weekly NickD's Photo52 Challenge - 2013 - Completed!

siblingchris said:
I think you gave the crit yourself, good idea and must have been a hard one to catch at speed. Only thing I would add is I think the foreground and background seem a tad on the dark side.....that's it. Well done :)
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Thanks!

The bulk of the tracks were in the shade, with the low evening sun lighting the train. I did have a crack at balancing it a little, but this was the best compromise I managed.

blakester said:
Bang on theme for speed Nick :thumbs:

Great sense of movement, compositionally spot on too with the train having space at the front.
Small crit, I think I would have liked to see the front of the train in focus, with a fall off towards the rear.
Good panning skills too.

Cheers
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Cheers!

I'd have liked to see the front of the train in focus too... and until I got home I thought that's what I had... The curse of harsh evening sun and a 3 inch screen! I did have a couple of shots where I hit it, but they were of a train coming the other way, and the background wasn't right.

posiview said:
Nice one. Well composed and good panning with just the right amount of motion in the BG. The darker top and bottom work for me as they make the train pop.

I'd be interested in seeing a sharper train.

Cheers.
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As above, simply hitting the train on the nose made everything look much sharper, but unfortunately the only shots I got right were of a train coming the other way, and the background just wasn't right.

Dark Knight said:
Hi Nick :)

Speed - I really like this one, as I have said in other threads, I know how hard it is to capture stuff like this, and I think that is a great shot, I too like the darker background, nice colours on the train and a perfect sense of speed :thumbs:
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Thanks!

It was actually your submission that made me resolve to have a crack at a panning shot... wish I'd picked something a bit slower!

Brian_of_Bozeat said:
Speed: 99% of the way there, I like the slightly blurred train, it seems that your focus is on the logo though, as others have said, if it was on the nose of the train it would have been even better.
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Cheers!

As I mentioned above, I did think I'd hit it on the nose until I got home... Next time eh?

blondie606 said:
Hi Nick

Plenty...shoe horned slightly it maybe but I like it....very sharp , the colors are excellent & I like the frame provided by the tree's :thumbs:

Speed....not tried one of those but I think you've inspired me.....plenty of motion , the dark bits that others have mentioned , I can't see :thinking: & I like that the words are in focus...almost an advertising type shot , Good shot mister :thumbs:
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Thanks!

DK's submission sent me on a panning mission, and it's made me realise I need lots more practice before the showdown at Brands this year. Really enjoyed it though!
 
Ok, maybe a bit of a cliche, but I really like these kind of shots when others do them, so I thought I'd do my own.

Week 30 - Steps.


Under Embankment by NickD71, on Flickr

Thanks for looking! :)
 
NickD said:
..........
It was actually your submission that made me resolve to have a crack at a panning shot... wish I'd picked something a bit slower!
..........

DK's submission sent me on a panning mission, and it's made me realise I need lots more practice before the showdown at Brands this year. Really enjoyed it though!
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I'm to have gave you an idea :)

I enjoyed doing mine too, I can sure imagine how hard it would be to catch the train :D
 
I like the speed shot you have caught the train really well as you say not the sharpest but it does convey the theme
Steps is good too only crit would be it needs a slight straighten it looks like its leaning to the right a little bit
 
i reckon the train is spot on - focus on the "Virgin", coming through the gantry, good pan.

love the steps too, the colour and the turn at the bottom make it.

Really well exposed / processed too keeping the shadows and the highlights from the lights in.
 
Hi Nick, appears I have missed your whole thread so far, sorry about that.

Nice blurred bg on the pendolino train, great sense of motion.
Steps, I like it, wonder what a contrasty b+w conversion would look like?
 
Dark Knight said:
Onto the photo...

Step(s) - Nicely done, Liking the central composition but with the tunnel turning at the bottom, good to catch it so empty, good colour and nice even lighting - Like It :thumbs:
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Cheers!

