jeangenie's 52 for 2010 - Week 26 Beginnings

clud17 said:
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:clap:
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Wow - many thanks, Chris. Lovely feedback - and a gold star. :D:D:D;)

philthejuggler said:
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
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Thank you, thank you, thank you, Phil. :D

mich66 said:
not much more I can add jean other than to say I love it.. composition, focus, processing all spot on! :)
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Thank you as well, Michelle. I'm really overwhelmed by everyone's reaction. :D

Harlequin565 said:
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.
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Thank you very much, Ian. Yes, the square crop was about the only deliberate decision, along with a very slight tweak to warm up the b&w a bit.

Jean
 
That a lovely shot shot Jean. You should feel very proud. Superb! :thumbs:
 
Now that I'm finally caught up I can enjoy everyone else's shots.
Shoot. I'm really jealous of this one. A good product style shot on lovely clean background. I just can't get this right at the minute. :bang:
Single. Doesn't matter if this is crowbared in. A fantastic shot which I'd be surprised if the mother isn't after a copy of. :clap:
 
Beautiful composition, framing, lighting, DOF, processing -- just perfect! :clap::clap::clap:
 
Jean, that's lovely. Spot on :thumbs: It all just works so well... no crowbar required here.. as with Sonia, beaten to it by everyone else...
 
holryn said:
That a lovely shot shot Jean. You should feel very proud. Superb! :thumbs:
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Thanks Paul, having cute little grandsons helps! :D

L'Cham said:
Now that I'm finally caught up I can enjoy everyone else's shots.
Shoot. I'm really jealous of this one. A good product style shot on lovely clean background. I just can't get this right at the minute. :bang:
Single. Doesn't matter if this is crowbared in. A fantastic shot which I'd be surprised if the mother isn't after a copy of. :clap:
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Thank you very much. The white background is easy. It's just white mount board. Expose for the subject and then use the eye dropper thingy in Levels on the background to bring it to white(ish). :)

Sonial said:
Everyone has beaten me to it....this is spot on and just the sort of shot I love!!! Perfect :)
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You're very kind, Sonia. :)

Tracer said:
Beautiful composition, framing, lighting, DOF, processing -- just perfect! :clap:
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Thanks, Tracer. I'm glad you like it. :)

jgs001 said:
Jean, that's lovely. Spot on :thumbs: It all just works so well... no crowbar required here.. as with Sonia, beaten to it by everyone else...
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Thanks, John. I'm beginning to feel embarrassed over people's kindness about a quick snap. :) But it's lovely to hear praise, so I'll cope with the embarrassment. ;)

Jean
 
Shoot. I really like the front on shot, but both shots were technically good. I love Meccano too.

Single. Excellent shot great DOF, composition and proccesing. A well thought out and taken shot.
 
namllihs said:
Shoot. I really like the front on shot, but both shots were technically good. I love Meccano too.

Single. Excellent shot great DOF, composition and proccesing. A well thought out and taken shot.
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Thanks, Steve. There seem to be quite a few Meccano fans about. :)

dade_f said:
Top notch shot, you should be pleased with this, not knocking yourself ;)
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You're very kind, Dade. It's not so much knocking as being honest, in that everything came together without me having to do moore than release the shutter and do a bit of pping. It doesn't happen like that often - not for me anyway!!! But I'm pleased to see how many people like it. :)

Jean
 
I haven't looked at anybody else's Stare yet, but the only ideas I came up with were a person staring, or an animal staring.

I went with the four-legged option, and remembered the poem 'Leisure' by W H Davies.

"What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows."

Sheep are a bit thin on the ground in the New Forest, so I opted for cows! :lol: There are herds of cattle roaming all over the Forest, but, sod's law prevailed and I didn't actually find any until yesterday, so here are my Cattle who Stare:


#1 "... And who do you think you're staring at mate!"




#2 "We're just admiring the view"



#3 "You don't think I'm going to pose for you, do you?"



The highland cattle (the ones with horns!) are hiding their eyes behind their extra shaggy winter coats, so I was disappointed not to get better shots of 'staring' eyes, but I had the dogs with me and didn't want to push our luck by getting too close! :eek:

A few minutes earlier there had been a bit of gang warfare between this group of cattle and some ponies. I'll post a few shots from the rumpus on my 'Growing' thread later tonight.

I've now posted the photos of the 'gang warfare' here: http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=2580230#post2580230 Post No 107 (I must learn how to do a proper link!!)

I've just noticed I managed both 'boughs' and 'cows' (although technically some of them were bullocks! :lol: )

Comments and any kind of c&c are always welcomed. :)

Please, please, please can we have a nice easy topic for next week, Simon?


Jean
 
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firat one fits your caption really well. I really like the highland cattle too even if we cant see their eyes.
 
I think the first most obviously fits the theme, but the third is the best shot & still goes well with the title 'stare'. I like the lighting, colours and the depth of field.

Phil
 
I like all of these Jean, they have a story board feel to them. As Phil said above, the lighting, colours, dof and composition of these are spot on. Well done. Iain
 
High Jean, the first one for me it fits the theme perfectly and all I've got in my head is the music of the watch from Clint Eastwoods 'For a few Dollars more' who draws first.
 
