weekly Delta Skies 2014 TP52 - Week 51 Extravagant & Week 52 Support (that's 2014 done)

Some superb images here Peter, great catch up :clap:

The mushrooms for big are very nice(y) ......possibly clone out the spider? sat on the lower one :)

The other that caught my eye was mono, lovely shot and really does suite the conversion to mono (y)
 
What a fantastic catch up with some really impressive images Alan! I had no idea what Cut was supposed to be until I read the title, but it's just one of those images that make you go "wow" :clap: Second favourite of the bunch for me is the fly agaric mushroom, because it's such an iconic image, really well captured with great dof and in-your-face colour (y)
 
Hey Peter :)

Big - Nicely stacked mate, fits the theme really well, well lit and great background... no crit from me :)

Cut - Again a cracking idea mate, love how you do these stacked shots (no idea how :thinking:) Crit... struggling to give some again, idealism maybe if the writing was all readable :D

Only kidding... Super image again :thumbs:

Balance - Oooo very nice, a bit disappointed that the car colour combo is not fully alternating ;)... For a service area I just love the cleanliness of this and the almost monotone colours, plenty of leading lines through the shot, great angle - love it :clap:

Change - A real nice sky, i would not have guessed it was a 30 second exposure, the foreground rock are lit really well, and even a nice shadow :)

Grow - Again I really like this fungi image, the red stands out beautifully and the stacking has produced a really evenly lit image, fantastic detail too - spot on :thumbs:

Re-Shoot Mono - What an idealic setting, such a interesting cloud structure, silky water leading line of rocks, a leafless lone tree, mountains - Bay that is wonderful :clap:

What a great catch up too - well done Peter :thumbs:
 
Hi Peter ....a fabulous catch up and some great images there.

Love the stacked mushrooms ...definitely a technique I must try sometime ...you have the definition in all the right places.

Cut ...the stacking works perfectly again there.

Balance is a 'wow' one for me, it looks so clinical...very eye catching, great composition.

Super sky on Change, and the Fly Agaric ....one I am determined to find....I'm envying that one.

Your mono reshoot ... my favourite of them all ...I just want to keep looking at it, the texture, the colour, the compositon, and that sky is stunning :clap:
 
Big … super colour and DOF


Cut … beautifully lit and focussed. I've got one of those razors but never seen it thru a macro lens


Balance … nice POV. Nice clean everything.


Change … 30 second exposure … wow, stunning.


Grow … lush.


Reshoot (Mono) … another wow, stunning.


thanks Peter (y)
 
Phil-D said:
Some superb images here Peter, great catch up :clap:

The mushrooms for big are very nice(y) ......possibly clone out the spider? sat on the lower one :)

The other that caught my eye was mono, lovely shot and really does suite the conversion to mono (y)
Click to expand...
Thanks Phil

XenosElaine said:
What a fantastic catch up with some really impressive images Alan! I had no idea what Cut was supposed to be until I read the title, but it's just one of those images that make you go "wow" :clap: Second favourite of the bunch for me is the fly agaric mushroom, because it's such an iconic image, really well captured with great dof and in-your-face colour (y)
Click to expand...
Thanks Elaine. Not sure who Alan is though ;)

Dark Knight said:
Hey Peter :)

Big - Nicely stacked mate, fits the theme really well, well lit and great background... no crit from me :)

Cut - Again a cracking idea mate, love how you do these stacked shots (no idea how :thinking:) Crit... struggling to give some again, idealism maybe if the writing was all readable :D

Only kidding... Super image again (y)

Balance - Oooo very nice, a bit disappointed that the car colour combo is not fully alternating ;)... For a service area I just love the cleanliness of this and the almost monotone colours, plenty of leading lines through the shot, great angle - love it :clap:

Change - A real nice sky, i would not have guessed it was a 30 second exposure, the foreground rock are lit really well, and even a nice shadow :)

Grow - Again I really like this fungi image, the red stands out beautifully and the stacking has produced a really evenly lit image, fantastic detail too - spot on (y)

Re-Shoot Mono - What an idealic setting, such a interesting cloud structure, silky water leading line of rocks, a leafless lone tree, mountains - Bay that is wonderful :clap:

What a great catch up too - well done Peter (y)
Click to expand...
Many thanks for all the comments Dean

susiejb said:
Hi Peter ....a fabulous catch up and some great images there.

