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

Ah... the candle...

Well. I have to say, I do really like the shot. Extremely well it, and you can tell thought went into it. I also like the subject. It's got a very soft focus feel to it, yet it's nice and sharp. You have a very good "touch" with your camera - especially if you're trying to de-emphasise the PP. However, that pillar candle is the biggest thing in the frame, and even with the re-crop I just keep looking at it. Chopping a couple of inches off the bottom of it might have made it seem less overppowering maybe? I don't know. I know you want to do less PP, but can you take a slice out of it to make it a bit smaller? Or is that cheeky to ask?

I love your reshoot of Shoot. Much much better and more on a par with what I've come to expect from your weekly offerings.

I like the miniature landscape idea, and it's one I've toyed with - but it requires more patience than I've got. You however, have endless patience to produce just the right effect and you would make it into a brilliant project.
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Totally agree with this.

Ian.
 
I love your reshoot of "shoot" - what a clever idea, and it has come off really well.

Single - the cropped version is very pleasing, with lovely lighting and textures. I like it very much as an image - but it doesn't particularly suggest "single" to me, I suppose because the candle and the rose seem equally dominant.
 
Nick T said:
I quite like the single shot actually... Agreed with the others that the pillar candle is a bit much but it's still a nice one.

I wonder though, if you had the rose, removed a single petal, did a nice arrangement with that and a tealight... But that's probably a completely different shot altogether :lol:
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Thanks Nick.
I actually really like the idea with the petal - only problem being is that it's a wooden rose, so getting a perfect petal from it might be difficult. One to bear in mind for the future though.

foggy4ever said:
Another :thumbs: for the the Quad shot as you were getting paid for it.

Difficult choice for 'Shoot' but I think the triptych just nudges it.

As you have already said it doesn't scream Single but it's a very nice shot, but would prefer just the Rose.
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Thanks Scott. Surprised that you liked the triptych - I wasn't that keen on either if I'm totally honest.

I thought about doing just the Rose, but it looked just a little bit dull sat there on its own to me.

justlooking said:
Single - I know I have a small ancient monitor but although I like the edited shot I find myself peering really hard trying to see what the rose is sitting on. Can just make out an out line ..looks black and holey .. I guess I find it it a bit distracting.
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That's the problem with these dark sort of shots - really hard to judge how they'll look on other monitors.
Thank you for your honesty though. I guess this is just one that's not going to be to everyone's tastes.

jennyb said:
Hi Sarah,

Wow, I can't believe that your shoot inspiration came from me! Your shots are always so imaginative. I think the miniature landscapes idea is a good one. I like the one you have done with the moss. The reflection does look like a lake. I think that maybe the starburst is just a bit too big?

I like your rose with the candle (prefer your edit). It does not shout single at me but it's a lovely picture. The edit makes the rose seem more important in the shot.

Jenny
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Jenny, I think your moss shots are absolutely fantastic!
Really, really love them and if I hadn't seen them I would never have thought of plain old moss as a photographic subject.

Glad you like the miniature landscapes idea. I'm planning on giving it a go this weekend.

MadFrankie said:
Sarah, a nice shot in itself but I think you've suffered from your own success, for most people the shot would be good but it's not one of your very best.

I think it would work better in the 'poetry' category rather than single and, for me, it needs just a bit more natural light to bring out the colours a touch, the rose needs to be 'white' not slightly grey...

Onto the positive, I love the reshoot of shoot. It's a really clever composition and nice 'mini world'. I love the water reflection. I might be tempted to crop it a touch closer so the moss? touches both sides of the picture to give it more of a landscape look but I'm not sure it would work until I see it...

Well done, onto next week :thumbs:
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Thank you Gary. That's very kind of you to say.
The landscape look of the moss shot was a bit accidental this week, but I'm planning on doing some more that look deliberately landscapey (if that's a word :lol:)
 
mich66 said:
this one has split opinions sarah!.. think the edited version works better as it does give more emphasis to the rose.. a beautifully staged shot, I like the fabric the rose is sitting on personally.. gives some texture to the shot

wow, you are a natural, obviously! ;)
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Thank you Mich. Again that's very kind of you.
Of all the shots I've done I thought this Rose one would be one of the least controversial but clearly I was wrong !!!!!
All opinions are welcome though and I'll try to take it all on board.

daddy day care said:
I like the idea of a miniature landscape for your reshoot of shoot. It certainly says shoot more than the first ones. The reflection on the black is brilliant. For me it looks a little soft and the starbust is a touch too bright. In the reflection it seems more subdued and better for it. A cracking idea for a photo, you are showing real imagination throughout this 52 :thumbs:

On to "single". The cropped version works better in my opinion as it brings more emphasis on the single rose. I love how you manage to think beyond the obvious boring shot of a single red rose by using a different colour and the props that you have. The texture of the material adds a new dimension to the shot and looks great. It's the props and differrent textures as well as lighting that makes a good still life rather than a snapshot.