I love seeing highland cattle with their winter coats. They always remind me of Dougal from the Magic Roundabout :lol: :lol: :lol:


No.1 is the best fit for the theme, but just doesn't grab me as much as the other two. Although after reading Scott's comment I'm seeing more in it than I did originally.

No.3 is IMO technically the strongest in terms of composition, lighting and DoF.

I think No.2 is my favourite though.
Technically, it's a close second to the first one. The lighting just isn't quite as good. And I absolutely love the way the one at the back looks like he's flicking his fringe out of his eyes :lol:

Since I can't really see any eyes clearly, I guess this one's the furthest away from the theme - but who cares about that? It's still my favourite.
 
Just have to echo other peoples comments really Jean.

Number one fits the theme the closest but I prefer number 3. Thats my favourite of the set.

Andy
 
#1 for me too Jean. As Scott said, it inspired a bit of Ennio Morricone in my head and there are lots of captions to go with it...

Nice.

Ian.
 
Like all of those Jean. Prefer the last though. Nicely composed, good DOF and great colour.
 
Number 3 is definitely the best image, composition and detail etc but as stated before me the first one fits the bill for the theme best.

Maybe a crop of the first with just the cow on the right might work?

Well done
 
justlooking said:
firat one fits your caption really well. I really like the highland cattle too even if we cant see their eyes.
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Thanks. They are amazing looking creatures! :D

philthejuggler said:
I think the first most obviously fits the theme, but the third is the best shot & still goes well with the title 'stare'. I like the lighting, colours and the depth of field.

Phil
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Thank you Phil - they really do appear to gaze at nothing. :)

blakester said:
I like all of these Jean, they have a story board feel to them. As Phil said above, the lighting, colours, dof and composition of these are spot on. Well done. Iain
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Thank you, Iain. :) They were all taken within a few minutes in a small area.

jennyb said:
I love the third one, Jean. It fits the theme perfectly and the poem. It's true they really do stand and stare a lot.

I agree with Phil about the lighting, colours and DOF. The weak sunshine was just right for this shot.

Jenny
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Thank you, Jenny. It's not often the weather's just right! :lol:

Jean
 
foggy4ever said:
High Jean, the first one for me it fits the theme perfectly and all I've got in my head is the music of the watch from Clint Eastwoods 'For a few Dollars more' who draws first.
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Thanks, Scott. I've got that tune gowing round in my head now! :lol:


SarahLee said:
I love seeing highland cattle with their winter coats. They always remind me of Dougal from the Magic Roundabout :lol: :lol: :lol: Hehehe - but bigger!


No.1 is the best fit for the theme, but just doesn't grab me as much as the other two. Although after reading Scott's comment I'm seeing more in it than I did originally.

No.3 is IMO technically the strongest in terms of composition, lighting and DoF.

I think No.2 is my favourite though.
Technically, it's a close second to the first one. The lighting just isn't quite as good. And I absolutely love the way the one at the back looks like he's flicking his fringe out of his eyes :lol:

Since I can't really see any eyes clearly, I guess this one's the furthest away from the theme - but who cares about that? It's still my favourite.
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Thanks, Sarah. Choices don't always have to be logical, and none of them were carefully set up - it's more a case of grabbing what you can while you can - they move surprisingly fast at times. :lol:

daddy day care said:
Just have to echo other peoples comments really Jean.

Number one fits the theme the closest but I prefer number 3. Thats my favourite of the set.

Andy
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Thanks, Andy - I'm glad you like it. :)

Harlequin565 said:
#1 for me too Jean. As Scott said, it inspired a bit of Ennio Morricone in my head and there are lots of captions to go with it...

Nice.

Ian.
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Thanks, Ian. I think it's the body language of the cow on the left - you can almost feel the tension and wonder who will draw first! :lol: That's tune's going to haunt me now! :nuts:

Jean
 
Well, it's all already been said! All great shots and no3 just beats the others for photographic reasons but I like no1 for the story value of it...

Are the shots taken around the Frogham - Fritham cycle path? I often see cows around there but never ones as shaggy as that!

Great stuff :thumbs:
 
ladysue said:
I like the highland cattle. They are definitely staring even if you cant see their eyes. A nice take on the theme.
Sue
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Thanks, Sue. I'm glad I managed to find some when I needed them. :lol:

holryn said:
Like all of those Jean. Prefer the last though. Nicely composed, good DOF and great colour.
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Thanks, Paul. They look more relaxed than the others! :)

dan_yorkshire said:
Number 3 is definitely the best image, composition and detail etc but as stated before me the first one fits the bill for the theme best.

Maybe a crop of the first with just the cow on the right might work?

Well done
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Thanks for your comments and suggestion, Dan. I've just tried cropping to the cow on the right, but unfortunately it's such a hard crop that it loses too much quality. Hey ho - what do they say about not working with animals! ;)

Jean
 
That last shot of the cattle in your "Stare" sequence has a certain "feel" about it. I really do like that one.:thumbs:
 
MadFrankie said:
Well, it's all already been said! All great shots and no3 just beats the others for photographic reasons but I like no1 for the story value of it...

