weekly Bluesmachines photo52, part 2 (Up to date, mix added)

Bluesmachine

Bluesmachine

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Niall
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Seaside macro by Niall Allen, on Flickr

Well the Lilliput lane website described them as elaborate, so who am I to disagree? This was actually harder than I expected it due to the DoF. I wanted to get the path in focus on a cottage, but couldn't quite get it right, so I stuck that in the background, another in the middle and this seaside one at the front. I love these things, but they cost a fortune!
 
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michael23 said:
Hi Niall, a great one for elaborate, I must say that background is weird! :eek: I can see 2 faces in it! Anyway, the composition is ok, and the black and white works really well.
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must admit all i can see is a vague garden gnome... :thinking: ..in the background.. i love lilliput lane...which reminds me.. i have something similar... thanks niall... i have my subject for elaborate... though my original would still work...if i had a long enough extension lead and a beagle named colin.. :suspect:
 
Ha, there's nothing human or gnome related in the background, just two more houses. One that is on the right is just a small building that I don't think is Lilliput lane, and also a completely different scale. The one in the background is a country side cottage type affair. I was going to have the background blurred but making the houses more obvious, but due to the scale issues I had to do it this way. That's what I was having problems with for the DoF, well one of many. I'm my own worst enemy sometimes when I start over thinking things :D
 
Hi Niall


love the DOF on your Elaborate shot...the detail that goes in to those Lilliput models is amazing...would love to see a color version ?
 
Ta :)

I don't have a colour version processed, but if I have time tomorrow I may process one from the RAW file :)
 
I think the shot might have worked better without the distracting background - maybe just plain black

Great idea for the topic though - bang on.

Oh and I can see one ladies face in the background...she has longish curly brown hair and is wearing an 80's shell suit.....and she has a big nose ;)
 

The grand hotel by Niall Allen, on Flickr

Not 100% sure this fits "weird" but it's got that weird spooky look about it, obviously from post processing, but hey ho!

This was an ace day out. Really enjoyed myself. I need a new lenspen and a cloth and some form of suction device as my Sigma 50mm1.4 is covered in sand/dust after walking along the beach for hours. I wanted to take photos of the beach at night, but our lift turned up early so we went for chips instead. I've booked a week off work in August so I may well go back there to have a couple of days there with a tripod that I'm planning on buying on Friday. I have to say, this 70-200 more than paid for itself on this day out. Shame I didn't have a chance to use it more. I am now firmly in the thought process of getting the 2.8. I might get a bundle when the 5DmkIII comes out!
 
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Hiya Niall, great shot for smell! I am missing the seaside smell! Nice balanced exposure and I like the reflection in the glasses.
Now weird, I like the pp on it, and I would agree that it makes it fit the theme. The sky and clouds are great.
 
Sorry Niall,
Somehow I've managed to totally miss your thread up until now. I've had a look through and there are some real crackers there, but I'm going to limit myself to just commenting on this week.

:thumbs: Really like the shot for weird. Definitely something spooky about that hotel and the PP has really brought it out, but perhaps I'd have liked to have seen a touch more burning in the sky to give it some more drama.

Smell : :clap: not much that I can say about this other than a superb portrait.

Celebrate : The mute trumpet one for me. Again I just love the processing.
 
Hi Niall


catch up time for me...

Just love the 2nd shot for celebrate , processing really suits it :thumbs:

Not so sure about the Smell shot...great as a portrait but can't really make out the sea...maybe thats just me??

Love the weird shot...reminds me of the Adams Family house in a way...very wierd :clap:
 
Smell shot is a great portait - tbh I would nt look at this shot and think "smell" though...

The HOTEL does have a very weird and spooky look about it -think you maybe could have gone even more ott with the processing though
 
Ta all :)

I really don't like over processing a shot, so the hotel was a bit of a departure really. Still you're never going to keep everyone happy with a photo but I'm happy with it as it is. I had to crop it a bit and as there was limited interest I added the processing to enhance the focus on the clouds to balance it out s bit.

With the portrait, the big blue blob is the sea :D
 
:thinking:

I remember posting responces to your submissions, but nowt there....hhmmmm.

