daddy day cares Photo52 for 2010 part 1 weeks 1 to 26

Hi Andy, I love gritty photos of traditional old heavy mchinery and this is the perfect subject, imho. I'll have a look at the b&w when I've a bit more time, but the colour version works well enough. It lacks a bit of punch and, being nosey, I'd like to see more detail in the rusting contraption at the front, but I really like the subject matter, and it definitely fits the theme. :thumbs:

Jean
 
Hi Andy,

Sorry I can’t help you with the friends on Flikr thing – Nothing personal but I haven’t got an account on there :)
(Sometimes I think maybe I should - everyone else seems to be on it :shrug: But I've dug my heels in with Facebook too . . . so far I'm absolutely refusing to sign up!)

Blists Hill is looking like a really interesting place.
Good choice of subject matter and nicely composed. I like the feeling of height that you've achieved, that platform seems to be towering above you.
Is there any chance of getting a bit more detail back in the sky? I think it would add an extra bit of drama to it.
 
Nice subject Andy.

I'm with Sarah thought and feel a more detailed sky would massively benefit the image, maybe layering the image in PS and adding more contrast to the sky would work?

I'm struggling to find a link to your flickr but am sure the B&W would be better suited to the shot.

Dan
 
thanks folks.

Sarah - I know what you mean about facebook. I refuse to sign up as well :lol: I looked at flickr being more photography based but we'll see how much I use it in the coming weeks. I will try and have another go with the sky when I get chance.

Dan - I do think I prefer the black and white but I've already done a few mono shots lately so thought I'd go with the colour. I need to get to grips with layers I think. My flickr link is in my sig which shows a few posts up.

I will try and get some more comments on other peoples work this week as well. Just been really busy at work today. Only logged on briefly to check emails as I'm up at 5.00 in the morning :shake:

Andy
 
Andy, I really like that. very interesting deatils... I feel a little teeny bit more room above the main wheel would have helped... As for the mono on flickr... it's probably just me, but I can't find the link..
 
Cheers John.

The picture bar in my signature is clicky and takes you to my flickr. I've just noticed that it doesn't mention flickr on it at all :bang:

Andy
 
Candid - I like the second postmaster shot best. The processing suits it quite well although I think it would benefit from a little more contrast I do like his expression - concentrating hard on those pounds, shillings and pence, I expect!

The coal mine is interesting but I prefer the mono version in your flickr set. Also the wheel is just a bit too close to the edge for me - you could easily copy and clone a bit more sky above it just to give it a bit more room.
 
Thanks mate.

I may try copying and cloning at some stage but not that confident of it looking right yet.

Andy
 
This is a reshoot of the week one theme of "curved" click the picture for a bigger version :)



It is a sculpture called Another Gift ( so I suppose it can be a reshoot for "present" as well :lol: ) and was my first thought when week 1 was announced. Unfortunately it was underneath several inches of snow that week.

I said at the time that if a reshoot was pulled I would do this.

This is a small part of the installation and a couple more can be seen on my flickr.

This is the blurb on a website about sculptures in Stoke On Trent:

" Description:

A startling piece of art – sited on the corner of Kingsway and Glebe Street, Stoke – is made from stainless steel. Called Another Gift, the work consists of twists and turns of steel stretching to around five metres in height.


Background:

Following a £1-million boost to accessible public art in Stoke-on-Trent, three ambitious sculpture projects are nearing completion across the city. The ambitious £300,000 public art project has brought together three professional artists transforming sites in Etruria’s Cavour Street, Kingsway in Stoke and Hanley Park to boost the transformation of Stoke-on-Trent. The trio talked to city residents before drawing up final designs

Liz Lemon’s startling piece of art, sited on the corner of Kingsway in Stoke, allows pedestrians to walk in and out of its twists and turns and admire the scrolls of steel, with trees planted around the edge of the design. Liz’s Another Gift reaches almost five metres in height. "

Andy
 
What an interesting sculpture, and it certainly fits the 'curved' theme. My OH would clone out the lamp post, but you might think that was cheating a bit....

There are a couple of smudges on the side of the steel - I assume they are really there and not dust bunnies?
 
Yes, there are a few smudges on the steel, I was tempted to start polishing it but there's a lot of steel :lol:

I did clone out a bright red sticker that some muppet had put on it. I might look at the lampost.

Andy
 
Yep definitely smudges, i can't believe you didn't get your polish out before shooting, don't you know about scene preparation, tut!

I really like your postmaster processing Andy, i love the old feel to it, it may be interesting to ad a bit of texture or grain to it.
 
Cheers Chris.

You posted at 18.39, exactly the same time as I posted on your thread :eek:

Andy
 
Andy, that's a very interesting sculpture and fits the theme for curved perfectly. I think I'd have to agree on the removal of the lamppost growing out of the top of it.
 
daddy day care said:
There is a black and white version of this shot on my flickr so feel free to comment. I have no friends or comments yet ;)

Andy
Click to expand...

Hi Andy, A bit of a catch up from me. :)

I couldn't find the b&w on your Flickr - I've probably looked in the wrong place, though. I still struggle to find my way round over there. :D

For some reason I missed your Victorian Postmaster, but I definitely prefer the mono version because it fits much better with the era and environment. Well done on getting this when I presume there were other people around. Definitely Candid. :thumbs:

Week 13 - Reshoot for Curved/Present: A good choice of subject, with strong curves. The almost monochrome environment suits the steel of the sculpture and I like the reflections in the left hand side of the sculpture behind it. Is that the old Town Hall in the background? I worked there in my first job - but it wasn't all nice and clean back then! :lol:

Jean
 
jgs001 said:
Andy, that's a very interesting sculpture and fits the theme for curved perfectly. I think I'd have to agree on the removal of the lamppost growing out of the top of it.
Click to expand...

