Ranarama's 52

[ranarama]

To everyone above many thanks for the comments and I agree with the concensus about the ball. I pushed it a little to bring it out but the white ball on the white key, well...it wasn't playing ball.

And finally on to chemistry, three weeks late and still lacking in inspiration. I'm glad to see the back of it so I can catch up with the others. Is it Chemistry? Probably not, more like pharmaceuticals or a chemist theme as it's just a few pills. It's definitely an experiment though. I'm now a proud owner of a 5DmkII (Thanks Kerso) and I wanted to see how far I could push it. This was shot in appalling light, ISO 4000, f2.8, 1/80sec. Now there is noise, but compared to what I would have got out of my mk1 I'm delighted with it. So the experiment worked. Chemistry? Yada yada yada, I've got candid to worry about now...

 

[Harlequin565]

Have to say I really really like that people shot. What was the exposure on it out of interest?

Also really like Chemistry. Simple and effective and a nice B&W treatment.

Ian.

 

[jgs001]

That's a simple and effective shot Neil

 

[ranarama]

Have to say I really really like that people shot. What was the exposure on it out of interest?

Also really like Chemistry. Simple and effective and a nice B&W treatment.

Ian.

That's a simple and effective shot Neil

Thanks both. Ian, the exposure was 1/3sec f18 iso100 - it was quite bright in there.

And so onto Candid and I feel like I'm turning myself into the late Ranarama. I never seem to get these done on time at the moment. This was from my brother and his wife's 10th wedding anniversary bash in Bath.

 

[karmagarda]

Some really good shots there, love both people and present. But I have to say, that candid shot is cracking! Really like the angle she's looking at, the people in front add to the composition and feel, really nice shot indeed

 

[ranarama]

Some really good shots there, love both people and present. But I have to say, that candid shot is cracking! Really like the angle she's looking at, the people in front add to the composition and feel, really nice shot indeed

Thanks Conor. I kind of wish I'd had a bit more of the people on the left but I'm still quite happy with it.

Produce this week. Took a trip to Borough Market today and I can't quite make up my mind. I've taken the slightly looser interpretation of produce to mean more than just fruit and veg. I've gone with the first one as my entry but I'd be interested to hear opinions.

The 'reject' that I can't quite decide on...

 

[ranarama]

Week 13 - Quad.

I had this in mind pretty much before getting to the coast. It's not one of my favourites from the day but it fits the them as I wanted it to.

 

[Rudders]

Thanks Conor. I kind of wish I'd had a bit more of the people on the left but I'm still quite happy with it.

...

The 'reject' that I can't quite decide on...

I love your Candid shot, you've caught a great moment there. I disagree about having more of the people on the left, I even thing it might be improved by cropping the three people right on the left out, having said that it's still a great shot.

I think I prefer your reject shot to your cheese Produce shot, it says produce more clearly and I prefer the composition, very nice.

I love the colours in your quad shot, both in the huts and in the sky, I'd have like to see slightly more of the railings on the far left and right beach huts Very good though nicely planned and realised

 

[ranarama]

I love your Candid shot, you've caught a great moment there. I disagree about having more of the people on the left, I even thing it might be improved by cropping the three people right on the left out, having said that it's still a great shot.

I think I prefer your reject shot to your cheese Produce shot, it says produce more clearly and I prefer the composition, very nice.

I love the colours in your quad shot, both in the huts and in the sky, I'd have like to see slightly more of the railings on the far left and right beach huts Very good though nicely planned and realised

Thanks for the comments Dave. The more I look at Produce, the more I'm inclined to agree with you.

I cropped the huts where I did as other huts started to creep in a little too much and the idea of 'quad' reduced. I had another shot like this but wider and tried to clone the huts out but it started to get too messy so I went for the crop instead.

 

[SarahLee]

Sorry Neil, I seem to have missed quite a few weeks of your 52.

I'll start with my favourites.

Quad is a stunning image. I could really see that printed and hung on the wall.
Love the rich blue sky, love the pastel colours in the beach huts and I love the angle that you've chosen for the composition.

It's unusual for me to really like a candid shot, but this one is way up there with some of the best I've seen.
Undoubtedly candid, but at the same time as feeling casual it's got a lovely sharp, almost composed quality to it. Beautifully sharp and a lovely quality to the light.

Those 2 really are superb images IMO.

