Patrick's 52 for 2011 - Week 31 "Wind"

Wow, some great shots here for Hidden :thumbs:

Love shot 1. Good use of B&W, nice subtle vignette. I may have been tempted to crop a little on the left, just to even her feet out against the edge of shot, but other than that, this is a great shot capturing her expression, and her pose. The whole shot has me wondering what she is thinking. Cracking. :thumbs:

Shot 2, great pose, and shot. Not too keen on the colour of the bg wall, seems dull and flat, maybe this would work with the B&W treatment you gave shot 1. Great expression and pose, and good composition though. :thumbs:

Shot 3, great expression and pose capture, but not too sure the colour cast on her skin is right, she seems a little bluish on my monitor. Do not like the position of the skirting board (plus it is not level :nono:) and it bisects her in the wrong place (IMHO) as it draws your eye across into areas that shouldn't be the main focus.......:thumbsdown:

Shot 4, not my fave. The drama of the shot is missing a little from your shooting position. Maybe shooting from a lower position would add more ummph! I think it maybe because I can't see her face, I’m left looking at other aspects, and other than the sheers skill and determination of her holding the pose, there isn't anything left for me to engage with :thinking:. (Also the right side is a little too overexposed and blown).

Shot 5. I'm not too sure about this. The pose is very striking, and the shot is a fantastic capture, but something is niggling me. I think it might be the background offers no clue as to her movement or height off the ground. There also appears (on my monitor anyway) to be a slight ghosting around her front (shadow maybe, or some PP residue?). The more I look the more I think it is the lack of context within the background that I find slightly displacing....... Sorry.

Shot 6. Same as 5 regarding the background, but a really dynamic pose and fantastic expression on her face. :thumbs:

Overall, Shot 1 and 2 are my faves (with 2 in B&W ;) ) and a great collection. Good shooting :clap:
 
Hi Patrick

what a superb set of shots for Hidden :clap:
Love them all & all crit/comments have been said already but number 1 is just superb in B&W & number 6 is the best for , beautiful

Great work Patrick :clap:
 
Mr P you have excelled yourself here.... i think you have added something to the melting pot of 52s... i was awestruck by the first, the dipped head, mono, the part reflection in the floor captivated me... then the rest...

i think the only thing that distracts me about number 6 is simply that she looks ??? static...the background seems to punctuate her grace.. i am comparing it to number 5 where the swish of the hair adds to movement in my eyes...

overall...EXCELLANT!! :thumbs:

Thanks Kev. My fav is also #1. I agree that my edit of #6 has not quite worked. The black background somehow pins her and she loses movement.


First up I really like the mono and the lighting and focus. Really had a good and willing model there.

Works well for the 'hidden' #1

Although I could not do even a smidgen of what she is doing there, the rest of the pictures don't support the theme too well (in my view).

That said, I really like #4.

#5 isn't the best side of her. Ok shows concentration and brilliance at getting horizontal in the air, just not too flattering on the model (head area)

#3 the colours look a little off? Plus the brighter lighting appears to blow

#2 Is cool and nice dof

#6 really good use of flash, and the black background helps bring her out. Lighting isn't too harsh



As I said, just my view, take with a pinch of salt

Many thanks for your detailed crit. This type of photography really appeals to me , and I've got a lot to learn. I'll look again taking into account your thoughts.

The first shot is fantastic. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with any of them but the first is really really good. If you had put up a colour version of the first shot I don't think it would be anywhere near as striking, very good conversion and use of vignette. Might also have looked good with more of the reflection included but presumably the reflection dropped off with the light?
Great interpretation of the theme.

Thanks Colin. I'm really pleased that people like #1 as it's my fav too. I must admit the reflection was an accident so it's lucky it's there at all :D

You're done really well on the focusing and they're nice and sharp.

For me, I like the form of #6 especially with the black background.

I also like the symmetry of #5.
Cheers.

Thanks Andy. For the focussing I pre-focussed in manual to the spot where Clare would be then let her do the move.

Hi Patrick, that's a cracking set. Number 1 is just brilliant, the head position and mono conversion really do it justice.