I knew an empty tunnel at lunchtime would be hard, so I trawled round a few of the tucked away ones that hardly anyone ever uses. The turn at the bottom is a bit of a gift, makes me try to follow it around the corner. I did up the saturation a touch, just to exaggerate the blue and gold.

alsjazzera said:
I like the speed shot you have caught the train really well as you say not the sharpest but it does convey the theme
Steps is good too only crit would be it needs a slight straighten it looks like its leaning to the right a little bit
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Thanks!

I've never managed to post a straight photo since I bought the bloody camera. :bang:

It's something I've always struggled with, particularly with architectural shots. The level tool in the camera helps to an extent, but that can just muddy the waters in some ways. I never know which cue to follow.

Brian_of_Bozeat said:
Steps: Love it! 'nuff said :thumbs:
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Cheers!

overbez said:
i reckon the train is spot on - focus on the "Virgin", coming through the gantry, good pan.

love the steps too, the colour and the turn at the bottom make it.

Really well exposed / processed too keeping the shadows and the highlights from the lights in.
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Thanks!

Processing was kept to a minimum, as the lighting was pretty much right as it was. The only significant thing aside a little sharpening, was to up the saturation a little, which has given it a bit of a glow to me.

michael23 said:
Hi Nick, appears I have missed your whole thread so far, sorry about that.

Nice blurred bg on the pendolino train, great sense of motion.
Steps, I like it, wonder what a contrasty b+w conversion would look like?
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Not at all, thanks for popping in. What with dropouts and catch-ups and general lack of time I can't keep track of where I am crit-wise either.

I did actually do a couple of B&Ws of Steps at the time, but found that given the pretty simple composition, it was the blue and gold colouring that added interest. Of course, it could be down to me not really knowing what I'm doing with B&W conversions!
 
Loving speed and steps - very contracting shots - life, movement and light in the former, dark, cold and ominous with the latter.

Like posiview I'd be interested if a bit of B&W processing to make steps even darker, if you use lightroom then it could be pretty easy, just look at the B&W filters and I bet one would work and a small vignette would finish it off nicely.
 
I noticed you had edit ticked so I hope you don;t mind but I gave it a quick go - if you like it I have the full size jpeg and will happily share the lightroom settings - which were basically:

B&W Blue Filter
Straightened the image (not much needed)
Corrected lens distortion to straighten the steps
Added +69 clarity
Added +62 contrast
Added 100 vignette

Result:

NickD_Small.jpg
 
posiview said:
Hi, Steps, well composed and exposed. Nice blue...would also be interested in a nice contrasty B&W.

Cheers.
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Thanks - Looks like I've been beaten to the punch though!

JohnN said:
Loving speed and steps - very contracting shots - life, movement and light in the former, dark, cold and ominous with the latter.

Like posiview I'd be interested if a bit of B&W processing to make steps even darker, if you use lightroom then it could be pretty easy, just look at the B&W filters and I bet one would work and a small vignette would finish it off nicely.
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Thanks!

I don't use LR. I did download the beta version of LR5, but didn't get on with it. I felt it wanted to take over everything, so gave up after a week. I do most of the minimal processing I do in View NX, and have Elements for the occasional experiment.

JohnN said:
I noticed you had edit ticked so I hope you don;t mind but I gave it a quick go - if you like it I have the full size jpeg and will happily share the lightroom settings - which were basically:

B&W Blue Filter
Straightened the image (not much needed)
Corrected lens distortion to straighten the steps
Added +69 clarity
Added +62 contrast
Added 100 vignette

Result:

NickD_Small.jpg
Click to expand...

I like that a lot! You've added a sense of foreboding that I didn't see at all, and it's pretty convincing too. I have The Jam's 'Down in the Tube Station at Midnight' running through my head now!
 
Steps is really good, nice lines all leading the eye in.

The b/w takes it totally to a new level.
 
Week 31 - Mono.

