jeangenie's 52 for 2010 - Week 26 Beginnings

[jeangenie]

Horse for me. Loads of detail, clever use of the square crop and the PP is spot on. Not all photo's require blue skys and sunshine, this is wonderful.

Thanks for the kind comments, Rob. It's a good job blue skies and sunshine aren't essential - I'd be taking no photos at all at the moment.

I like both of these, Jean, but prefer the horse. I think the sepia colour is a good idea. It sets the mood to match the weather. The square crops also make them fit the theme even better than just 2 quadrupeds. I also like the positioning of Rusty in the photo.

Well done.

Jenny

Thanks Jenny. I'd only thought about the square crop for reasons on composition, but I could pretentd it was for Quadness, couldn't I.

The Rusty shot was my insurance incase I didn't get anything else (ie better!) and the pose was the only thing I really thought it had in its favour.

I thought animals might be popular I used one . I love everything about the horse shot

Gald you like it! Thanks.

I love the horse shot and i love the de saturated look, fits the theme perfectly

Thanks very much - I appreciate the comments.

Nice shots Jean, it might be my monitor but the horse looks a little soft...It also looks exactly like the one I've got on my quad 52. Was it taken around Picket Post?

Great composition and nice use of PP, it enhanses the mood and overall shot well

If it's soft, it's probably because it was pouring with rain - the poor pony was soaked, and the lens was too. I've replied on your thread - this one was taken just off the Ornamental Drive, near Puttles Bridge - it's my daily dog walking route. Perhaps they're related.

Jean

 

[jeangenie]

Jean, no need to apologise at all.. the horse is a lovely shot indeed, and the processing it excellent. I really like it, and well done on getting a 4 legged beasty of any size with all 4 legs showing... Rusty is a nice shot too, but doesn't have quite the same impact as the horsey.

hey did you know... a square crop gives you another quad <snigger>

Thanks for the lovely comments, John. I think you've 'cornered' the market in quadness this week.

The horse shot for me. The sepia effect really works you can almost feel the cold and wet!

Thank you kindly, Lizbeth. I must admit, I felt the cold and wet at the time, too.

That horse shot is just my type of image - another favourite from your 52 (the way you've been going the last couple of weeks, they're all going to be favourites )

Very sharp, great detail in the coat and the PP really suits it.
Love it, love it, love it
The only (majorly picky) thing I would change would be to clone out that little tuft of hair sticking up on his rump.

And did Rusty find you any truffles?
He's a cutie as always, and he really looks like he needs a bath after this shot.
I like the arch in his back and the way it follows through to his tail - This could have worked well for curved.

Thank you so much, Sarah (searches for blushing furiously smilie!) I hadn't even notice that small tuft on his rump.

Rusty spent about an hour snuffling through the leaf litter and only came away with a very dirty face! He did indeed need a bath - we've got bathing 2 ditry Yorkies down to a fine art this winter.

Fantastic horse shot Jean. Spot on!

Thanks, Dave - I'm pleased you like it.

Love the horse - no apology needed at all! Interesting shot and the colour treatment accentuates the form without distract.

Phil

Thanks very much, Phil.

Jean

 

[holryn]

Love the horse Jean. I think the colour suits it too.

 

[mich66]

2 great shots for the theme.. I went for an animal too

love the PP on the horse one, really adds to the slightly bedraggled look of it overall

 

[jeangenie]

Love the horse Jean. I think the colour suits it too.

Thanks, Paul. She was actually grey, so the pp isn't that far off the original look of the horse, and the background was so grey and dreary ... well!

2 great shots for the theme.. I went for an animal too

love the PP on the horse one, really adds to the slightly bedraggled look of it overall

Thanks you kindly. I'm still trying to catch up on other people's week 14 and still haven't shot 'Shoot'!

Jean

 

[jeangenie]

Errgh, not the most inspiring of themes for me - shoots on a plant, shoot a gun, shoot a photo, Fruit Shoot ..... :shrug: Shooting star - in my dreams.

In the end, I went with the gun theme, with grateful thanks again to Mr JG's Meccano stash. So, bit basic, but at least it didn't need much in the way of pp - just a Levels tweak.

So I offer you - Shooting Canon from the Dark Side.



And for those of you who noticed it is loaded, here's what the business end looks like:



in search of lost mojo for next week.


Thanks for looking, and as always, c&c (of any kind!) is most welcome.


Jean

 

[RobC]

That's really very nice. I'm always amazed at how people manage to take shots like this and avoid it looking like a 'product shot'. Really like the DOF in the second image and the way you're kinda forced to focus on (or almost) down the barrel.

 

[justlooking]

like these. Agree Rob on the dof in the second.

Did you make it from scratch !?