Many thanks Michael. I don't do many mono conversion so was pleased that this one went well.

Wow, some great shots here for Hidden

Love shot 1. Good use of B&W, nice subtle vignette. I may have been tempted to crop a little on the left, just to even her feet out against the edge of shot, but other than that, this is a great shot capturing her expression, and her pose. The whole shot has me wondering what she is thinking. Cracking.

Shot 2, great pose, and shot. Not too keen on the colour of the bg wall, seems dull and flat, maybe this would work with the B&W treatment you gave shot 1. Great expression and pose, and good composition though.

Shot 3, great expression and pose capture, but not too sure the colour cast on her skin is right, she seems a little bluish on my monitor. Do not like the position of the skirting board (plus it is not level :nono:) and it bisects her in the wrong place (IMHO) as it draws your eye across into areas that shouldn't be the main focus.......:thumbsdown:

Shot 4, not my fave. The drama of the shot is missing a little from your shooting position. Maybe shooting from a lower position would add more ummph! I think it maybe because I can't see her face, I’m left looking at other aspects, and other than the sheers skill and determination of her holding the pose, there isn't anything left for me to engage with :thinking:. (Also the right side is a little too overexposed and blown).

Shot 5. I'm not too sure about this. The pose is very striking, and the shot is a fantastic capture, but something is niggling me. I think it might be the background offers no clue as to her movement or height off the ground. There also appears (on my monitor anyway) to be a slight ghosting around her front (shadow maybe, or some PP residue?). The more I look the more I think it is the lack of context within the background that I find slightly displacing....... Sorry.

Shot 6. Same as 5 regarding the background, but a really dynamic pose and fantastic expression on her face.

Overall, Shot 1 and 2 are my faves (with 2 in B&W ;) ) and a great collection. Good shooting :clap:

Hi Adie, thanks a million for that very detailed crit. There's a lot for me to think about there. This sort of reply is what makes posting so useful.

Adie said anything I would and a lot more besides :naughty:
Thanks Tina. :)

Hi Patrick

what a superb set of shots for Hidden :clap:
Love them all & all crit/comments have been said already but number 1 is just superb in B&W & number 6 is the best for , beautiful

Great work Patrick :clap:

Thanks so much Lynne. Glad you like #1 - it's my fav too.


Many thanks to all for taking the time to comment. It's really keeps my motivation going. :thumbs: , Patrick
 
Hiya Patrick,

Well ... I am lost for words .... your latest post for 'hidden' is OUTSTANDING!!!

#1 & #5 stand out the most for me, although they are all great, I can't help think that #6 background is just a tad too dark as her hair blends in, perhaps a slightly lighter shade of dark (if that makes sense) would be better :shrug:

Well done tough, you are definitely coming on in leaps and bounds with your portrait photography, especially action shots of same.

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
Your model can have a WOW and you can have a FANTASTIC

#1 is great in B&W and I like the reflection.

#2 and #3 are the more flattering for the models face and great, how do you say it - composures?!

#4 is good, but next to the others it lacks impact - anyone can do a handstand :lol:

#5 I feel bad for saying it, and I'm no gymnastics expert (I could have been, but I prefer the bar that has alcohol associated with it!), but it would have been better if your model had her right arm more parallel with her left leg. I'm not sure if this is a technical issue for the sport, I'm looking at it from a balance point of view.

#6, as with #5, is a great pose and the background really makes the model stand out.

Over all and great set.
 
Well thought out and nice application.

It would be icing on the cake, or nuts, if you could have asked someone to blow the nuts a bit so they show some motion.

Cheers.
 
You're nuts!

:lol: see what the 52 does to us :D

Hiya Patrick,

Well done, I really like this photo for 'broken', I like the dof and the motion .... all adds to the image. Good composition and great execution.

I haven't seen monkey nuts like that since I was in Amsterdam years ago ... at one of the cafe/bar .... can't remember the name now .... but the floor was covered in these nut shells .... it was tradition to eat the free nuts they provided and just discard the shells on the floor :cuckoo: It made a great crunching sound though :D

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
You're nuts!

