weekly Elaine's 52 for 2015 - Christmas added - finished!

Nor did I, but yes bizarre indeed. Good choice for the theme.

Going out to try and shoot something bizarre is actually quite a bizarre thing to do in itself, and actually finding something is even more bizarre .... if you get my point!
 
Well spotted Elaine and like Lorraine says reading the story of it makes it very bizarre!
 
Nice capture. You've certainly made her stand out while I think she's supposed to blend into the BG. (y)
 
Hi Elaine,

Household... Really like this idea cant fail with the old monopoly board can you :) That's patina Elaine, from many happy games! Adds to the atmosphere;).... Interesting to look at everyone's idea considering I struggles like hell with household. Anyhow think its a good shot nice even exposure. Great DOF and the whole thing works well for me(y) BTW my monopoly must be a really old one... all the houses and hotels are wooden!

Re-shoot Companions and Relax.... I have to say I'm just amazed that people get the time to re shoot.... I struggle enough shooting the theme each week!:eek: I think the 2 re shoots here go hand in hand! The look on the Cats face looking at the shot above and saying "DINNER". No1 nice and sharp, nice texture in the tree bark, just think I'd clone out the stump of branch bottom right. (scrawny looking chicks!). No2, Love the look on the cats face! and those eyes! I find that really OOF greenery on the right very distracting, I think id be inclined to loose it with a squarer crop.(y)

Limit... Bang on theme! Looks like a busy stretch of road! They say those Illuminating 30 limit signs have more effect than speed cameras (probably considerably cheaper too) Another shot in the bag!

Bizarre.... Well that's certainly bizarre! Nicely spotted, well they keep saying our climate is getting warmer:rolleyes: God knows what species were going to end up with here... they all seem able to adapt! Nice shot bit of reflection on its shell and in the water bottom left corner I might look at some selective dodging and burning but other than that nice shot well captured(y)

Nice work Elaine
 
alsjazzera said:
Hi Elaine certainly a bizarre find its obviously adapted well to its current environment must have been quite a surprise for you
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Yes Allan, not at all what I was expecting to find!
 
Dem55 said:
Hi Elaine,

Bizarre - I didn't quite get this when I first saw it, but reading the back story I agree, a super choice for the theme, and well done for spotting it :)
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d00d said:
Nice capture. You've certainly made her stand out while I think she's supposed to blend into the BG. (y)
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It definitely didn't blend into the BG at all - the log was a few yards out from the shore but I spotted it straight away. The dark upper shell was quite good camouflage though when it slid into the water - it disappeared completely!
 
69Bonni said:
Hi Elaine,

Household... Really like this idea cant fail with the old monopoly board can you :) That's patina Elaine, from many happy games! Adds to the atmosphere;).... Interesting to look at everyone's idea considering I struggles like hell with household. Anyhow think its a good shot nice even exposure. Great DOF and the whole thing works well for me(y) BTW my monopoly must be a really old one... all the houses and hotels are wooden!
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I remember playing with a set with wooden houses as a child, but I haven't seen one for many years - yours might be a collector's item!

Re-shoot Companions and Relax.... I have to say I'm just amazed that people get the time to re shoot.... I struggle enough shooting the theme each week!:eek: I think the 2 re shoots here go hand in hand! The look on the Cats face looking at the shot above and saying "DINNER". No1 nice and sharp, nice texture in the tree bark, just think I'd clone out the stump of branch bottom right. (scrawny looking chicks!). No2, Love the look on the cats face! and those eyes! I find that really OOF greenery on the right very distracting, I think id be inclined to loose it with a squarer crop.(y)
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Yes, that the bit of branch in the chick shot could definitely go! I left the leaves in on the cat shot because I was trying to get over the total surprise I caused, catching him unawares when he was hiding deep in the bushes, but I agree that they might be a bit distracting..

Limit... Bang on theme! Looks like a busy stretch of road! They say those Illuminating 30 limit signs have more effect than speed cameras (probably considerably cheaper too) Another shot in the bag!
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It's actually a fairly quiet road. It took me quite a while to get the shot, because the sign only lights up as a vehicle approaches it and by the time it's gone past and come into shot, the sign's gone out, so I had to wait for a few cars to pass by in a row.

Bizarre.... Well that's certainly bizarre! Nicely spotted, well they keep saying our climate is getting warmer:rolleyes: God knows what species were going to end up with here... they all seem able to adapt! Nice shot bit of reflection on its shell and in the water bottom left corner I might look at some selective dodging and burning but other than that nice shot well captured(y)

Nice work Elaine
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Thanks for all the comments Steve, much appreciated.
 