 

[DC2Z]

2 really good well lit shots.

 

[jeangenie]

That's really very nice. I'm always amazed at how people manage to take shots like this and avoid it looking like a 'product shot'. Really like the DOF in the second image and the way you're kinda forced to focus on (or almost) down the barrel.

Thanks Rob. To be honest, this was shot on white card, in the garden (in shade) about 4 o'clock this afternoon. I was gutted I couldn't get the 'looking down the barrel' more aligned - it just didn't look right.

like these. Agree Rob on the dof in the second.

Did you make it from scratch !?

Thanks very much. Mr JG bought it on ebay - already assembled, but very grubby, so it's had a bit of a clean today.

2 really good well lit shots.

Thank you, Darren.

Jean

 

[philthejuggler]

Love the seemless lighting on both shots. At first I preferred number 1, but actually I like the down-the-barrel view best! Nice depth of field on this second one.

Phil

 

[jgs001]

An excellent pair of shots Jean... #1 is really good, but down the barrel is even better.

 

[SarahLee]

in search of lost mojo for next week.

That makes two of us !!!!

For a mojo-less week you've done brilliantly . . . Mr JG's Meccano to the rescue again

I'm always jealous of your perfect white backgrounds, and both of these are superb.
Struggling to pick a favourite. I love No.1 because there's more detail in it, but No.2 has more impact . . . it's a really tough call

Now do I need to duck before a shot from the dark side heads my way?

 

[dan_yorkshire]

Like the shoot shot Jean.

The first one for me, the second is really well shot but with such a small section in focus it almost gives the impression it is all oof.

Well done

 

[Lynton]

yep love the idea.... did you build it or Did Mr JG build it?

Great lighting as well.....

Never had Meccano as a kid - i was a lego boy. Looks like I may have missed out!

 

[Tracer]

I love both of these - beautiful soft lighting and backgrounds. I honestly can't say which I prefer - in the first one the angle and composition is very pleasing, and shows lots of detail of the construction. In the second one the narrow DOF makes a really dramatic image.

All in all, pretty good for a mojo-less week!

 

[daddy day care]

I'm liking these very much Jean.

Number two has the edge for me. The viewer is compelled to look at the barrel. The depth of field is spot on.

I also like the fact that it is a bit battered. New meccano wouldn't have looked as good.

White background is spot on as well. I am always trying to get flash right but never consider taking a still life outside and using natural light. Well done.

Andy

 

[MadFrankie]

Really like no2, as mentioned before the DOF makes you look right down the barrel which is perfect...

Well done again, another week another great shot

 

[jennyb]

Good week for you this week, Jean . I like them both. Very clever. I think I marginally prefer the first one. The second is a very good idea, but I think it may have had more impact if you had been closer to the end of the barrel, so that it was bigger?

I would not know how to take shots like this. Well done.

Handy having Mr JG to supply the props!

Jenny

 

[Harlequin565]

Produce: That raspberry looks delicious!

Quad: I think I prefer the shot of Rusty. The composition looks lovely, and the "pose" is more natural. Not being a horsey person, that horse just looks uncomfortable to me

Shoot: More meccano eh? Let's hope Simon doesn't pull "Non-Euclidean" out of the bag, or Mr JG will be tearing his hair out!! Love the down-the-barrel shot, though a touch more DoF might work.

Ian.

 

[RichM]

Bit of a catch up here. Love the shot of the horse for quad. The Sepia effect works really well and the busy background isn't as distracting as i'd imagine it would be, so you managed it well.

I really like the second shot of the meccano cannon. The DOF and angle work well and the focus is spot on. The lighting is great too. Nothing but praise, great work

 

[jeangenie]

Thanks to everybody for their lovely comments. I'm sorry I can't reply individually at the moment - I'm having computer nightmares - again and apologies also for not getting round to many of your threads.

I hope to get Single up in time, but if not - you'll know I'm jumping up and down in frustration with my wretched computer. :bang::bang::bang:

Jean

 

[dade_f]

Week 13 - The horse is wonderful, nice PP too

Week 14 - The second shot - just the barrel of the gun aimed right at you, menacing and great idea too using meccano

 

[jeangenie]

Thank you, Dade. I'm glad you liked them.

Jean

 

[jeangenie]

Why, oh why is it that when we've got a 'wide open' theme like this week, I can't think what to do. There were lots of ideas churning round in my head, but nothing that appealed as a photo - until we took the grandchildren to the beach on Tuesday.

Five-year-old Dan found a mussel shell and brought it to show me. He then threw it away and went off to play 'not getting wet' in the sea. A little later he decided to collect some shells to take back to his teacher next week. Of course, despite a thorough search by the whole family he couldn't find another complete mussel shell. Fortunately, I'd taken a quick snap of it, so I give you:

A Single "Bivalve Mollusc Mytilus"



Anybody else want to borrow the crowbar?