Sorry, just couldn't resist that :)

The motion blur is just right.
I'd rather the full table was filled with nuts, the top of the frame looks empty.
The DOF is good though.

I am nuts at the moment - getting photography obsessed:help: Is there a Photographers Anonymous?

Yes , I agree with your points. It needs something more.

Well thought out and nice application.

It would be icing on the cake, or nuts, if you could have asked someone to blow the nuts a bit so they show some motion.

Cheers.

Thanks Andy , as above I feel this is lacking something....

:lol: see what the 52 does to us :D

Hiya Patrick,

Well done, I really like this photo for 'broken', I like the dof and the motion .... all adds to the image. Good composition and great execution.

I haven't seen monkey nuts like that since I was in Amsterdam years ago ... at one of the cafe/bar .... can't remember the name now .... but the floor was covered in these nut shells .... it was tradition to eat the free nuts they provided and just discard the shells on the floor :cuckoo: It made a great crunching sound though :D

Cheers

Dawn :)

Hi Dawn, we used to have these as kid - it was a big treat!

Thanks to all for encouragement and crit. Not sure I'm happy with this. It's getting to the stage where I'm never happy with ANY of my pics. I'm going to do a re-shoot I think. Any thoughts on how to improve? I think: more nuts, more action, more broken bits.
Yours obsessively, Patrick ;)
 
Great take on the theme Patrick. As Neil said just a few more nuts in the background would have improved it slightly. Not sure if it's just the wood grain throwing my eyes out but the whole setup looks to be on a slight slope. Excellent motion blur and dof.
 
This is Natasha - she came along to a TP strobist shoot with her mum and dad.
Lots of bright things in this.

Just wondering if I should up the exposure a bit.

5833965650_9d4beb3d2c_z.jpg
 
Portraits are not my area Patrick so difficult to comment on this one, but hey I'll have a go!

The first thing that struck me was her arm, it looks odd. I'm sure it's not though and think it's the bangles and the way her inner elbow is that is playing with my eyes.

The second thought I had was that the frame needed a little bit more space on the left.

The next thing I spotted was the 'bright' spot on her nose, mainly because I saw a similar comment on another thread (possibly yours in another forum?), I probably wouldn't have spotted it if it wasn't for that.

The pearls need to go too, at least in this pose.
You can't see that much of them around her neck, they don't stand out against the dress too much and then all of a sudden you notice a string of pearls in the bottom of the frame.

The sky is 'bright' and dare I say over exposed?

Now does the shot say 'bright' and suit the theme?
I'd have to say not really to that.
Sure there are some bright things in it, but overall it says nice portrait, good use of flash and a nice looking location.

Edit: I'm reading this back and it comes across as very negative, which I guess it is! However I do like the shot and think it's good, it's just that I'm not so sure it suits the theme.
 
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Re-edit to take on board some the points above.

Thanks for your detailed crit Neil - there's a lot to think about there. Not sure about the sky. It's not "blown" (according to my histogram), but perhaps overbright for some people's taste.

5834117066_03b236fa84_z.jpg
 
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Hi Patrick

brilliant shot for Broken....the motion blur is spot on & the detail in the broken pieces is great .Possibly a little to empty at the top of the shot but really good capture :clap:
They had a bar in Sharm were the tradition was as per Dawn's comment , eat the nuts & drop the shells on the floor...couln't bring myself to do it though:lol:

Think Neil has about said it all re the Bright capture..Portraits are not my thing so I'll go with what he said & add that her nose in the re-edit does look better , so well done to you for taking the advice & trying it out :thumbs:
 
Hi Patrick

Sorry I've not been here for a while... Broken is spot on... Love it!

My main coment on the portrait is the background just looks completely out of place... historic castle type scene and a fashion type shoot portrait it just does not work for me... I think a plain colour indoor shot would be much more WOW. As for the girl herself... see nothing wrong with it at all... I think she looks a little on edge but thats not really your fault. Overall its a great shot if your new to portraits like I would be... so tell me to shut up as I'm being over critical on reading again... but I do think the background just does not work for me at all.

