weekly Miss Cupcakes 52 09'ers Weeks 16, 26, 27 & 30 added

Miss C....Jean has covered all I think....the idea is a brilliant interpretation of the theme and how I wish I'd thought of that :)

The young lad's expression is soooo good :) and the crop is damn good :)

I reckon a tad more contrast would help but thats less than half the story - the concept, framing and execution speak volumes!

Be proud of that one and have a rework when you have time to see of you can make your self happier with the conversion :)

Very, very nice :)
 
I had thought of something like this myself, but I don't have anyone around me prepared to help me out like that... a cracking interpretation, and whilst that may only be desaturated, the mono works really well... Not much I can add beyond what Jean said... only that, as in all things PP, there's too many ways to process it...
 
I think this is a great interpretation of the theme and the kids look like they were cooperating really well to me :)

Please don't be so hard on yourself as you have done the theme justice. You have a couple of little niggles (the contrast and the shadows) but as conversions go it works for me. It certainly looks sharp enough on my screen.

Have a little play with the contrast and see what it looks like. BTW I just use grayscale conversion too unless I shoot in b&w.

It speaks volumes to me :clap::clap:
 
Bruja said:
I think this is a great interpretation of the theme and the kids look like they were cooperating really well to me :)

Please don't be so hard on yourself as you have done the theme justice. You have a couple of little niggles (the contrast and the shadows) but as conversions go it works for me. It certainly looks sharp enough on my screen.

Have a little play with the contrast and see what it looks like. BTW I just use grayscale conversion too unless I shoot in b&w.

It speaks volumes to me :clap::clap:
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I completely agree with Jill's assessment - I just think it needs a bit of a contrast boost but other than that I love your take on the theme. The expression on the boys face is fantastic too - I am dying to know what she was whispering to him!
 
I really like your communication shot - I agree it needs just a little more contrast but the composition and fitting the theme both spot on imo :)
 
Sorry I've been so rubbish at commenting the last few weeks. Just seeking out the rest of the 2009 52 threads . . . and I really hope that you jump back in and pick it up again.
It doesn't matter if you miss out a few weeks in the middle - just pick up at week 8 and carry on :thumbs:

As for communication, well it's all been said already.
Yes there are a few problems with it that have been picked up, but you were far too harsh on yourself !!!
The composition is there, and there's a good photo hiding underneath with some more work in PP.
 
Sorry but Ive been so busy last couple of weeks but I managed to catch up with my shots all in the one day :)

Here they are:-

Week 5 - Fresh Start
Im not very good at taking my camera into shops being so aware of security guards but I "snapped" this in Superdrug in the Strand on the way back to the station. Not exactly what I wanted but awkward circumstances!


Fresh_Start.jpg
 
Week 6 Identity - The Swiss Centre

I had thought of taking a single thumbprint but then grabbed this shot instead!
Identity1.jpg


Ive redone this shot here so its not so wonky
 
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And lastly Week 7 - Simple. A brick in a wall!

Sorry images have got smaller and smaller! Had trouble tonight uploading...grrr

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As said 3 strong shots there. The composition on fresh start is spot on if you as me. Identity - nice to see and different take on the theme and the colours work well. Simple I like it, in fact I have a think for that kind of shot so I don't know why I didn't think of it:D
 
Fresh Start ... Great idea, works really well, and good job on the DOF. I don't normally take my camera into shops like that (certainly not out of the bag), so well done on getting it.

Identity... great idea, good strong colours, and the background fits perfectly... bang on for the theme... but ... it looks like it's leaning backward (very batman villains hideout ;))... I'm guessing that if it's shot that way(not cropped), you couldn't have sorted it anyway, as you'd have lost the edges of the shields.

Simple... Yep, good job, nice choice on the brick, the colour makes it look like it's stood proud of the other bricks... I wonder if applying some gentle lens blur to the remainder would make that one stand out that much more ? Anyway, it has a good 3d feel to it.
 
Identity redone....

I wasnt happy with the original, too wonky. So Ive fiddled with it!
Identity8773.jpg
 
Toothie said:
As said 3 strong shots there. The composition on fresh start is spot on if you as me. Identity - nice to see and different take on the theme and the colours work well. Simple I like it, in fact I have a think for that kind of shot so I don't know why I didn't think of it:D
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Thanks Toothie :)
 
jgs001 said:
Fresh Start ... Great idea, works really well, and good job on the DOF. I don't normally take my camera into shops like that (certainly not out of the bag), so well done on getting it.