Andy
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Thank you Andy.
Actually I haven't commented on the starburst yet, although it's had a lot of attention.
I agree with the comments BTW.
I think maybe I got carried away with it, so I'll definitely try toning it down next time.

Interesting that you say it's a little soft. I normally sharpen images after resizing for the web, but I didn't bother with this one. I thought it had retained enough sharpness as it was and wanted to keep it feeling natural rather than PP'd . . . maybe I shouldn't have changed my normal routine.

Glad that you like the single shot too.

Harlequin565 said:
Ah... the candle...

Well. I have to say, I do really like the shot. Extremely well it, and you can tell thought went into it. I also like the subject. It's got a very soft focus feel to it, yet it's nice and sharp. You have a very good "touch" with your camera - especially if you're trying to de-emphasise the PP. However, that pillar candle is the biggest thing in the frame, and even with the re-crop I just keep looking at it. Chopping a couple of inches off the bottom of it might have made it seem less overppowering maybe? I don't know. I know you want to do less PP, but can you take a slice out of it to make it a bit smaller? Or is that cheeky to ask?

I love your reshoot of Shoot. Much much better and more on a par with what I've come to expect from your weekly offerings.

Ian.
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Thanks Ian.
:bang: Damn pillar candle !!!
Unfortunately it was that or a tiny candle that looked too out of proportion the other way. I tried to minimise the size a little by wrapping some fabric around the bottom . . . but obviously not quite enough.

Unfortunately you're hugely overestimating my PS skills if you think I could do a decent job of resizing it :lol:
But now the challange has been laid down I might just have to give it a try :lol:

Glad you liked the reshoot of shoot - hopefully some more mini landscapes will be coming up soon.

Tracer said:
I love your reshoot of "shoot" - what a clever idea, and it has come off really well.

Single - the cropped version is very pleasing, with lovely lighting and textures. I like it very much as an image - but it doesn't particularly suggest "single" to me, I suppose because the candle and the rose seem equally dominant.
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Thank you Tracer.
Glad that you like the single image too. I was starting to think that I'd made a huge mistake with that one :lol:
 
Brilliant idea for the miniature landscape, makes me want to try it myself. How did you produce such a clean surface?

Single. Such a beautiful image. I'm really pleased when you pull off a lovely shop with minimal PP. Kinda shows the things I should be aiming for since I don't know anything about smoke and mirrors. Hmm, if that sounds like an insult sorry, it's not meant to. I just mean that you produce some really great work almost straight from the camera and that's what I'm aiming for right now. PP comes later. ;)
 
Bit late in commenting (again) this week. I like your reshoot with the moss miniature landscape. Care to share your set up?

How do you get your starburst? Is it just a large aperture or was it done in PP?

I like both shots for Single. Not sure if I would have preferred a slightly more portrait orientated shot on the edit though. I think the size of the candle lends itself to the image being a little taller.
 
I like the reshot shoot... an interseting idea, and the tealight sunset works well.. Good idea.

Single, I really like this, particularly the edit, which brings the rose to the forefront just that little bit more... It fits the theme for me, in more ways that one... :thumbs:
 
L'Cham said:
Brilliant idea for the miniature landscape, makes me want to try it myself. How did you produce such a clean surface?

Single. Such a beautiful image. I'm really pleased when you pull off a lovely shop with minimal PP. Kinda shows the things I should be aiming for since I don't know anything about smoke and mirrors. Hmm, if that sounds like an insult sorry, it's not meant to. I just mean that you produce some really great work almost straight from the camera and that's what I'm aiming for right now. PP comes later. ;)
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Thank you Steve, that's very kind of you - and it's lovely to think that it may have given somebody some inspiration.
Although there are tons of far better photos than these on here to give you something to aim for.

holryn said:
Bit late in commenting (again) this week. I like your reshoot with the moss miniature landscape. Care to share your set up?

How do you get your starburst? Is it just a large aperture or was it done in PP?

