Sarah's 52 for 2010 - Now continued in part 2

[jeangenie]

That's really hitting the 'different' button, Sarah. I didn't even know you could get an IR filter!!!! :bonk: I used to love IR film - especially Konica IR film which was quite subtle, and easier to handle than Kodak, but the results were always likely to contain surprises. I guess an IR filter is much the same!

I actually love the non-ghost version best, although I salute your creativity and the technical execution of it. Just personal preference. But you must be thrilled with how these shots have turned out - and well worth braving the (day time!) cold for.

Jean

 

[andybod]

IR stands for infrared

thank you

 

[SarahLee]

It certainly does work without the ghost, but I think now I've seen it I prefer her in it

Thanks Darren . . . I'm sticking with my original decision to keep the ghost too.

Very surreal. The ghost really makes the shot, looks a bit bland without. Just love the ideas you keep coming up with.

Thanks Jackie. Glad that you're enjoying them.

I like the idea of the ghost for a focal point but would like to see it smaller/futher away, about half way down your street avenue (a straight road with a line of trees or large shrubs running along each side)

It's definitely a STREET
Not quite sure how much further away I could get the ghost though and still keep enough clarity about what it was . . . may have a play.

The street is pretty on its own but the ghostly figure definitely adds interest.

Thanks Sue. Thank you for taking the time to comment.

Hmm....I think I might have been wrong about that. They are 2 very different pictures with and without the ghost.

The ghost covers up the white post on the original which is a bit distracting and provides a focal point in a negative way on the original.

Yep. That was my reasoning for adding it.
As I said, I do like the shot as it was originally, but it just needed something else IMO.
That white post BTW is one of those marker stones with the number of miles to major cities (can't think of the proper name for them right now)
name right now)

My vote goes to #1 Sarah, I think the image has enough about it without the ghost. I like the way the street draws ones eye into the image with its vanishing/infinity point. Iain

Hmmmm I'm still not convinced. I think that if I left it as is, I could do with cropping some off the left so that the vanishing point wasn't so central and cloning out that white post. Might give it a try later.

I really like it both with and without the ghost! I've got an IR filter, stuff I've learnt from it - compose & focus the shot before putting the filter on, then switch to manual focus and pop the filter on. That sorts out the focus & composition in one hit & then you should only have to worrk about the exposure & white balance.
White balance is easy, put the filter on and take a long exposure of a patch of grass which, obviously would be white in any IR photos. Then set that image as a custom white balance.

Sorry if you already knew that lot, but I thought I'd mention it anyway as I wish someone had mentioned it to me when I first got my IR filter

Thanks for taking the time to type all that Louise
Some I'd researched, some is new to me but it's always useful to have a first hand account of it.
I did try the method you mentioned, but I found it hard to attach the filter without turning the focus ring - more practice needed I think.

Fanstatic SarahLee. I dont know which one i like the best, the ghostly image adds a nice touch to it, but its fine with out it aswell. Well done

Thanks Jon.

 

[The23rdman]

Love it, Sarah. Again, it's more art than photography, but I love it!

 

[SarahLee]

another superb image there sarah not wanting to sound thick or ought but what is does ir stand for :shrug:

IR stands for infrared

Louise beat me to it.
Yes it's infra-red. Effectively the filter blocks out all of the visible light spectrum and only lets IR light through.
It means that you need to use long exposures to allow enough IR light to reach the sensor. You also get some interesting effects - grass / leaves etc all emit relatively large amounts of IR so they come out as white with the IR filter on. Not much in the way of greenery in the shot above, but you can see the effect more in this other one that I took yesterday :

​

 

[68lbs]

I also wanted a play with the IR filter that I got for Christmas. So here you have it. One of my first ever attempt at IR photography

IR... cool! Not sure about the ghost, but it suits the feel of the image. The image itself does look a little 'mushy' though. Not sure if that's a side effect of the filter, my eyes, or something else.

 

[jeangenie]

That looks great, Sarah! You've renewed my enthusiasm for infra red!!!

Jean

 

[dade_f]

Personally I like it, The ghost does add a certain something, it looks empty without it.

As for IR not something I have tried although I have seen some great shots with it - maybe something to consider for my 52.