It was the first thing that occurred to me when I read the theme for this week, knowing we had the Zoo trip planned. I was slightly restricted as it was a family day out, so couldn't really take all the time I'd want to wait for the shot I wanted, but I can live with the result.

Nature's mono... mono-ed!


Mono, mono-ed. V2 by NickD71, on Flickr

Thanks for looking. :)
 
Nick, I'm on a hge comment catchup, and haven't read later comments on Process. I must admit I like the picture, well staged and good colours. I have't yet understood the relationship to the Process theme, but I'm not particularly bothered about that!
 
Rock: yeah, man, right on! Love the angle of his backside, something supremely confident in the posture captured here.

Pair: brilliant, lovely shot, with the two bikers postures pretty much exact matches.

Below reshoot: definitely has a certain something with the colours and the excellent framing. Make a wallpaper but not a wall shot, if you know what I mean?

Shape: absolutely nothing to complain about here; lovely crisp shot and there is SUCH a story in the relationship between the young man and the chold held so protectively tight in his arms! That is a great shot, love it.
 
Nick, the Plenty shot is also very nice; colourful (as how could it not be, with the flag), but it's partly the bulgy shape, partly the tight line downwards, and partly the very different textures in the trees that make it for me!

Speed: again, lots to like here, but the trouble for me is that neither the background nor any part of the train is anywhere near sharp, so although it says "Speed", it also rather whispers "didn't quite work out the way I hoped!"

Steps: this has worked really well, the colours are great, the highlights are pretty well controlled, and the kink of the corridor at the bottom towards the right really makes it for me!

[EDIT: the black and white conversion adds some different prespectives, but I like yours better!]
 
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Mono: this is the first mono shot I've come across. Sbject is a natural and this is really good. So well positioned to the left with the zebra looking right. Love this one...
 
Nice zebra pic and a nice idea, natures mono indeed, :thumbs:
 
Hi Nick

Speed - good job with the panning :thumbs:- it is hard and I have a few taken for my (eventual) contribution and it is amazing how many shots have different parts of the article in focus!. Good subject and comp adds to the feeling of speed. I think that I might have tried it a bit more letter box shape by removing the featureless sky - seems to work for me but personal preference.

Steps - good comp and an excellent find for the theme. looks good in colour and b+w and that bend at the end takes it out of the common

Mono - on theme and good separation of the stripes. I appreciate what you say about the family day out and wanting to wait for the shot so in other circs you might have been able to get the shot against just the field as b/g rather than the line of trees which just makes the pure form of the zebra a bit compromised.
 
Hi Nick, Red all over? :)

For me the whites could do with being quite a bit brighter and I'm not very keen on the vignette either, however it's an excellent choice of subject matter!
 
ChrisR said:
Nick, I'm on a hge comment catchup, and haven't read later comments on Process. I must admit I like the picture, well staged and good colours. I have't yet understood the relationship to the Process theme, but I'm not particularly bothered about that!
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I have so much catchup to do myself, Just getting time to take the pics is tough enough at the minute.

Thanks for looking, As a Cluedo shot, the idea was 'Process of elimination'.

ChrisR said:
Rock: yeah, man, right on! Love the angle of his backside, something supremely confident in the posture captured here.

Pair: brilliant, lovely shot, with the two bikers postures pretty much exact matches.

Below reshoot: definitely has a certain something with the colours and the excellent framing. Make a wallpaper but not a wall shot, if you know what I mean?

Shape: absolutely nothing to complain about here; lovely crisp shot and there is SUCH a story in the relationship between the young man and the chold held so protectively tight in his arms! That is a great shot, love it.
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Thanks!

Apart from the tenuous link to the theme, I liked shape, purely for the reasons you mentioned. It's very rare I take a photograph of people I don't know, and this pair have such an obvious connection that freally makes the picture.