Love the stacked mushrooms ...definitely a technique I must try sometime ...you have the definition in all the right places.

Cut ...the stacking works perfectly again there.

Balance is a 'wow' one for me, it looks so clinical...very eye catching, great composition.

Super sky on Change, and the Fly Agaric ....one I am determined to find....I'm envying that one.

Your mono reshoot ... my favourite of them all ...I just want to keep looking at it, the texture, the colour, the compositon, and that sky is stunning :clap:
Click to expand...
Many thanks for the feedback Susie.

d00d said:
Big … super colour and DOF


Cut … beautifully lit and focussed. I've got one of those razors but never seen it thru a macro lens


Balance … nice POV. Nice clean everything.


Change … 30 second exposure … wow, stunning.


Grow … lush.


Reshoot (Mono) … another wow, stunning.


thanks Peter (y)
Click to expand...
Thanks David
 
Week 44 - Live

Can't Live Without Water by Delta Skies, on Flickr

You can tell the days are getting shorter - I got the studio lights out LOL. These old sunflowers were lit via a Bowens head and softbox. I used a similarly coloured backdrop as I did want too drastic a change in tones from the sunflowers. It was then finished off via Silver Efex.
 
Superb. I'm a big fan of Karl Blossfeldt so this really works for me. Great detail in the dead petals. Lovely tones and textures.

I'd like to see it as a square crop and maybe with a little less border.

That sad, yup works for me.

Cheers.
 
Hiya Peter

This is a funny one - when I looked at it super small on my phone I didn't really get it but looking at it bigger on the monitor it does work well. Funnily enough, I'm the opposite of Andy (I'm not a fan of KB's style of work) but I do like this. I really like the contrast in the extremities - it makes me think of a photographic version of a Guillermo Del Toro film (which I really do like) :)

Great job and nice conversion!
 
posiview said:
Superb. I'm a big fan of Karl Blossfeldt so this really works for me. Great detail in the dead petals. Lovely tones and textures.

I'd like to see it as a square crop and maybe with a little less border.

That sad, yup works for me.

Cheers.
Click to expand...
Thanks Andy. Looks like I need to google Karl Blossfeldt.

pjm1 said:
Hiya Peter

This is a funny one - when I looked at it super small on my phone I didn't really get it but looking at it bigger on the monitor it does work well. Funnily enough, I'm the opposite of Andy (I'm not a fan of KB's style of work) but I do like this. I really like the contrast in the extremities - it makes me think of a photographic version of a Guillermo Del Toro film (which I really do like) :)

Great job and nice conversion!
Click to expand...
Thanks Paul. Looks like I need to google Guillermo Del Toro.


I'm also off to google "how to be more cultured" :D
 
Week 45 - First

Family Comes First by Delta Skies, on Flickr

Thanks to Sarah for suggesting the saying and pointing at the fireplace. So while I had the Bowens out I turned it to the top of the fire to shoot the above. I found the shadows were too harsh so decided to bounce it off the ceiling instead and then just used the modelling light rather than the flash to keep a little warmth in the image.
 
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Hiya Peter - Pan's Labyrinth (for GdT... has some great imagery IMO).

Back to photos: love your shot for First. I think it's even better for the fact you've (or Sarah has) spotted something "as is" and you've lit and shot that, rather than set something up.

At first I was disappointed that Family wasn't in focus but it doesn't need to be in the context of the theme... I think if it were simply a picture it wouldn't work as well, but to convey first-born it is bang on. Bounce flash off the ceiling is such a nice light - you get soft shadows under to ground and you create a very big lightsource which is far easier to work with. Your shot exemplifies how that can work so well.