Mark
 
Hi Patrick

brilliant shot for Broken....the motion blur is spot on & the detail in the broken pieces is great .Possibly a little to empty at the top of the shot but really good capture :clap:
They had a bar in Sharm were the tradition was as per Dawn's comment , eat the nuts & drop the shells on the floor...couln't bring myself to do it though:lol:

Think Neil has about said it all re the Bright capture..Portraits are not my thing so I'll go with what he said & add that her nose in the re-edit does look better , so well done to you for taking the advice & trying it out :thumbs:


Hi Patrick

Sorry I've not been here for a while... Broken is spot on... Love it!

My main coment on the portrait is the background just looks completely out of place... historic castle type scene and a fashion type shoot portrait it just does not work for me... I think a plain colour indoor shot would be much more WOW. As for the girl herself... see nothing wrong with it at all... I think she looks a little on edge but thats not really your fault. Overall its a great shot if your new to portraits like I would be... so tell me to shut up as I'm being over critical on reading again... but I do think the background just does not work for me at all.

Mark

Hi Lynne and Mark - many thanks for taking the time to comment. Glad you like "broken" it was a lot of fun to shoot. It's not exactly what I wanted, but still fairly happy.

I understand you thoughts on the portrait and it's useful to have different points of view. :)
 
I've decided that the portrait doesn't really click for the theme of "bright". So done a reshoot. Here's a little collage for a re-shoot of "Bright".

I'm going out on a limb here as I'm not very good at this type of photography. Wish I could get things sharper.

5837019231_73fcc02fcf_b.jpg
 
Hiya Patrick,

Glad you decided to do another take on BRIGHT.

I did like parts of your first bright photo ... but there were parts that I didn't as others have already pointed out. And it didn't quite shout BRIGHT to me either, except for the OE sky.

I like your triptych ... and have commented on same in Flickr before I saw it here. However I will, for sake of those who are not on Flickr, post my comments again here:

I would have been tempted to add a different photo on the left .... something more in tune with the colours of 2 and 3 as the bright yellow of the first image is great I don't feel it fits with the paler colours of the others. D :)

As for sharp ... I think your photos are good in that regards. I just think that they need to be better balanced with composition and colours. I may be wrong here ... as I am still learning too.

Funny thing with flowers .... well from what I have gathered from recent comments on my montage is that some photos seem to stand better on their own, rather than collective.

Out of the three from your triptych I have to say I like #3 the best, especially for this theme of bright ... the flowers are lovely and are well complimented by the bright background. There is a lot of detail and perhaps from a technical (rules which I despise) point of view may not be right ... but I like it :thumbs:

Well done to you though for persevering and giving it another bash.

Cheers

Dawn :-)
 
Hi Patrick,

I think you are right to repost, while the portrait was nice, it didn't quite hit the theme.

As for the flowers.....
I may have been tempted to chase the bugs on the first and second image. Overall, I prefer the third one for the same reasons as Dawn.

There was an article a few months back in the magazine I subscribe to that covered photographing flowers. They recommended diffusion and reflection to help get the detail, I think a little of that may have helped here, especially on the second where there is a deep shadow.
 
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hi Patrick... broken is a bit spacious... get tighter nuts if i were u..

bright flowers...not sure.. like the third image..the other two.. muted is more the word.

your 'model' would have been my choice for bright... though looks like you caught her answering the phone..

good effort :thumbs:
 
Hi Patrick, rally like your broken image. Cracking for the theme! (no pun intended......:lol:) Great sense of motion.

Had fun doing this :D Not a sledgehammer and not walnuts, but you get the idea

5825545260_afaa8104f5_z.jpg

Re-edit to take on board some the points above.

Thanks for your detailed crit Neil - there's a lot to think about there. Not sure about the sky. It's not "blown" (according to my histogram), but perhaps overbright for some people's taste.

5834117066_03b236fa84_z.jpg

our edited version on the portrait is much better, helps the model stand out just that little bit more. :thumbs:
 
Patrick,

WELL DONE for getting the flash off camera and playing with light :clap:

Obviously, shooting outdoors and mixing natural light and strobes provides it's own chalenges, and I think you have tackled them well.