Produce : I quite like the mushrooms, but I'm not too sure about the specks of herbs that are dotted around them, so the cheese shot it is for me.
Not too sure about the focal point though. I think I would have preferred it to be on the crumbly cheese on the board.

Chemistry is a nice simple shot that works well.
I'd quite like a little bit more definition between the tablet and the background . . . although I appreciate that a white tablet and a white background can't be easy.

 

[jgs001]

Candid is a superb shot, a great moment, well caught.

Produce, I'm not sure on the shrooms, I quite like it but... I can't put my finger on it... I do really like the cheese shot, it's well spotted and taken..

Quad, a lovely blue there, and the beach hut colours are nicely set off against it. The composition works, but I'm wondering about the ends of the rails on the end pair. I know why it's like that, the huts either side... but ...

 

[The23rdman]

Hi Neil,
I like the composition of your quad shot very much. Have you played with the white balance? Looks quite cold, but still works.

 

[ranarama]

Well here we go again...same old story, never enough time to get out and take photos. Firstly thanks to the posts above and apologies for leaving it so long to reply. I really have been too busy recently.

So week 14 - Shoot
This wasn't an actual shoot, just what I observed of something that is often shot - a couple of pheasants in a field in the Cotswolds. Bit of a "shoe-horn" effort this one but it's been long enough so it'll do. This one looks a lot more effective at a larger size so I have included a crop of the birds - just so you get the idea...

Week 15 - Single
Not a lot to say about this one really. There is no sub-plot here - it is what it is...a single welly. Hanging from a tree, presumably lost.

Week 16 - Stare
I saw a few of these fox cubs running around the garden last week and couldn't resist. I was spotted poking my lens through the curtain/window makeshift hide and he stared right back at me for a good 10 seconds before realising I wasn't a threat and carried on.

It looks alright at this size but the original is horrible. It was overcast, about 6pm and the light was horrible. Shot at ISO3200, 400mm, f5.6 as I had the 2x converter on. Technically it's no prize winner but it's the best I could do. And say what you like about foxes, it's undeniably cute and won't be mauling any chickens near my backgarden.

Peace and Indulgence to follow in a sec...

 

[ranarama]

Week 17 - Peace
I actually took this last year and it's been on my HD ever since but it's been a favourite of mine so although it's not new I'm adding it to my 52. To me this sums up warm breezes and peaceful countryside walks through deserted fields away from it all.

Week 18 - Indulgence
And my last one for the moment...A shoe horner if ever there was one. I just like the photo really. But a sheep in a house must be an indulgence...yeah I know it's derelict, but still...

 

[jgs001]

great catch up Neil... A bit of a shoehorn with the shoot image, but the rest work for the themes well. My fave has to be that stare image... it might not be great at large size, but who cares....

 

[ranarama]

Thanks John, much appreciated.

I seem to be always behind on this 52 but I'm determined to finish it. I get stuck for original ideas for certain themes and Ingredients is one of them. It's taken me so long to think of something interesting that I've finally given in and gone for the obvious.

So here it is. My dullest shot so far I think. Week 19 - Ingerdients

Week 20 - Stop
I think this one's fairly self explanatory...

Week 21 - Isolation
And finally a shot I'm actually quite happy with.

 

[philthejuggler]

Isolation is a very appealing shot - I love the position of the subject on the bench and the large area of flagstones making him isolated.

Phil

 

[ranarama]

Thanks Phil. That's what I was hoping to show with it so I'm pleased it's come over like that to you.

 

[jgs001]

Ingredients might be a bit dull... but it fits the theme well.

Stop, It works on a couple of levels and the mono suits nicely.

Isolation, I'm with Phil, that works very well, the feel suits also. Bang on theme.

Well done catching up again Neil

 

[ranarama]

Thanks John - I keep having to thank you, thanks for keeping on posting. Still a bit behind but getting there.

"Quality"

I spent a lot of time thinking about this one and when I told my wife Jax that I was stuck she said “why don’t you photograph me?”

She said it in jest of course but it got me thinking. She was right of course, she usually is, but Jax is quality. She’s been through a lot in the last couple of weeks, more than anyone should have to, a double whammy of awful news to two people very close to her. She’s dealt with it all brilliantly and with quality and (I don’t say this often enough) I love her to bits.

A personal one this time…”Quality”

 

[clud17]

that's a lovely portrait, super natural smile, well exposed and great isolation from the backdrop.

