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

[justlooking]

I prefer the second one .. I find the first a little too pink and like the more natural coulours in the outtake. Like the border in the second too.

 

[dade_f]

well you could blow me down with a feather! THANK YOU, for devoting your time and skill to a mere suggestion. I must say though it did indeed make a wonderful shot and the lighting is superb

As for your indulgence, I like the PP and the square crop and could honestly see this as a print on an office wall.
Good detail and great subject - the crit you picked up on already

 

[Harlequin565]

I definitely prefer the first of the two Sarah. Nice and clean. Well lit, well composed and a really interesting subject.

- I played around with drop shadows in PP to experiment with a different framing style.
I think I messed up somewhere because I seem to have caused a bit of vignetting in the corners and edges of the shots . . . I quite like it though.

This has worked really really well. Can I ask for a bit more detail? Was it just take the whole shot and apply it as a layer to a larger white background, then add a layer style?

Ian.

 

[SarahLee]

You should continue with the outdoor stuff Sarah as you have done pretty well with it. Im not sure it matters about the stem as the eye is immediately drawn in to the centre. The first is definitely better but i like what you have done with the frame on the second. It lends itself to the natural theme you have chosen.

Thank you Chris - I really do appreciate it, as I was feeling abit insecure about this one.
Very different to what I normally do.

I think I prefer your chosen "close" shot but the outtake is beautiful in a different way- natural and pretty. The chosen version would make a good picture on a wall- easy on the eye and yet plenty to see.

Thanks Sue.
I haven't shot anything yet that I feel is good enough to make it onto the wall. But I'm gradually getting closer to something I'm happy with.

Can I be different Sarah and prefer the out-take?
I like both images but #2 has more appeal to me for its colour and I particularly like the border you have applied to it. Good to see you have stepped out your comfort zone again. It doesn't say indulgence but with your explanation, I can see where you are coming from. A good week Sarah

Thank you Iain.
I found it really tough to pick a favourite, so go with whichever one you want to
It's nice to try something different every now and then.

(and yes it was a bit of a crowbar, but at least it worked for close)

Sorry Sarah, I know you are trying to limit your PP but I prefer the first shot. The brown background works better than the original green.

Depth of field is spot on. I am drawn to the head of the flower as I should be

The theme can be interpreted in any way you please but I do feel a liberal application of the crowbar has been used this week

A lovely shot all the same. I keep meaning to try a dandelion clock myself. I have hundreds of the buggers growing :shake:

Andy

Thanks Andy.
I'm not really trying to limit PP - I think both styles are equally valid.
I just found that the early part of this 52 was very biased towards PP and I want to try to get a bit more balance back.

And I thought I'd indulge in a bit of crowbarring this week.

I like them all, seeing them has give me a boot up the behind as i am a little behind myself (2 weeks worth)

Nice detailed images Sarah, well done

Thank you for popping in Jon.
I thought I hadn't seen anything from you for a while. Now come on and get yourself back up to date !!!!

Hi Sarah,

Firstly, the chess shot for Dade is fantastic. I just love the lighting.

I really like both of your indulgence shots, but I have to admit you have used a huge crowbar! I find these things fascinating and think I prefer the first one - mainly because with the crop you can see more detail. I really like the colour treatment, too. I think the DOF is spot on. It gets more difficult the closer you get.

Very well done this week, especially for getting out of your comfort zone.

Jenny

Thanks Jenny - that really means a lot coming from you, because your flower shots are always fantastic.

(and I know it was a shameless use of a crowbar, but at least I got the close bit right!)

 

[Lufbrarunner]

Definitely the 1st close shot Sarah, nice tight crop, good DOF and the processing works well too.

 

[SarahLee]

I prefer the second one .. I find the first a little too pink and like the more natural coulours in the outtake. Like the border in the second too.

Thank you.
Not sure where the pink's creeping in . . . it's supposed to be a brown/sepia tint
But now that you mention it, there is a slight pinkness to the shadow.

well you could blow me down with a feather! THANK YOU, for devoting your time and skill to a mere suggestion. I must say though it did indeed make a wonderful shot and the lighting is superb

As for your indulgence, I like the PP and the square crop and could honestly see this as a print on an office wall.
Good detail and great subject - the crit you picked up on already

There was a bit of self indulgence there too. I really like shooting that chess set and I should be thanking you. I actually really like the resulting shot.