Keep the ghost

 

[jennyb]

I can't make up my mind which I prefer. The ghost makes it so different. I really like both of them, but as mentioned previously, this feels more like "road" than "street", which frankly does not matter at all.

Jenny

 

[SarahLee]

IR... cool! Not sure about the ghost, but it suits the feel of the image. The image itself does look a little 'mushy' though. Not sure if that's a side effect of the filter, my eyes, or something else.

This was my first outing with the filter so I'm not sure whether it's the filter or user error . . . although I suspect the latter because the other shot I took with it was a lot sharper.
It was quite breezy, so could be a bit of tripod wobble or motion blur on the smaller branches. Personally though, in this shot I don't mind that little bit of softness :shrug:

That looks great, Sarah! You've renewed my enthusiasm for infra red!!!

Jean

Thanks Jean.
This was the first time I'd used it, but I can see it becoming quite addictive.

Personally I like it, The ghost does add a certain something, it looks empty without it.

As for IR not something I have tried although I have seen some great shots with it - maybe something to consider for my 52.

Keep the ghost

Thanks Dade.
I predict a bit more IR sneaking into this 52. I quite fancy trying it out on things that you wouldn't normally shoot in IR . . . could be interesting (or could be disastrous!)

I can't make up my mind which I prefer. The ghost makes it so different. I really like both of them, but as mentioned previously, this feels more like "road" than "street", which frankly does not matter at all.

Jenny

Thanks Jenny.
I'm not too proud to admit to a bit of crowbarring in the name of art . . . and it was good fun!

 

[ProG77]

Loving your street shot - definitely prefer it with the ghost and in fact my first reaction in my head when I saw the image was "holy ******"!! Doesn't take a lot to scare me!
As for IR, not something I've ever contemplated trying, but really like your attempt at IR.
Great to see you coming back in such a positive manner after your minor disappointment in the previous week.

 

[Ste L]

Great Street shot...

love the cold colour to it, and the ghostly figure really add's to the overall eeriness of whole photo.

 

[Tracer]

A lovely shot, Sarah. At first I wasn't quite sure how well this fitted the theme but the version without the ghost has convinced me . If the white post bothers you then clone it out or darken it a bit so that it doesn't distract. I don't think it needs more of a focal point - the IR is already other-worldly enough and the apparent emptiness just adds to the sense of mystery.



True infra red film was (?is) always a bit mushy, I think because some colours e.g. greens give off IR radiation invisible to the naked eye but that shows up as a bloom in the photograph. Also IR light focuses at a slightly different place. Many cameras used to have an extra mark on the lens for this: e.g. on my old Zuiko 50mm I would first (manually) focus at, say, 12 feet, and then turn the barrel an extra 1.5mm so that it was focused at about 10 feet. However you were probably near infinity where I don't suppose it would make much difference.

 

[Rob Bartley]

Super creepy Sarah. They look brilliant! I really like the overall effect of the IR. Great job all round.

Cheers, Rob

 

[Sparkles33]

I like #2 - can't see the ghost in #1 though

 

[mtracerz]

Wow.. I love this.
Not really seen many examples of IR photos, but this is a stunning shot.
Great additon with the ghost aswell, such a ghostly looking scene. I prefer the first out of the three, dont see how it takes away from the overall shot, and it does give a really interesting focal point, whilst still blending in with the whole IR feel to the background.

Really impressed with your entry this week Sarah Great that you managed to learn something new aswell. Might look into those IR filters, reckon there would be endless limits and some really different kind of results you could achieve with them.

 

[mowse73]

I realy like what you have done, using the ir filter, I want of those for myself. The ghostly figure looks great too. You Definitely have an artist feel to your work. Well done

 

[daveb99]

Sarah - that's a proper, eerie, scary photo! I prefer the one with the smaller ghost in. Very well done, it has a real chilling feel to it. I keep meaning to have a go at IR stuff, you've given me more reason to try it!

 

[TheThistle]

Hello Sarah,

They are amazing, with or without the ghost, it works, I also like the shadows you have captured of the trees
that stretch from one side to other. Ticks my box.
Never dabble in IR yet but looking forward to day I do. IMHO you have captured this weeks theme perfectly. - well done Sarah.

ps does the added noise get introduced with the IR filter?

