Simon's 52 in 2020

Niceswan Simon :D

Good bit of feather detail.
 
Welcome to the 52!

Plenty of textures there and great detail - another view for a little more contrast though.
 
Welcome to the 52 Simon.
A good start and well on theme. I would have pushed contrast and made it a bit warmer toned.
 
Off to a great start Simon (y)

You have loads of detail in the whites, so so don't be afraid to "push it" a bit more in the processing. :)
 
Texture
Well controlled highlights (as in nothings blown out). Which has allowed the textures show in the feathers.
 
Hi Simon

A new face is always welcome.

Nice details in the feathers.

Pete
 
Thanks everyone for your feedback. I'm knocking on now, and have been taking photos for about 45 years (!) but I've only ever been a "snapper" and occasional photographer (other than holiday snaps). Only recently have I started to get more into photography, so lots to learn. This shot was really an off the cuff 'snap" whilst walking past a group of swans, so your kind comments about detail, and not being "blown out' are to be honest more luck than judgement. Much of my photography is done whilst out walking with my wife rather than planned photography sessions.

I've tweaked contrast a little in Photoshop elements (my main processing programme), although to be honest, I'm pretty new to, although quite excited by, the possibilities in post processing. Prior to the last couple of months, my post processing has been pretty limited to straightening!!!

swan neck 2 by Simon P Hiscocks, on Flickr
 
A nice couple of images Simon (y)
#2 for me, I can smell the hay from here :D
 
Cobra said:
A nice couple of images Simon (y)
#2 for me, I can smell the hay from here :D
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Thanks! It was quite mesmerising watching this. I wanted to get a shot of the lines of cut grass disappearing into the distance, but I couldn't get the right spot to take the shot from and the lines were too far apart to be an effective shot, so settled for this.
 
#1 for the light for me - although I'd take a little of the top to make it in to a Pano. It might just be that I'm missing the sea as well, which I don't think I'm going to see this year [emoji3525]
 
Gorgeous location for a yoga session. However, I am a sucker for a tractor so #2 for me.
 
I like them both Simon. I bet the beach would look great without all those people on but I don't suppose it would be an activity shot then!
 
Ok, here we go with week 38 Artifical. I found this one tricky as I'm not used to taking "staged" shots, I'm much more of a snapper, so still very much learning how to take "proper" photos. First I couldn't think what to take, then once I got the flowers from the conservatory I had to find somewhere to stage the shot. Do you think I could find anywhere in the house that wasn't cluttered with background objects? :LOL:. Tried a white sheet but that didn't work well. Eventually stood vase on a cat food bod on a waste bin (hence crop in portrait shot). Not ideal, but better than half a shot of a Whiskas box. Lighting also proved tricky and I also experimented at several different aperture settings. These are the best of my efforts.

Artificial1 by Simon P Hiscocks, on Flickr

Artificial2 by Simon P Hiscocks, on Flickr

Artificial3 by Simon P Hiscocks, on Flickr
 
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Activity - the beach one for me works well
Artificial - your lighting is good and spot on topic - possibly crop out more of the vase?
 
Definitely #1 stands out for me. I'm with you... landscapes are my bag so staging a shot fills me with dread :LOL:
 
I do like the inclusion of the vase, as it's not run of the mill. I would have liked a bit more headroom above the blooms though.
I think I will go with #3 as my fav, as it truly fills the frame.
 
Phil S said:
Activity - the beach one for me works well
Artificial - your lighting is good and spot on topic - possibly crop out more of the vase?
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Thanks - I tend to rush at things like the proverbial bull in a china shop, so need to take more care. The vase was balanced on a box to get the height to have a clear background (!) I wanted the whole vase originally and that would have been difficult cropping out the box, so I just left most of it in. You advice to crop more out would have been radical, but probably better in the end (y)
 
LC2 said:
I do like the inclusion of the vase, as it's not run of the mill. I would have liked a bit more headroom above the blooms though.
I think I will go with #3 as my fav, as it truly fills the frame.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the feedback (y)
 
Hi Simon

Artificial, I prefer the first one, how ever my eyes see it leaning over a bit, it needs to be straightened up in your PP software of choice.
Autumn, nice set of Red Berries.
Activity, I prefer the 1st of the 2 shots, just for the nice colours in the trees and I feel there is a bit of a story going on.
Wet, First one looks wetter and wilder, second one looks a bit static to me, 3rd one does not work for me and the fourth one is ok, maybe in you got in much closer would provide more interest.

Pete
 
seaodyssey said:
Hi Simon

Artificial, I prefer the first one, how ever my eyes see it leaning over a bit, it needs to be straightened up in your PP software of choice.
Autumn, nice set of Red Berries.
Activity, I prefer the 1st of the 2 shots, just for the nice colours in the trees and I feel there is a bit of a story going on.
Wet, First one looks wetter and wilder, second one looks a bit static to me, 3rd one does not work for me and the fourth one is ok, maybe in you got in much closer would provide more interest.

Pete
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Thanks for the feedback Pete (y)
 
Catching up again...

Your artificially lit daffs - good effort on the improvisation. I'm going against the grain, but really like the tight crop on #3. The background doesn't bother me at all - and the forcing the attention on to the flower heads really highlights the detail in the daffodils.

#3 again for autumn - the umbrellas and the poses really shout UK in the autumn to me. The natural leading lines being the eyes to the people nicely as well.

And the bonnet for wet - the colour has come out beautifully.
 
Shugpug said:
Catching up again...

Your artificially lit daffs - good effort on the improvisation. I'm going against the grain, but really like the tight crop on #3. The background doesn't bother me at all - and the forcing the attention on to the flower heads really highlights the detail in the daffodils.

#3 again for autumn - the umbrellas and the poses really shout UK in the autumn to me. The natural leading lines being the eyes to the people nicely as well.

And the bonnet for wet - the colour has come out beautifully.
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Thanks! Still more “snapping” than thoughtfully managed photography, but that‘S the way I roll. out for short walks most days, always have the camera and tend to shoot spur of the moment stuff that takes my eye.
This project is at least making me think a little more!
 
I really like the first one for wet, though I rather like the one in the greenhouse too.
Autumn: All good - my choice would be the second. The figures add somrthing to the landscape.
 
Cloudforest said:
I really like the first one for wet, though I rather like the one in the greenhouse too.
Autumn: All good - my choice would be the second. The figures add somrthing to the landscape.
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Thank you for the comments (y). The greenhouse one was completely unintentional - just whipped the camera out to snap my daughter, the heat/humidity misted everything up (including my glasses) immediately. It's not my finest piece of work (!) but I thought it fitted the topic (slightly)!
 
Nice red berries, but Autumn #2 would be my choice with the figures adding a bit of interest to the autumn leaves.
I like the rain making patterns in the pond and paving but this might have been enhanced with a figure under an umbrella looking on.
 
Hi Simon,

Autumn - The berries shot is the one. Re berries do say Autumn, even if the leaves are green and it's a nice natural use of complementary colours.
Wet - Yup, your choice of #1 is the one I would have gone with too. It does tell a very wet story.
 
Phil S said:
Nice red berries, but Autumn #2 would be my choice with the figures adding a bit of interest to the autumn leaves.
I like the rain making patterns in the pond and paving but this might have been enhanced with a figure under an umbrella looking on.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the comments Phil (y)
 
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