ChrisR said:
Speed: again, lots to like here, but the trouble for me is that neither the background nor any part of the train is anywhere near sharp, so although it says "Speed", it also rather whispers "didn't quite work out the way I hoped!"
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Guilty as charged... I think this would be my choice if re-shoot comes out again.

posiview said:
Mono, yup works for me. You've done really well with the blacks and whites here.

Cheers.
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Thanks!

I'm still not really sure what I'm doing with B&W, tending to stick mostly to presets. Shooting something that was already B&W definitely helped.

Dark Knight said:
Perfect for the theme Nick, nice DoF catching the whole zebra in focus and also liking the composition :thumbs:
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Cheers!

alsjazzera said:
Nice zebra pic and a nice idea, natures mono indeed, :thumbs:
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Thanks.

With a Zoo trip already planned, it was an obvious choice.

superpippo said:
Hi Nick

Speed - good job with the panning :thumbs:- it is hard and I have a few taken for my (eventual) contribution and it is amazing how many shots have different parts of the article in focus!. Good subject and comp adds to the feeling of speed. I think that I might have tried it a bit more letter box shape by removing the featureless sky - seems to work for me but personal preference.

Steps - good comp and an excellent find for the theme. looks good in colour and b+w and that bend at the end takes it out of the common

Mono - on theme and good separation of the stripes. I appreciate what you say about the family day out and wanting to wait for the shot so in other circs you might have been able to get the shot against just the field as b/g rather than the line of trees which just makes the pure form of the zebra a bit compromised.
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I need much more panning practice, I really enjoyed it though. I know what you mean about the sky, but fir some reason I always shy away from less common crops.

I'm with you on the treeline on the Zebra shot too, but the only way I could have done that from my position would have been to get higher, and I reckon climbing the fence would have got me thrown out! The angle I chose was pretty much dictated by lack of visible fencing, vehicles and people.

Brian_of_Bozeat said:
Hi Nick, Red all over? :)

For me the whites could do with being quite a bit brighter and I'm not very keen on the vignette either, however it's an excellent choice of subject matter!
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You know, the first version I uploaded to Flickr was without a vignette, and I ummed and ahhd about it overnight before submitting the second version... On reflection I agree I made the wrong choice. It is a bit dull too, now you mention it.
 
NickD said:
.........the only way I could have done that from my position would have been to get higher, and I reckon climbing the fence would have got me thrown out! The angle I chose was pretty much dictated by lack of visible fencing, vehicles and people.

.
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Yes I thought that was the case - in such circumstances you can only go with what you have - it's always good to get a shot on theme.
 
mono: Great shot, shame its not looking at you but thats animals for you!
 
Hi NIck


Steps.......your color version....love it....leads you in , down & round the corner , really well handled exposure , plenty of detail in the steps & walls & I love the colors..:clap: Also like the B&W version for the grittiness but think I prefer your original...even with the slight list :lol:

mono.....not much to say.....great choice of subject , well placed in the frame & nicely sharp :thumbs:
 
Well taken shot... I know only too well how short a time you get before the family want to move on.

Liking the anglereally showing off the stripes on the neck and side of the face.

Bit of backlighting on the mane too. :thumbs:
 
puckers said:
mono: Great shot, shame its not looking at you but thats animals for you!
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Thanks!

I hung around as long as I could get away with, then steered us back past the enclosure a few times too, but it wasn't my day.

blondie606 said:
Hi NIck


Steps.......your color version....love it....leads you in , down & round the corner , really well handled exposure , plenty of detail in the steps & walls & I love the colors..:clap: Also like the B&W version for the grittiness but think I prefer your original...even with the slight list :lol:

mono.....not much to say.....great choice of subject , well placed in the frame & nicely sharp :thumbs:
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Cheers.

I honestly thought I'd got it pretty straight until it was pointed out to me, and I never noticed the distortion until JohnN corrected it... Must look harder!

overbez said:
Well taken shot... I know only too well how short a time you get before the family want to move on.

Liking the anglereally showing off the stripes on the neck and side of the face.

Bit of backlighting on the mane too. :thumbs:
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Thanks.

