Sarah's 52 for 2010 - Pt2 - THE END - Final reshoots added

[justlooking]

Shame about the brown pine needle. I like the way the beastie is in align with the branch. Not sure it shouts grace at me, but I wish my "grab shots" would come out half as good !

 

[blakester]

Sarah, it doesn't shout grace to me but with a gentle explanation it works .
You have certainly got a lot out of the kit lens, I like the colour tones in your image. Its a sharp, strong compositional image capturing the detail in the insect.
We (2010 52'ers) are certainly becoming more critical as the weeks go on. I definitely find myself looking more in depth at others and my own images. It was your comment about the brown pine needle in the image that reminded me of this. My view is that it doesn't affect my thoughts on your image, I just took it as thats nature, in it's different colours. How funny that we look at these things differently and with differing critique .
Thats a bit of a ramble sorry, all IMHO of course, feel free to disregard. Iain

 

[dan_yorkshire]

Thats a big crowbar your using this week Sarah....haha.

That aside its a nice image and you seem to be getting some cracking quality from the kit lens. Not really into this sort of image myself but they are nicely composed and probably required much more patience than I have.

With a bit of jiggerypokey I reckong you could replace that brown spike with a green one copied from elsewhere.

Dan

 

[DC2Z]

Not 100% sure it says Grace but its still a good shot.
Its a really sharp shot and great colours especially considering you were using the kit lens.

 

[Tracer]

The re-crop of the bee is much better

The hover fly doesn't particularly say grace to me but it is a very good capture. The composition and DOF is excellent, and you have done really well to catch it where it shows up so well against the dark background. I really don't think you need worry about the brown needle tip as it fits in well with the overall colour scheme. The OOF brown needles in the background add a lot of interest, I feel - all green would be rather boring by comparison.

 

[philthejuggler]

I think the fly is gracefully perched on the branch! Lovely shot - nice detail and you avoided the usual mistake of an accurate macro shot with dull composition!

Phil

 

[jgs001]

I'm also gonna say it's not really saying Grace in loud shouts... but Hoverflies and in fact, most flying things (with the possible exception of bees ) look pretty graceful to me when they're flying, in fact that was one of the ideas I thought about. Really good detail in there Sarah, not easy with the kit lens, as even at minimum focus you're still a fair way off. The brown needle, isn't a problem for me.

 

[clud17]

Nice shot Sarah, i think it looks much better on black. considering it was windy you have managed to get it pretty sharp. The composition is neat too, i like the way it looks slick ans streamlined against the branch.

 

[LauraJ23]

Hi Sarah, just looked through your thread for the 1st time, you have got superb images there, very well done.

 

[karate-ka]

nice "grab" shot, the pine needle doesn`t worry me to much its all part of nature,
maybe loose the green in the background to just a plain black?

Ian

 

[chris321]

'Relaxation' is a nice shot, but come on, you know it doesn't fit the theme . There's something bugging me (see what I did there ) about the processing too, maybe a little over-sharpened?

I love grace though, the hoverfly looks very elegantly poised on the end, super shot and very fitting

Chris

 

[jennyb]

Hi Sarah, I prefer the latest crop for relaxation. Really nice.

The grace shot does not say grace to me at all but as a shot, I like it. The little fly is really sharp and you have the DOF spot on.

Jenny

 

[daddy day care]

Catch-up time for me Sarah.

The new crop works better for relaxation although the flower is too close to the top of the frame. I guess you can't really do much about that. Overall a good shot of a difficult subject and one I haven't come anywhere close to getting.

Grace - At least we know who has the crowbar this week It really doesn't say grace to me but it is an excellent shot. Sharp subject with OOF background. The brown pine needle doesn't bother me either. I was amazed that this was taken with the kit lens. I thought you'd gone out and bought a macro lens.

Andy

 

[SarahLee]

OK you all caught me out this week.
The crowbar was definitely round at my place for grace weekend!

Shame about the brown pine needle. I like the way the beastie is in align with the branch. Not sure it shouts grace at me, but I wish my "grab shots" would come out half as good !

Thanks JL. I think this was luck more than anything else !

