jeangenie's 52 for 2009 - Week 26 Night

[kennysarmy]

great interpretation and the added props help make the shot more interesting...just find the shadow in the bottom left corner a slight distraction...clone or crop it out perhaps?

 

[adrury]

Aaaaaarrrrrrggggghhhhh nuts!!!:bang:

This is the exact same idea that Mr Drury had come up with and that I was intending to use.

Mind you, having said that the shot I had in mind was completely different and on now seeing yours am very pleased that you beat me to it. I think you have done it justice and I really think it knocks the socks off what I would have produced.

I love the composition, and the crispness of the chalks and stilton. The colours also work well together with the natural tones being opposite to that of the vibrant chalks. Very nicely done.

Only negative thing I can say is that now you have denied me the opportunity to buy cheese and eat my props

 

[Toothie]

Loving the chalk and cheese - great idea

 

[jeangenie]

And I'm salivating that blue cheese looks gorgeous


I have mine shot but its a bit odd - so I'm pondering

Thanks for the kind comments, John. The cheese was great once I'd got rid to the chalky bits.

'Pondering' - mmmm, I bet that means you've got something really creative and way beyond any box. Look forward to seeing it.

Very good Jean. I hadn't even considered chalk and cheese as an idea. Well executed shot too.

Thank you kindly, Mark.

Good picture, and I like stilton

Glad you like the pic. You bring the wine and we'll share the cheese.

great interpretation and the added props help make the shot more interesting...just find the shadow in the bottom left corner a slight distraction...clone or crop it out perhaps?

Thanks for the kind comments - much appreciated. I hadn't even seen the bottom left corner as a shadow - it's actually the edge of the cheese board. Doh.

Aaaaaarrrrrrggggghhhhh nuts!!!:bang:

This is the exact same idea that Mr Drury had come up with and that I was intending to use.

Mind you, having said that the shot I had in mind was completely different and on now seeing yours am very pleased that you beat me to it. I think you have done it justice and I really think it knocks the socks off what I would have produced.

I love the composition, and the crispness of the chalks and stilton. The colours also work well together with the natural tones being opposite to that of the vibrant chalks. Very nicely done.

Only negative thing I can say is that now you have denied me the opportunity to buy cheese and eat my props

Ahhhhh, Angela - you're very kind. What about chocolate and lettuce - then you can eat the choccy?

Loving the chalk and cheese - great idea

Thank you kindly, Ruth.

Jean

 

[adrury]

Ahhhhh, Angela - you're very kind. What about chocolate and lettuce - then you can eat the choccy?

Jean

Now there's and Idea!!

 

[Hyster]

Oh well, there goes one of my ideas Jean.

You did it better than I would have managed anyway, well done.

Sure I can smell Stilton now........

 

[jgs001]

That's great Jean, a well shot picture and a great interpretation. The added props make it stand out more.

 

[Spartacus]

Your back on track Jean...I'm loving this one of yours..

It's so well done you really got the feel for this one I can tell...

That cheese and grapes just make you want some right now...

Congratulation...fabulous...

 

[dogyakker]

Just echoing the sentiments of others Jean, a really well thought out pic. You can really see how you have considered each component with this and I love the colours.

But then I also love Baby Bell!

Chris

 

[The Matt]

Oh wow, I really like that. Nicely composed and lit. I did briefly consider chalk/cheese as my opposites, but I'm glad I didn't because I couldn't have done it so well as this.

 

[Daysleeper40]

Great idea - so simple but didn't occur to me at all!

TBH I have mixed feelings about the shot itself - I love the colours and the texture of the stilton has come out beautifully. My first instinct (like yours) would have been to go for a simple composition with just the chalk and cheese but how I'd set that up I don't know so I get why you've added props.

I think the grapes definately do add to it but theres something bugging me about the composition. It just seems a bit jumbled and cramped with so many shapes / elements and part of the cheese and the grapes cut out.

I feel like I can tell from the shot that you you had a strong idea of what you wanted but it didn't quite pan out so you had to modify and add things in. I know when I do that I get frustrated and lose focus on what I had in mind to start with and then things (like composition) get a bit disjointed... am I making sense?!

 

[jeangenie]

Oh well, there goes one of my ideas Jean.

You did it better than I would have managed anyway, well done.

Sure I can smell Stilton now........