 

[ranarama]

Thanks Chris

 

[jgs001]

Excellent Neil, a cracking portrait of Jax, a quality image.

 

[philthejuggler]

Yep - agreed - nice portrait - good isolation and shadows not too deep.

Phil

 

[ranarama]

Thanks John and Phil. Feedback much appreciated.

Still behind but gradually catching up when I can. Here's post... I was so tempted to stick up a picture of a rural post box, which I have taken many poor photos of in the last couple of weeks, so I'm pleased I can put something a little less obvious up. It's a signpost, but it's still a post. I've done quite a lot of processing to it and I don't really like what it's done to the sky but I did want to add noise and texture to it so I suppose it's done that.

"Post"

 

[philthejuggler]

Simple and effective composition brought alive by the post-processing. I really like the almost infrared style effect.

Phil

 

[jgs001]

I like it, simple, clear and effective. The PP has worked well, although the very top along the clouds looks a little odd, it's not intrusive.

 

[SarahLee]

Neil, so sorry for having slipped so far behind with your thread. I think my problem is that I tend to scan the page looking for the current week's title and this has passed me by completely.

Anyway, here goes :

That fox cub is a real sweetie . . . all together now . . . Awwwwww!
(OK I know they're a pest and a menace, but they really are cute when they're young.)

Wellie on a tree . . . a bit surreal looking, but it fits the theme and I like it :shrug:
Good spot - and you got lucky with the bright colours. They really stand out against the background.

Shoot : I like the idea, but I think it's really hard to get a good enough impression of it when it's sized for the forum. Such a shame that we can't appreciate it at full size.

Indulgence : This is probably one of my favourite shots from the entire 52 (and not just your thread)
Technically it's a good shot, the B&W PP suits it perfectly and I absolutely love the subject matter You've caught that sheep framed in the window brilliantly.
Ideally, I'd like a touch more room on either side - it could do with a bit more wall at the side of the window frame and and a bit of space on the left for the sheep to look into.
That doesn't mean I don't like it though (I absolutely love it) That would have just taken it from a great shot to absolutely superb.

Peace : I can see why this is a favourite of yours. That bit of motion blur gives a water colour feel to it - definitely very peaceful.

Isolation : I can see why you were pleased with this one too. Very nicely done, bang on theme and the B&W suits it well. Nice touch with the wet footprints leading past him.

Stop : A nice mono and under normal circumstances I'd be heaping praise on it, but it's overshadowed a bit by being next to your isolation shot . . . victim of your own success there I think

Ingredients : Maybe not that exciting, but another one bang on theme and well executed.

Quality : A lovely, natural portrait with a beautiful sentiment behind it - I hope you let her read it.
From a photographic perspective I'd think about cropping a little off the bottom, just to get rid of the blue of her jeans showing and maybe cloning out the flare on her sunglasses but other than that it works perfectly as it is for me.
It's got an uncontrived almost candid feel to it.
good to see her still managing to smile too.

And finally post : As Phil & John said - simple but effective.
On the whole I like the PP, but the noise is maybe just a little too much for my personal taste. Very interesting though - can you remember what you did?

 

[ranarama]

Simple and effective composition brought alive by the post-processing. I really like the almost infrared style effect.

Phil

Thanks Phil.

I like it, simple, clear and effective. The PP has worked well, although the very top along the clouds looks a little odd, it's not intrusive.

Cheers John, still not convinced about the clouds either but it was late and I didn't want to re do it.


Sarah - I've not quoted as there's so much but a huge thanks for all the feedback. Think you've got it about spot on with your comments. The processing on the last - originally it was a straight black and white and I tried to dodge in the white on the sign as it was a bit dark but it didn't really work. I ended up running it through Photomatix which is why there's so much noise as I took it at ISO 400. I then converted it to B&W with a slight warm up on it so it's not true B&W. Then I did some more dodging and burning.

 

[ranarama]

Finally I'm getting back near somewhere up to date with this after falling behind since about week 10. Two in one post here - Metal and Grunge. Both taken at the RAF museum in Hendon today. I was hoping to get Metal anyway but Grunge was an added bonus. I'm glad that one's out the way as I don't think I'm going to get any better than this without some serious thought...

"Metal"

"Grunge"

 

[SarahLee]

I like metal a lot.
Good composition, nice and sharp and some good detail in there.