Sarah, it doesn't shout grace to me but with a gentle explanation it works .
You have certainly got a lot out of the kit lens, I like the colour tones in your image. Its a sharp, strong compositional image capturing the detail in the insect.
We (2010 52'ers) are certainly becoming more critical as the weeks go on. I definitely find myself looking more in depth at others and my own images. It was your comment about the brown pine needle in the image that reminded me of this. My view is that it doesn't affect my thoughts on your image, I just took it as thats nature, in it's different colours. How funny that we look at these things differently and with differing critique .
Thats a bit of a ramble sorry, all IMHO of course, feel free to disregard. Iain

I'm not sure whether it's a good thing or a bad thing, but I've definitely got pickier since I started this 52 lark. In fact shots that I thought were good 12 months ago, I look at and cringe now.
All part of the learning process I suppose . . . but it means that if I ever do get married my wedding photographer had better watch out!

Thats a big crowbar your using this week Sarah....haha.

That aside its a nice image and you seem to be getting some cracking quality from the kit lens. Not really into this sort of image myself but they are nicely composed and probably required much more patience than I have.

With a bit of jiggerypokey I reckong you could replace that brown spike with a green one copied from elsewhere.

Dan

Thanks Dan. I did think about replacing that brown pine needle, but decided I could live with it compared to the amount of effort it would take to replace it.

Not 100% sure it says Grace but its still a good shot.
Its a really sharp shot and great colours especially considering you were using the kit lens.

Thanks Darren.

The re-crop of the bee is much better

The hover fly doesn't particularly say grace to me but it is a very good capture. The composition and DOF is excellent, and you have done really well to catch it where it shows up so well against the dark background. I really don't think you need worry about the brown needle tip as it fits in well with the overall colour scheme. The OOF brown needles in the background add a lot of interest, I feel - all green would be rather boring by comparison.

Thank you Tracer - and you've validated my laziness in not replacing the brown needle

I think the fly is gracefully perched on the branch! Lovely shot - nice detail and you avoided the usual mistake of an accurate macro shot with dull composition!

Phil

Thanks Phil - and I'm glad that the composition worked for you too.
(This really was far more luck than judgement)

 

[SarahLee]

I'm also gonna say it's not really saying Grace in loud shouts... but Hoverflies and in fact, most flying things (with the possible exception of bees ) look pretty graceful to me when they're flying, in fact that was one of the ideas I thought about. Really good detail in there Sarah, not easy with the kit lens, as even at minimum focus you're still a fair way off. The brown needle, isn't a problem for me.

Thanks John.
I've found that I can actually get a lot closer with the kit lens than the "official" minimum focus - the biggest issue I've got is getting that close to the bugs before they fly off.

Glad that most people aren't seeing the brown needle as an issue.

Nice shot Sarah, i think it looks much better on black. considering it was windy you have managed to get it pretty sharp. The composition is neat too, i like the way it looks slick ans streamlined against the branch.

Thanks Chris . . . And there you go - slick and streamlined is similar to graceful isn't it?

Hi Sarah, just looked through your thread for the 1st time, you have got superb images there, very well done.

Thanks Michael.
Glad that you've enjoyed them so far.

nice "grab" shot, the pine needle doesn`t worry me to much its all part of nature,
maybe loose the green in the background to just a plain black?

Ian

Thanks Ian. I think a complete black background would look great . . . but is probably more effort in PP than I can be bothered with.
Perhaps a black card behind the plants would work for next time, the only problem being getting bugs to land in front of it.

'Relaxation' is a nice shot, but come on, you know it doesn't fit the theme . There's something bugging me (see what I did there ) about the processing too, maybe a little over-sharpened?

I love grace though, the hoverfly looks very elegantly poised on the end, super shot and very fitting

Chris

Thanks Chris !
I know what you mean about the PP on the bee shot, but not really sure what it is.
The sharpening I have set as a pre-set and is no different to usual, but it's possibly due to the use of the dodge tool to bring out some more detail

Hi Sarah, I prefer the latest crop for relaxation. Really nice.

The grace shot does not say grace to me at all but as a shot, I like it. The little fly is really sharp and you have the DOF spot on.