You're very kind - much appreciated.

That's great Jean, a well shot picture and a great interpretation. The added props make it stand out more.

Thank you kindly, it's great to get encouragement.

It's so well done you really got the feel for this one I can tell...

That cheese and grapes just make you want some right now...

Congratulation...fabulous...

Awwww, John - and you're right, I enjoyed this much more than the last couple of weeks, although there are things I'd change.

Just echoing the sentiments of others Jean, a really well thought out pic. You can really see how you have considered each component with this and I love the colours.

But then I also love Baby Bell!

Chris

Thank you so much, Chris - and I think you're the first taker for the Baby Bel.

Oh wow, I really like that. Nicely composed and lit. I did briefly consider chalk/cheese as my opposites, but I'm glad I didn't because I couldn't have done it so well as this.

'Twas just natural light through a bedroom window and I managed to choose the only day when it was half-way decent. Thank you for your kind comments.

Great idea - so simple but didn't occur to me at all!

TBH I have mixed feelings about the shot itself - I love the colours and the texture of the stilton has come out beautifully. My first instinct (like yours) would have been to go for a simple composition with just the chalk and cheese but how I'd set that up I don't know so I get why you've added props.

I think the grapes definately do add to it but theres something bugging me about the composition. It just seems a bit jumbled and cramped with so many shapes / elements and part of the cheese and the grapes cut out.

I feel like I can tell from the shot that you you had a strong idea of what you wanted but it didn't quite pan out so you had to modify and add things in. I know when I do that I get frustrated and lose focus on what I had in mind to start with and then things (like composition) get a bit disjointed... am I making sense?!

DS - you've hit several nails on the head. I tried lots of different compositions, but the chalk kept rolling about and most of the other items are actually keeping the chalk in place. I tried double-sided tape, cellotatpe, blutak and even playdoh to sick it down - grrrrr. Ideally I would have liked a larger pile of chalk.

The hard crop was a compromise when I changed lenses from 105mm to 28-105. The 28-105 is an old 'film' lens and I don't think it's quite as sharp as I remembered it. So there were several sacrifices made.

So, you've made a very good analysis of what went on - many thanks for taking so much trouble.

Jean

 

[EdBray]

Nice image Jean and I'm on a diet too!

 

[Graulges]

I did mine without looking at anybody elses this week and came up with chalk and cheese as well. That where the similarity ends. This is a lovely shot, colour, impact, compositionall great. Mind you I did get a knife in mine!

Well done, lovely shot

 

[jeangenie]

Nice image Jean and I'm on a diet too!

Thanks Ed. btw - it's low cal chalk Hope the diet is holding.

I did mine without looking at anybody elses this week and came up with chalk and cheese as well. That where the similarity ends. This is a lovely shot, colour, impact, compositionall great. Mind you I did get a knife in mine!

Well done, lovely shot

Thanks for the kind comments. I try not to look at anybody else's before I do mine, but I bet if everybody had done chalk and cheese they would all have been different. I like to think that's creativity.


Jean

 

[jamlid]

Excellent picture for Opposites! I love this one Composed very nice, tons to look at in the picture, entertaining and the colours are delicious! (yes, the chalk does look slightly tasty )

 

[Bruja]

Thanks again for your narrative and learning points - especially the one about things being simple

Your chalk and cheese shot is a great take on the theme and reminds me of the Stilton scones we used to have in a little cafe in Durham on a Sunday morning

Although there are a lot of components in your composition it does mean the chalk is not immediately obvious, so it takes you more by Surprise

And I feel your pain trying to get objects in place (although in my case it was the lighting as the sun kept going in mucking up my exposures )

I'm really enjoying this challenge and it sounds like you are to, and we've got almost 10% done now

 

[jeangenie]

(yes, the chalk does look slightly tasty )

Damm, and I gave it to the grandchildren to draw with, never even tasted it. Thank you for your very kind comments.

Your chalk and cheese shot is a great take on the theme and reminds me of the Stilton scones we used to have in a little cafe in Durham on a Sunday morning


I'm really enjoying this challenge and it sounds like you are to, and we've got almost 10% done now

Those scones sound yummy. Mmmmmm. (looking for 'licking lips' emoticon)

You're right Jill, I am enjoying this and hadn't thought that we'd done nearly 10%. There again, I haven't started shooting week 6's effort yet.