BobBCN said:
Nor did I, but yes bizarre indeed. Good choice for the theme.

Going out to try and shoot something bizarre is actually quite a bizarre thing to do in itself, and actually finding something is even more bizarre .... if you get my point!
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:D
 
Week 22 - We're nearly halfway there :D

This was my first idea. I can assure you it's all pp trickery - I'm neither double-jointed nor that dedicated :eek: I started off with a mono conversion to make it look a bit more dramatic, then I got a bit carried away and decided to add some blue and purple tones to emphasise the bruised and broken effect :rolleyes: The focus looks a bit soft to me - I tried a few different lighting variations and focussing on different areas, but it still doesn't look as sharp as I would have liked.

Broken #1

fwlo3n.jpg


Second one's somewhat less gruesome. Could have done with less reflection on the glass vase - I had a go at cloning some of it out, but it just ended up looking messy, so I ditched that idea and went for a tighter square crop instead to show as little of the vase as possible :oops: :$

Broken #2

fa7nde.jpg
 
Hi Elaine, as you say looks a little soft could be the PP, nice idea looks very painful
flower is a nice idea too, though I would say that as i have done something vaguely similar aswell
 
Hi Elaine good ideas for broken although the first one makes me feel a bit queasy! :)
 
Hi Elaine,

Broken - that first shot made me feel a bit queasy too. It does look a little soft though.
good idea for the flower, sorry you had a nightmare with reflections is the vase, but I think the crop works well :clap:
 
Two good brokens there.

#1 is a bit weird and I like weird. The blue hue works for me.

#2 I like the processing and really like the close composition.

Cheers.
 
Nice work
Broken finger job would have worked well for bizarre too:eek:. I think the blue hue works well but its a tad soft isn't it, but its not too much of a worry.
Carnation, Like this.... I think the flower head is beautiful and is very nicely lit. lovely colour ... I'd have probably cheated and taken 2 shots second shot binned the flower kept everything in the same place and exposed and faffed around with the lighting to get the vase bang on, then blended the shots.
Trying to get rid of specular highlights in PP is a nightmare

Tip, In theatre sometimes they spray Props with hairspray to flatten them to stop reflections, sometimes this works for us too!
 
Hi Elaine,

a couple of good brokens ... love the finger job and I too like the hue.
 
Week 23 - Entertain

Thought I'd go and see if I could get any decent exterior shots of the restored 1930's theatre in town for this week's theme. When I got there, there were vintage cars parked all over the front of it and on closer inspection, they were holding an open day. So I not only got exterior shots, but also quite a few of the interior - all lit up, with people taking their seats for a Laurel & Hardy film!

Entertaining - The Old-Fashioned Way

#1 Sadly the sun was almost directly behind the building just after midday, throwing the art deco frontage into shadow and I've had to add quite a bit of brightness to it in pp so it isn't shown off to its best advantage, but I sort of think the cars make up for it.

2uduhjl.jpg


#2 Upcoming attractions and a rather nice leaded glass door

3026p0w.jpg


#3 Love the curtains!
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#4 Ladies and gentlemen, for your delectation and delight :D
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I did hang around the back of the auditorium until the film came on, but it was pitch black by then so the shots didn't come out very well and I'm not a big Laurel & Hardy fan, so I snuck out the door after a couple of minutes :exit:
 
Hi Elaine. Very quick off the mark ... several times over! Love the art deco in #1 best - what a beautiful building. Nicely recovered from the lighting issue you faced.
 
Thanks Carl. Hard to believe that it was derelict 15 years ago after its former life as a bingo hall and nightclub came to an end. I think the charitable trust that now owns it has made a fantastic job of the restoration.
 
Hi Elaine, your first image for Broken is definitely a bit weird but clever too and the blue toning works well, but my favourite of the two is the broken flower, which looks sad and seems to sum up 'broken' in more ways than one. I like your processing and composition.

That's a good series of images for Entertain and it's nice to read the back story and see an old building back in use. I think the stage in image 3 is my favourite, both for the lighting and colours as well as the sense that something is about to happen.
 
Manxmaid said:
Hi Elaine, your first image for Broken is definitely a bit weird but clever too and the blue toning works well, but my favourite of the two is the broken flower, which looks sad and seems to sum up 'broken' in more ways than one. I like your processing and composition.