 

[mich66]

wow, well that is different.. you are very creative with your photos and PP, like the look of the IR and think the version without the ghost is great as it is.. but certainly does add something with the ghost there too..

 

[mickyluv]

Love it Sarah, its great seeing others take on street. I,m with you , not keen on taking pot shots of strangers. You say you've got one of those faces that people like to talk to I've got one that people like to thump..Mick

 

[karmagarda]

Wow! Yours sure is a busy thread! Must be the pretty avatar .

Loving your shots. Really liking the IR stuff you're doing. The ghostly shot really appeals to me, but the shot of the river is amazing .

Now... to try find my way through 160 odd 52s.... :bonk:

 

[jgs001]

Now that's a wonderful image, so otherworldly and the ghostly figure suits it very well indeed. I think the second one with a slightly smaller figure works better. I didn't check, but I bet that was quite a long exposure wasn't it ? I wonder what having someone stood in that point at the beginning of the exposure, then about halfway through have them run off... saves the shopping...

 

[Yv]

:bang: Ok, Now I am mad at myself, HOW on earth have I managed to miss this thread so far when you have been so active at commenting on everyone elses? So first off, a million ashamed apologies :bonk:

so, lets start at the begining.

1 - curved. A very effective use of the black background and reflective base, making an 'ok' shot a very nice one indeed and a good solid start to yur 2010 52. I agree with your own choice too, the other two are ok shots, but you have chosen the best to be 'the one'

2 - poetry. Now oddly enough that was one of my stand-by poems, I even bought a bottle of lighter fluid for the shot [dont ask!], but opted for the slightly less dangerous Sick Rose option in the end. As for your take on it, I hope you won't be too offended when I say that I actually prefer the original shot to the pp'd version. The composition works really well and whilst covering the edes of the candle holders with a bit more snow might have made it even better, it's stand alone belter for me. However, to the actual image, what I do like is your efforts to do something different with the pp, to push the boundaries and make a work of art, excellent stuff.

3 - hmmm, I like it and can understand the sentiment. It might not be the most artisitic thing you will ever produce nor the shot you really wanted, but sometimes a picture has to say something else and this one does.

4 - street. I like the IR on this image, a tree lined road is so simple yet so effective. In fact if you couldnt see anything anyway, I might have been tempted to stick the camera as high as you could get it and make as much as possible of the shadows lying across the road from the trees on the left. Does the ghost work? Its an interesting addition that does nothing to detract from the image imo, but like some others, I do feel the original works perfectly well as a stand alone shot

 

[Dark Star]

Chopped: Loveing the jigsaw lemon shot that is chopped x 2 almost! Superbly done. As much as I like the cemetary shot its the jigsaw that wins for me - bright ansd fresh!

Street: That ghost shot is amazing and takes an good shot to a great shot! love it

 

[Harlequin565]

Hi Sarah,

I think your shot for Street this week is lovely. I really like IR shots, and well done for actually using a filter rather than converting to/emulating IR in PS. From what I've read, people tend to compose and focus before attaching the filter, but I guess that depends on whether it's a screw on type, or a Cokin slide in thing.

The ghost doesn't do anything for me I'm afraid. I think the idea is good, but it's a bit too unsubtle for me. Maybe a stray shadow or something else (a silhouette?) would have worked? Still - I'm from the camp that believes that the shot stands on it's own perfectly well.

Good interpretation of the theme too, and well done for trying something different.

Ian.

 

[SarahLee]

OK I've done it again this week. So busy looking at the other 52s that I've forgotten my own thread :bonk:

Loving your street shot - definitely prefer it with the ghost and in fact my first reaction in my head when I saw the image was "holy ******"!! Doesn't take a lot to scare me!
As for IR, not something I've ever contemplated trying, but really like your attempt at IR.
Great to see you coming back in such a positive manner after your minor disappointment in the previous week.

Hope I didn't scare you too much!
Glad you liked it.

Great Street shot...

love the cold colour to it, and the ghostly figure really add's to the overall eeriness of whole photo.

Thanks Steve.

