RichM's 52 Thread - Week 21 added- Still not much time!

Missed your last few shots Rich . . . but Wow!!!!
They are such a big improvement on the earlier stiff in this thread. Whatever you're doing, keep it up. :clap:

The lighting on all of these is superb.
Produce is probably my favourite. Love the composition, love the little details like the feathers and it's a lovely clear, crisp image.

Absolutely agree with you on the soothing colours on the present reshoot - they do add a lovely atmosphere. I think I'd like just a touch more space around the picture in this one though.

Shoot, another brilliant shot.
I know absolutely nothing about portraits but this is as good as any I've seen.
 
Wow Rich I'm not sure how I've missed your 52 so far! I love your first produce shot....the richness is really classy :)

...and as for Shoot what a stunning missus you have! Oh to have a model like that close to hand! I really love the pose and naturalness of this shot and it just goes to show what you can produce on a budget! The ONLY thing I can think you could improve on would be a little more light to add texture to the hair...but this image could be straight out of a glossy mag...lovely!
 
SarahLee said:
Missed your last few shots Rich . . . but Wow!!!!
They are such a big improvement on the earlier stiff in this thread. Whatever you're doing, keep it up. :clap:

The lighting on all of these is superb.
Produce is probably my favourite. Love the composition, love the little details like the feathers and it's a lovely clear, crisp image.

Absolutely agree with you on the soothing colours on the present reshoot - they do add a lovely atmosphere. I think I'd like just a touch more space around the picture in this one though.

Shoot, another brilliant shot.
I know absolutely nothing about portraits but this is as good as any I've seen.
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot Sarah. I really appreciate all of he kind words. I'll keep in mind what you said about the space in my reshoot and i'm really glad you can see some improvement in my images. :)

clud17 said:
That's a great result for shoot with the budget set up, great colours and your missus looks a natural in front of the lens
Click to expand...

Thanks mate, and Shelby says thanks too.

Nick T said:
Shoot - Great lighting, great portrait - really, really nice image. Top effort :thumbs:
Click to expand...

Thanks for commenting again Nick, the lighting was the biggest trouble but i managed it with a bit of help :thumbs:

jennyb said:
That is a fantastic portrait, Rich. I would not have any idea how to produce something like that.

Well done.

Jenny
Click to expand...

Thanks for commenting Jenny, to be honest, portraits aren't something i do very often so i was like you. I just threw myself into it, give it a try sometime, it's pretty good fun.

Sonial said:
Wow Rich I'm not sure how I've missed your 52 so far! I love your first produce shot....the richness is really classy :)

...and as for Shoot what a stunning missus you have! Oh to have a model like that close to hand! I really love the pose and naturalness of this shot and it just goes to show what you can produce on a budget! The ONLY thing I can think you could improve on would be a little more light to add texture to the hair...but this image could be straight out of a glossy mag...lovely!
Click to expand...

Thanks Sonia, noted what you said about the hair. Wondering if a quick brush with the dodge tool would add the texture you mean. If anyone knows anything about this, gimme a shout. Again she says thank you too, i'm pretty glad to hear people liked my first proper portrait.

Cheers for commenting guys :D
 
Hi Rich,

Really like produce and your reshoot, but "Shoot" is wonderful. Far superior!

Improvements? Well, there aren't many I can see, and they're all subjective, so feel free to ignore me!

- I'm not entirely sure about the pose. Part of me thinks the shoulder is in the way, part of me says it has a nice leading line.
- The expression is very neutral. I personally like to see a bit of character in a portrait, and this expression is so neutral you don't really have a clue about the personality. That really is just my personal thought though.

Tiny things really. It truly is a very very good photograph. Lovely portrait.

Is she chuffed?

Ian.
 
Harlequin565 said:
Hi Rich,

Really like produce and your reshoot, but "Shoot" is wonderful. Far superior!

Improvements? Well, there aren't many I can see, and they're all subjective, so feel free to ignore me!

- I'm not entirely sure about the pose. Part of me thinks the shoulder is in the way, part of me says it has a nice leading line.
- The expression is very neutral. I personally like to see a bit of character in a portrait, and this expression is so neutral you don't really have a clue about the personality. That really is just my personal thought though.

