Stephen Ramsay's 52 Challenge 2010 **WEEK 20 - STOP**

Stephen Ramsay

Stephen Ramsay

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So 2010 has come around and i have decided to try my first 52 to further my hobby.

Rules for myself include having pictures taken and put up on time ( Allowing Emergencies, Holidays etc off as long as they are posted up asap. )

Pictures can be changed as many times as i like as long as it is still within the themed week. Once the time expires the image posted is the one to keep!!

I will be following the themes on here, i may re-shoot this image.

I chose the clock as it was time to kick off a new challenge, it came into my head what i wanted when i looked at it...so along with many other ideas i tried it and came up with this

WEEK 1 - CURVED
Clock.jpg
 
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Stephen, I like the shot, the only thing I would have liked is for the whole clock face to be lit. welcome aboard by the way
 
agree that it would improve if the whole face was lit
i like how you can see the grains in the wood
 
Thanks everybody.

My idea was to have half of the face of the clock dark, but i can see how it could improve the picture if the whole face was lit.

As for the other handle, i would also like it in too....i just need bigger black card to do it lol

Thanks for your comments
 
Hi Stephen,

Really interesting clock and great choice for the theme.
Seems like I'm on my own, but I actually quite like half the face being in shadow - I think it adds a bit more interest and atmosphere.
The mono conversion works well on, but I'd quite like to see it with a slight sepia tint to warm up the grain in the wood and give it a bit more of an aged feel.
 
ok buster.. i liek the colour one but the handle middle top missing is annoying me but not sure why.. but Steve i think it is a great start to your 52..
 
Very nice take on the theme Stephen, :thumbs: I am edging towards the colour version but only just. I am wondering though what it would look like if the clock face was straight on - good start
 
Love the idea. Think I'm edging towards the mono. I like the idea of half of the face being dark but perhaps if the hands had both been in light eg 3.30 with the rest in dark?
 
Thanks for all your comments...glad to see it has mixed opinions on the mono/colour.

Clowesey, i think that would look pretty good. I was aiming for the hour hand to be slightly hidden with the minute hand in full view...but didnt quite get it that way.
 
B&W for me and I like the shadow as it is, we know what should be in there anyway :)
 
I like the colour version and the shadow over half the face. Would perhaps like to see the hands in the lit part of the face and (when you find some bigger backgrounds) the whole of the clock in frame :)
 
Like it! :thumbs: I always like B/W with dramatic lighting so don't mind the shadow on the face. You could remove the top handle completely by just painting over with black, or leave it but just add a black strip above to give it more room.

It looks as if it is about to jump out at me!
 
Very good Stephen. I think the feel of the wood has come out more in the mono version, and really like the half lit face. I think showing a little bit of the top handle doesn't help, and it needs to either be all there, or not at all... I think I'd be tempted to crop that out.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone.

Week 2 - POEM/POETRY....interesting...baffled me alot.

As i am in Belfast i needed something to relate to my presence here...Which is when i came across the book 'A BIT OF CRAIC FROM BELFAST' by Doreen McBride..... inside was a poem by Crawford Howard...

He used 'Northern Irish' ( Norn Iron) Slang...which ive always loved, so to see a poem with the slang involved drew me in and made me giggle....therefore it deserved a place in my 52 challenge



WEEK 2- POEM / POETRY

SRP52chalengeweek2.jpg
 
Hi Stephen,

Good to see the 52 getting you out of your comfort zone and looking at something you wouldn't normally :thumbs:

The focus is spot on with that - the words are incredibly clear. It's a shame we can't see more of the poem, the bit I can see looks very funny and I'm intrigued to see more. Maybe that's a good thing though because it draws me in.

I like the black background, but I think the vignetting is a bit too harsh. Could do with being toned down a touch so that we can see the central part of the book, making it more obvious that it is a page in a book that we're looking at.

It's definitely one I want to keep looking back at!
 
Thanks Sarah,

I admit the Vignette is far too powerful in this shot, but as my rules state i have to leave the image as it is, as it is now week 3.

This is the first time ive used a Vignette so im happy with the comment, allowing me to improve for my next attempt- after all...this is what this 52 is about :P

now for chopped....hmmmmm
 
Still in Northern Ireland, didnt want to do the obvious and get a knife and chop something.

Really struggled for inspiration here, but managed to think of this. The idea came around when i was watching the news and the boring talk about the recession came on, i looked in my wallet and found a £20 note and a £10 note..... and without any further thinking i came up with this.