Identity... great idea, good strong colours, and the background fits perfectly... bang on for the theme... but ... it looks like it's leaning backward (very batman villains hideout ;))... I'm guessing that if it's shot that way(not cropped), you couldn't have sorted it anyway, as you'd have lost the edges of the shields.

Simple... Yep, good job, nice choice on the brick, the colour makes it look like it's stood proud of the other bricks... I wonder if applying some gentle lens blur to the remainder would make that one stand out that much more ? Anyway, it has a good 3d feel to it.
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the fresh start shot was taken with my 70-200mm lens. It was too busy in the shop and I already had the attention of the security guard so I stood well back and grabbed it! I just couldnt change to my 50mm which was my intention. Glad it came out as well as it did!

Ive sorted the Identity one. I wasnt happy with it either. Again, a very busy area of Leicester Square so another grab shot

Will certainly try that lens blur on the surrounding bricks. PP is where I need to improve on :)
 
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Hi Miss C :)

Glad you've caught up!

Fresh Start....perfect - just my kind of shot (if you ever look at my flickr stream you'll see what I mean :)). DOF is just right and the colours are nice. And kudos for getting your kit out (I said 'out'! :)) in a shop! It must be done!

Identity.....so glad you straightened it out....great spot and so on theme too! The colours sit very nicely against the duller building behind. Like it!!!!

Simple....well that fits the subject matter doesn't it :) Might be my eyes but perhaps it needs to be a tad sharper? Probably me :) Colours and texture are great - enhanced by that crack in the lower half of the shot.....that draw my eye

Nice trio of shots! :thumbs:
 
Week 8 - Linear

A walkabout today took me to Brompton Cemetary. A lovely sunny day, just like spring. Took this.....

linear2.jpg
 
Love it...absolutely love it!

Love the alignment, light, colour, processing....top marks :)
 
Catch up time for me!

Fresh Start: I love this and well done for braving the security people! Good take on the theme.

Identity: Definitely something different. Great colours and yes the straightened version is the best! Well done on spotting it.

Simple: I agree with John (DS) it's very slightly soft - unless it's my eyes, too! Great take on the theme, though - well done.

Linear: A beautiful shot, Miss C! I love the soft gentle tones of the stonework, the composition and the tantalising glimpse of a view at the end. The light is perfect. All in all a top shot! :clap::clap::clap:

Jean
 
jeangenie said:
Catch up time for me!

Fresh Start: I love this and well done for braving the security people! Good take on the theme.

Identity: Definitely something different. Great colours and yes the straightened version is the best! Well done on spotting it.

Simple: I agree with John (DS) it's very slightly soft - unless it's my eyes, too! Great take on the theme, though - well done.

Linear: A beautiful shot, Miss C! I love the soft gentle tones of the stonework, the composition and the tantalising glimpse of a view at the end. The light is perfect. All in all a top shot! :clap::clap::clap:

Jean
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Thanks Jean. Im really pleased with Linear. Most of my shots recently have been taken without too much thought as Ive been out with family/friends and therefore unable to stop and take time and really think about a shot. I also tried a new way to process HDR and it the end result was so much better than how Ive previously processed HDR.
 
Much better shot for Identity... good job.

Linear... excellent... love the tones, the alignment, well... everything really ... well done.
 
Dear me, how behind am I :(

First of all just realised I didn't comment on Doom and Gloom (hangs head in shame :shake:)

Spot on for th theme and I really like the composition and the message it sends - but more whisky please ;)

Fresh Start - Brilliant idea, and something you and DS have in common - I've heard he's often found wandering around shops with his camera while 'helping' Mrs DS with the shopping :lol:

Simple - Just another brick in the wall (sorry, had a Pink Floyd flashback when I saw this) . Well spotted and a great composition too. Love the way it stands out against the paler surrounding bricks.

Identity - Another one well spotted and I obviously prefer the straightened version :lol:

Linear - my kind of photo, go to the top of the class :thumbs:

Great set of pictures from you and glad you decided to stay amongst us and do a major catch up :clap::clap:
 
Loving all your shots!

Not sure I get fresh start from that one, but who cares; it's a lovely image none-the-less!

Identity yes, the edited version is spot on.

Simple; perfect!

Linear; fantastic shot, perfect except for a tiny bit of counterclockwise straightening needed :)
 
Thanks for the recent comments :)

Now Week 9 - Passion. I didnt want to do the obvious red rose, chocolates or a lingerie shot but then while on a walk around Soho today I spotted this shop window which looks like a magazine cover. Not any mag that I would buy obviously, Im into Good Housekeeping :cuckoo: Now I know the "s" of everythings extremely tight in the frame, in fact I did increase the canvas and clone a bit in which I did struggle with. Thing is I had the wrong lens on (70-200) and it was a narrow street!