I'm not sure about grunge though.
Nothing technically wrong with the photo, I think it's just that the subject matter isn't doing much for me. It was a theme though, and I'm having a similar problem with a few of that week's shots. I guess I just don't like grungy photos much :shrug:

 

[jennyb]

Hi Neil, I love your metal shot. The composition is excellent and I really like all the lines.

I have a bit of a problem with grunge. Yes, it is grungy, but I would prefer to be able to make out what it is

Glad your are managing to catch up a bit.

Jenny

 

[karmagarda]

Aww! Really like your quality shot! You old softy eh!

Love metal and grunge, both bang on theme.

But I have to step back and comment on Post. That, is a cracker of a shot. LOVE the PP on that! Forget what it's done to the sky, I really like it! Has a cracking feel to it. Well done I say!

 

[DC2Z]

Metal - Lovely sharp image and very well lit

Grunge - well done on getting a good shot in for a very difficult theme. I have no idea what it is though

Good work on catching up

 

[jgs001]

Metal, excellent image, sharp, well lit and well composed.

Grunge... it's a good shot for the theme... horrible wasn't it. I'd say that's a bit of fuselage, looking through from a turret possibly ?

 

[ranarama]

I like metal a lot.
Good composition, nice and sharp and some good detail in there.

I'm not sure about grunge though.
Nothing technically wrong with the photo, I think it's just that the subject matter isn't doing much for me. It was a theme though, and I'm having a similar problem with a few of that week's shots. I guess I just don't like grungy photos much :shrug:

Thanks Sarah. I can see why it's not doing much for you. TBH it doesn't do much for me either.

Hi Neil, I love your metal shot. The composition is excellent and I really like all the lines.

I have a bit of a problem with grunge. Yes, it is grungy, but I would prefer to be able to make out what it is

Glad your are managing to catch up a bit.

Jenny

Cheers Jenny. It's a bit of plane cockpit or gunner lookout point...I'm not massively into planes so don't know what the right term is.

Aww! Really like your quality shot! You old softy eh!

Love metal and grunge, both bang on theme.

But I have to step back and comment on Post. That, is a cracker of a shot. LOVE the PP on that! Forget what it's done to the sky, I really like it! Has a cracking feel to it. Well done I say!

Thank you Conor...softie? Well yes, but that earned me some brownie points! Pleased you like Post, it was a bit meh for me but I'm glad someone liked it.

Metal - Lovely sharp image and very well lit

Grunge - well done on getting a good shot in for a very difficult theme. I have no idea what it is though

Good work on catching up

Thanks Darren.

Metal, excellent image, sharp, well lit and well composed.

Grunge... it's a good shot for the theme... horrible wasn't it. I'd say that's a bit of fuselage, looking through from a turret possibly ?

Thank you (again!) John. Feedback is always appreciated.

--------------------

And so to another catchup. Firstly sorry for taking so long to reply to the above posts. I'm uber busy at the moment so the 52's not really getting a look in. I said at the start work comes first but I didn't expect it to be quite as hard as this to find the time.

Week 26 "Beginnings" - I've not been through other threads as this is a personal project and I don't like others to influence me too much but I guess for anyone that shoots weddings this is an obvious choice and there are a number of these. Beginnings of a new life together....

Week 27 "Art" - I'm not starting a new thread as I've only run to 4 pages so doesn't seem much point. Anyway, in desperation I found this paper mache cat sat outside the gallery in Ruislip. I think it's kinda creepy, but not as creepy as the human ones they had inside. It's about as arty as I'm getting at the moment though as a trip into London's not happening any time soon...

 

[ranarama]

I just wanted to say I've not forgotten about you all. Work has been a bit relentless for the last few months but is easing back now. Time to catch up so if anyone has a list of the themes from week 27 onwards that would be handy. Otherwise I'm going searching. Seem to remember Grace was up next.

Edit:
Forget that. I have to do...
28 - Relaxation
29 - Grace
30 - Endings
31 - Electric
32 - Transform
33 - Mobile
34 - Surfaces
35 - Light
36 - Project
37 - Film
38 - Dirty

x11

 

[daddy day care]

Don't forget:

39 Rage
40 Console

Good luck

Andy

 

[jgs001]

Got some work cut out for you there Neil... good luck...

Beginnings, it fits the theme perfectly, and looks very well composed and lit to me. A lovely moment.

Art... not sure on this one... the colours are good and strong, I do agree on the creepy, the angle doesn't seem right to me