I like both shots for Single. Not sure if I would have preferred a slightly more portrait orientated shot on the edit though. I think the size of the candle lends itself to the image being a little taller.
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Thanks Paul,

The set up for shoot wasn't anything complicated at all :

Black fabric b/ground
Mirror smeared with a bit of Vaseline to give a softer reflection
Moss on a stone and bit of loose moss arranged next to it
Tealight hidden behind loose moss

It's actually the long exposure that gave the starburst effect from the tealight.
I actually had to use a very small aperture and darken the room to get the exposure time that I wanted.
I can't remember the exact settings, but the EXIF data should still be there.

Very little PP. Slight reduction in saturation, then cropped and resized for here.
I didn't even sharpen this one after resizng, but on reading Andy's comment maybe I should have.

jollyjack said:
Catching up on past images, and all i can say is Excellent. I like the single very much and the cropped version is great, like the original aswell, Sorry i have not popped in for a while, hopefully back on track now off to veiw other.

Well done
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Thank you Jon. I'm glad that you liked them.

jgs001 said:
I like the reshot shoot... an interseting idea, and the tealight sunset works well.. Good idea.

Single, I really like this, particularly the edit, which brings the rose to the forefront just that little bit more... It fits the theme for me, in more ways that one... :thumbs:
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Thanks John.
And I'm relieved that you saw the link to the theme in the single one ;)
 
I am absolutely loving the dark Image with the focus all in Light. Stands out nice and strong, perfect reflection in 14 and great composition in 15. Looking forward to what you have in store for 16 now we have both caught up :)
 
Hi Sarah,

Just got your PM reply, so here's my very very quick edit. I pulled the square crop one, but it could easily be done with your portrait crop. The masking is a bit untidy, but it was purely for illustration.

Will pull it down once you've had a look.

4541497035_09fedb47e8.jpg


I have no real idea whether this makes things better or not, was just trying to illustrate what I meant in my OP. All I've done is taken a chunk of the middle out of the candle.

- Rectangular selection of the flame, top of the candle, starburst and plenty of black above the candle.
- CTL+J into a new layer
- Move tool to move the selection down to the required height
- Tidy up with masking tools to get the candle shade right.

Ian.
 
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Thank you for that Ian :thumbs:. I really do appreciate you taking the time to have a try with this.

It's a subtle difference, but it definitely does seem to help with the candle issue.
I'm a bit rubbish at cutting and moving bits around in PS. That's the problem with being self taught I suppose . . . I tend to have just picked up the stuff that I wanted to do rather than focusing on the basics first.

Something to practice with I suppose :)
 
Stephen Ramsay said:
I am absolutely loving the dark Image with the focus all in Light. Stands out nice and strong, perfect reflection in 14 and great composition in 15. Looking forward to what you have in store for 16 now we have both caught up :)
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Thanks Stephen.
I wouldn't get over excited about week 16 though - so far I've drawn a mental blank with this.
 
You're photo's blow me away sarah, I dont think I've commented on here before, because I cant offer anything constructuve, but I look frward to seeing them, and am always amazed!
 
Ratfinkz said:
You're photo's blow me away sarah, I dont think I've commented on here before, because I cant offer anything constructuve, but I look frward to seeing them, and am always amazed!
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Awwww thanks Sarah.

I'm the first to admit that I've got plenty to improve on though.
Don't be afraid to say if you don't like anything about them. It's the best way for me to learn.
 
Hi Sarah!

Not keen on the outtake although it is an interesting idea.

The chosen shot is a cracker though - love the eyes particularly. What is also unusual about your stare shot is that the eyes are staring in a sorrowful way - most other shots have been staring in a more aggressive way.

Well done!

Phil
 
I agree with Phil - not keen on the outtake, but love the #1 shot. It's a bit disconcerting that the pupils aren't very evident, and masks always make me feel a bit uneasy. So I love it because it's powerful, pin sharp, and definitely provokes a reaction! Well done on an uninspring theme. :clap::clap::clap:


btw - Late? It's still Sunday!!! ;)

Jean
 
Love the eyes - I might be tempted to darken around the eyeballs to blend in a little more with the black of the mask.

Very nice idea and I agree with Phil, there is some sorrow in the eyes ;)
 
been trying to work out what the green reflected image is in the eyes, its certainly got me staring at them. Its a great shot and as said above its a different take on the eyes being sad not aggressive. The out take is bizarre, very trippy Alice in Wonderland style:cool:
 
That's a very impressive stare you've given us. I want to get closer and find out what it's staring at. It looks very CGI. Lighting is great. And everything is very ominous. Love it :thumbs:
 
Much prefer the first shot over the second Sarah, second if far too abstract and removed froma photographic image.