Anyway, elaborate, first think the sprang to mind was an article I read a whole ago about a guy who builds miniature scenes then photographs them outside in such a way that his miniatures appear to be real size parts of the environment.

Celebrate, #2 is a well composed photograph and you've really captured the guy's emotions and I can almost here that fantastic music!

Smell, now I like that one a lot. Nice and simple and I really like the depth (or lack of) you've achieved. The smell of the ocean breeze....what's not to like!

Weird, have you edited this one? I'm sure the sides of the hotel weren't that vertical when I first looked :thinking: It does have an Adam's Family feel to it and I like the sinister processing. Maybe clone out the people/cars to emphasise the weirdness??

Cheers and I'l press submit this time...:bonk:
 
you're not the only one andy..i thought i'd complimented on the jazz band... 'weird' ..anyhow ... Niall.. love the grand hotel shot...looming like Norman Bates house ... mmm? ... scary..
 
Ta :)

I don't process the photos after I've uploaded them. If I decide I don't like them or have another idea on processing, I'll upload a second photo. The one of my mate on the sea front for 'smell' was a case of this, as I processed it five different ways.

I try not to over think processing and keep it simple, or I'll drive myself nuts. I liked the hotel processing, but I keep looking at the bottom of the image, and being irritated by the rooftop! Still, now I look back at it, I do actually like it again and I've even had a positive comment from the BBC flickr account which pleased me :D

Been very busy in the last 2 weeks, and unbelievably I'm ill again (I'm sure I've been cursed. I haven't been ill this many times in over 15 years!) so haven't gotten out of the house this weekend. In fact, I've been in bed since Friday night until 1pm today!

I have two photos in mind for 'wind' and no clue for evolution other than the obvious monkey/car ideas that no doubt others will already have thought of.
 

Martin D15 by Niall Allen, on Flickr

After seeing Mentalblock's musical photo, it gave me the idea for this. Can't beleive I hadn't thought of it before as I'm surrounded by musical instruments! Not a wind instrument, but wind from the other meaning!
 

Evolution by Niall Allen, on Flickr

Just had this idea when I looked in the fridge! I'm not happy with it, but my cat wouldn't leave me alone (or the apples), and I seem to have, ahem, accidentally drank the cider now :D
 
Hi Niall,

I've been waiting to see what you came up with since reading your comment in my thread.

I like your 'wind', it's a simple composition but very affective and the mono suits it.
However, I think you've focused on the wrong winding thing (do they have a name :thinking:) for the way you've positioned the guitar.
My eye's are drawn to the centre and then read across to the right, but everything is OOF so my eyes then go looking for the in focus bit.

I think it would work better if you faced the guitar to the right and retained the focus point on the left hand winding thingy. I think this would give a more natural flow for the eyes to follow the picture.

Evolution is a nice idea, but is the front apple OOF?
 
The wind shot is a bit of a wandering eye affair, I agree. I tried to keep the E string and the name in focus, but because it's lower is does make you start with the word and wander to the right. I've got a few other versions I did that I'll have a nose at in a minute. I did take a photo with everything in focus, but it's a bit of a product shot affair that doesn't tickle my happy gland :D

The apple one is out of focus, as I concentrated on the cider as that was the evolution I had in mind :) If I get a chance I may re-take that shot as I like the idea. Ideally I wanted 3 times as many apples, a clean white surface in a well lit area. As I only just had the idea, I had non of these things :D As it is, it was just a bit of fun, taken quickly as I'm a bit busy at the moment. I could do a much better version given time, it just seems the hours are flying by recently!
 