A lovely shot, Sarah. At first I wasn't quite sure how well this fitted the theme but the version without the ghost has convinced me . If the white post bothers you then clone it out or darken it a bit so that it doesn't distract. I don't think it needs more of a focal point - the IR is already other-worldly enough and the apparent emptiness just adds to the sense of mystery.



True infra red film was (?is) always a bit mushy, I think because some colours e.g. greens give off IR radiation invisible to the naked eye but that shows up as a bloom in the photograph. Also IR light focuses at a slightly different place. Many cameras used to have an extra mark on the lens for this: e.g. on my old Zuiko 50mm I would first (manually) focus at, say, 12 feet, and then turn the barrel an extra 1.5mm so that it was focused at about 10 feet. However you were probably near infinity where I don't suppose it would make much difference.

Thank you.
I'll definitely be doing more of this, so I guess time will tell whether the filter leaves things mushy like the old film, or if I can get things any sharper.

Super creepy Sarah. They look brilliant! I really like the overall effect of the IR. Great job all round.

Cheers, Rob

Thanks Rob

I like #2 - can't see the ghost in #1 though

No.1 I think is the version where I took the ghostie out! So don't worry it's not your eyes.

Wow.. I love this.
Not really seen many examples of IR photos, but this is a stunning shot.
Great additon with the ghost aswell, such a ghostly looking scene. I prefer the first out of the three, dont see how it takes away from the overall shot, and it does give a really interesting focal point, whilst still blending in with the whole IR feel to the background.

Really impressed with your entry this week Sarah Great that you managed to learn something new aswell. Might look into those IR filters, reckon there would be endless limits and some really different kind of results you could achieve with them.

Thanks Rikki.
Have a googe for infrared images. There are some absolutely fantastic ones out there, which is what inspired me to give it a try.
The filters aren't expensive so well worth getting one to experiment with.

I realy like what you have done, using the ir filter, I want of those for myself. The ghostly figure looks great too. You Definitely have an artist feel to your work. Well done

Thanks Martin. It means a lot for you to say that they're "artistic". That is the sort of feel that I try to go for.

Sarah - that's a proper, eerie, scary photo! I prefer the one with the smaller ghost in. Very well done, it has a real chilling feel to it. I keep meaning to have a go at IR stuff, you've given me more reason to try it!

Thank you Dave.
As I said above the filters are really cheap, so well worth playing with.
I really hope to do more of this.

 

[SarahLee]

Hello Sarah,

They are amazing, with or without the ghost, it works, I also like the shadows you have captured of the trees
that stretch from one side to other. Ticks my box.
Never dabble in IR yet but looking forward to day I do. IMHO you have captured this weeks theme perfectly. - well done Sarah.

ps does the added noise get introduced with the IR filter?

Thanks Graham, that really means a lot. I really hope to do more with this.

The noise is mainly due to the high ISO I used. It would have been better to use bulb mode for an even longer exposure, but when I got out I realised that there was no second hand on my watch to time it. I settled for bumping up the ISO and going with a 30 second exposure which is the maximum that I could set.

wow, well that is different.. you are very creative with your photos and PP, like the look of the IR and think the version without the ghost is great as it is.. but certainly does add something with the ghost there too..

Thanks Michelle.

Love it Sarah, its great seeing others take on street. I,m with you , not keen on taking pot shots of strangers. You say you've got one of those faces that people like to talk to I've got one that people like to thump..Mick

Mick I'm sure it's not true about people wanting to thump you. But either way, sometimes people are best avoided when out with the camera.

Now that's a wonderful image, so otherworldly and the ghostly figure suits it very well indeed. I think the second one with a slightly smaller figure works better. I didn't check, but I bet that was quite a long exposure wasn't it ? I wonder what having someone stood in that point at the beginning of the exposure, then about halfway through have them run off... saves the shopping...

Thanks John.
It was a 30 second exposure . . . I would have liked to do longer with a lower ISO, but that's the longest I could do without using bulb mode and I didn't have a second hand on my watch to time it.

Absolutely agree about having somebody pose in the frame. Only problem being that I was out on my own and didn't really think about adding a stronger focal point until I loaded it onto the lappy.
It's something I might try again if I can find a willing victim though.