Your lovely comments are much appreciated.

Jean

 

[jaffamuffin]

Hi there.

Love the surprise shot.

When I read opposites as the theme, Chalk and cheese immedietly popped in to my head.. You have done a great job on the picture as I can appreciate that even these 'simple' prop shots are a night mare, especially without lightboxes/tripods etc..

 

[jeangenie]

Thank you kindly for you comments, Jaffamuffin. I have to confess to using a tripod - not my favourite bit of kit, though

Jean

 

[SimonTALM]

Love the shot Jean, I think you are being a bit harsh about the image, it looks good to me The Stilton looks very tasty (all that mould, mmmm) but I'm guessing you are suggesting that the photo makes it looks a bit drier than it was really.

By replacing the chalk with a piece of crusty bread would turn this image in to a great still life product shot.

 

[Duckydoodle]

Clever interpretation. Good shot

 

[jeangenie]

Love the shot Jean, I think you are being a bit harsh about the image, it looks good to me The Stilton looks very tasty (all that mould, mmmm) but I'm guessing you are suggesting that the photo makes it looks a bit drier than it was really.

By replacing the chalk with a piece of crusty bread would turn this image in to a great still life product shot.

Thanks Simon - comments much appreciated. The main problem was that when I started the light was great and the Stilton looked perfect. I spent so long faffing about with composition that the light had deteriorated so the end shot was a bit of a compromise. Moral - work faster next time.

Clever interpretation. Good shot

Thanks you very much - it's lovely when people are so encouraging.

Jean

 

[jeangenie]

'Special' - lovely topic with a warm fuzzy feeling. So what's special to me - family, friends, our dogs, photography, the garden, the Forest, the beach - in other words, lots of things to chose from. So I've chosen a set of salt, pepper and mustard pots. Why?


Many, many years ago I worked at Wedgwoods, the pottery factory recently taken into Administration. I was secretary to the Finance Director but would always take the opportunity to go through the factory to get from A to B because I found it fascinating. In the Design Studio one day I commented to the Design Manager that I liked an experimental salt and pepper pot he'd made and wondered if they would go into production. The answer was no, because the technical constraints would make them too expensive to market. Pity, because I really liked them.

Time passed and I met my knight in shining armour (MrJG) and when we were getting married and moving away from Stoke, I had to leave an interesting job which I'd loved.


It was the tradition in the pottery industry for girls leaving to get married to be given a china tea service. But imagine my amazement when on opening our wedding present from the company there was a beautiful tea service - and the salt and pepper pot. The final small package was the mustard pot, which had been made specially for me.

I think my long-suffering boss was so relieved his scatty young secretary was moving on!

So the photographic challenge this week was to come up with something different from last week's chalk and cheese. Three black items on a white background?? errr, noooooo. So inspired by Dave Kiddle's reflections shots in this 365 (many thanks, Dave - I hope you don't mind) I decided to put them on a mirror. As usual, natural light, no light tent. Yes, I am barking mad. :bang:

This week's challenge has resulted in the most work, the most frustration and the biggest gap between the concept and realistion of the concept so far.

Lessons learned:

1 Don't try to be such a smart ****

2 Getting it as right as possible in camera is preferable to stretching limited PS skills beyond my capabilities.

3 It's difficult to make 3 black objects look interesting without lights.

4 Mirrors have a magnetic attraction for dust.

5 Wiping the dust off a mirror makes even more dust.

6 Mirrors reflect things you don't want in the picture as well as those you do.

7 If I'm going to do a whole string of adjustments in PS I need to plan the order or work carefully - prefereably on a piece of paper which I don't lose half-way through.

8 Quick Mask on PS is not quick in my hands!

9 Despite this shot driving me bonkers this week, I have actually enjoyed it and used several tools on PS which were new to me.

And the gap between what I wanted and what I ended up with was I wanted to fade the reflection out to nothing towards the bottom of the shot. I tried the Gradient tool and couldn't get it to look right. Something to learn for another time.

Thanks for looking.

Jean

 

[SimonTALM]

The photo is great, I am most impressed that you managed this shot without extra lighting. I am now very tempted by a light tent. The bright yellow mustard really makes the image for me all it needs though a small silver spoon.