Jenny

Thank you Jenny.

Catch-up time for me Sarah.

The new crop works better for relaxation although the flower is too close to the top of the frame. I guess you can't really do much about that. Overall a good shot of a difficult subject and one I haven't come anywhere close to getting.

Grace - At least we know who has the crowbar this week It really doesn't say grace to me but it is an excellent shot. Sharp subject with OOF background. The brown pine needle doesn't bother me either. I was amazed that this was taken with the kit lens. I thought you'd gone out and bought a macro lens.

Andy

Thanks Andy.
I've been hankering after a macro lens for ages, but seem to have come to the realisation that the biggest limiting factor right now is me rather than the lens.
Clearly I'd be able to get closer and better quality with a dedicated macro lens, but for now I'm getting fairly acceptable shots from the kit lens, and I don't do this type of shot often enough for it to be worth buying new glass.

 

[SarahLee]

Sorry all. It's been an absolutely mental week at work and a hectic weekend too - I just haven't had 2 minutes to myself.
I know exactly what I want to do for "ending" but just haven't had the time to put it all together. So maybe next week will be a two-in-one

Anyway, rather than having nothing to offer this week I'm going to play a joker and submit a reshoot. I did manage to get half an hour in the garden this afternoon . . . so this is another take on the bee on Lavender for relaxation.

Again taken with the kit lens - no extension tubes or filters.
A little bit of fill flash because the light was really poor this afternoon. Very little PP, cropped from left and right for composition but nothing off the height . . . I think that this is just about the limit of how close I can get with this lens.

​

Self Critique

- There seems to be more noise in this one than the shots from last week. Surprising as this was shot at ISO400, compared to 800 last week . . . possibly something to do with how close I was to the bee

- His right antenna is irritating me slightly. Just slipping outside the DoF and cutting across his eye.

- Shame I didn't manage to get this shot of one of the prettier yellow stripey bees . . . but I've had to settle for a boring brown one instead.

- On a positive note I think it's better than the first attempt and I'm again pleasantly surprised by the kit lens's ability to get in close and get an acceptable level of detail.

 

[jeangenie]

Ooo - lots for me to catch up on, here, Sarah.

Week 28 Relaxation (Post #28)

You self-crit says everything I would say, too, and I can hear your frustration that there were elements you couldn't control or change. I guess this is part of the fascination of photography and what keeps us coming back for more and more of the same or similar subjects until you get something you're happy with.

Relaxation (under Week 29 Grace): The composition works well - although it's still a ittle tight at the top - and the detail is excellent. I'm quite sure I couldn't get anything near as good as this with a kit lens!

Week 29 Grace: I like this. I like the way the angle of the hoverfly's thorax is parallel with the pine twig and this is echoed in the background twig. The manky pine needle doesn't bother me at all. I often use
Hacker's brilliant tutorial on eyes (Make those eyes pop) - it works just as well on insects!

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=43265

Week 30 Reshoot/Relaxation: There's a definite sense of progress in these shots, Sarah - well done. I like the bokeh in this one and the composition works well. You could always paint a few yellow stripes on the bee!!! The noise is perfectly acceptable, imho, and getting anything when life is so manic is a bonus. A big from me! I hope next week is less mental for both of us!

Jean

 

[dlh]

Thanks for putting all your previous shots at the beginning of this thread so I could catch up quickly. Simply amazing what your imagination is capable of and the quality you're achieving with "just the kit lens" is quite unbelievable at times.

 

[blakester]

Sarah, as Jean said above, there's a definite sense of progression in your reshoot image so that's got to be a good thing. Life has a way of getting in the way of photography doesn't it? Well done for submitting an image to keep you up to date. I hope things quieten down for you this week. Iain

 

[Briony]

Sarah, Once again your pictures never cease to amaze me and it is all done with the minimal amount of effort. I seem to have to put so much in and get so little out :bang:

Love them and Thank you for sharing them with us.

 

[jgs001]

Very well done Sarah, considering you're just using the kit lens, that's good and close. Good sharp detail on the Bee too.