Tiny things really. It truly is a very very good photograph. Lovely portrait.

Is she chuffed?

Ian.
Click to expand...

She's chuffed :)

I have a load of other shots too but this is just the first one that i processed so there's probably some more expressionate faces in the pack, i might even post some of them when they're done. Tbh, the over the shoulder shot was one of the few shots i had to ask for, she's pretty natural behind the camera (poser :lol:)

Anyway, thanks for commenting Ian, you always manage to add something :thumbs:
 
Playing catch up here but loving everything. Your portrait shot for shoot is brilliant and I can't believe you did that on a budget setup. I really must harass the Mrs to get in front of my camera more.
 
L'Cham said:
Playing catch up here but loving everything. Your portrait shot for shoot is brilliant and I can't believe you did that on a budget setup. I really must harass the Mrs to get in front of my camera more.
Click to expand...

Thanks L'cham, glad to hear my setup worked :)

I'm running late on posting a shot for Single but i will get around to it.
 
Excellent produce shot Rich, the eggs look great. Both smooth and textured at the same time, cracking.

Shoot is fantastic. Great lighting, pose and angle. Looks very manga-esque and I love it :thumbs:
 
Rich, that's excellent. I can't offer any advice though... I'm clueless when it comes to this sort of thing.
 
dlh said:
Excellent produce shot Rich, the eggs look great. Both smooth and textured at the same time, cracking.

Shoot is fantastic. Great lighting, pose and angle. Looks very manga-esque and I love it :thumbs:
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting dlh, you're not the first to say it looks a bit manga/anime. Glad you like it :D

jgs001 said:
Rich, that's excellent. I can't offer any advice though... I'm clueless when it comes to this sort of thing.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the compliment mate. Nice to see there's somebody else out there who doesn't have a clue about portraiture. I was under the impression there was a club i wasn't invited to :lol:

Like i said, still working on single so it should be soon. It's a tough one :thinking:
 
Week 15 - Single

This one was really tough for me. I tend to struggle when a subject is so open ended that i can't immediately tie it down. As soon as i heard the theme i immediately thought of loneliness and single, for me, brought images of being alone, so i wanted to try and capture this.

I wasn't at all happy with the result this week but i'll post it just to keep me on track. It's more of a means to an end than an image i like so here we go.

4544897807_74fcae4391.jpg


Week 16 - Stare

My most recent images have been taking a sinister turn and i'm unsure why. I think my shot for single was quite sombre and this week's theme of stare, again immediately said something sinister for me. A stare in my mind, strikes up huge emotion and also a darkness. I tried to achieve this sinister dark feel with my stare image, and yet again i'm not 100% about the result.

Here's hoping that next weeks theme is one i can tie down.

4544896621_4c6868f769.jpg


Anyway, thanks for looking folks, C+C always encouraged :)
 
I like your shoot shot, mate. To improve it you needed a hair light to bring some detail back into her barnet.

Single doesn't do owt for me, fella, sorry.

Stare is pretty damn close, but looks more srprised to me than sinister. I feel sinister needs a little more frown to the shot?
 
Hi Rich,

Single. I get your thoughts behind it, it's just a shame that the aerial is in the way.

I like the processing on Stare, but the expression definitely says "surprised" or "mad-scientist-about-to-do-something-bad" rather than sinister.

Really like the crop you've chosen. The nose could be distracting, but those wide eyes really draw your attention. It's certainly a stare though.

Good stuff.

Ian.
 
The23rdman said:
I like your shoot shot, mate. To improve it you needed a hair light to bring some detail back into her barnet.

Single doesn't do owt for me, fella, sorry.

Stare is pretty damn close, but looks more srprised to me than sinister. I feel sinister needs a little more frown to the shot?
Click to expand...

Hi Dean, thanks for commenting.

I agree about the hair, something needs doing but like i said, i was on a budget (and still am) and the lighting on the face was more important for me, it's something i can work on next time.

As for single, i'm the same. I don't like it but thanks for being honest :D

Definately agree about my stare shot. Neither of my previous 2 shots are what i would call good shots but frown wouldbe good. Now all i need is some dramatic green lighting eh? :lol:

:thumbs:
 
I can't add anything that hasn't already been said I'm afraid.