 

[SarahLee]

:bang: Ok, Now I am mad at myself, HOW on earth have I managed to miss this thread so far when you have been so active at commenting on everyone elses? So first off, a million ashamed apologies :bonk:

so, lets start at the begining.

1 - curved. A very effective use of the black background and reflective base, making an 'ok' shot a very nice one indeed and a good solid start to yur 2010 52. I agree with your own choice too, the other two are ok shots, but you have chosen the best to be 'the one'

2 - poetry. Now oddly enough that was one of my stand-by poems, I even bought a bottle of lighter fluid for the shot [dont ask!], but opted for the slightly less dangerous Sick Rose option in the end. As for your take on it, I hope you won't be too offended when I say that I actually prefer the original shot to the pp'd version. The composition works really well and whilst covering the edes of the candle holders with a bit more snow might have made it even better, it's stand alone belter for me. However, to the actual image, what I do like is your efforts to do something different with the pp, to push the boundaries and make a work of art, excellent stuff.

3 - hmmm, I like it and can understand the sentiment. It might not be the most artisitic thing you will ever produce nor the shot you really wanted, but sometimes a picture has to say something else and this one does.

4 - street. I like the IR on this image, a tree lined road is so simple yet so effective. In fact if you couldnt see anything anyway, I might have been tempted to stick the camera as high as you could get it and make as much as possible of the shadows lying across the road from the trees on the left. Does the ghost work? Its an interesting addition that does nothing to detract from the image imo, but like some others, I do feel the original works perfectly well as a stand alone shot

Wow Yv!
Thank you for taking the time to go all the way back to week 1. And don't worry about missing it . . . there are far too many on here to keep up with them all.

It would have been nice to see a different take on the same poem for week 2, but the prospect of lighter fluid sounds a bit risky - probably safer to avoid it. And of course I'm not offended by you preferring the original un-PP'd version - I appreciate any opinions and wouldn't life be dull if we all likeed the same thing?

Less said about week 3 the better, but I do like the idea of a higher perspective for the street shot. I might just go back and try that.

Chopped: Loveing the jigsaw lemon shot that is chopped x 2 almost! Superbly done. As much as I like the cemetary shot its the jigsaw that wins for me - bright ansd fresh!

Street: That ghost shot is amazing and takes an good shot to a great shot! love it

Thank you John. Chopped wasn't really my finest week but I'm pleased that you found something to like in it. Glad you liked the street entry.

Hi Sarah,

I think your shot for Street this week is lovely. I really like IR shots, and well done for actually using a filter rather than converting to/emulating IR in PS. From what I've read, people tend to compose and focus before attaching the filter, but I guess that depends on whether it's a screw on type, or a Cokin slide in thing.

The ghost doesn't do anything for me I'm afraid. I think the idea is good, but it's a bit too unsubtle for me. Maybe a stray shadow or something else (a silhouette?) would have worked? Still - I'm from the camp that believes that the shot stands on it's own perfectly well.

Good interpretation of the theme too, and well done for trying something different.

Ian.

Thanks Ian. I'm absolutely not opposed to using heavy PP like in the poetry week, but I really don't think that things like IR have quite the same feel when they're duplicated in Photoshop. The filter's just one of the screw on types which is why I found it fiddly to attach without knocking the focus ring all over the place. I'll probably get better with practice though.

And no worries on not liking the ghost. I seem to have split opinions on it - and it's actually nice to hear that some people think the shot stands well enough on its own.

 

[kapawayna]

Hi Sarah

I can't believe i missed your photos but i'm glad i found them now

The first i think has great composition and the contrast with the colour of the cherry looks great. The 2nd the cloud effect makes the shot look so goos with the lighting. 3rs such a cleaver find with the stone and looks great in b/w. 4th just took my breath away such a haunting photo with the ghost effect. I have to admit i am subscribing to your thread now so i don't miss any more, keep up the good work looking forward to your next ones.

 

[SarahLee]

Hi Sarah

I can't believe i missed your photos but i'm glad i found them now

The first i think has great composition and the contrast with the colour of the cherry looks great. The 2nd the cloud effect makes the shot look so goos with the lighting. 3rs such a cleaver find with the stone and looks great in b/w. 4th just took my breath away such a haunting photo with the ghost effect. I have to admit i am subscribing to your thread now so i don't miss any more, keep up the good work looking forward to your next ones.