The story behind this is fantastic, I realise that these are priceless to you but if you did sell them I can see a one off Wedgwood salt, pepper and mustard pot (especially ones as fabulous as these) going for a fair bit of cash so I hope you have them well insured.

P.S. I believe that mirrors have an electrostatic attraction to dust

 

[adrury]

This is a stunning shot Jean. I wonder if your attraction to the set has anything to do with the attraction to DSLRs and lenses today as at first I thought that was what they were

I love the fact that they are on a mirror, it gives a really classy look to the image and I agree that mirrors do reflect things we don't alway want to see.

well done cracking shot

 

[Spartacus]

This is a stunning shot Jean. I wonder if your attraction to the set has anything to do with the attraction to DSLRs and lenses today as at first I thought that was what they were

I agree it took me a while to work it out..

It's great story and one to be proud of...

for me I would have liked to have seen a little more in focus, but that's me but it's a lovely shot all the same...nice...

 

[maddog.mark]

A great shot really well thought out and executed. Can't see any dust either, so you've done a good job.

Mark

 

[Dark Star]

Jean a great shot and a great story! Love the yellow against the black and that is a really stylish set - I admire your taste

As always your lessons are a treat to read

Very, very nice

 

[dogyakker]

Fantastic! - I think that of all your shots this is the one I like best so far. OK so the focus is a little off but every thing else is pretty spot on, the composition, the lighting even the post processing all look pretty good to me. The story of how you came by them is fascinating and the tale of all the hassles you had and still came up with a decent shot is showing more dedication to the cause than I could ever come up with.

Oh and if they ever put em into production after all - please let me know, there great!

Chris

 

[jeangenie]

The bright yellow mustard really makes the image for me all it needs though a small silver spoon.

The story behind this is fantastic, I realise that these are priceless to you but if you did sell them I can see a one off Wedgwood salt, pepper and mustard pot (especially ones as fabulous as these) going for a fair bit of cash so I hope you have them well insured.

Thanks Simon. I thought about a little silver spoon, but if I ever had one I must have swallowed it at birth. tbh, I couldn't find one dainty enough and I decided I didn't need any more problems with reflections.

I've absolutely no idea what they're worth but every so often the kids say we should get them valued. Not sure this is a good idea.

I wonder if your attraction to the set has anything to do with the attraction to DSLRs and lenses today as at first I thought that was what they were.

Thanks you for your kind comments, Angela. Yes - they do look a bit like the barrels of lenses. We must have one-track minds.

I agree it took me a while to work it out..


for me I would have liked to have seen a little more in focus, but that's me but it's a lovely shot all the same...nice...

Thank you kind sir. I'm still experimenting with dof with the macro lens and I would have liked the mustard pot to have been a bit clearer but wanted to blur out the pepper pot because I thought having everything in focus (I wish!) might have looked a bit like a catalogue shot. Hopefully I'll get more accurate control before Week 52.

Can't see any dust either, so you've done a good job.

Mark

Thank you Mark - I appreciate the comments. I did spend a while cloning out specks of dust because it was annoying me so much.

Jean a great shot and a great story! Love the yellow against the black and that is a really stylish set - I admire your taste

As always your lessons are a treat to read

Very, very nice

Thank you so much John - you're very kind. We both stepped out of our confort zone this week!

Fantastic! - I think that of all your shots this is the one I like best so far. OK so the focus is a little off but every thing else is pretty spot on, the composition, the lighting even the post processing all look pretty good to me. The story of how you came by them is fascinating and the tale of all the hassles you had and still came up with a decent shot is showing more dedication to the cause than I could ever come up with.

Oh and if they ever put em into production after all - please let me know, there great!

Chris

Chris - thank you for your lovely comments. The battle to control focus is ongoing!

I spent more time on this than other weeks, and it did take over a bit because I had a clear picture of how I wanted it to look - and in the end it fell someway short, but - hey- that's what learning is about.





I always post shots with a slight feeling of trepidation - wondering if everyone will rubbish them (and if that's what they deserve I'll try and learn from the comments) or even worse, ignore them, but it's fantastic to have such encouragement. Thank you all very, very much.

Jean

 

[antc]

Just had a good look through your thread here and you have some nice images and clearly a good imagination. Favourite shot so far is the chalk and cheese shot.

Keep up the good work!

