Blondie606's Photo52 2011-Wk 52 Glass & Nature,Challenge Complete

Not saying this is the best way to do it , but what I did was:

1. Create a levels adjustment layer (Layers>New Adjustment Layer>Levels)
2. Play with the input levels sliders until the sky looks good (ignore what the rest of the photo looks like for now)
3. Use the eraser tool to rub out the levels changes from the non-sky parts of the pic so that the rest of the pic goes back to what it was.
4. Merge the layers.

Jeff is right, if you rush the eraser tool then you can see the joins (like in my pic). If you are careful you can get a very natural looking pic.
 
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Patrick...thanks for the editing info , will give it a go at some point:thumbs:

Andy.... thanks for showing a stronger version but sorry , way to OTT for me , maybe the next visit will bring better skies :) The aim is to get it right in camera & the sky that day was pretty much as I poster...boring ,bland & drab !

Kenny....thanks for commenting , think I cropped it quite tight as other tombstones were creeping in to the picture but appreciate that if I was clever enough I could have cloned them out:thumbs:
 
Crikey....week 20 already !

Very short of time but had an idea,took an hour to find what I wanted :lol: Very simple shot this week

A broken Promise :


Promise by llj666, on Flickr

This is the 1st real attempt using my new Tamron macro , quite pleased with the result , almost got all of it in focus but not to worried about the slight blur to the bottom of the heart.Lighting was natural daylight , only issues were trying to position it so I didn't get any reflections .& Before anyone comments....I did clean it up a bit , but been sat in it's box for years :lol:
 
Can't fault the image quality there Lynne, looks like your lens is a good one. Perhaps would (also) look good with the half heart over to the right of the frame leaving space for where the other half would be.
 
Hiya Lynne,

Very nice shot there for the theme. I used to have something similar but couldn't find it, must have given it away at some point.

Agree with the comments already made, and like the border.

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
blondie606 said:
..............I did clean it up a bit , but been sat in it's box for years :lol:
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Sat in a box - there is a story there :naughty:

Envious you have new lens, and that it's a macro lens.

It's a nice take on the theme, but I agree with Colin regarding the position.
 
Thats a great shot for Promise. Simple and uncluttered. You did well with the light and lack of reflection. I really like it.:clap: Great use of the new lens too

Martin :)
 
:thumbs:
Barrysprout said:
Can't fault the image quality there Lynne, looks like your lens is a good one. Perhaps would (also) look good with the half heart over to the right of the frame leaving space for where the other half would be.
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Thanks Colin , the lens is taking some getting used to but really glad I bought it , now just need to get out & keep practicing with it . I did think about placing the heart slightly more to the right & agree it may have looked better...my OCD just wouldn't let me & then I worried it was too central ( rule of thirds etc ) so couldn't win either way :lol:

Sterling Archer said:
Good take on theme. Got to love playing around with a new lens!
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Cheers Mark & yes I'm having fun trying to shot all manner of bugs n things with it :thumbs:

rpn said:
Hi Lynne,

I love the 'promise' image. The warm colour, spot on focus (well the important bit) :) and the square format on top of all these I like the border colour to match the main subject colour. Well done :clap:
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Thanks for the feedback Stan . Getting used to my D90 , the auto WB made it the heart look silver so had to play around in camera with it to get the real color . Couldn't resist a quick play in piknic with the frames , they're very much love or hate but glad you liked it
 
markelliot said:
Hi Lynne.

Simple, well executed shot... great work!

Mark
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Thanks Mark :thumbs:
michael23 said:
:agree: with everyone. :thumbs:
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Cheers Michael:thumbs:


drodd said:
Hiya Lynne,

Very nice shot there for the theme. I used to have something similar but couldn't find it, must have given it away at some point.

Agree with the comments already made, and like the border.

Cheers

Dawn :)
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Many thanks Daw & so glad you told me about piknic :)

Mentalblock said:
Sat in a box - there is a story there :naughty:

Envious you have new lens, and that it's a macro lens.