 

[clud17]

That's definitely a better re shoot the composition is strong. Not bad for a standard kit lens too. I quite like the noise in the bokeh, it gives it a pleasing texture. I have to laugh at your self critique and the antenna, you are just going to have to learn how to become a be whisperer and ask them to pose properly

 

[SarahLee]

Ooo - lots for me to catch up on, here, Sarah.

Week 28 Relaxation (Post #28)

You self-crit says everything I would say, too, and I can hear your frustration that there were elements you couldn't control or change. I guess this is part of the fascination of photography and what keeps us coming back for more and more of the same or similar subjects until you get something you're happy with.

Relaxation (under Week 29 Grace): The composition works well - although it's still a ittle tight at the top - and the detail is excellent. I'm quite sure I couldn't get anything near as good as this with a kit lens!

Week 29 Grace: I like this. I like the way the angle of the hoverfly's thorax is parallel with the pine twig and this is echoed in the background twig. The manky pine needle doesn't bother me at all. I often use
Hacker's brilliant tutorial on eyes (Make those eyes pop) - it works just as well on insects!

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=43265

Week 30 Reshoot/Relaxation: There's a definite sense of progress in these shots, Sarah - well done. I like the bokeh in this one and the composition works well. You could always paint a few yellow stripes on the bee!!! The noise is perfectly acceptable, imho, and getting anything when life is so manic is a bonus. A big from me! I hope next week is less mental for both of us!

Jean

Thanks for the detailed catch up Jean - It's really appreciated.
The weather's frustrated me this weekend, but I'm really determined to nail that shot of a bee on Lavender before the Summer is out . . . and to get a decent one in flight. I'm probably just stubborn enough to get there too !!!!

I've come across Hacker's tutorial on eyes before - never thought about using it on insects :bonk:

Thanks for putting all your previous shots at the beginning of this thread so I could catch up quickly. Simply amazing what your imagination is capable of and the quality you're achieving with "just the kit lens" is quite unbelievable at times.

Thanks Darren.
For me photography is just a hobby and one I don't get nearly enough time with!
It would be easy for me to fill up my bag with hundred of £s of kit that I only get a few hours use out of in a year, so I prefer to get the most out of what I already have before buying more.

Sarah, as Jean said above, there's a definite sense of progression in your reshoot image so that's got to be a good thing. Life has a way of getting in the way of photography doesn't it? Well done for submitting an image to keep you up to date. I hope things quieten down for you this week. Iain

Thanks Iain. Grrrrrrr why do we have to work? - it just gets in the way of life far too much.

Sarah, Once again your pictures never cease to amaze me and it is all done with the minimal amount of effort. I seem to have to put so much in and get so little out :bang:

Love them and Thank you for sharing them with us.

Nicki thank you for the lovely comments.
I just wish that I had the time to put a bit more effort into this - I might actually end up with something that I couldn't pick holes in then

 

[SarahLee]

Very well done Sarah, considering you're just using the kit lens, that's good and close. Good sharp detail on the Bee too.

Thanks John. I think that's just about the limit with the kit lens on its own. I've had a bit of a play with those magnifying filters that I used for the beginnings shot this week though . . . just can't get on with extension tubes at all.

That's definitely a better re shoot the composition is strong. Not bad for a standard kit lens too. I quite like the noise in the bokeh, it gives it a pleasing texture. I have to laugh at your self critique and the antenna, you are just going to have to learn how to become a be whisperer and ask them to pose properly

Thank you Chris !!!
Bee whisperer eh? That could possibly work - but my neighbours already think I'm mad for spending the last couple of weekends sat in the Lavender patch . . . If I start talking to them too they might just cart me away

 

[SarahLee]

WARNING : Contains dead insect. Scroll past if you find this sort of thing offensive.

Week 30 : Endings

​

Not what I'd planned for endings, but I found this dead fly on the window sill yesterday morning and since I seem to be stuck on an insect theme at the moment thought I'd take the opportunity to play with the screw on close up filters that I used for "beginnings".
This is their second outing and it seemed apt that both "beginnings" and "endings" used the same technique.