I love the portrait shot. I would have been proud to have taken this. For a budget set up it is superb. Detail in the hair is the only issue but doesn't affect it too much.

Single - not really doing it for me but I can't explain why.

Stare - is good and I like the PP on the eyes but does look surprised.

Andy
 
daddy day care said:
I can't add anything that hasn't already been said I'm afraid.

I love the portrait shot. I would have been proud to have taken this. For a budget set up it is superb. Detail in the hair is the only issue but doesn't affect it too much.

Single - not really doing it for me but I can't explain why.

Stare - is good and I like the PP on the eyes but does look surprised.

Andy
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting Andy, glad to hear you like my portrait.

Single and Stare i completely agree on. They're more fillers than anything.
 
Don't think I've commented before Rich, but you have some good shots.

Shoot is terrific, lovely lighting, lovely pose, lovely girl.

I like the colour in Single but the aerial is a little overpowering.

Great catch lights on Stare - as the others have said - more surprised than sinister.
 
holryn said:
Don't think I've commented before Rich, but you have some good shots.

Shoot is terrific, lovely lighting, lovely pose, lovely girl.

I like the colour in Single but the aerial is a little overpowering.

Great catch lights on Stare - as the others have said - more surprised than sinister.
Click to expand...

Thanks for nipping in Paul.

The colour in single was completely post process, so that's more 'false' than 'photo' but thanks. I agree it would have been a better shot on something like a tree branch, but hey, city life :p

Cheers for looking :thumbs:
 
I quite like these two. Single happens to work well for me because it reminds me of a very beautiful, sad song by a love-lorn poet: a crow has followed him all along the way from the town. Is it waiting for him to die, so that it can eat him? It won't be long, let it keep him company to the end. Lovely colours, too.

Stare is good though it doesn't look sinister.
 
Tracer said:
I quite like these two. Single happens to work well for me because it reminds me of a very beautiful, sad song by a love-lorn poet: a crow has followed him all along the way from the town. Is it waiting for him to die, so that it can eat him? It won't be long, let it keep him company to the end. Lovely colours, too.

Stare is good though it doesn't look sinister.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the comments. The poem sounds really cool, what's it called?
 
Hi Rich.

I like the concept behind single, but it's unfortunate about the positioning of the aerial - as others have said it does tend to dominate the shot.

Stare is something completely different though.

:clap: :clap: :clap: Personally, I love it!
The lighting / PP have given her skin an almost mask-like quality and those eyes jump right out of the screen.
I disagree with the others. Maybe I have an overactive imagination, but I can definitely see something manic and sinister in it.
 
SarahLee said:
Hi Rich.

I like the concept behind single, but it's unfortunate about the positioning of the aerial - as others have said it does tend to dominate the shot.

Stare is something completely different though.

:clap: :clap: :clap: Personally, I love it!
The lighting / PP have given her skin an almost mask-like quality and those eyes jump right out of the screen.
I disagree with the others. Maybe I have an overactive imagination, but I can definitely see something manic and sinister in it.
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting Sarah, i think you're right about your imagination though, i agree with the others about it looking a bit too surprised. At Least it worked for somebody which is always good :)
 
Ssorry - I'm way behind on your thread - again!

First off - your new copyright stamp is perfect!!!! It's subtle, but clearly there and it's great that it doesn't distract the eye from the photo. So a personal 'thank you' from me, Rich. ;)

Shoot: I agree with the comments about getting a little light into her hair (which is gorgeous colour, btw!). I love the pose and the way you've filled the frame. Yes, her expression is neutral, but that means you can interpret it how you wish. For me it looks thoughtful. Your Heath Robinson set up has worked a treat - could be you've just sved yourself a heap of money on posh studio kit! :D What a fantastic model she is - I hope she appears in the 52 again - soon!

