weekly nickbee's 52 2016: week 19 - Colourful

nickbee said:
Trying something new again. It's probably not giving me the best portfolio of pictures but it's great to be broadening my horizons.
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Hmmmmmm me thinks it is :-)

Dangerous is fab and the second is just perfect as is. Makes you feel very on edge for sure. This is by far the best rendition of the theme iv'e veiwed.

Gaz
 
d00d said:
#2 has got the wow factor ... well thought out and executed ... well, I mean I hope no executions were involved in the making. :eek:
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Thanks David, glad to report everyone survived.

posiview said:
These really are great :clap: the inclusion of the little un works really well.
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Thanks Andy, it was actually quite easy to get my youngest to do what I wanted, which is a first!

purplepleaser said:
Good idea, defiantly danger(ous). I prefer the couch image, and love their expressions.
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Thank you very much!

Mercury said:
:eek: What sort of father do you think you ar.. Oh, wait, that's not real. Phew! :rolleyes: Lovely creativity and bang-on for the theme, well done!
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You joke, but my wife's banned me from posting these on Facebook just in case anyone takes them seriously! Thanks very much for the comments.

Bruja said:
#2 for me Nick, no, changed my mind after another look #1 because of the eye contact with the knives. And I think I prefer the knives without the motion blur but it's a close run thing (y)
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So it's not just me that had difficulty picking! I was reluctant to post both but I'm glad I did. Pleased you like them.

Pinkbikerbabe said:
Dangerous - wow I applaud you in your creativity, excellent work. I find both images work really well, nice to see no children were hurt in the making of this image :clap::clap::clap:.
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Thank you very much! I did take some precautions, if one of them had been stabbed my wife would have been very cross.

cargo said:
Dangerous is fab and the second is just perfect as is. Makes you feel very on edge for sure. This is by far the best rendition of the theme iv'e veiwed.
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Wow, what a statement to make! That's a real compliment - thanks Gaz!
 
Great idea for danger - hats off to you!
 
There is nothing wrong with the sharper shot, but I do agree it looks like she is levitating the knives, cool though.
But the motion in the second shot, when viewed together with the first, make it the better one imo.
On their own, either would have been great shots for the theme (y)
 
Abandoned - Lovely pic I understand how you feel about your old school my Junior School has been knocked down and a new more modern one has been built in its place.
Camouflage - fun pic and a good portrait you did well imho
Dangerous - Great pictures for the theme I agree second one is best with the motion blurr I was hoping they were composites before I got the chance to read your notes so really are on theme.
 
Dangerous - Where the phone number for child line??? :eek:

Very well though out a great idea that fits the theme perfectly
 
Thank you very much for the comments @philthejuggler @LC2 @Dark Knight @minx @Downton Mini

We all had a lot of fun shooting Dangerous and I'm thrilled with the feedback it's received from everyone. Sophie's been keen to show everyone photos of her amazing juggling skills and I'll definitely get the girls involved again.
 
Week 8 - Topical

Risk by nickbrotherston, on Flickr

Hopefully I won't have to explain what it's about.

Lit by a window for once, rather than a flash, and a much simpler production than last week's with no image editing beyond tweaks to colour. I wish it were a slightly more colourful scene but the figures have to be yellow and I felt having red dice in the background would draw attention away fom the subject. I did try a few with the dice in mid-roll behind, but it would have a lot of attempts to get right and the little guys fell over evey time!
 
Nice one, nothing more Topical. I like the lighting & shallow DOF, and for some reason viewing it upside down adds. :clap:
 
I'd like it even without the dice Nick. Colours are fabulous - the orange/blue combination work well as always - and the DoF is perfect to draw viewer focus. :clap: from me too.
 
Hi Nick, that's a very smart take for Topical. The only thing I'd be tempted to do is to increase the DOF enough so that all the soldiers are in focus and give the exposure a tweak up. But those tiny things aside, it's a cracking image and really well executed. Composition is top notch. As for the upside down writing, I'm assuming it was the only way to get GB at the front of the image, which is important for the "story" IMO.

Great job!
 