I think the framing and composition are super as well: a bit like the OOF "Family", the tightness of the far figurine could be questioned in other circumstances but for the theme, it's not even a secondary interest point, just background so the tight crop is good: we get more of what matters.

Overall I think it's a great shot - really like it, simple and not over-laboured and it just works (y)
 
Hi peter

Some catch up (y)
As Graham @overbez has commented, no fillers there.

Big - humourous - good light and dof and really like the angle that you have taken it at. The way that the stone falls from R to L and echoed by the size of the fungi.

Cut - good b&w like the graininess at LHS and the detail on the RHS - presumably as result of stacking technique. Good detail in the cutters

Balance - spot on. Quite abstract, which I like, partic taken with the almost mono feel.

Change - calm and broody. Not sure about the light painting but I don't really know what conditions you were dealing with.

Grow - can't add to what others have said except that the colours are excellent

Reshoot - mono - serene ,calm, well handled. :clap:

Live - that is a decent shot, well set up, but it does not wow me as much as it has Andy and Paul - just personal taste I think. If anything to me it indicates decay rather than Live, but I may be missing something.

First - spot on for theme and again well handled with a limited palette. Like the pov and the focus. The figure to RHS detracts from the shot and the theme, I feel, but if it was not there would I then be carping about the join in the corners of the wall:)
 
Hi Peter

Live and First both improve with viewing. (y)

Live ... nice detail, nice positioning, nice frame.

First ... yes, very warm image and a touch feminine .... dare I say.
We've got a fireplace like that in one of our bedrooms and Mrs d is forever decorating the mantle with various objets d'art.
 
Hi Peter, love "live" can't fault that at all great conversion and the frame fits with the subject matter :clap::clap:

"first" I think you have the DoF perfect, well lit and conveys what you want it to, can't fault it but not one of my favourites of yours (y)
 
Live - excellent take on the theme! I love the way the petals curl around the seeds
heads and I think your choice of bg colour is just right :clap:

First - another original idea. The dof and use of the diagonal are spot on.
 
Dried sunflowers make a nice interesting detailed image, processing and colour create a sunflower image far removed from the norm, I also find the subject on the left rather than the right suitably different too. One I'm looking forward to viewing bigger on the computer.

Family shot is really pleasing too, lovely limited colour palette of the brown, beige, cream and white. Limited DOF very well used here too. Lighting is really nice here, has a nice natural look to it, which considering you used two lights is quite impressive.
 
pjm1 said:
Hiya Peter - Pan's Labyrinth (for GdT... has some great imagery IMO).

Back to photos: love your shot for First. I think it's even better for the fact you've (or Sarah has) spotted something "as is" and you've lit and shot that, rather than set something up.

At first I was disappointed that Family wasn't in focus but it doesn't need to be in the context of the theme... I think if it were simply a picture it wouldn't work as well, but to convey first-born it is bang on. Bounce flash off the ceiling is such a nice light - you get soft shadows under to ground and you create a very big lightsource which is far easier to work with. Your shot exemplifies how that can work so well.

I think the framing and composition are super as well: a bit like the OOF "Family", the tightness of the far figurine could be questioned in other circumstances but for the theme, it's not even a secondary interest point, just background so the tight crop is good: we get more of what matters.

Overall I think it's a great shot - really like it, simple and not over-laboured and it just works (y)
Click to expand...
Many thanks Paul

superpippo said:
Hi peter

Some catch up (y)
As Graham @overbez has commented, no fillers there.

Big - humourous - good light and dof and really like the angle that you have taken it at. The way that the stone falls from R to L and echoed by the size of the fungi.

Cut - good b&w like the graininess at LHS and the detail on the RHS - presumably as result of stacking technique. Good detail in the cutters

Balance - spot on. Quite abstract, which I like, partic taken with the almost mono feel.