I'm glad that you liked close/indulgence too.
Not quite of a standard that I want to print, but better than I expected for something new to me.

I definitely prefer the first of the two Sarah. Nice and clean. Well lit, well composed and a really interesting subject.

Thanks Ian.
Although I can't take much credit for the set up / lighting.
It was all pretty much as it was :shrug:

This has worked really really well. Can I ask for a bit more detail? Was it just take the whole shot and apply it as a layer to a larger white background, then add a layer style?

Ian.

I added a new blank layer beneath the final image. (In PS you need to rename the final image to something other than "background" to be able to put a layer below it)

I extended the canvas on the blank layer to the size I wanted. (I picked a slightly creamy colour rather than cream)

Back in the top layer (the shot) I used the blending options to add a drop shadow and played around with the sliders a bit.

No idea why / how that vignetting came about though :shrug:

 

[SarahLee]

Definitely the 1st close shot Sarah, nice tight crop, good DOF and the processing works well too.

Thank you Steve. Looks like the majority are going for No.1.

 

[dan_yorkshire]

Second one for me Sarah, the composition is more easy on the eye and the colours seem much more natural.

Nice details in the head but I know what you mean about the stalk not being in focus.

 

[Ian_Wilson]

Hi Sarah,

INDULGENCE:
I can see what you mean about the freshness of the 'natural' one, but it has a lot less impact than the 1st version which I definitely prefer. Interesting to see how subtle the PP is but what a big difference it makes.

I think the DOF is more or less spot on, but in future maybe worth bracketing exposures to give you a choice as it is pretty hard to judge this accurately in the field off the back of the camera.

The drop shadow frame is again very subtle and I think it works very well to lift the shot of the page a little bit.

Nice work as always.

If your 52 is about pushing yourself, maybe you should force yourself to work outside more until it feels comfortable? Having less control can be quite liberating and can force you to look harder at what is there already and make the most of it, especially when you have limited time. You never know, you may even find a beautiful sprout in a beautiful puddle and produce an award winning photo..

 

[The23rdman]

First shot for me, Sarah. Love the pp and the frame works really well. I quite like the composition of the second one, but the frame doesn't work as well for me. Maybe this is because it seems to be artifacting quite a bit?

 

[jeangenie]

Although I did have a vague notion in the back of my mind about the chess pieces representing battle - and the lily representing peace contrasting with that. That makes sense, Sarah, and perhaps it could be a reshoot at some time. Maybe something that shows the battle of chess has been won/lost and peace reigns. :shrug: That's still a helf-formed idea, sorry!






Thank you Jean.
The photography is definitely helping as a distraction. Personally, everything is fine with me but I always seem to be the one people turn to with their problems - and right now I feel like I'm bearing the weight of 6 or 7 other people's issues. But that's what family's all about I suppose. I think every family should have somebody like you to turn to, Sarah, but don't let them engulf you with their issues. There comes a time when grown ups have to be just that - grown up. Have a hug and sit down with a glass of something nice.

I'm glad that you like no.1. Given the funeral this week it does have some extra meaning for me. It was my grandmother, but given that she was 101 it wasn't totally unexpected. I'm sorry to hear about your Gran - and it will be lovely in years to come to remember her from the perspective of being an adult - I lost my last Grandparent when I was 8 and have no real concept of the grandparent/grandchild relationship - except as a grandmother myself!

Indulgence/Close: You've already had so many comments on these shots that I don't think I can add anything constructive. I do like the drop shadows btw, and agree that pushing yourself to photograph out of doors will take your work to a whole new level. It's also fun (I find!) and a challenge to overcome the things you can't control.

Have a good week, Sarah.

Jean

 

[foggy4ever]

The reshoot for is very good, the lighting is just right and I like the broken reflection in the board.

I like the composition and the processing of the first shot, a little more dof could give a good second option and shooting at f/5.6 1/250 iso100 left you plenty of room to stop the aperure down quite a bit.

Get yourself a 50mm 1.8 and then you can experiment with real narrow Dof

 

[Tracer]

Indulgence - with your explanation I think it is a valid interpretation of the theme...see, I'm broad minded! Well done for spotting the potential in the dandelion, getting the DOF just right and then applying your expert PP. The muted colours are very striking and I much prefer this to the outtake.