It's a nice take on the theme, but I agree with Colin regarding the position.
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Cheers Neil....oh yes , a very very long story :naughty: Didn't realise when I bought a DSLR that I'd have to buy a proper Macro lens . My old Fuji bridge camera had a great Macro setting& was realling missing it so finally bit the bullet & scared the bank manager:lol:

Marts said:
Thats a great shot for Promise. Simple and uncluttered. You did well with the light and lack of reflection. I really like it.:clap: Great use of the new lens too

Martin :)
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Thanks Martin , natural light seems to be a bit easier to control glare ...on this shot at least :thumbs:
 
You really can't beat natural light.

You did really well to avoid reflections.

My only niggle is the lack of chain, I'd like to see a bit more (if not all), but then again you wouldn't get the intimacy of the heart.

Any idea how the blur was caused? It looks like it was taken from directly above??

Cheers.
 
Great shot, and well executed. Other crops might be to come in on the left and right a bit, and maybe try a white stroke on the border.

But as it is, is still a cracking shot.

Rgds

Adie
 
posiview said:
You really can't beat natural light.

You did really well to avoid reflections.

My only niggle is the lack of chain, I'd like to see a bit more (if not all), but then again you wouldn't get the intimacy of the heart.

Any idea how the blur was caused? It looks like it was taken from directly above??

Cheers.
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Thanks Andy , did take the shot from directly above so guess the blur was operator trouble...as usual ! Took a couple with more of the chain in but just didn't look right to me:shrug:

TinaC said:
Love the take on the theme, agree that some space for the missing half would have worked also. Excellent tone and the best way to clean would have been to wear it for a day and then use cleaning materials ;-)
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Thanks Tina...thanks for the hint about cleaning , unfortunately I'm allergic to the metal & end up looking like I've had my neck sewn on after wearing it:lol:

Webby962 said:
Great shot, and well executed. Other crops might be to come in on the left and right a bit, and maybe try a white stroke on the border.

But as it is, is still a cracking shot.

Rgds

Adie
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Cheers Adie , I tried numerous colors for the boder but guess my OCD came out again & wouldn't let me choose white , prefered the matching color :)
 
Oh boy , many thanks to Dawn for texting me the theme as I was in Ireland with no 'puter access but was hoping to take a suitable shot for this week whilst away . Time was against me whilst over there and as I'm also off this weekend I had to grab a shot & hope for the best .

On the way back to the ferry we stopped at Carrick Castle & had a cuppa on the harbour side but alas couldn't get good access to the moored boats for the shot I wanted so this will have to suffice ,twisted ropes on the bow:

Twisted1.jpg



Not quite sure what happened here as it looks pin sharp on my screen ? I couldn't get any more of the boat in as was already hanging over the barriers & being glared at by the harbour master :lol:

Overall quite happy with the shot as not really my thing but love the sky & the color of the boat .

Off to have a nosey round & catch up , laters peeps:wave:
 
Hiya Lynn, that is a very nice photograph. I love boats and always like to see pics of them. It all looks good. I see there is a lack of definition in the ropes, but as you pointed out it looks ok on your screen, I wonder if it had lost something during upload.
 
Hiya Lynne,

Hope you had a great time in Ireland. You are welcome about the text message, any time you are away, let me know and I will gladly text you the theme.

Very nice shot of the boat. Love the colours and cloudy sky too. By looks of the flags in the background it looks like it was quite windy

The boat is a fab colour and the blue ropes stand out well against it. As Michael says, must be something with the upload that has affected the sharpness.

Well done though for getting the shot, considering the measures you had to go to get it.

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
Hi Lynne

I would say as you've already hinted you know its not your best shot... I personally think if your away etc for a holiday then you shouldn't worry too much about not meeting a Sunday deadline... The 52 is all about learning and improving your photography... not just delivering an image week on week... Our lifes are to busy... or mine is anyway to set the weekly output as a goal for me... without comprimising on producing the best quality work I can when I have the time to do it!

Your photo is fine... there is nothing wrong with it... but its just a snap really... you know as well as I do you can do a lot better! So do it... when you have the time... and in the meantime enjoy your holiday.

PS sorry if that sounds a bit critical there... its just my thoughts
 
I have to agree with Mark on this; it just looks like a snap of a boat and yes, we all know you have and can do better Lynne. So saying that, many of us have done it (my paradox leaps to mind!)