Thanks Wayne.
And don't worry about missing it so far. With this many on here, I keep losing my OWN thread, never mind anyone elses

 

[SarahLee]

I had a lot of ideas for this one.
The first being light trails - either from above the motorway or from inside a moving car. But we've already seen a few of those for street (some really fantastic ones too!) and I think we may see a few more this week . . . so I wanted to do something different.

However, there were two more ideas that I had, that I just couldn't shake.
Although my rules say that if I do show more than one shot, I'll clearly identify the chosen one . . . this week I just can't decide.
Both have flaws, both also have some merit - and I like them both for completely different reasons.

C&C welcome as always.
At the end of the year, I'm planning on getting the 52 printed as a photobook, so please try to help me decide which of these shots will make it

Week 5 Speed - Shot No.1




​

This is a composite of 3 different images (attached below)
To put it in context, I was thinking about what speed actually means . . . it's a measure of how fast something moves usually measured by distance and time. So for this shot I wanted to incorporate something that gave a feeling of motion but also brought in the concept of time and distance.
(That sounds really arty doesn't it? )

These are the shots that it's made up from :

​

What I like

- I think it will be a totally different interpretation to anything anyone else has done.
- The graphic Sci-Fi effect that I was hoping for has worked
- My opinion and my opinion only (feel free to disagree), but I think that it has some real visual impact.

What I don't like

- The third "leg" of the hour glass just behind the glass looks odd. I've tried cloning it out completely, blurring it, sharpening it more and this is the version that works best. Just wish it wasn't there though.
- The radial blur on the raindrops has given the motion feel I wanted, but it's left them a lot softer than in the original.

Week 5 Speed - Shot 2

​

I don't think that this one needs much explanation, other than to say that the substance is actually flour - and not anything else!
I've deliberately made it quite dark and the graininess and red tint were added in PP.

What I like

- I tried about 20 different shots for this. What I liked about this version was the intimacy of the composition.
- The DoF worked as I'd planned. Focal point on the end of the note and the end of the line of flour (which is where I want the viewers eye to be) and the hand slightly blurred.

What I don't like

There were a few compromises in this one in order to get the atmosphere that I wanted. . .

- The downside of the close, intimate composition is that my thumb looks slightly odd - due to the angle and foreshortening effect. My thumb really ISN'T that deformed
- I like the way that the mirror has worked to reflect the note, but the reflection of the flour looks a bit blobby and undefined.
- I think the grainy PP adds to the mood I want, but it's at the expense of some of the sharpness of the original.

 

[mmcp42]

Sarah
I like the hourglass picture a lot
made me think of Terry Pratchett's disc world books

took a while to see how the third picture fitted in (the water "splash") I guess it's the background
the water drops work well as a backdrop for the hourglass
nicely constructed

you might want to sort out the "spare" URL tags and so on that are making the thread wider than it needs to be

 

[The23rdman]

The hourglass shot rocks! I'm going for that simply because I did the 'other' speed for my shot and want to be a bit more original.

 

[mich66]

both great interpretations of the theme but i'm going for the first one as haven't seen anything like that so totally original for 'speed' - plus its a fantastic image, nicely shot, great angle and processed very well indeed

 

[foggy4ever]

Hour glass for me too, very well put together it has a lot of impact when you first look at it.

Shot 2 is a good second option the processing gives you your desired end result.

 

[RobC]

Hourglass here too, it's a stunning image.

 

[jennyb]

Hi Sarah,

I love both of these but number 1 is my favourite by far. It is an excellent image and very cleverly thought out.

I have not got a problem with the third leg of the hourglass. I did not even notice it.

Jenny

 

[Scarecrow]

I prefer the hourglass. It's a lovely shot.

Funnily enough, having just posted my own image for this week, and now taking the time to see what others have posted, your thought process and mine are pretty similar. In fact I've posted a very similar explanation to yours about how I arrived at my shot. Spooky.

Having said that, I think your shot is much better than mine, so whilst we may have shared similar thoughts, my execution of those thoughts lack some way behind.

 

[Sparkles33]

another hourglass vote - it's stunning, Sarah! I love it!