I tried to go for a vintage effect in the PP.... i think i pulled it off.........maybe.




WEEK 3- CHOPPED


week3-chopped.jpg
 
Almost missed this one Stephen!

Another interesting take on the theme, so full marks for that - I really struggled to get beyond the obvious this week.

:thumbs: Some really clever folding and positioning going on there, and it's a good powerful image to portray the message you wanted to get across.
Vintage PP has come across very well too.

The only thing I'd do to it would be to neaten up the edges around the £10 note by cloning out the folded bits that are still visible.
 
he he he....good to see I wasn't the only one who went down a 'finance' route for the 52 theme last week. Must have been a b****r to get those notes and the scissor in that position?!
 
SarahLee said:
Almost missed this one Stephen!

Another interesting take on the theme, so full marks for that - I really struggled to get beyond the obvious this week.

:thumbs: Some really clever folding and positioning going on there, and it's a good powerful image to portray the message you wanted to get across.
Vintage PP has come across very well too.

The only thing I'd do to it would be to neaten up the edges around the £10 note by cloning out the folded bits that are still visible.
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Thanks Sarah, im aiming to get away from the normal so its always dangerous to be different, glad you like it :)

The folding was a complete nightmare and as im not on my home computer i find it hard to do the tricky bits of PS on a laptop so i left the cloning out-

Does it really stand out that much :'( lol
 
ProG77 said:
he he he....good to see I wasn't the only one who went down a 'finance' route for the 52 theme last week. Must have been a b****r to get those notes and the scissor in that position?!
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Great minds think alike :p:D not bigging myself up at all here lol

Yeah the scissors took a while to stand up, and the folding wouldn't always stay in place so i used small bits of blu-tac in end :shake:
 
My last week in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Ive always wanted a specific picture of the City Hall, and ive taken it for myself :D

Some may not see this fitting into street, BUT this is my 52 and it relates to what i am doing this year.

Week 4- STREET

CityHallBelfast.jpg


Id have liked to have had a wider angle so i could fit the whole of the City hall in. The only thing i dont like about this pic is the Branches being rather distracting....yet im still happy with the image as ive been after it for years.
 
Hi Stephen, Sorry I haven't popped in on your thread before - I'm finding it hard to keep up with everybody this year - already! :D

So, catch up time:

Week 1: I like the shadow and the fact that only a small part of the face is lit - it gives the clock a gas-lamp era look. :thumbs: I'm very undecided about the colour versus mono discussion. I actually think they've each got their own merits - so can I sit squarely on the fence and vote for both! :)

Week 2: Apart from the vignetting, which is a bit heavy for me (sorry!) I love this. The trouble is - I want to read the rest of the poem. I can just picture it being read round a roaring fire with lots of action, laughter (and maybe a few jars!). Excellent. :clap:

Week 3: Well done - really clever. Until I looked more closely I thought this shot has cost you at least a tenner. :lol: It must have taken ages blu-tacing everything into place. Good take on the theme - big :thumbs: from me.

Ooops I've just noticed you've posted Week 4 and since I hven't decided what to do yet (hey - I've got until Sunday!!) so I haven't peeped, but I'll try and catch up again with you next week.

Jean
 
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jeangenie said:
Hi Stephen, Sorry I haven't popped in on your thread before - I'm finding it hard to keep up with everybody this year - already! :D

So, catch up time:

Week 1: I like the shadow and the fact that only a small part of the face is lit - it gives the clock a gas-lamp era look. :thumbs: I'm very undecided about the colour versus mono discussion. I actually think they've each got their own merits - so can I sit squarely on the fence and vote for both! :)

Week 2: Apart from the vignetting, which is a bit heavy for me (sorry!) I love this. The trouble is - I want to read the rest of the poem. I can just picture it being read round a roaring fire with lots of action, laughter (and maybe a few jars!). Excellent. :clap:

Week 3: Well done - really clever. Until I looked more closely I thought this shot has cost you at least a tenner. :lol: It must have taken ages blu-tacing everything into place. Good take on the theme - big :thumbs: from me.

Ooops I've just noticed you've posted Week 4 and since I hven't decided what to do yet (hey - I've got until Sunday!!) so I haven't peeped, but I'll try and catch up again with you next week.

Jean
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Thanks very much for your honest opinions, really appreciate them.