That's a good series of images for Entertain and it's nice to read the back story and see an old building back in use. I think the stage in image 3 is my favourite, both for the lighting and colours as well as the sense that something is about to happen.
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Thanks Andrea. The stage is my favourite for Entertain too.
 
posiview said:
I like the last one. Pity it isn't in focus, but I like the composition.

Cheers.
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Thanks Andy. I got quite a few shots of him doing his announcing and there were ones where he was a little less animated which were a lot sharper, but I liked his pose and the general overall feel of this one, so I decided to go with aesthetics rather than technicalities :oops: :$
 
I think I'm just about up to date with my comments on everyone else's threads now. Apologies if I've inadvertently missed anyone out - it wasn't deliberate or personal, but I was skipping through to try and get everybody in before I go on holiday at the end of next week.
 
I love that!
Fancy someone having the common sense to preserve this great theatre. All they need to do now is get rid of that ugly street lamp and it would look great eh! Still really lovely.
Excellent set Elaine, I love the stage shot Number 3 for me! Well spotted and captured(y)
 
Hi Elaine, the first one for me, such a nice building and the old cars just fit in well
 
ENTERTAIN: Nice set for the theme. Could spend a while just looking at the glass panels in the doors in the second shot. Lots of scope there for reflections!
 
69Bonni said:
I love that!
Fancy someone having the common sense to preserve this great theatre. All they need to do now is get rid of that ugly street lamp and it would look great eh! Still really lovely.
Excellent set Elaine, I love the stage shot Number 3 for me! Well spotted and captured(y)
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Thanks Steve. If I'd been a bit further to the left to get that first shot straight on, there would have been an even bigger, uglier street lamp right in the middle of it :eek:
 
alsjazzera said:
Hi Elaine, the first one for me, such a nice building and the old cars just fit in well
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Thanks Allan. Yes the vintage cars were out in force for the occasion, but these were the only two parked conveniently right in front of the theatre :)
 
BobBCN said:
ENTERTAIN: Nice set for the theme. Could spend a while just looking at the glass panels in the doors in the second shot. Lots of scope there for reflections!
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Thanks Bob. Hmmm, wonder if Reflections will come up as a theme - I'll know where to go if it does :D
 
Week 24 - Spiral

Some eagle-eyed members may find this one slightly familiar - it's the same plate that I used in my first shot of the year for Patterns! Felt like a bit of a cop-out to use the same subject twice, but I think it's such an attractive example of a spiral and I have used a slightly wider crop, shot it the opposite way round and used slightly different lighting, so I hope I'll be forgiven.

6gwxau.jpg


I do have another idea for Spiral, but what I have in mind is in Corfu Town and so as I won't be there until next weekend it may appear as a second late submission when I get back home - along, no doubt, with several weeks' catch ups!
 
Hi Elaine, I remember that plate, you have done a good job on the lighting and why not use it again its a good spiral as you point out
 
Hi Elaine

Entertain - some lovely shots f the building - I do like a bit of art deco :). I think the second is my favourite - they're lovely doors. It's a bit off a shame about the reflections, but as you said, the sun wasn't in the best place, so couldn't be helped.

Spiral - I remember that plate! But is t really as long ago as that? Anyway, I liked it way back and I still like it now (y)
 
Entertain - spot on theme, shame about the light as you say, I like the final one best :)

spiral - I keep getting drawn back to this one, it's lovely, and a gorgeous plate too :)
 
Hi Elaine

Broken 1.....Makes me feel a bit queasy! Also brings to mind that until recent surgery, Denzel Washington had a little finger that would pop sideways in that manner if he so much as shook his hand too energetically....seen footage of it...yuck. :lol:

Broken 2.....although sad that the stem is broken, the flower head is still very pretty, and lovely colour.

Entertaining....Thankfully more and more of these art deco theatres and cinemas are being grade 2 listed and so will be preserved. You've got this one well, both inside and out.

Spiral.....I like this very much. The colours and the black space on the left make for a nice contradiction.
 
posiview said:
Corfu, I like the Old Town :)

Nice details in Spiral, nice colours and detail.

Cheers.
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Thanks Andy. I love Corfu Town! Always spend a few nights there before heading off to the neighbouring island of Paxos for our annual pilgrimage to sun, sea and tsipouro :cool:
 
alsjazzera said:
Hi Elaine, I remember that plate, you have done a good job on the lighting and why not use it again its a good spiral as you point out
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Thanks Allan :)
 
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