The "blood" is ketchup and water and I added the couple of smears by dipping the end of a cocktail stick in the mixture and dotting it around.
:shrug: I wanted to create a more dramatic death scene and it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Self Critique / Lessons Learnt

- I think it's acceptable in terms of clarity and sharpness.
- As for subject matter. If you have a dark sense of humour it may work for you . . . if not it's probably a bit
- Those close-up filters (this one was x10) give a ridiculously narrow DoF - This was actually shot at F11. Getting to grips with that was probably my biggest learning point this week.
- And finally . . . Dead insects are far easier to shoot than living ones

 

[SarahLee]

Back Up to Date !!!

I'm really conscious that I've been rubbish at getting around all the 52 threads the last couple of weeks - been working away in London again this week, but next week should be calmer so I'll make an effort to catch up with everyone, especially now that I've had a chance to get my own thread back on track.

I haven't had much of an opportunity to play with Photoshop lately and since I wanted this 52 to work on photography and PP, I've indulged myself this week by "drawing" some electricity.

Two shots to choose from.
I prefer the first, but I needed my Photoshop fix so I took things a bit further in the second one by adding in a more interesting background, using this handy tutorial.

Not sure it works with this shot, but now I know how to do it I'm sure that I can find some use for it in the future.

Week 31 - Electric




​

Self Critique / Lessons Learnt

- On dull miserable days, I really enjoy having a play around with PS.
- I learnt a new way to use PS filters.
- Nothing much more to say, this week's offerings were more about having fun than creating a good photograph :shrug:

 

[jeangenie]

Well done on catching up, Sarah. If you're working full-time I really don't know how you fit everything in - and come up with great images week after week.

Endings: It fits the theme and I had to laugh at your comment about dead insects being easier than living ones.

As an image, though, I can't quite make up my mind. There's something amiss, (for me!) but I'm not sure what. Possibly there needs to be a bit more light on the fly's body, it looks a bit 'lost' in the frame - but that can add to the sense of a lonely ending, and I don't know quite where to focus. None of this is in any way detracting from your skill with the close up filter - a dof that narrow at f11 is drastic and you've controlled it well. Nor is it detracting from your ability to produce 'insect blood'. I'll come back to it later and try to be more constructive. Sorry.

Electric: Now that's what I call using the weather to your advantage - dull weather = time using PS. And it's very satisfaying when you find a new way of using PS.

Of the 2 shots, I prefer #1 for its simplicity. It's bang on theme, clean, bright and does what it says on the tin perfectly.

#2 is eye-catching and I spent some time examining the intricate background - and very nice it is too, but I think it might work better in a more subdued colour so that it's not competing with the subject. Just my thoughts.


Let's hope for a 'good' theme this week - and the time to enjoy it.

Jean

 

[chris321]

Endings:

Nice composition, and you've done a good job getting everything in focus! If you think it's tricky going for us 'regular macro' folks, spare a thought for those that use the MPE-65 super ultra extreme macro thingywhasit! And I wholeheartedly agree that dead beasties are much easier to shoot


Electric:

I actually really like these! And I think I prefer number one, with the plain background, but I'm a bit of a sucker for simplicity, so perhaps that's just me . Only criticism I can really make is that on the plain black background you can see the edge of the 'electricity' bit, above the left wire and below the right, there's a straight line which I guess marks the edge of the 'electricty' you drew, and the original shot.

The contrast on my monitor is all over the place at the moment, so chances are a lot of other people can't see it anyway though! And it's completely invisible on the second due to the busier background anyway

Chris

 

[clud17]

Hi Sarah, neat idea for endings, i especially like the touch of extra gore, just to go a bit further a blob of custard would have really made it as there is always some yellow goo to be seen when squishing flies.

I love electricity, great idea, nice job on the pp. I agree with Chris on this i think the simpler shot is the better one. I understand though as it easy to get carried away with photoshop and create something mad. How did you get this effect?

 

[karate-ka]

nice endings shot, for me i would like a little more depth of field to show more wood grain, but overall a nice shot.