I rather like the slight texture in the border of the outtake, however, and wonder if you could do something on you entry - the drop shadow is great but the plain white feels slightly harsh against the dreamy image. Just a thought.

 

[Sonial]

Oh I see you found my crowbar Love both these versions Sarah I think 1 is slightly my favourite as the tones really bring out the details am also a big fan of square crops and this works really well here!

As for the chess set......simply gorgeous!

 

[philthejuggler]

Despite the crowbar it is a lovely dandelion shot and on a different planet to the out-take. I love the chess pieces shot - great lighting!

Phil

 

[jgs001]

The chess pieces are spot on, very well taken indeed.

It's a tenuous link to the theme, but I think we can let it ride ... As for the DOF you mention, I think it's fine just as it is. There's no need for the stem to be sharp and in focus, I think it would possibly distract from the dandelion head, which is spot on.

I do like the frame you've applied to the second one it adds a nice fit and feel to the image.

 

[SarahLee]

that I've missed a theme :bonk:

I've just been stupidly busy this last week (nothing new there), but just couldn't fit in any time with the camera at all.

I could have done something very quick and easy (read rubbish), but I promised myself no fillers this year.
So it's going to be a bargain, two for the price of one week in week 20.

A big thank you to everyone who commented on week 18 and whose posts I haven't had time to reply individually to.
Normal service will resume in wk 20

 

[Shorty]

Long time no pop by, Sarah -very sorry! A quick catch up, Quad, Single and Peace[I think that was it?] are lovely shots. Some I'm not keen on PP wise, but they that's fine, it's all subjective.

Tell me about it[being busy] hope you get a break soon and are able to head back out with the camera very soon!

 

[SarahLee]

Long time no pop by, Sarah -very sorry! A quick catch up, Quad, Single and Peace[I think that was it?] are lovely shots. Some I'm not keen on PP wise, but they that's fine, it's all subjective.

Tell me about it[being busy] hope you get a break soon and are able to head back out with the camera very soon!

Hello !!!!
Good to see you in here again.
Thanks for dropping by . . . unfortunately still really busy here, but at least I've managed to catch up this week.

 

[SarahLee]

Just about managed to get myself caught up - so two in one this week.

Ingredients : Fizzy water + cherry . . . I guess that makes cherryade :shrug:
Maybe not totally on theme, but this is something I've wanted to try for a while and this theme seemed a good excuse.

Week 19 : Ingredients

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Self Critique

Not completely happy with this, but for my first ever attempt I think it's OK and it helps to get me back up to date.

- It would have worked better with a strawberry or anything that had more texture than a cherry, but that was all I had in the fridge.
- The edges of the glass are a little softer than I would have liked.
- If I set it up again, I'd also frame it to keep the stem of the wineglass in shot.



Stop : Struggling with this one.
Up until last Wednesday we had roadworks at the end of the street . . . and wouldn't you know it, they actually finished with it before the weekend :bang:

Anyway, I didn't want to get any further behind with this, so I've cheated a bit. This is a re-edit of an image I used for last year's 52.

Week 20 - Stop

​

Self Critique

Yes it's a cheat
Please don't feel obliged to leave C&C on this one.
It's got me back up to date, and I may revisit for a re-shoot at some point.

 

[justlooking]

well done for catching up.

I like the ingredients shot - looks very cool and refreshing in this hot weather

 

[dade_f]

Week 19: your right it is a bit soft, these work best when nice sharp images and also showing the glass stem would add a lot to this.
A nice high splash would be great too

Week 20: Sorry to say not for this one. the powder is more a distraction than an addition to the image, just not feeling it soz

 

[ProG77]

Hey Sarah, well done on the catch up - having fallen behind myself with so many things going on, I know exactly how difficult it is to keep up!
As for the shots, like your ingredients shot and although you have nailed it with the self crit, it really is a great shot for a first attempt. Only niggle I have is that I would have liked to have seen a bit of the stem of the glass but your timing must have been brilliant to have caught this moment.

Stop: I haven't seen the original image from your last year's 52, but I am finding the smoke a bit distracting and would have much preferred to see the hand by itself. Shame about the roadworks - they are always there when you don't want them but the one time you needed them they weren't!