Change - calm and broody. Not sure about the light painting but I don't really know what conditions you were dealing with.

Grow - can't add to what others have said except that the colours are excellent

Reshoot - mono - serene ,calm, well handled. :clap:

Live - that is a decent shot, well set up, but it does not wow me as much as it has Andy and Paul - just personal taste I think. If anything to me it indicates decay rather than Live, but I may be missing something.

First - spot on for theme and again well handled with a limited palette. Like the pov and the focus. The figure to RHS detracts from the shot and the theme, I feel, but if it was not there would I then be carping about the join in the corners of the wall:)
Click to expand...
Many thanks for all the comments Alan

d00d said:
Hi Peter

Live and First both improve with viewing. (y)

Live ... nice detail, nice positioning, nice frame.

First ... yes, very warm image and a touch feminine .... dare I say.
We've got a fireplace like that in one of our bedrooms and Mrs d is forever decorating the mantle with various objets d'art.
Click to expand...
Thanks David

alsjazzera said:
Hi Peter, love "live" can't fault that at all great conversion and the frame fits with the subject matter :clap::clap:

"first" I think you have the DoF perfect, well lit and conveys what you want it to, can't fault it but not one of my favourites of yours (y)
Click to expand...
Thanks Allan
 
susiejb said:
Hi Peter ...I like the thinking behind first, and the composition. But I absolutely love Live, that really is an enviable shot ....a fabulous effect, I think it would work in portrait too with more of the tall stems showing....very nice indeed :clap:
Click to expand...
Thanks Susie. Trouble with showing more of the stems is that you'll have seen the bright orange clothes peg holding them all together :D

XenosElaine said:
Live - excellent take on the theme! I love the way the petals curl around the seeds
heads and I think your choice of bg colour is just right :clap:

First - another original idea. The dof and use of the diagonal are spot on.
Click to expand...
Thanks Elaine

overbez said:
Dried sunflowers make a nice interesting detailed image, processing and colour create a sunflower image far removed from the norm, I also find the subject on the left rather than the right suitably different too. One I'm looking forward to viewing bigger on the computer.

Family shot is really pleasing too, lovely limited colour palette of the brown, beige, cream and white. Limited DOF very well used here too. Lighting is really nice here, has a nice natural look to it, which considering you used two lights is quite impressive.
Click to expand...
Many thanks Graham
 
Week 46 - Smooth

Smooth by Delta Skies, on Flickr

OMG - I'm up to date!! Anyway I almost got away with just taking one shot for this. I ended up going for a second rather than fuss around in PS. Simply light with a single LED light, shielding the light from spilling on the black card background.
 
Hmm, well lit to avoid any shiny bits and reveal the 'grain' or polishing marks in the base.

Not sure of the half frame positioning here though. Possibly as it's face on, it doesn't really need space "to look into" so think I'd prefer a close, symmetrical, portrait crop. Minor point and easily done. :)
 
Hiya Peter, family first, great idea, but I think I would have preferred to see focus more on the m in the middle, giving an equal amount of dof either side.

Again, iron for smooth works, good detail, good clean black bg (added in PP?) ......:thinking:....slightly more right in frame maybe?
 
Hi Peter, I quite like the positioning over to the left and think it gives a good balance between the iron and the bg. Nicely lit and good detail in the steam holes. :clap:
 
Hello I really hope all is well in your world, so very sorry I haven't got round to commenting for a while. Some amazing work in here re shoot of mono is fantastic , I absoloutly love everything about the image. Wonderful take for the theme balance, really good of them to open there doors up for the camera club. Really sorry I can't get round to criting on every image, times a little precious these days.
 