There are a few areas for improvment IMHO.

First, before any light is used, the pose/composition needs work.
You have lost her left arm, which looks, well just odd. I can't see your EXIF data, but i'm not sure about the focal length used. She looks a little distorted. Maybe that's just the effect of the right arm possition.
But the crop and possitioning within the frame are good. :)

I'm also guessing one strobe camera right? You have done well to expose her for the strobe. In this there is no such thing as correct exposure, but I think the sky is a little too bright in places. Maybe a stop down and use dodge to bring back the details.

You have lost a little separation on the left of the shot. A reflector or another strobe would of helped there.

But her eyes have it. For me, that would be my focus. Great catch lights, and they say to me bright.
A warm smile and bright eyes.

Again, well done. Strobism, it's adictive isn't it? :thumbs:
 
Hiya Patrick,

Glad you decided to do another take on BRIGHT.

I did like parts of your first bright photo ... but there were parts that I didn't as others have already pointed out. And it didn't quite shout BRIGHT to me either, except for the OE sky.

I like your triptych ... and have commented on same in Flickr before I saw it here. However I will, for sake of those who are not on Flickr, post my comments again here:

I would have been tempted to add a different photo on the left .... something more in tune with the colours of 2 and 3 as the bright yellow of the first image is great I don't feel it fits with the paler colours of the others. D :)

As for sharp ... I think your photos are good in that regards. I just think that they need to be better balanced with composition and colours. I may be wrong here ... as I am still learning too.

Funny thing with flowers .... well from what I have gathered from recent comments on my montage is that some photos seem to stand better on their own, rather than collective.

Out of the three from your triptych I have to say I like #3 the best, especially for this theme of bright ... the flowers are lovely and are well complimented by the bright background. There is a lot of detail and perhaps from a technical (rules which I despise) point of view may not be right ... but I like it :thumbs:

Well done to you though for persevering and giving it another bash.

Cheers

Dawn :-)

Hi , thank you so much for your detailed reply. Yes, I think I'm better at individual pic than designing montages. I just assume if you throw three nice pics together it will make a good montage! Wrong! Also I must read up more about flower photography - I was really pleased with the poppies one I did a couple weeks ago, but that was luck more than skill. I'm off to Banham zoo tomorrow which is another completely new area of togging for me, but I love doing new stuff:) Just hope I don't get too upset by seeing animals in cages (I'm a big softy really...)

Thanks also for commenting on flickr - I dont get many comments there as I just use it as a place to upload pics rather than as a community.

I like #3 best too.

Patrick
 
Hi Patrick,

I think you are right to repost, while the portrait was nice, it didn't quite hit the theme.

As for the flowers.....
I may have been tempted to chase the bugs on the first and second image. Overall, I prefer the third one for the same reasons as Dawn.

There was an article a few months back in the magazine I subscribe to that covered photographing flowers. They recommended diffusion and reflection to help get the detail, I think a little of that may have helped here, especially on the second where there is a deep shadow.

Thanks Neil. I think you're right about the portrait.

I quite like the bugs - I actually went round looking for flowers with insects on them! I also like #3 best.

Not sure what you mean about diffusion/reflection, but I'll look it up. Unless you've got any links to suggest?

Patrick
 
hi Patrick... broken is a bit spacious... get tighter nuts if i were u..

bright flowers...not sure.. like the third image..the other two.. muted is more the word.

your 'model' would have been my choice for bright... though looks like you caught her answering the phone..

good effort :thumbs:

"get tighter nuts if i were you ..." if I had a pound for every time someone has said that to me in my life... I'd have one pound :lol:

Glad you like the third flowers shot - it's my fav too. I can see now that they don't quite match as a triptych.

Natasha is quite a new model and was a bit nervous - and maybe my directing skills need working on. There some others of her here which I think are a bit better http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=3757493&postcount=7
 
Hi Patrick, rally like your broken image. Cracking for the theme! (no pun intended......:lol:) Great sense of motion.


your edited version on the portrait is much better, helps the model stand out just that little bit more. :thumbs:

Thanks Michael, had a lot of fun doing the broken shot. That's my neice holding the hammer - she was really getting into it!