However, while we all set our own rules for our 52, I think that part of the challenge is to get shot done in the week, but not at the sacrifise of family and work. I was a few weeks behind several weeks ago and it was getting to me.

I've not checked the EXIF, but did you have enough zoom left to get closer to the ropes.
I think the shot would have been better as a close up and would have ot away from being a shot of a boat.
 
I think Neil's comment regarding the zoom is correct, a close up would have been better for the theme. But as the shot stands just now it looks fine, maybe a bit more could have been made of the sky with a CPL filter?
 
+1 Mark, Neil,Colin & Tina. Sorry but this is not up to your previous standards. Nice snap, great memory, but not your best take on a theme.
But all is not lost. You are still exercising the photographer's eye, and you identified what part of the shot could meet the brief, it is just the execution that needed work.


Rgds
Adie
 
Mentalblock said:
I have to agree with Mark on this; it just looks like a snap of a boat and yes, we all know you have and can do better Lynne. So saying that, many of us have done it (my paradox leaps to mind!)

However, while we all set our own rules for our 52, I think that part of the challenge is to get shot done in the week, but not at the sacrifise of family and work. I was a few weeks behind several weeks ago and it was getting to me.

I've not checked the EXIF, but did you have enough zoom left to get closer to the ropes.
I think the shot would have been better as a close up and would have ot away from being a shot of a boat.
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:agree:
 
Webby962 said:
+1 Mark, Neil,Colin & Tina. Sorry but this is not up to your previous standards. Nice snap, great memory, but not your best take on a theme.
But all is not lost. You are still exercising the photographer's eye, and you identified what part of the shot could meet the brief, it is just the execution that needed work.


Rgds
Adie
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Cometh the week (22), cometh the photographer.....:thumbs:

Cheers.
 
Flippin heck....it's a good job I'm not the sensitive type:dummy: Just cos I've not been on here a lot recently doesn't mean I don't have feelings ya know :'(

Having said that , I know it's not the best ever shot but I still like it , it reminds me of a fantastic trip with great company :razz:

Anyhooooo....all your comments beat me in to a re-shoot which was gonna be difficult as only had 3 days at home then went to Angelsey for the weekend . Called in at the Mountain Zoo ( bit of a let down ) with only an hour to spend looking for inspiration . It was windier than the windiest day ever so this shot is also not as good as it could be & the groundsman was giving me funny looks as I tried not to trample on his bedding plants:lol:

My 1st idea for Twisted had been a close up of some hessian type string but didn't have any & no time to go shopping for some then I saw this & had a lightbulb moment :

Twisted_11.jpg


Only my 2nd shot with the Macro lens , wind was blowing the plants about & I struggled with DOF but it certainly hits the theme for me .I couldn't get the camera at a better angle , I've tried rotating & cropping it but then the pole ain't straight :bonk:

Will have a catch up on everyone's Twisted & Hidden during the week....got approx 2400 photos from the Endurance racing to sort through & post :thumbs:
 
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Hiya Lynne,

Don't worry we still :love: you :) Well done with the 2nd shot for twisted, agree with comments already made by others.

Wow that is some number of shots you have to sort through, good luck.

Catch up with you soon.

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
Its nice that someone and everyone can poke a bit of banter and its taken really well, may i say well done for that :thumbs: as for you shot of the boat its rubbish lol :naughty: joking aside i really like it:thumbs:
 
Really like your retake for twisted. Great composition, DOF and detail. Sharp where it counts. Imaginative too. :thumbs: Are those sweetpeas?

After all that's been said I quite like the boat shot. Could do with a boost in PP to make it pop a bit, but it's quite a pleasing shot. I had a little play with it in Lightroom and it buffs up quite nicely. Or perhaps this is just me being contrary:lol:
 
TinaC said:
Now THAT is the Lynne we know and love



I like this shot, the dof, the subject, the light; overall a cool shot that is bang on theme :D
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Many thanks Tina,much appreciated

michael23 said:
Hiya Lynne, that's an excellent image, liking the dof and the angle looks fine. Well done. :thumbs:
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Cheers Michael

Mentalblock said:
This makes me like the boat

Only joking.