Thanks John. I'll try and have a look at it later on.

jeangenie said:
Hi Andy, A bit of a catch up from me. :)

I couldn't find the b&w on your Flickr - I've probably looked in the wrong place, though. I still struggle to find my way round over there. :D

Here you go :)



For some reason I missed your Victorian Postmaster, but I definitely prefer the mono version because it fits much better with the era and environment. Well done on getting this when I presume there were other people around. Definitely Candid. :thumbs:

Week 13 - Reshoot for Curved/Present: A good choice of subject, with strong curves. The almost monochrome environment suits the steel of the sculpture and I like the reflections in the left hand side of the sculpture behind it. Is that the old Town Hall in the background? I worked there in my first job - but it wasn't all nice and clean back then! :lol:

Jean
Click to expand...

Yes it is the Town Hall Jean. It's still not that clean. Nothing in Stoke On Trent is clean, you should know that :lol:

Andy
 
Thanks folks,

Here is a new version without the lampost:



Clickable to large version.

Andy
 
Good to see that you followed through and did your intended reshoot of Curves.
Nicely captured image and I think the removal of the lamp post in your new version is a significant improvement.
 
A slight cheat this week but not much.

I took the kids to the park today and shot hundreds of pictures of them kicking a football about. I wasn't happy with a single one :shake: They were too soft, ball out of shot or kid out of shot :bang:

So this is one I took last week instead. It is exactly what I was trying to do this week but taken before this theme was announced (only just)



clickable to the big version again ;)

Andy
 
justlooking said:
nice capture ... was it a goal !?
Click to expand...

Thanks.

Not a goal this time, just a kick around in the park.

She loves football and is always kicking a ball somewhere. Not sure where she gets it from as I've never been that bothered about it.

Andy
 
daddy day care said:


Yes it is the Town Hall Jean. It's still not that clean. Nothing in Stoke On Trent is clean, you should know that :lol:

Andy
Click to expand...


:lol: :lol: :lol: It really does look better than it did in the 60s when I worked there! :D

Shoot: This looks good. Her eye contact with the ball and the positioning of the ball makes for a very strong composition. Definitely a good shot ;) at the theme, Andy. :thumbs:

Jean
 
Andy it works well for the theme, nicely done.
 
Nice catch.

Is it me or is this one of those shots where the ball looks as if it's been cut and pasted from somewhere else ? (I know it hasn't and it's not a critisism)

You could clone it out and run a spot the ball comp ;)
 
I really like that reshoot for curved.
Definitely spot on theme and well composed. I like the fact that you've got some of the town hall in on the RHS too - gives a nice contrast of old and new.
(Nice bit of work removing the lamppost. It looks much better without it)

Shoot is spot on theme and nicely caught. It can't have been easy to catch the ball in frame like that :thumbs:
 
Nicely on theme for shoot, maybe could have done with a swinging foot from your subject rather than running but know how hard it is to get.

Well done
 
Thanks folks.

I am pleased with this one. It took a lot of continous shooting to get it.

I did try to redo it as i've already mentioned. Partly because it was taken about 10 hours before this theme was announced and partly because I wanted a more photogenic ball instead of this battered old one :lol: I was going with a jumpers for goalposts image but couldn't get it right before the kids refused to take part anymore :(

This is one of about 300 frames that really works as I wanted it to :shake: Guess I need to practice more with moving subjects.

Andy
 
That's a lovely image - the ball is in just the right place. Weren't you afraid of getting your camera smashed down your teeth?!

It seems to have been a good learning experience for you, too. I don't have any handy children or pets left at home to practise action shooting on.
 
Thanks mate.

She was a bit further away than it seems on the photo :lol:

I think I'll do another still life this week and keep the camera off the front line.

Andy
 
Cracking capture of the ball in frame, mate. Love the expression on her face. It's a shame about the blown sky, but I understand how tough that would have been to meter.
 
Some good shots here - I particularly like the reshoot of curved.

Phil
 
Thanks folks.

Onto this week.

Loads of options I think for "single" I have decided to go for single malt and wanted to get a nice warm windowlight type of shot.



I have learnt how to set up my D90 as a commander for my SB600 this week. I have also made a strobist style snoot for it as well.


Andy
 
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Single malt seems to be a popular choice this week . . . not sure what this says about the 52ers :lol:

I don't know what it is, but I love the background in this shot. The colours work perfectly.
Combined with the foreground there's almost a computer generated feel to this.

Very nice lighting on the glass and decanter, although I feel like the stopper in the decanter could do with being maybe a touch brighter.

You've definitely got that warm feel you were going for and all in all I'd say that this has worked well.
 
Thanks Sarah,

I do like this shot but there are a couple of small points I'm not happy with. The stopper is one of them.

The background is a canvas that usually hangs on the wall behind my desk. I thought the colours and texture were ideal for this shot.

The wood is the lid from a wooden chest I have. The dining room table and my desk are veneer and didn't look very good. I wanted a real wood base.

I do have a small confession though. The single malt is actually cold tea ;) It was also my second attempt. The first one was made up with hot water from the tap and you could see the crud making it cloudy :eek: For this one I used RO water that I filter for my marine tank and boiled it. No impurities to spoil my photo in that :lol:

Andy
 
I like the processing on the second candid shot, gives it that little boost to make it look aged.

The B&W version of Produced work alot better as the light in the colour one is a little flat.

Nice idea for shoot but would have prefered the ball coming straight at you.....You've Been Framed style :D

I'm a little unsure about the background as to wether I want the Decanter to stand out more, it's definatley got me uming and arr'ing.
 
Nice warm colours for Single. The stopper seems a little lost somehow but I like it none the less.
 
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