #1. Great shot though.
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Thanks for your votes Peter, much appreciated :thumbs:
 
I love that spiral staircase photo.

Great imagination for letter Iain. well executed photo.
 
The second spiral staircase with BW conversion really makes this shot work. The letterbox is a great idea, agree with Peter (Delta Skies) about the combination of #1 and #2
 
Hi matey :wave:

finally getting back on track with comments.

No crit for your 1st image on Letter....wouldn't have a clue how to do composite images:thinking: Prefer the 1st version simply cos more of your eye's are showing...quite sinister in a way but did make me giggle... :clap:

Still liking your staircase image but again , the original version wins for me with the straight shadows & open window :clap:
 
fazer said:
The second spiral staircase with BW conversion really makes this shot work. The letterbox is a great idea, agree with Peter (Delta Skies) about the combination of #1 and #2
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Cheers John :thumbs:

blondie606 said:
Hi matey :wave:

finally getting back on track with comments.

No crit for your 1st image on Letter....wouldn't have a clue how to do composite images:thinking: Prefer the 1st version simply cos more of your eye's are showing...quite sinister in a way but did make me giggle... :clap:

Still liking your staircase image but again , the original version wins for me with the straight shadows & open window :clap:
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Thanks Lynne, I must admit my first choices for both images were my preferred images too.
 
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