 

[jgs001]

Excellent story Jean, and wonderful presents. You've taken a great shot of them too. I love the way you've braved the mirror again after week 1. I think the shot is spot on

 

[jeangenie]

Just had a good look through your thread here and you have some nice images and clearly a good imagination. Favourite shot so far is the chalk and cheese shot.

Keep up the good work!

Thanks for the comments, Anthony - much appreciated.

Excellent story Jean, and wonderful presents. You've taken a great shot of them too. I love the way you've braved the mirror again after week 1. I think the shot is spot on

Thank you John. It did cross my mind that the way to madness was paved with mirrors, but tbh, apart from the dust it was more manageable than Week 1's set up. At least this week the composition didn't keep trying to lick me.

Jean

 

[Bruja]

What a classy shot Jean , and what a great story behind it. As usual I love your learning points as I can relate to so many of them .

At first glance I too thought it was going to be a picture of photographic kit so it was a surprise when I realised what it was.

A slight niggle for me is in the reflection of the pepper pot as I'm not sure whether it is bokeh, dust or the result of cloning

I really enjoy following your thread and I'm also aware of the support you give to a lot of other 52ers.

 

[jeangenie]

At first glance I too thought it was going to be a picture of photographic kit so it was a surprise when I realised what it was.

A slight niggle for me is in the reflection of the pepper pot as I'm not sure whether it is bokeh, dust or the result of cloning

Thank you Jill, for your very kind comments. It's nice to know other people are going through the same learning process - although in my case I seem to manage to make the same mistakes over and over again.

The marks on the reflection of the pepper pot are dust on the mirror which I didn't spot until it was too late to reshoot. :bang:

Jean

 

[Hyster]

Lovely story Jean and a cracking image, well done.

 

[kelack]

It's a lovely and very different shot The story was great as well and helped me feel how special it was to you

 

[jeangenie]

Lovely story Jean and a cracking image, well done.

It's a lovely and very different shot The story was great as well and helped me feel how special it was to you

Thank you - you're very kind. Sorry it's taken me so long to post a reply.

Jean

 

[jeangenie]

Great - easy-peasy this week. Find a crowd of people and take photos

:amstupid:

I put a lot of thought into the nature of the crowd I wanted to photograph. A large crowd, preferably from a high viewpoint, skimming their heads with sharp focus in the front and blurring into the distance. The intention was to try to illustrate the anonymous nature of people in crowds. And I was able to borrow a 24-70 f2.8 lens to use. Bliss.

So, working all this week, I lugged the camera everywhere - looking for an opportunity to nail the shot I'd pictured in my head. No crowds, no chance! Plan B was to catch the trains arriving at the station around 8.30 ish and offloading hundreds and hundreds of students heading for the local college. They all have to cross an enclosed bridge and go down a narrow flight of stairs. A tidal wave of students. What a good crowd shot that would be!

B***** - it's half term. (Searches for RAGE icon)

Plans C, D,E and F all failed dismally, too.

Finally this morning, in desperation I took the camera into the Forest hoping to see at least a herd of ponies or Highland cattle. The light was flat and horrible but I had a lovely lens to play with and a good hour to spare before getting back home for visitors.

Nowt, not an animal in sight, apart from one black pony half hidden by holly bushes.

So my Crowd picture this week illustrates the ethereal quality of crowds. Now you see them - now you don't. But you know they've been there.

Lessons learned this week:

1 You can't count on people to be around when you want them.

2 It pays to keep an eye on the calendar (ie this week was half-term)

3 It's a pain in the wotsit when work gets in the way of a picture that's buring a hole in your brain.

4 This is the really shameful bit. My best chance of a crowd shot was yesterday, when I went to a friend's birthday lunch. There were about 120 people there and I didn't get even one shot good enough to post here. I couldn't 'see' pictures in 24-70mm form. I usually go for tight crops and close ups. 24-70 just seemed to leave me miles away and disconnected from the subjects. I really need to get my head round this one.

5 You can't depend on animals being around when you want them.

6 You can think so far outside the box that you lose the plot all together.

7 Tiredness kills photos.

8 My admiration for all those people doing 365s or 182s goes up week by week, but this week it's gone into orbit. I really don't know how you keep the pace up.

I'l try and look at everybody else's Week 7s tonight and tomorrow and I promise not to moan next week.

Jean (tired, dispirited, and in need of a very large glass of wine)