It's definitely useful getting people's crit to improve the pics. Certainly helped with the portrait.
 
Patrick,

WELL DONE for getting the flash off camera and playing with light :clap:

Obviously, shooting outdoors and mixing natural light and strobes provides it's own chalenges, and I think you have tackled them well.

There are a few areas for improvment IMHO.

First, before any light is used, the pose/composition needs work.
You have lost her left arm, which looks, well just odd. I can't see your EXIF data, but i'm not sure about the focal length used. She looks a little distorted. Maybe that's just the effect of the right arm possition.
But the crop and possitioning within the frame are good. :)

I'm also guessing one strobe camera right? You have done well to expose her for the strobe. In this there is no such thing as correct exposure, but I think the sky is a little too bright in places. Maybe a stop down and use dodge to bring back the details.

You have lost a little separation on the left of the shot. A reflector or another strobe would of helped there.

But her eyes have it. For me, that would be my focus. Great catch lights, and they say to me bright.
A warm smile and bright eyes.

Again, well done. Strobism, it's adictive isn't it? :thumbs:

Hi Adie , the strobist stuff is definitely addictive - got two more lined up over the next 2-3 weeks!

Thanks for your detailed crit. Yes one strobe with softbox. I think I am tempted to rush, especially when there is a model standing in front of me expecting me to do something. I need to take my time more and consider the pose/composition and how the light is falling.

There are some other from the same shoot in the People+Portrait forum
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=3757493&postcount=7
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=3764247&postcount=7
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=327870
 
More stobist shoots? Anywhere local to me LOL

Keep at it, you have some good lighting going on in the other shots.
Shot 1 is well lit, well composed, but the pose lets it down. The arm looks a little unnatural.
Shot 2, good lighting, but awkward pose.
Shot 3, needs a fill in strobe camera left IMHO to give separation.

I know what you mean about rushing due to implied pressure of having a model in front of you. But they will appreciate you taking your time for a really stunning shot!

And the thing with strobism, is you can take loads of time setting up a shot, and you only need to press the shutter a few times to get the shot your after. Without strobes, you are at the mercy of the light, and then you end up with flatter pictures.

As we say in Engineering, measure twice, cut once.

Well done again, and good luck with your next strobist shoot.

Adie
 
Thanks Neil. I think you're right about the portrait.

I quite like the bugs - I actually went round looking for flowers with insects on them! I also like #3 best.

Not sure what you mean about diffusion/reflection, but I'll look it up. Unless you've got any links to suggest?

Patrick

Basically it's a couple of those 5 in one reflector kits.
The diffuser softens the sunlight as you would with your strobe, and the reflector bounces/ directs light into the shadows.
 
"get tighter nuts if i were you ..." if I had a pound for every time someone has said that to me in my life... I'd have one pound :lol:

Glad you like the third flowers shot - it's my fav too. I can see now that they don't quite match as a triptych.

Natasha is quite a new model and was a bit nervous - and maybe my directing skills need working on. There some others of her here which I think are a bit better http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=3757493&postcount=7

number 3 Mr P.. like that pose ...

so what are you are going to do with your pound.. :lol:
 
Now here's animal that needs rescuing. The are estimated to be only 3,500 to 7,000 Snow Leopards left in the world and it's on the World Conservation Union's Red List. The main threat to it's survival is humans.

Took this shot today at Banham zoo where they are part of an international breeding prgramme. But it's still very poignant to see them in a wired off enclosure.

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Hiya Patrick,

I am so glad you went with the 3rd photo of the triptych as your final for bright and wow it looks so beautiful on its own. I love the bokeh of light in the background it looks like the light is dancing around the flowers :) A very beautiful photo indeed.

Onto this week .... wow you are quick off the mark here and well done.

It is right on theme and I love the photo too. Lovely dof and great detail captured in the leopard's eyes, face and fur. :clap:

Now you can sit back and relax for the rest of the week :D

Cheers

Dawn :)
 
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