Ian

 

[blakester]

#1 gets my vote for its simplicity (in comparison to background in #2).
Very creative in your PP skills as usual Sarah. I like #2 also, the background draws one's eye into the image, reminds me of the Matrix films or (showing my age here) the start of Doctor Who when the tardis is flying through space. Both images certainly say electric to me, well done again on your dull day PS creativity. Iain

 

[dlh]

Endings made me laugh. What kind of sick man am I? I think the whole thing works a treat.

Electric - the first gets my vote for its simplicity. The second is just a little too busy and contrived for my liking.

Well done for catching up.

 

[justlooking]

Electric - like both of these. The first is - as others have mentioned - nice and simple. The second reminds me of the Matrix for some reason.

 

[daddy day care]

Endings - that is a stupidly narrow DOF but you have controlled it really well. The effort to fake the blood has paid off as without it the shot wouldn't have had any impact. I think this is great and bang on theme.

Electric - another that is right on theme. Like the others I prefer number 1 for it's simplicity. Number two is good in it's own way but is very busy. I can't work out how you did the electricity though.

I know what you mean about work getting in the way. I finished today so will have to get my electric shot done tomorrow now. I might submit one on time at some point

Andy

 

[SarahLee]

Well done on catching up, Sarah. If you're working full-time I really don't know how you fit everything in - and come up with great images week after week.

I've been doing something like 50 hour weeks for the last couple of months I'm also trustee for a charity and the AGM was last week - trying to review accounts for them has been digging into my free time too. So yes, finding time for photography has been a real struggle lately. I'm glad that you haven't noticed a massive decline in my shots, even if I haven't been entirely happy with them

Endings: It fits the theme and I had to laugh at your comment about dead insects being easier than living ones.

As an image, though, I can't quite make up my mind. There's something amiss, (for me!) but I'm not sure what. Possibly there needs to be a bit more light on the fly's body, it looks a bit 'lost' in the frame - but that can add to the sense of a lonely ending, and I don't know quite where to focus. None of this is in any way detracting from your skill with the close up filter - a dof that narrow at f11 is drastic and you've controlled it well. Nor is it detracting from your ability to produce 'insect blood'. I'll come back to it later and try to be more constructive. Sorry.

I didn't think that this would be for everyone, but if you come up with anything more definite about what doesn't work I'd really appreciate your thoughts. The lighting on the body was difficult - so much black that it was hard to get any detail, so I think you might have something there

Electric: Now that's what I call using the weather to your advantage - dull weather = time using PS. And it's very satisfaying when you find a new way of using PS.

It's been a bit of a novelty to have the time to do it this weekend, but it was definitely fun and better than weeding the front garden which is what I'd have been doing if it was dry.

Of the 2 shots, I prefer #1 for its simplicity. It's bang on theme, clean, bright and does what it says on the tin perfectly.

#2 is eye-catching and I spent some time examining the intricate background - and very nice it is too, but I think it might work better in a more subdued colour so that it's not competing with the subject. Just my thoughts.

Thanks Jean. I'm with you on No.1, but I found the tutorial for the b/g in No.2 and couldn't resist trying it

Let's hope for a 'good' theme this week - and the time to enjoy it.

Jean

Jean thank you for your really detailed feedback - as always hugely appreciated. It was these sort of comments that got me through last year's 52 and helped me to improve.

Endings:

Nice composition, and you've done a good job getting everything in focus! If you think it's tricky going for us 'regular macro' folks, spare a thought for those that use the MPE-65 super ultra extreme macro thingywhasit! And I wholeheartedly agree that dead beasties are much easier to shoot

Electric:

I actually really like these! And I think I prefer number one, with the plain background, but I'm a bit of a sucker for simplicity, so perhaps that's just me . Only criticism I can really make is that on the plain black background you can see the edge of the 'electricity' bit, above the left wire and below the right, there's a straight line which I guess marks the edge of the 'electricty' you drew, and the original shot.

The contrast on my monitor is all over the place at the moment, so chances are a lot of other people can't see it anyway though! And it's completely invisible on the second due to the busier background anyway

Chris

Chris - thank you too for taking the time to comment on both.
I can't see the edge of the electricity on this monitor, but I trust you that it's there! Will take a look tomorrow on the other PC and see if I can fix it.
I also agree with you on the first one - the second was just so much fun to do that I couldn't resist it.