Single: I love the idea of this, and it does have a slightly sinister feel about it. You didn't have any control over the aerial being in the way, but I love the black, sinister sillhuette and the fact that he appears to be crowing! A very interesting take on the theme, Rich, and one I think you could try for again from a better angle if the opportunity arose. :)

Stare: Surprised? - no I think that's a scary stare! My only suggestion would be to crop a little off the bottom to stop the nose distraction - which would make it even more scary. :lol: I like the contrasty processing, too. :thumbs:

Jean
 
Hi Rich, I like the 'pose' of the crow in single and the tones it is just a shame there is so much of the aerial.

I like Stare quite a lot, great processing on the eyes, I think a little bit more graduation between the sharp focus and soft focus in places would benefit though....good stuff :)
 
jeangenie said:
Ssorry - I'm way behind on your thread - again!

First off - your new copyright stamp is perfect!!!! It's subtle, but clearly there and it's great that it doesn't distract the eye from the photo. So a personal 'thank you' from me, Rich. ;)

Shoot: I agree with the comments about getting a little light into her hair (which is gorgeous colour, btw!). I love the pose and the way you've filled the frame. Yes, her expression is neutral, but that means you can interpret it how you wish. For me it looks thoughtful. Your Heath Robinson set up has worked a treat - could be you've just sved yourself a heap of money on posh studio kit! :D What a fantastic model she is - I hope she appears in the 52 again - soon!

Single: I love the idea of this, and it does have a slightly sinister feel about it. You didn't have any control over the aerial being in the way, but I love the black, sinister sillhuette and the fact that he appears to be crowing! A very interesting take on the theme, Rich, and one I think you could try for again from a better angle if the opportunity arose. :)

Stare: Surprised? - no I think that's a scary stare! My only suggestion would be to crop a little off the bottom to stop the nose distraction - which would make it even more scary. :lol: I like the contrasty processing, too. :thumbs:

Jean
Click to expand...

Heya Jean, thanks for taking the time to post. Glad you like my stamp, i tend to vary how i apply it depending on the image.

We both send thanks for your comments on my portrait, really nice to hear.

I'd certainly try the shot again if he's ever knocking about again. I live overlooking a farm so the chances are high :p He was crowing as i took the shot.

Again, glad somebody can see what i originally saw with stare. I did ponder over a different crop but it didn't seem to work.

Hope you nip back in at some point, thanks again :)

Sonial said:
Hi Rich, I like the 'pose' of the crow in single and the tones it is just a shame there is so much of the aerial.

I like Stare quite a lot, great processing on the eyes, I think a little bit more graduation between the sharp focus and soft focus in places would benefit though....good stuff :)
Click to expand...

Thanks Sonial. The crow's pose is what caught my eye with the image actually, glad you liked it.

Great tips on the stare shot, i'll take those into account for next time :thumbs:

Cheers guys :D
 
Single... I like the idea, the angle of the aerial hasn't helped... I was wondering what it would look like with very heavy contrast... making the bird and aerial almost silhouette.

Stare... :eek: wow... made me jump as I glanced down...
 
Single: I sort of wish the aerial wasn't there, as it takes up too much of the image and is cutting the crow birdy off.. however, I can see why you may not have been able to do that..! Great silhouette though, and the subject is great!
 
jgs001 said:
Single... I like the idea, the angle of the aerial hasn't helped... I was wondering what it would look like with very heavy contrast... making the bird and aerial almost silhouette.

Stare... :eek: wow... made me jump as I glanced down...
Click to expand...

I tried the silhouette idea but it just looked too simple. Wasn't enough going on in the picture. Glad you liked stare :lol: Thanks for commenting.

louise-knight said:
Single: I sort of wish the aerial wasn't there, as it takes up too much of the image and is cutting the crow birdy off.. however, I can see why you may not have been able to do that..! Great silhouette though, and the subject is great!
Click to expand...

Thanks for commenting Louise, glad you liked my first attempt at shooting a bird :p

It's tough! Much respect for all those wildlife togs :thumbs:
 
Ok so here comes a long bump. I've been a bit rushed recently, had a week off work, went back and everything had to be relearnt, had an assignment to complete (still not done :p) and trying to get my 52 up to date as well ass my little excursion to Wales. For these reasons, out comes the crowbar... the big one....

Week 17 - Peace

My shot for this theme was taken at Conwy castle on my break away to Wales. I don't really have a lot to say about it, to be honest, it just says 'peace' to me and i'm unsure why. I think it might be the complete stillness and absense of any birds in the sky or people... Here we goes...