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Hi Peter :)

Live - I too wasn't sure when I saw this on my phone, but now I lappy I really like it, I have no idea who this person is Andy is talking about, guess I best have a look one day as I like this, the colours are very nice, I think your choice of backdrop is excellent also, and what a great sunflower prop too... super image :)

First - Good ole Sarah, a nice idea again, the use of the modeling lamp for the lighting looks a good choice, I like the props again but wonder if having the word more in focus would be helpful to push the family element, that said the detail on the first figures on the mantel is great :thumbs:

Smooth - Now there is an object I don't see every day, thank goodness :D I like the simple monotone colour and the negative space top the right, I'm not 100% on the crop positioning, but all in all an effective subject for the theme, well lit against a good solid background :)
 
Hi Peter, i like it where it is, nice clean image and you have handled the lighting perfectly :clap:
 
Up2date :clap:

First, lovely warm colours, nice subtle shadows and the DOF works well.

Smooth, nice flat surface with good detail and clean BG. Wonder what a nice abstract crop would look like.

Cheers.
 
Hi Peter

Smooth - good comp (altho not sure whether the LHS of the iron should disappear into the bottom corner rather than the side of the frame) and I really like the lighting which brings out the matt surface and the holes/shadows. Well on theme as being a smooth surface which is used for smoothing things. (y) Nice pattern in the holes and an immaculately clean iron :)
 
As SMOOTHing iron pics go ... that's a good one(y) ... especially for those of us that have never before studied such engineered beauty.
 
Hi Peter

Live.....unusual to see a sunflower in mono ( can't help but wonder what a slight amount of color to the flower heads would look like ?) however , I really like this conversion & the frame (y) Only slight niggle is it seems a touch too tight to the lhs but that's just me....

Smooth...like it , simple , effective & well lit :clap:

First....lovely muted color tones , fab use of DOF & really well lit...love this :clap:
 
overbez said:
Hmm, well lit to avoid any shiny bits and reveal the 'grain' or polishing marks in the base.

Not sure of the half frame positioning here though. Possibly as it's face on, it doesn't really need space "to look into" so think I'd prefer a close, symmetrical, portrait crop. Minor point and easily done. :)
Click to expand...
Thanks Graham

Phil-D said:
Hiya Peter, family first, great idea, but I think I would have preferred to see focus more on the m in the middle, giving an equal amount of dof either side.

Again, iron for smooth works, good detail, good clean black bg (added in PP?) ......:thinking:....slightly more right in frame maybe?
Click to expand...
Cheers Phil

XenosElaine said:
Hi Peter, I quite like the positioning over to the left and think it gives a good balance between the iron and the bg. Nicely lit and good detail in the steam holes. :clap:
Click to expand...
Thanks Elaine

Pinkbikerbabe said:
Hello I really hope all is well in your world, so very sorry I haven't got round to commenting for a while. Some amazing work in here re shoot of mono is fantastic , I absoloutly love everything about the image. Wonderful take for the theme balance, really good of them to open there doors up for the camera club. Really sorry I can't get round to criting on every image, times a little precious these days.
Click to expand...
Yeah I'm well thanks Mandy. Cheers for the comments. No problem amount the amount of crit. I'm definitely behind again in my critiques

Dark Knight said:
Hi Peter :)

Live - I too wasn't sure when I saw this on my phone, but now I lappy I really like it, I have no idea who this person is Andy is talking about, guess I best have a look one day as I like this, the colours are very nice, I think your choice of backdrop is excellent also, and what a great sunflower prop too... super image :)

First - Good ole Sarah, a nice idea again, the use of the modeling lamp for the lighting looks a good choice, I like the props again but wonder if having the word more in focus would be helpful to push the family element, that said the detail on the first figures on the mantel is great (y)

Smooth - Now there is an object I don't see every day, thank goodness :D I like the simple monotone colour and the negative space top the right, I'm not 100% on the crop positioning, but all in all an effective subject for the theme, well lit against a good solid background :)
Click to expand...
Thanks for the catch up Dean

alsjazzera said:
Hi Peter, i like it where it is, nice clean image and you have handled the lighting perfectly :clap:
Click to expand...
Cheers Allan
 
posiview said:
Up2date :clap:

First, lovely warm colours, nice subtle shadows and the DOF works well.