Are the shots taken around the Frogham - Fritham cycle path? I often see cows around there but never ones as shaggy as that!

Great stuff :thumbs:
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Thanks Gary. When I find myself posting multiple images it's because all of them fall short in some way, and I hope the sum total makes up for individual inadequacies. :lol:

No, not Frogham-Fritham area. These were in Brockenhurst, between Meerut Road and the allotments, but I also often see them around the Burley Road out of Brock, and in the Rhinefield Road area of Brock - towards the Ornamental Drive. They seem to cover quite a distance but you can usually find them near water early in the morning.

sawman said:
That last shot of the cattle in your "Stare" sequence has a certain "feel" about it. I really do like that one.:thumbs:
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Thanks - I'm glad you like it. Usually when I'm photographing ponies or cattle I find it very relaxing, and I think it's because they are so placid and contented. That's why I was so surprised by the aggro that was going on. The Shetland ponies are another matter, though, and they don't think twice about giving chase! :lol:

jollyjack said:
Great stare images, i wouldn't stare back. I came across some like this the other morning in the New Forest just turned my back and hoped they went away
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Thanks, Jon. Actually not staring back is the right thing to do! But generally if you move around slowly and quietly, they just ignore you. :)

Jean
 
All 3 look like they're staring, but it's more obvious in #1 so that fits the theme the best. Do I see the hint of another highlander behind the bushes in front of the OOF one ? Not sure about that...

#3 is my fave though.
 
Aww - I like your coos and the captions.

no.1 Great expression but just a pity it is rather far away.

no.2 This one makes me laugh - the way they are trying to peer out from under their fringes. The hair texture shows up really well here.

no.3 This is my favourite. They are both staring at the camera and I like the contrasting poses, with one lying, one standing. The surroundings are very attractive, with the foreground grass contrasting with the branches, and you have managed the DOF beautifully to achieve a lovely soft focus in the background trees just coming into leaf. The lighting is good too - maybe you could just lift the deep shadows on the coos a little.

:clap:

I did think of going for some highland coos on a large estate a few miles from my home but they are never around when I want them!
 
jgs001 said:
All 3 look like they're staring, but it's more obvious in #1 so that fits the theme the best. Do I see the hint of another highlander behind the bushes in front of the OOF one ? Not sure about that...

#3 is my fave though.
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Thanks, John. You do indeed see another hiding in the bushes! There were about 10 or 12 cows and about the same again of ponies - all over-excited for a while! :eek:

Tracer said:
Aww - I like your coos and the captions.

no.1 Great expression but just a pity it is rather far away.

no.2 This one makes me laugh - the way they are trying to peer out from under their fringes. The hair texture shows up really well here.

no.3 This is my favourite. They are both staring at the camera and I like the contrasting poses, with one lying, one standing. The surroundings are very attractive, with the foreground grass contrasting with the branches, and you have managed the DOF beautifully to achieve a lovely soft focus in the background trees just coming into leaf. The lighting is good too - maybe you could just lift the deep shadows on the coos a little.

:clap:

I did think of going for some highland coos on a large estate a few miles from my home but they are never around when I want them!
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Thanks Tracer. :) I take you point about the shadows - I felt it needed some work, but couldn't decide what! :bang: I know just what you mean about finding them - I looked all week and didn't spot any until Saturday! :)

Jean
 
Well, this is a shameless crowbar week for me! Ironically, I had lots of ideas - some more feasible than others, but they all went out of the window this morning. I went out early with the dogs + camera, and on a whim picked up my 70-200, thinking that I'd kick myself if I saw my first newborn foal of the season and only had the 24-70.

As I turned into the carpark, I spotted - yes! a foal. As pretty as a picture, skewbald (white and brown). As I got closer I could see the foal was no more than one hour old. She was still wet and wobbly on her stilty-legs. Mum was contendedly grazing. So, Mum having some peace after the birth of her baby is as close to the theme as I can get!



I watched them from a distance for a while, and then another mare came to 'collect' them and they trotted off into the distance. :) I saw them about an hour later and the foal was already wandering round exploring her new world. So, not exactly peace, but a thrill for me and a reminder of what a privilege it is to live in this beautiful place. :)

Jean
 
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Jean, this is absolutely lovely. What a gorgeous little thing. It is indeed a very peaceful scene, so not too much of a crowbar! It is really nice that the little one is looking at the camera. :clap::clap::clap:

Just one small thing that I would have preferred - slightly less foreground and slightly more at the top of the photo, but it is easy to say that after it comes out of the camera!

Jenny
 
Good shot, the subjects are nicely isolated from the background by the DOF.
 
Stunning shot Jean. Wonderful composition. Lovely and sharp.

A stroke of luck I think picking up the lens you did. Wouldn't have had the impact at 70mm.

No critique at all from me.

:clap:

Ian.
 
Its a lovely shot Jean and well captured. Really says Peace to me
 
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