4598726925_1cb1917278.jpg


Week 18 - Indulgence

I really didn't get chance to do anything for this. I suppose i could upload any pic from Wales and say that 'this pic is of me indulging my photography' but i fear that my crowbar may break :D

Week 19 - Reshoot

I LOVE RESHOOTS! i got a chance to reshoot my very first themes 'Curved' simply because it was one of the themes i was shooting for my assignment anyway - 2 birds 1 stone! I wanted to capture the height and darkness of the building and i think i was slightly inspired by the movie 'The Ring' when i shot this. I wanted it to feel slightly creepy (and i think that anybody who's seen that movie will agree that it is, at the least, SLIGHTLY creepy) Curved...

4599361004_4b94775968.jpg


Anyways, thanks for looking C+C especially welcome this week since i'm using both these shots in my coursework. Ways to improve them would be immense :)
 
I like them both. not sure why on the first one, so we'll just have to agree on that :D... I'm not sure why, and it may just be the lighting, but they both look a little on the blue side... I might be tempted to warm them up a little with a quick WB adjustment. I've not seen the ring, so I'm afraid it doesn't mean anything to me on the second oen.
 
I agree with John on the blueness thing. Or were you going for a colder tone?

It definitely works in the second shot and I love the perspective you chose. Tell the truth, was this a curves reshoot, or a shot that was curved? :)

Peace doesn't do much for me I'm afraid. I find the narrow field of view a bit restricting. I want to see more of the castle walls and that lovely north Wales coastline.

Of the two (and I know I shouldn't compare) the second is far and away the better shot in my opinion.

And it is just my opinion.

Ian.
 
Agree with the above on your WB. Saying that I really like the composition of the peace shot.
 
jgs001 said:
I like them both. not sure why on the first one, so we'll just have to agree on that :D... I'm not sure why, and it may just be the lighting, but they both look a little on the blue side... I might be tempted to warm them up a little with a quick WB adjustment. I've not seen the ring, so I'm afraid it doesn't mean anything to me on the second oen.
Click to expand...

The WB is off because that's what i was going for. I intentionally made it blue to make it look colder. Thanks for commenting :thumbs:

Harlequin565 said:
I agree with John on the blueness thing. Or were you going for a colder tone?

It definitely works in the second shot and I love the perspective you chose. Tell the truth, was this a curves reshoot, or a shot that was curved? :)

Peace doesn't do much for me I'm afraid. I find the narrow field of view a bit restricting. I want to see more of the castle walls and that lovely north Wales coastline.

Of the two (and I know I shouldn't compare) the second is far and away the better shot in my opinion.

And it is just my opinion.

Ian.
Click to expand...

Welll, it wasn't a curved reshoot for my 52 but i did set out to shoot a 'curved' image since it was a shot i needed for my coursework, so it just fit nicely :P

As always thanks for commenting Ian.

The23rdman said:
Agree with the above on your WB. Saying that I really like the composition of the peace shot.
Click to expand...

Thanks mate, but like i said, WB is intentionally wrong. They all came out looking a little too orange for my liking.
 
Righto, so heres my attempt at stop. I don't really have much to say about it, it's a stop light :shrug:

I was pretty stuck this week and i'm still strapped for time.

I promise i'll try to comment on some peoples pics this week but i don't get much chance :shake:

Stop -
4646670427_58084667ce.jpg


Cheers guys :wave:
 
Nice, clean, simple... love the definition in the light and the position of that OOF blob adds to it. Good one Rich.
 
So, i'm still having time issues but my shot for isolation should bring me up to date. It's a simple shot of my girlfriend, Shelby up at the lake on one of our increasingly common sunny days. She decided that she wanted to sit and watch the water and i decided i had an idea for this theme :thumbs:

I've added a slight warming filter to enhance the summery feel of the shot but other that that very little PP.

Isolation

4668543373_31f77ef8d6.jpg


Thanks for looking guys.

-- Like i mentioned last week, i'm still struggling to find time to even respond to comments on my own pictures, nevermind comment on the rest of you guys but i'm trying... Promise :'( --
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top