It's a shame the leaf covers the twine that you've focused on, but that's all I can say in the negative. Otherwise, great DOF, composition and detail - welcome back :thumbs:
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Thanks Neil ....I did focus on the bit thats slightly hidden but then the wind blew....
drodd said:
Hiya Lynne,

Don't worry we still :love: you :) Well done with the 2nd shot for twisted, agree with comments already made by others.

Wow that is some number of shots you have to sort through, good luck.

Catch up with you soon.

Cheers

Dawn :)
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Cheers Dawn , had a slight miscalculation on my shots from Anglesey....10 cards each averaging 380 shots, Once I'd got rid of the naff ones it left me with 2068 to sort,crop,post etc etc...still got approx 1000 to get through...

debrito said:
Its nice that someone and everyone can poke a bit of banter and its taken really well, may i say well done for that :thumbs: as for you shot of the boat its rubbish lol :naughty: joking aside i really like it
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Cheers Paul....I think it's doing this challenge & doing photography in general that has chilled me out....a year ago I'd have had a major breakdown & vowed never to post again:lol:

PatrickO said:
Really like your retake for twisted. Great composition, DOF and detail. Sharp where it counts. Imaginative too. :thumbs: Are those sweetpeas?



After all that's been said I quite like the boat shot. Could do with a boost in PP to make it pop a bit, but it's quite a pleasing shot. I had a little play with it in Lightroom and it buffs up quite nicely. Or perhaps this is just me being contrary:lol:
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Thanks Patrick...feel free to post your version of the boat...I still like it even after it got panned:lol: & yes , I think they are sweetpeas .
 
Hi peeps , thanks for all the comments on my shots & for putting up with my recent absence for this site & lack of comments on others thread over the last couple of weeks .Normal (ish) service is now resumed & I've posted a few comments tonight , those I've missed I'll catch with over the weekend :thumbs:
I originally took the 1st Hidden shot & thought...great, that'll do nicely but..... this post is now going to go a bit OTT as got several other shots that I also like which I'm sure most won't....

Hidden...I knew I wouldn't have much time to spend on the theme as i was at Anglesey for a long weekend doing photography for a team but I really wanted to get something suitable . My intention for my 52 was always to post a fitting shot with minimal pp ('cos I'm carp at it ) & want to get it right in camera .
I digress.... Sunday morning ( far to early I may add ) saw me head off to the top of the track area where you can see bits of how it used to be...a Military base for the Airforce I belive . Low cloud ( hidden sun!), howling wind & a steep climb up on to a raised area & I found these little chaps Hidden from most...



Hidden 2 by llj666, on Flickr

Hanging on to my camera for dear life I managed to get back down the hill & saw this.... where our brave boy's n girls would be Hidden from the enemy....


Hidden 1a by llj666, on Flickr

I then tried a shot looking through one of the slits out over the sea....lousy sky & lighting resulted in various pp efforts ( none of which I'm totally happy with) but kind of like the finished result...in a strange way....



Hidden 1 by llj666, on Flickr


& there's more......

Whilst up on he raised area I saw the following & wondered " what could be hidden under there ? " Unfortunately I'd left my socket set back in the pits so couldn't find out :lol:


Hidden 1b by llj666, on Flickr

& finally....as I'm indulging myself in this post ,whilst I was sorting through a batch of bike shots I came across this one . Almost didn't see it at 1st...



Hidden 4 by llj666, on Flickr


So there you have it....my attempts at Hidden...My tummy's telling me it's tea time so I'll be off for now , back later to see how much abuse I've let myself in for this time :D
 
Hiya Lynne, nice to see you have been busy :thumbs:

I like all the photos you have posted.

Number 1, That's a great find, I like the composition and the vignette. Looks a little dull on my screen, but that could well be my laptop.
Number 2, Nice shot
Number 3, For me this is the pick of the bunch. I like the fact that you photographed it through the gaps. a great perspective.
Number 4, Looks very interesting indeed. I wonder what's under there :suspect: maybe it would house a few 52'ers in there for some thinking time :naughty:
Number 5, Great capture of the bike, nice and sharp.
 
blondie606 said:
Thanks Patrick...feel free to post your version of the boat...I still like it even after it got panned:lol: & yes , I think they are sweetpeas .
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I think it's a very pleasing pic

5794728838_47da15b69e_z.jpg



The edit looks a bit rough because I was working from the small jpeg
 
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