Yep - Dead beasties all the way if you need something to practice on. And I don't even want to think about the DoF on the ultra-extreme macro thingies - this was enough of a struggle.

Hi Sarah, neat idea for endings, i especially like the touch of extra gore, just to go a bit further a blob of custard would have really made it as there is always some yellow goo to be seen when squishing flies.

I love electricity, great idea, nice job on the pp. I agree with Chris on this i think the simpler shot is the better one. I understand though as it easy to get carried away with photoshop and create something mad. How did you get this effect?

Euuurghhhh custard gore . . . you really are a sick man Chris!
I've linked the tutorial for the effect on the 2nd electricity one in the main thread. I came across it when I was looking for tutorials on drawing electricity and just had to give it a try.

 

[SarahLee]

nice endings shot, for me i would like a little more depth of field to show more wood grain, but overall a nice shot.

Ian

Thanks Ian. DoF really was ridiculously narrow with that close-up filter on and I think that was probably the best that I could get - It's a fair point though, I just wish that I could have done something about it

#1 gets my vote for its simplicity (in comparison to background in #2).
Very creative in your PP skills as usual Sarah. I like #2 also, the background draws one's eye into the image, reminds me of the Matrix films or (showing my age here) the start of Doctor Who when the tardis is flying through space. Both images certainly say electric to me, well done again on your dull day PS creativity. Iain

Thanks Iain. The link to the tutorial was actually labelled "circuit boards" which was why I clicked on it, but it reminds me of the Matrix too . . . was that really so long ago? I feel old now too !

Endings made me laugh. What kind of sick man am I? I think the whole thing works a treat.

Electric - the first gets my vote for its simplicity. The second is just a little too busy and contrived for my liking.

Well done for catching up.

Thanks Darren.

Your comment about endings has made me feel loads better - It made me laugh too and my OH (who is also a Darren )
I was worried I was the only one on here with a black sense of humour.

Electric - like both of these. The first is - as others have mentioned - nice and simple. The second reminds me of the Matrix for some reason.

Thanks JL. Definitely something of the Matrix in the second one!

Endings - that is a stupidly narrow DOF but you have controlled it really well. The effort to fake the blood has paid off as without it the shot wouldn't have had any impact. I think this is great and bang on theme.

Electric - another that is right on theme. Like the others I prefer number 1 for it's simplicity. Number two is good in it's own way but is very busy. I can't work out how you did the electricity though.

I know what you mean about work getting in the way. I finished today so will have to get my electric shot done tomorrow now. I might submit one on time at some point

Andy

Thanks Andy. Glad that the fake blood worked too - I wondered whether it was a bit too gory!

The electricity was drawn by hand in white on a new layer, duplicated in blue on a separate layer, merged down, added the outer glow blending mode and turned down the contrast on the layer to add some more glow . . . and I think that was it . . . Can't quite remember what order I did all of that in, but you get the idea.

 

[davidh6781]

hi Sarah not been that active recently due to personal and work takng all my time. Any way Part one of the electric is the one for me, i had a similar idea but want to create an arc. I like it.

 

[philthejuggler]

Catching up - I like endings & I especially like the fact you added your own touch with the blood. The placement in the frame is good & the sharpness is pretty good for a close-up lens!

Electric is just great - I prefer the second image - I like the futuristic context given by the background. Very impressed you 'drew' the sparks by 'hand' - great stuff!

Phil

 

[ladysue]

The dead fly is nicely focused and bang on theme but I'm pretty sure squashed flies have yellow jiuces. so the red doesnt add to it.

The electricity shot is well done. I like the first version best as I think the background is didtracting in the second.
Sue

 

[holryn]

Catching up again Sarah.

Love your Relaxation shots, especially part 2, I can almost smell the Lavender.

Endings - great idea. Nice touch with the 'blood'.

Electric - was going to add some sparks to my own submission. I prefer #1 because it's simpler and cleaner than #2. But #2 is great in it's own right. Well done for having the patience to 'draw' your spark, I was going to use a plug-in.