Passion8990.jpg
 
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:naughty::naughty::naughty: That's two of the 09ers prowling round Soho! :lol:

I can appreciate the difficulties of having the wrong lens on (story of my life!) and the mood of the mag cover is very effective. I think it needs a minute straighten up - but that could be my eyes. Well done on the cloning - not an easy thing to do. :thumbs:

Jean
 
I think we've probably all done just that with the wrong lens...

I agree with Jean, it's a very effective image... I have to confess I've been back a couple of times to look at it, as I couldn't make up my mind... but it's clicked now... there are elements of passion, the clothing (or lack thereof :D), the scene etc.. and dispassion, the models themselves, being models that is... so I think this works very well.

It does need a tweak of a straighten, but then I think you'd lose more of the edges...and cut into the text...
 
Well Miss C, I can understand DS wandering around Soho and vvisiting Museums of Erotica in Barcelona but I expected more from a well behaved young lady like you :lol::lol:

I can see the effect you were aiming for but unforunately the lens you had with you let you down :( I try always to carry my other lens around with me, although when push comes to shove I can't be @rsed to change it (hangs head in shame)

However, the subject was well spotted and shows both Passion and the lack of it in the models. Nor can I tell where you have cloned anything :thumbs:

And now I'm stuck trying to think of something original for Hands :(
 
Week 10 - Hands

As usual I take something other than what I initially planned. Another day in London at the weekend with my daughter this time. The weather was so spring like. Lovely. Had thought of taking a couple holding hands, but it was so crowded and Im moving, their moving and it didnt quite work so heres my shot!

 
Ah Miss C I’m late sorry…

Passion: Ah another fan of Soho! And I it looks like a different world during daylight hours doesn’t it J. I love the fact you spotted this, really well seen and almost perfect but for the slight deviation from the vertical by a degree or so! A wider lens would have nailed it but its just one more piece of kit to lug about isn’t it :)

Hands: Again well seen and not the typical shot. This looks like a movie house front! And its pleasingly hard to determine the scale….where was it? I like the sweep of the curves, again a slight adjustment to get the verticals vertical wouldn’t go amiss but well done on getting this one!

Two ‘out and about’ shots – nice :)
 
"The sweet that ..." Minstrels ??

Anyway, The exposure looks good, it's nicely composed, I do like the sweep through the frame. I like it, and it fits the theme very nicely. I'm in two minds about the verticals... they do look a bit odd, but I'm wondering how much of that is down to the shooting angle, as well as the camera angle... I think I'd probably crop just a smidge of the left hand side to stop that curve of lights getting cropped along the frame.
 
Well spotted - and a good interpretation of the theme, Miss C. :clap:

I assumed the verticals were due to the angle, so unless you had a handy cherrypicker (or a tilt-shift lens!) there wasn't much you could do.

Well done and :thumbs: from me!

John - yes, I think it was Minstrels. ;)

Jean
 
All wrong.....M & M's ;) Thanks for your comments everyone. the angle was very tricky....this was the best I could do!

Onto week 11

Now I was treated to a Lensbaby composer for Christmas....only been out of the box once and with a terrible success rate (none) back into the box it went :shrug: Determined to crack it after doing lots of research on net and reading various suggestions I decided time must come for it to come out again!! Its basically donw to pratice and not giving up.

Its so difficult to get the sweet spot sharp. This is the best of about 10 shots. I know its a pants subject ...my kitchen hob with lots of distracting stuff BUT im relatively pleased that Im getting closer to getting that sweet spot sharp!

 
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Well... there's certainly plenty of reflections in there ;).. sure looks like you're getting to grips with it nicely Miss C and it fits the theme perfectly.
 
Miss C - you don't make things easy for yourself!!! Reflections is a difficult theme anyway, and tackling your lensbaby at the same time - well you deserve a medal. Well done. I like the B&W conversions. Have you cropped it, because it would be good to have the tip of the pan handle in shot.

Well done! It's very satisfying to make progress - especially with a new toy!! :thumbs:

Jean
 
Ohh lovely Miss C...thats inventive and original - not sure I've seen a lensbaby in use in the 2009 series or this series. And it looks good to me. I'm with Jean on the crop point but there must have been enough going on to have missed that! (oh and, at the risk of getting a slap - I reckon a slight anti-clock straighten would be good (:( sorry!))

However ignore my niggles its theme fitting to a tee and very well done :)
 
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