It's just one of those things isn't it, on the upside, you're never short of a model!

This was towards the end of the day, and the light was really kind.

cowboy said:
Nice composition.

Nothing more to add.
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Thanks.
 
My first overrun of the year.:bang:

I'd promised myself I wouldn't, but sometimes life gets in the way I guess. Utter lack of inspiration didn't help either!

I spotted this out the back of a marquee at a little festival we went to at the weekend. There were a couple of connection shots available on the power supply, but the primitive nature of the earth connection really tickled me.

Week 32 - Connection.


Dodgy Earth by NickD71, on Flickr

Thanks for looking! :)
 
works fine for me, if you want a nitpick, the two lighter coloured blades of grass could have been plucked out - but you probably don;t want to be hanging around too long round by the generators in case some big bloke appears and demands "WHATTCHOOUPTO....."
 
Connection, on theme and nice colours. The blades of grass distract a tad and I might have got closer to the connection bit.

Cheers.
 
superpippo said:
Hi Nick

Connection - on theme and the metal 'post' is well placed in the shot, but there is something about the variety in the b/g that is a bit discordant and the grass to the left of the post seems sharper in the shot than the main subject.:thinking:
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Thanks.

I see what you mean about the grass, although it wasn't something that occurred to me until you mentioned it. Maybe a bit of calibration is in order.

overbez said:
works fine for me, if you want a nitpick, the two lighter coloured blades of grass could have been plucked out - but you probably don;t want to be hanging around too long round by the generators in case some big bloke appears and demands "WHATTCHOOUPTO....."
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Cheers.

You gave me a bit of a 'doh' moment with the blades. I was racking my brain trying to think of how best to fix 'em in PP... why didn't I just pull them out at the time. I guess I'm guilty of just looking at the subject, and not paying more attention to the rest of the scene... lesson learned.

Regarding the potential for "WHATTCHOOUPTO", it could have been much worse than that. This was at the Natural Mamas 'big camp', so effectively I was laid on my belly with a Dslr, hidden behind a generator, out the back of a marquee full of little kids running round in various states of undress, while their mothers were engaged in breast feeding workshops and suchlike!:suspect: No wonder it's a bit rushed!

posiview said:
Connection, on theme and nice colours. The blades of grass distract a tad and I might have got closer to the connection bit.

Cheers.
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Thanks.

Y'know, I did take a few closer shots, but felt that the edge of the unit and the marquee gave it a bit of context. Maybe sharper focus on the post would have helped.
 
NickD said:
... This was at the Natural Mamas 'big camp', so effectively I was laid on my belly with a Dslr, hidden behind a generator, out the back of a marquee full of little kids running round in various states of undress, while their mothers were engaged in breast feeding workshops and suchlike!:suspect: No wonder it's a bit rushed!
...
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Well that's made me laugh :lol:
 
Week 33 - Beginning.

An obvious choice for this one, and I managed to get about 80% towards the shot I had in my head. The lighting at the rear gave me some odd orbs, which I've managed to minimise (clumsily), but the harsh light on the right had me beat. Attempts to fix it just made it worse, so I'll have to live with it. I did have other shots, but not many as I had to grab a moment before the Mrs dashed out, and even with it's faults it was the best of the bunch overall.


Shhhhh! by NickD71, on Flickr

Thanks for looking. :)
 
Hi Nick,
Bit of a comment catch up :D

Steps, I must say when I first saw it, I thought yes, bang on, my kind of image :thumbs:
The B&W conversion really nails it though, great work.

Mono, perfect subject for the theme, you've technically very good, the composition of the zebra looking into the frame really works.

Connection, again bang on, I too find the lighter blades of grass a little distracting but not overly so, I can see beyond them to the subject matter.

Beginning :lol: a cracking take on the theme, I didn't notice any distractions on the lighting, my eye was immediately drawn to the subject matter.

All round good work Nick :thumbs:
 
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