There are indeed far too many 52'ers this year, however that is a good thing. Gives you the chance to look back on the previous weeks and see who did what differently- sometimes allowing inspiration for the following weeks.

week1- Staying in the middle is fine :clap: I still prefer the mono myself lol

week2- thankyou so much, i agree the vignette is far to strong, didnt realise the poem was that striking :lol:

week3- It took a long time and alot of patience to fold the tenner, thought i was doing origami at one stage :suspect: Im happy with the end result as i thought i was going to fail that idea....so im glad i have an image to show that isnt alot the usual thoughts

Cheers for your input, il follow up your 52 now :thumbs:
 
Stephen Ramsay said:
The folding was a complete nightmare and as im not on my home computer i find it hard to do the tricky bits of PS on a laptop so i left the cloning out-

Does it really stand out that much :'( lol
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:hug: No. That's just me being super picky. . . and don't worry, I'm even more fussy and critical about my own shots :lol:

And I absolutely love your street pic.
I'm glad that you managed to get a shot that you've been wanting for ages and it's worked really well. The building does look a little soft, but I kind of like that in the context of the image - it's almost as of it's been painted out of the light and it gives it a dreamlike quality.

I really must try this type of night shot, because the quality of the warm light against the dark blue sky is simply stunning. :thumbs:

I agree with you about the branches being a minor irritation, but once you're back home on your own PC they look like they'd be very easy to clone out.
 
SarahLee said:
:hug: No. That's just me being super picky. . . and don't worry, I'm even more fussy and critical about my own shots :lol:

And I absolutely love your street pic.
I'm glad that you managed to get a shot that you've been wanting for ages and it's worked really well. The building does look a little soft, but I kind of like that in the context of the image - it's almost as of it's been painted out of the light and it gives it a dreamlike quality.

I really must try this type of night shot, because the quality of the warm light against the dark blue sky is simply stunning. :thumbs:

I agree with you about the branches being a minor irritation, but once you're back home on your own PC they look like they'd be very easy to clone out.
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Thanks alot again Sarah :)...I knew what i wanted as soon as the theme came up. I tried different angles of the shot...as well as getting closer to the wheel...but my all time favourite had to be this one. I had this printed black and white size 40x30 and framed for my house so im chuffed to pieces with this week!!

My cloning skills may be classed as something like 'poo' but this is what this challenge is about...to practice and hopefully get better :P

Struggling to come up with a different idea for speed....will involve me getting a restless night tonight thinking of some :thinking:
 
Week 5 - Speed

Really not happy with this weeks entry...must admit i did struggle for inspiration for the theme. Im happy ive entered on time...but not with the quality.

First time ive tried Light trails from inside the car, so i can now say ive tried something new. One problem i did experience was wobble from the tripod as i dont have a suction pad.

So this week i present this:

SpeedBnW.jpg
 
I never managed to get back to your Week 4, so I'll comment now. :)

It's a great feeling when you finally nail a shot you've wanted for ages - and nail it you did! Excellent shot and obviously one with extra meaning for you - and it certainly says 'Street' to me. :thumbs:

Week 5 Speed: Hehehe - crinkly light trails. :) I really like this - for some reason it reminds me of the 'trailer' sequences you see on arcade driving games when they are idling and waiting for the next punter. The glimpse of the dashboard it just right - and the b&w treatment lifts it to a higher level. :)

Jean
 
Ooooh the B&W makes that really different from all the other light trails that I've seen :clap:
Slightly scary too, because it looks like you're about to have a head on crash with that car in front. I'm guessing that in colour they would be red tail lights in front of you ????

I like it. Really good sense of motion and as I said, a totally different feel to every other moving car shot. Somehow more sinister. It might remind Jean of an arcade driving game . . . it reminds me of some sort of drink-driving advertising campaign.

A big well done on putting a different slant on it.
 
jeangenie said:
I never managed to get back to your Week 4, so I'll comment now. :)

It's a great feeling when you finally nail a shot you've wanted for ages - and nail it you did! Excellent shot and obviously one with extra meaning for you - and it certainly says 'Street' to me. :thumbs:

Week 5 Speed: Hehehe - crinkly light trails. :) I really like this - for some reason it reminds me of the 'trailer' sequences you see on arcade driving games when they are idling and waiting for the next punter. The glimpse of the dashboard it just right - and the b&w treatment lifts it to a higher level. :)

Jean
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Now that you've mentioned it, I can cheekily say I agree with you on the arcade comment.

This is far below what I am capable of achieving but thanks for great comment, lifts my attitude towards the theme slightly....:lol:
 
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