 

[philthejuggler]

Hiya

I like the idea and execution of the ingredients shot - it is an interesting image but wants to be a little crisper throughout.

I also like the 'stop' image but keep finding myself looking for the missing tip to the little finger.

Phil

 

[jennyb]

Hi Sarah, I like both of your shots. I agree that the first one could be a bit sharper. I also agree that a strawberry with a bit more texture might have wokred better, but the red works really well.

I did not see your original stop image so cannot comapre, but it does say stop to me. I did not notice the missing finger until Phil mentioned it and now my eye keeps being drawn to it!

Good to see you've caught up.

Jenny

 

[ladysue]

Ingredients
I like the image and its good you have tried something new. The only thing I would change would be not having the base of the glass sitting on the bottom of the frame. I've no idea how you could change it though as I have never tried this sort of shot.

Stop
This says stop to me though I'm not sure what you used for the red. Is it powder?

 

[clud17]

I think your self critique is spot on and says it all really, i do like the way you have framed theses shots its simple but bold and effective. You must be a sucker for punishment if this is your second year running

 

[Digitall]

Yes you are quite right Sarah, A very uninspiring attempt this week, but everybody lapses every now and then so you are forgiven. So no C & C from me. You will now have to try harder next week.

Allan

 

[Harlequin565]

I like Ingredients. Yes, the glass could do with being a bit sharper, but the lighting has been excellently controlled. It's a fine shot and your self crit leaves me with nothing more to say...

I'm not sure about Stop. It's not theme-screaming at me, and I'm not sure what's going on. Maybe the flames are a bit too red to be flames, hence me not getting it.

Of course, I could just be stupid

Ian.

 

[daddy day care]

I think your own self crit is spot on Sarah and shows how you have developed as a photographer. Would you have spotted those things before you did your first 52?

The first thought I had was the stem needed to be shown - you've already picked up on that

Next was that it seemed a touch soft - you spotted that as well

I wasn't really fussed about the type of fruit used and think a cherry works as well as a strawberry.

Andy

 

[SarahLee]

well done for catching up.

I like the ingredients shot - looks very cool and refreshing in this hot weather

Thank you and that's very kind of you.
TBH I'm a bit embarrassed by these attempts. I really should have put more effort into them, but :shrug: I guess we all have off weeks and I'm glad it made you feel refreshed.

Week 19: your right it is a bit soft, these work best when nice sharp images and also showing the glass stem would add a lot to this.
A nice high splash would be great too

Week 20: Sorry to say not for this one. the powder is more a distraction than an addition to the image, just not feeling it soz

No need to be sorry for being honest Dade. Hopefully this is just a placeholder until I get to reshoot what I'd originally planned for stop.
I'll hopefully get around to re-trying the fruit shot at some point when I'm feeling a little more patient

Hey Sarah, well done on the catch up - having fallen behind myself with so many things going on, I know exactly how difficult it is to keep up!
As for the shots, like your ingredients shot and although you have nailed it with the self crit, it really is a great shot for a first attempt. Only niggle I have is that I would have liked to have seen a bit of the stem of the glass but your timing must have been brilliant to have caught this moment.

Stop: I haven't seen the original image from your last year's 52, but I am finding the smoke a bit distracting and would have much preferred to see the hand by itself. Shame about the roadworks - they are always there when you don't want them but the one time you needed them they weren't!

You're spot on with the roadworks - absolutely typical !!!
I hope you get to catch up with your 52 soon. It's difficult enough to keep up with this every week, but once you start to fall behind it aalmost becomes impossible.

Hiya

I like the idea and execution of the ingredients shot - it is an interesting image but wants to be a little crisper throughout.

I also like the 'stop' image but keep finding myself looking for the missing tip to the little finger.

Phil

Thanks Phil.
Not sure what happened to the fingertip.
Unfortunately I don't still have the original image, so I had to make do with what I had.

Hi Sarah, I like both of your shots. I agree that the first one could be a bit sharper. I also agree that a strawberry with a bit more texture might have wokred better, but the red works really well.

I did not see your original stop image so cannot comapre, but it does say stop to me. I did not notice the missing finger until Phil mentioned it and now my eye keeps being drawn to it!

Good to see you've caught up.