Great idea Nick, I'm with Carl, I don't think the dice are really necessary either, but also a great idea had it paid off ( mid roll) (y)
 
Good idea, we've got a Risk game but I never thought of using it as a prop. The window light works well as do the colours.
 
Cleaver take on the theme. I don't mind the dice and actually thought they convey the game more but not sure about the figures forming a circle though. That game brings back lots of memory in my Uni days or rather nights because sometimes the games lasted long into the middle of the night!
 
Hi Nick - great idea for the theme... minor crit from me, I'd like it just a tad brighter in the top of the frame. I actually like the inclusion of the dice as for me it adds authenticity to an actual game being played rather than staged, liking the subtle colours too :thumbs:
 
Thanks @d00d @Carl Ayling @pjm1 @Cobra @alsjazzera @LC2 @susiejb @wallyboy @sirch @rpn @Dark Knight I really appreciate the comments and feedback. :ty:

To address all the comments in one hit, the colours have grown on me - I had initially imagined something more vivid but seeing it again they do go well together. I can't really take credit for planning that! Points noted about it being a little dark too. Paul hit the nail on the head in terms of the orientation - GB needed to be in the foreground and it's not my fault some idiot put North at the top. SImilarly the DOF was deliberately very shallow to focus attention on the GB soldier. I did a take without any dice but as Stan and Dean mention, I wanted this to be unmistakably a game of risk - a metaphor for the whole referendum. As for the circular formation, it's twelve yellow figures in a circle... it's the european flag!
 
I like the thought process behind this the DOF really works for me love the dice in the BG but agree Cobra about them looking even better mid roll
 
Brilliant idea for danger, and very well executed. I think I prefer the first photo over the second, that it's a close call.

Great idea for topical too, and equally well executed. Great lighting and DoF.
 
Hello Nick, cool idea for the Topical theme, good lighting and DoF. For me its the dice that make it, win or loose.
 
Camo - great shot and a nice different take on the theme - also liking the details like the nail varnish and bra strap (did I really just type that ? !!!)

Dangerous - OMG Excellent - made me take a sharp intake of breath and giggle in quick succession - wonderful interpretation and fantastically executed - the first one for me is the standout - excellent !

Topical - very nice DOF, POV and lighting as well as a creative capture - like it :D
 
i hated risk as a teenager i found it so boring! Good use of the game though i can only agree with the others re the use of DoF and PoV to make it work :)
 
Week 9 - The Living World

The Living World. Easy, I thought, I know that the world and the Earth are not synonymous but to me, the theme says the living planet. Nothing says to me that the planet is alive, that is has blood and energy and a soul, like a volcano (plus volcano shots look awesome, so it's an easy win). But then I spent a week researching and apparently there are no live volcanoes in Essex and I'm damned if I'm driving to Wales or wherever it is they are. So I thought OK, volcanoes are out, next best thing is definitely flowers. I went to RHS Hyde Hall to take some flower photos and by chance there was some scarecrow thing on. And there it was, four figures from the pretend world and four from the living world.



Shame about the flower shots, I did have a nice one of some crocuses...
 
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I'll see if there's any volcanoes in Surrey .... I know the address of a fire breathing dragon just down the road if that's an option for you. I like the quirkiness of the Living World image and the contrast with the scarecrows. Good choice.
 
Week 10 - Spiky

After a week of umming and aahing over the last theme, I think I'm in first with Spiky. And it doesn't get much spikier than everyone's favourite carnivorous tropical sea snail, the Venus Comb Murex.



Week 10 done. On to the re-shoot!
 
That was quick Nick, I've not seen one of those shells before :thumbs:
 
wow that was quick for spiky!

Catching up a bit;

Dangerous - fantastic image. Very well done with the composite, especially the second one with the motion blur on the knives. The expressions on the kids faces are great as well.
Topical - nicely set up image, works well for me.
Spiky - Your not going to find something much spikier than that! Nice white background and I like the spiky shadows as well :)
 
Love love LOVE your Spiky shot!!
 
Playing catch up here

Topical: Great shot, I like the colour and shallow DoF

Living World: Great concept, I love the living amongst the scarecrows. I think it might benefit from a little more brightness, but an excellent shot all the same

Spiky: Fabulous, great concept, perfectly lit and shot. Top marks
 
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