C & C and any comments of the crowbar-ness of the shot are most welcome.

Jean

 

[blakester]

IMO Jean, absolutely no crowbar required for your image. What a fantastic image, the lighting, composition and dof are all spot on. Well done

 

[jennyb]

Definitely not a crowbar shot, Jean. I love it. Fits the theme perfectly. The DOF is spot on and I love the way you can see his eye through the shell. One of your best shots to date.

Well done

Jenny

 

[foggy4ever]

Maccano to the rescue again , great model and nicely captured.

The single shot works very well with the DOF and the OOF eye capture in the opening of the shell.

 

[justlooking]

like the Single alot. I'm not a great fan of convertion to Black and white but that works really well.

 

[SarahLee]

Now that one I like a lot.
Definitely not your average portrait, but there's still enough detail in his face to make it a good one for the family album too.

And it is definitely NOT a quick snap :rules:
The way that you've composed it with his eye framed by the mussel shell is brilliant.
The hand and mussel are pin sharp and I think the B&W conversion sets it off brilliantly.

 

[MadFrankie]

I agree with everything that has already been said. A wonderful image, the mussel is nice and sharp and the composition of the eye and the lighting finish it off...

Great work!

 

[DC2Z]

I really like this weeks shot, a brilliant image that perfectly shot and lit. well done

 

[Lynton]

I like that. A quirky type of portrait shot, given the DOF and the focus on the mussel shell and not the grandkid.

Good conversion to B& W as well, works really well......

Also nice to see someone else going for a square crop - I think at times they can work really well...........

 

[RobC]

Now that is spot on. It's lovely, nothing I can find fault with, lighting, composition, DOF and subject matter are terriffic.

 

[clud17]

wow what a great image, so many good elements to it, the colour, the dof the composition all work for me, help yorself to a gold star this week Jean

 

[philthejuggler]

Wow! I love this image. Why? The toning is beautiful, the dof is perfect, the composition is great - so much to look at - the shape of the shell echoed by the finger & thumb, the eye looking through the gap!

A really really good image - love it!

Phil

 

[mich66]

not much more I can add jean other than to say I love it.. composition, focus, processing all spot on!

 

[jeangenie]

IMO Jean, absolutely no crowbar required for your image. What a fantastic image, the lighting, composition and dof are all spot on. Well done

Thank you very much, Iain. I'm glad you like it.

Definitely not a crowbar shot, Jean. I love it. Fits the theme perfectly. The DOF is spot on and I love the way you can see his eye through the shell. One of your best shots to date.

Well done

Jenny

Thanks very much, Jenny. Mr JG insisted it had crowbar status!

Maccano to the rescue again , great model and nicely captured. Thanks, Scott - I don't know what I'd do without the Meccano collection sometimes.

The single shot works very well with the DOF and the OOF eye capture in the opening of the shell.

Pleased you like the Single, too. Thanks.

like the Single alot. I'm not a great fan of convertion to Black and white but that works really well.

Thanks - but small confession, it was slightly over-exposed on Dan's face and it was easier to control in b&w than colour.

Now that one I like a lot.
Definitely not your average portrait, but there's still enough detail in his face to make it a good one for the family album too.

And it is definitely NOT a quick snap :rules:
The way that you've composed it with his eye framed by the mussel shell is brilliant.
The hand and mussel are pin sharp and I think the B&W conversion sets it off brilliantly.

Many thanks, Sarah - it felt like a quick snap - as in I took it in the time frame available with an excited 5 year-old. It really was luck that Dan held in in just the right place. Bless him.

Jean

 

[jeangenie]

I agree with everything that has already been said. A wonderful image, the mussel is nice and sharp and the composition of the eye and the lighting finish it off...

Great work!

Many thanks, Gary.

I really like this weeks shot, a brilliant image that perfectly shot and lit. well done

I'm blushing, Darren. Thanks.

I like that. A quirky type of portrait shot, given the DOF and the focus on the mussel shell and not the grandkid.

Good conversion to B& W as well, works really well......

Also nice to see someone else going for a square crop - I think at times they can work really well...........

Thanks Lynton. I'm 'into' square crops at the moment - they seem to be working for all sorts of shots.

Now that is spot on. It's lovely, nothing I can find fault with, lighting, composition, DOF and subject matter are terriffic.

Thank you so much, Rob - more blushes.

Jean

 

[Harlequin565]

Crowbars don't bother me Jean

I really like this shot. Well composed, and well thought out. Lighting is spot on. No critique at all really... I'm guessing you've cropped due to the square composition and I think that works really well.

10/10 from me this week.

Ian.