Smooth, nice flat surface with good detail and clean BG. Wonder what a nice abstract crop would look like.

Cheers.
Click to expand...
Thanks Andy. There were a few crops I came up with but settled on this. All seemed to work so room for variants.

pjm1 said:
Smooth - I like it but I'm left wondering whether a more random crop (perhaps really tight) might be interesting and rather abstract, as Andy describes.
Click to expand...
Thanks Paul

susiejb said:
Hi Peter ....well done with catching up :clap:

Smooth is a super shot .... really crisp and clear and perfect black background, like the others I did wonder about the crop .... but perhaps it's just time to move on now you've caught up.
Click to expand...
Thanks Susie

superpippo said:
Hi Peter

Smooth - good comp (altho not sure whether the LHS of the iron should disappear into the bottom corner rather than the side of the frame) and I really like the lighting which brings out the matt surface and the holes/shadows. Well on theme as being a smooth surface which is used for smoothing things. (y) Nice pattern in the holes and an immaculately clean iron :)
Click to expand...
Cheers Alan

d00d said:
As SMOOTHing iron pics go ... that's a good one(y) ... especially for those of us that have never before studied such engineered beauty.
Click to expand...
Thanks David

blondie606 said:
Hi Peter

Live.....unusual to see a sunflower in mono ( can't help but wonder what a slight amount of color to the flower heads would look like ?) however , I really like this conversion & the frame (y) Only slight niggle is it seems a touch too tight to the lhs but that's just me....

Smooth...like it , simple , effective & well lit :clap:

First....lovely muted color tones , fab use of DOF & really well lit...love this :clap:
Click to expand...
Many thanks Lynne
 
Week 47 - Attached

Attached by Delta Skies, on Flickr

I was having problems with shooting and editing a shot of fungi on a branch and then found somebody posted a cracker before me so gave up. I then thought of taking a final leaf on a tree and found somebody had posted that so gave up. Then another thought stuck me and ended up with this. Hand held lit by a Metz LED with a very shallow DoF
 
Week 48 - Energy

Energy by Delta Skies, on Flickr

I've done a similar shot at this location (Ferrybridge Power Station) before. In fact the same cooling tower so I felt I needed to do something different. It's a 10 second exposure using the Big Stopper and then converted to mono to really bring out the detail in the concrete and also enough separation between the water vapour and sky.
 
Week 49 - Round

Mistletoe by Delta Skies, on Flickr

Well it is Christmas :) so the obligatory mistletoe was lying around shouting to be taken with the tree in the background. The trick with this one is to get the right DoF and the right balance of exposure of mistletoe and tree. It took quite a few shots but I got what I was wanting to achieve in the end. Tripod mounted camera @ 30 seconds f16 plus tripod mounted mistletoe place closer to the camera than the tree.
 
Hi Peter

Attached >>> looks like female flesh, racy, lacy pyjamas ... call me naive but I can't quite figure it out ... oh the intrigue. Nice work, DoF is narrow (y)

Round >>> nice light, nice Dof, excellent detail, seasonal too. (y)

Energy >>> a stonker. "10 second exposure using the Big Stopper" ... powerful stuff :clap:
 
Blimey... here we go again , another catch up from me :D

Attached - Where do I start... I know you said you were going to do a self portrait but THIS i was not expecting... as per David I think I can see fine hair but feel a bit too uneasy squinting at the screen with Mrs DK with me :cautious:

Lovely colour that Red, the DoF makes it stand out very nicely against the black lace :thumbs:

Energy - Wow that looks impressive, that angle really shows off the size of that chimney, the long exposure works really well for the smoke, looks like an explosion out of the top :)

Round - Ahhhh I see where your going with this now... Mistletoe, Sarah in stockings and suspenders - Say no more :whistle:

A real nice festive shot, enough detail in the background to make out the tree/tinsel, well balanced lighting of the tree and mistletoe - very nice :thumbs again:
 
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