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Martin D15 flat by Niall Allen, on Flickr

Here we go, I think this is much more acceptable. Focus clearly across the nuts, with enough tuning pegs there to drive home the theme :)

lol I just remembered. This is the one that I was testing aperture and focused on the year established text. Ah well, that's all you're getting, everything is packed away now :D
 
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niall..i'm with neil on a that point.. it should have been all or nothing...but your retake really helps... the focus is to the back and blurs the foreground nicely.. good thinking batman!

as for evolution... i bet they tasted good... i'll stick to the cooking sherry though.. :thumbs:
 
HI ya

just to be different I actually prefer your original shot for Wind...when I scrolled down through your thread my eyes immediately went to the in focus nut & I thought what a great idea :clap: Love the B&W ...really suits the shot .
The 2nd image you posted for Wind doesn't work so well for me as although I prefer the angle & seeing more of the nuts niether of the top 2 appear totally in focus & I find the brighter areas at the top & to the left slightly draw my eye ...sorry

Like your shot for Evolution , you've already mentioned the nitpicks,not a lot else to say...but would love to see a reshoot if you ever get the time:thumbs:
 
that is a very odd building

second shot of the guitar much better to my eye
 
Bluesmachine said:

Martin D15 flat by Niall Allen, on Flickr

Here we go, I think this is much more acceptable. Focus clearly across the nuts, with enough tuning pegs there to drive home the theme :)

lol I just remembered. This is the one that I was testing aperture and focused on the year established text. Ah well, that's all you're getting, everything is packed away now :D
Click to expand...

:lol: First thing I thought when I saw the first guitar was I'd rather see a different perspective.

Like it. :thumbs:
 
A spotted this, and thought it would do for work, as in water works :) It's a bit blurred as I had really bad shaking in my hands on Saturday, probably because I'd just shelled out £221 for glasses I'll use 2 or 3 times a week!


Water works by Niall Allen, on Flickr

I tried to get this one for blur, but the cloud cover completely hid the fact it was moving! It's very noisy for some reason, probably due to low light and the fact it's a 100% crop.

Seagull4 by Niall Allen, on Flickr

Thought this would be perfect for time, as there's a big clock on the Parish church. Not sure if it works as I decided on different processing on this, and as a result the clock isn't too visible, and definitely not the focus of the shot any more!


Parish church, Wrexham by Niall Allen, on Flickr

Oh, I forgot about this one. This is perfect for time:


11th hour by Niall Allen, on Flickr

I still haven't taken the record shot. Well not one I like. I did go in the church and tried to take a photo of a book of visitors there, but I didn't want to disturb an old chap that was in there, so didn't take it.
 
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Hi Niall

I like the texture in number one, but it's not shouting work at me - sorry.

As you point out, the background shows no movement blur, so again this one isn't hitting the theme for me.

A bit of a patern I'm afraid, but #3 doesn't say time either. The composition and PP isn't helping.

Now for the last one - I like it!
A slightly higher view point would have been better perhaps, but it hits the theme, has a good composition and nice DOF. Stronger sun light may have help, but hey, we're in the UK so I wouldn't wait for a reshoot!
 
I'm planning on another for blur, so that one was just a conversational item :D

I was having bad problems on Saturday, as I mentioned, but also I realized late last night that I'd forgotten to change from spot metering which would be THE source of most of my problem that day.

I've got a two birds with one stone idea that I'll do when I get home later. 1st day back in work. I'm shattered!
 
Thanks :)

I'm putting off my photos until tomorrow/Wednesday. I'm too tired to do anything other than sit up :D
 
Hi Niall

hope your feeling less tired now :)

Work...love the DOF & colors & that you have the cobweb visible :thumbs: without your explanation of water works I wouldn't have guessed the connection though

Blur...if thats your take on blur I'd love to see a pin sharp one:lol:

Time...I viewed on flickr & saw the clock...not sure how you could have made it more obvious without being very close ?

Love the 2nd shot for Time...great DOF just maybe a different angle would have helped a little ?

Apologies if I sound a little negative:'( not meant that way ,just trying to say as I see it :thumbs:
 
I'm all for honesty. No point in telling porkies to people or they'll never learn!

I've had a reply from Sigma on their Facebook page saying that I can send off my 60D with the 12-24 to get it calibrated for £38. Just need to look into how much insurance on £1400 worth of kit will cost when posting, and where to get sturdy packaging from!

My internet is going pear shaped again, so I'm having a few nightmares lately. Hopefully that will get sorted out or I may going on a killing spree at BT :D Makes things very difficult to upload when your connection dies!
 
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