Jenny

Thanks Jenny.
It's not easy catching up once you start to fall behind, so even though these are "it'll have to do" shots, I didn't want to lose more than 2 weeks.
Hopefully I'll be back on track for this week - and the bank holiday may even give me the opportunity for a couple of reshoots.

Ingredients
I like the image and its good you have tried something new. The only thing I would change would be not having the base of the glass sitting on the bottom of the frame. I've no idea how you could change it though as I have never tried this sort of shot.

Stop
This says stop to me though I'm not sure what you used for the red. Is it powder?

Thanks Sue. Agree with you on the glass and if I redo it, I think I'll include the stem of the glass. Unfortunately I only had about 15 minutes to get this done, so I really didn't put as much effort into it as I should have.

I think your self critique is spot on and says it all really, i do like the way you have framed theses shots its simple but bold and effective. You must be a sucker for punishment if this is your second year running

Thanks Chris - I joined late last year and only did the last 26 weeks, so I haven't quite done a full 52 yet.
It's definitely hard going at times . . . rewarding too though. I've learnt so much in the last 9 months and still learning more all the time. (although I STILL seem to keep forgetting the lesson about not rushing things at the last minute!)

Yes you are quite right Sarah, A very uninspiring attempt this week, but everybody lapses every now and then so you are forgiven. So no C & C from me. You will now have to try harder next week.

Allan

Yep - you got me with these Allan.
But I knew that if I fell more than 2 weeks behind I'd find it really hard to get back up to date. I seem to have broken my own "no fillers" rule.
I'm hoping that bank holiday weekend will give me chance to invest a bit more time in this again.

 

[SarahLee]

I like Ingredients. Yes, the glass could do with being a bit sharper, but the lighting has been excellently controlled. It's a fine shot and your self crit leaves me with nothing more to say...

I'm not sure about Stop. It's not theme-screaming at me, and I'm not sure what's going on. Maybe the flames are a bit too red to be flames, hence me not getting it.

Of course, I could just be stupid

Ian.

Thanks Ian - I can't take any credit for the lighting though. This was just a bit of black cardboard out in the sun on the patio.

I tried to add a bit more yellow to the flames compared to last year's effort, but TBH I really couldn't be bothered to invest too much time in what was essentially a placeholder.

I think your own self crit is spot on Sarah and shows how you have developed as a photographer. Would you have spotted those things before you did your first 52?

The first thought I had was the stem needed to be shown - you've already picked up on that

Next was that it seemed a touch soft - you spotted that as well

I wasn't really fussed about the type of fruit used and think a cherry works as well as a strawberry.

Andy

Thanks Andy.
I guess I'm halfway there in spotting what's wrong with my images - now I just need to get them right to start with
You're right though. The 52 has been a great learning experience and ignoring the last few horrible weeks I can see a definite improvement in my photography.

 

[The23rdman]

I've been planning something along the lines of your ingredients shot, Sarah. As noted it's not quite there, but a good effort and I'm sure you'll nail it next time.

 

[Stephen Ramsay]

Sorry Ive not commented in so long, been backtracked and not been on in a while.

Love week 19 - Ingredients so much......that I stole the idea and tried it myself for a second image for that week hope you don't mind.

Week 20 - Stop is quite scary tbh. Could easily see that as Film cover for a horror. Love the way its edited, I should really have a go at more things like this....push the boat out and try something different and all that

 

[Lufbrarunner]

Ingredients and Stop are both very well thought out and make good images but as you say a little more work and they would be great images.

I really like the Ingredients shot as I have been trying something similar but cannot quite pull it off.

I really look forward to your shots each week as you always have a great take on the subject and obviously work hard to present them in the best way.

 

[jgs001]

Sarah, I really can't add anything to what you've already said yourself. A damn good try on the fizzy water. I do recall that hand from last year...

 

[dan_yorkshire]

The ingredients shot self crit is spot on, shame its soft as it looks like you've caught the action well.

Dont feel I can comment on your stop as a photo as its so heavilly processed its once again more of an image.

 

[Sonial]

Nice take on ingredients....I have tried these shots too and haven't quite managed to get what I want ....this has worked well though...maybe a good one for reshoot later on.