Like the first one, the sharpness in the eyes is great and they contain a lot of detail, it that a burning match I can see reflected?

Only gripe is that the mask etc you have used for the face isn't very sharp, although have a feeling you have done that deliberately to help the eyes stand out more.

Dan
 
Back on form, great shot and lovely expression. Most, including me, went for agressive stares but your shot is attention grabbing in a similar, more sorrowful, way.

Love it :thumbs:
 
Very good effort this week Sarah - especially if you've been tied up with home stuff.

I'm dying to know whether this is a mask or makeup. With the PP, I just can't tell (so it must be a good job!).

I really am enjoying this thread, partly because I have no idea what's going to turn up each week.

As to the shot itself, I prefer #1. Good lighting and a really strong crop to focus the viewer on the eyes. No one else has mentioned it, but there is a tiny bit too much space on the forehead for me, maybe a tighter widescreen crop would spoil the image though, so it's really only a tiny niggle.

The second one doesn't work as a stand alone image for me. Maybe stitching the two together would work in a duotych (sp!) but I still think it would pull the impact from #1 image.

Great stuff!

Ian.
 
Sarah very different outtake but number 1 for me stands out for me, as mentioned most of us have done aggressive stares but this works, kind of looks like sad eyes or just doesn't want to be dressed up.

I like it. keep it up
 
Sarah, another striking image from you.
The eyes (are they yours?) certainly draw the viewer into the image, the mask is almost secondary in this image as the eyes are so sharp.
I like the catch light/reflection in the eyes, as has been said above I am curious as to what it is? I agree too that there is a sorrowful look in the eyes. Lovely image and a different take on the theme, well done:thumbs: Iain
 
Oh wow!!!!! your chosen stare is absolutely superb!!! I really really love it!!! :thumbs:
Sorry rubbish c and c but too wrapped up in the image to think of anything to say!

Good fun with the outake :)
 
Stare is wonderful - lovely textures and patterns, with the drama of those eyes.... :eek:

The outtake is fun too - just a shame you have desaturated it so much. I would love to see it with the colours of the first one.

:clap::clap:
 
The outtake is weird... not sure on that one...

The image however, is a whole other ballgame. Stunning image. Amazing patterns and what wonderful eyes :clap:
 
Still been a bit of a nightmare week - we had a family funeral on Friday and there are still a lot of (other) family problems going on.

I won't go through and reply individually, but thank you all for taking the time to comment.

To pick up on some of the common themes :

- I guess that number 2 was a bit OTT :LOL:
Oh well - it was fun anyway.

- Shot number 1 was 2 shots put together.
The mask is only about 3" high and it was combined with a shot of Mr SL's eyes. Don't worry - He wasn't particularly sad at the time, but of all the expressions I asked him to pull, this was the one that I liked.

- The softness on the mask shot was indeed deliberate. I wanted to give it a dreamlike quality.

- The reflection in the eyes is a candle flame. It wasn't particularly evident in the shot straight from camera, but I upped the saturation in that area and it came out a bit . . . "odd / wrong" . . . :shrug: I liked it and decided to keep it.

This is more what I was actually trying to go for - but last week I didn't have the time or motivation to play around with trying to get the angles right.

​
 
can’t decide between these two for peace, so I’ll let you help me out.

The pulling of this theme happened to coincide with the Peace Lily in the bathroom flowering – so I had my subject straight away.
I just wanted to something a bit more “arty” than a shot of a houseplant.

Minimal PP in both of these this week. (I’m trying to get a balance between “natural” and PP’d shots in here – although it obviously depends to an extent on the theme and where my mind takes me)
Cropped and curves adjustment – then obviously resized and sharpened for here.

Lit with 2 desk lamps and improvised diffusers.

Week 17 – Peace Part I



Week 17 – Peace Part II




​

Lessons Learnt

I need to get out of my comfort zone and start doing some more outdoor stuff.
(Weather and Themes permitting)
 
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Sorry to hear you have troubles at the moment Sarah, it seems like this weeks theme has more meaning to you then. I hope things brighten up for you soon, until then "Kia kaha".

Its a tricky choice between the two as you say as both are cracking images. I like the second but im not sure where the chess theme fits into peace? Is it chess pieces or is it the reference to the complicated battle of thinking out your next move that makes life so challenging? I like the chequered floor and the way you have processed this. The first one is beautiful and simple and i love the way both are lighted.

Im not sure i can help you out with the choice here but either way well done.:thumbs:
 
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The first shot for me Sarah, as ever well thought out and executed.
 
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