I really like your Stop image I guess the hand being in a slightly stronger stop position would probably make it work a little better for the theme but as it's an old image you wouldn't have been taking that into account at the time

 

[SarahLee]

I've been planning something along the lines of your ingredients shot, Sarah. As noted it's not quite there, but a good effort and I'm sure you'll nail it next time.

Thanks Dean. TBH it was a bit rushed, but it's on my reshoot list for when I can dedicate a bit more than 15 minutes to setting it up properly.
Love the idea, and it's something I want to get right next time.

Sorry Ive not commented in so long, been backtracked and not been on in a while.

Love week 19 - Ingredients so much......that I stole the idea and tried it myself for a second image for that week hope you don't mind.

Week 20 - Stop is quite scary tbh. Could easily see that as Film cover for a horror. Love the way its edited, I should really have a go at more things like this....push the boat out and try something different and all that

Hi Stephen.
Don't worry I've been rubbish at commenting the last few weeks too - I've got loads to catch up on.
I'll have to find your second ingredients image . . . and I bet it's better than mine :razz:

You really should have a go at some extreme PP
Good to try new things, although I wouldn't use that particular one as inspiration. Nothing more than a filler for that week.

Ingredients and Stop are both very well thought out and make good images but as you say a little more work and they would be great images.

I really like the Ingredients shot as I have been trying something similar but cannot quite pull it off.

I really look forward to your shots each week as you always have a great take on the subject and obviously work hard to present them in the best way.

Thanks Steven - I think you nailed it with the "little more work" comment.
All a bit rushed the last couple of weeks, but hopefully back on track now.

Sarah, I really can't add anything to what you've already said yourself. A damn good try on the fizzy water. I do recall that hand from last year...

Thanks John.
The fizzy water's so close to what I wanted, just not quite there.

The ingredients shot self crit is spot on, shame its soft as it looks like you've caught the action well.

Dont feel I can comment on your stop as a photo as its so heavilly processed its once again more of an image.

Thank you Dan.
No worries about the stop shot. "proper" one is coming up shortly.

Nice take on ingredients....I have tried these shots too and haven't quite managed to get what I want ....this has worked well though...maybe a good one for reshoot later on.

I really like your Stop image I guess the hand being in a slightly stronger stop position would probably make it work a little better for the theme but as it's an old image you wouldn't have been taking that into account at the time

Thanks Sonia.
Definitely adding ingredients to the reshoot list. The hardest part is the timing, and what I'm kicking myself for is getting the timing right in this, but not really taking the time to set the shot up properly in the first place.

 

[SarahLee]

OK . . . after last week's halfhearted efforts, I've given myself a slap and am back to being fully motivated again.
Ingredients is going in the "reshoot" pile. I really want to nail that shot and I will get there by the end of this 52
That gives me ingredients, chopped, present and produce that I just don't feel are good enough, so I'll try to revisit them over the coming weeks.

And apologies for being so rubbish at commenting on everyone else's 52 over the last 2 weeks. Been working away quite a bit, so my internet time has been limited.
Hopefully some normality should return this week.

First up, here is the "real" shot for stop. This replaces the recycled image that I used as a placeholder.

Week 20 - Stop

​

And for this week, this is my take on isolation.
There's at least one person in this 52 who knows enough about the moon to know that I shot this last weekend
But it was less than 24 hours before the theme was drawn and I think it fits. We have a huge flock of Starlings (literally hundreds) that fly over the house every morning and back again in the evening. I spotted this little guy at about 9pm, left behind after the evening flight . . . so here we have "isolated from the flock".

Week 21 - Isolated

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Self Critique / Comments

I like the way that the B&W conversion has worked out in stop and a much better sense of satisfaction than reusing an old image.
On its own, I look at this and think I want to see the heel of the foot in shot, but comparing this to the other attempts with more of the foot in view, this works better.
Brightness looks OK on my monitor, but I hope it's not too dark on other people's. The darkness / lighting was deliberate to give the feel of just getting out of bed and stepping on something nasty.

I wasn't sure that isolation would work when I shot it, but it came out better than I expected.
I like the way that the silhouette is quite crisp and well defined and since I was using my cheapy second lens, there's more detail in the moon than I thought I'd get.
On the negative side, it's a shame that there were no clouds about to give a bit more atmosphere - although I quite like the graphic feel of this the way it is.

I could carry on and pick more holes in these, but I've waffled enough this week . . . it's over to you now.