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

SarahLee said:
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.
Click to expand...

Thanks Sarah, really appreciated :thumbs:

Yes these were taking on the Motorway coming back from Portsmouth this afternoon, knowing I had to take an image and post it before 12am :gag:

Between yourself and Jean, my view towards this image has changed...Making me look at it in different perspectives which does change my mind about whether I like it or not.

As for the car...it is indeed red light trails, does look quite odd in black and white...

I have a thing for contrast....be it colour or black and white...so I think that's why I converted this.

Still not entirely happy with the quality, but what can you expect doing 70mph :p
 
mowse73 said:
Hi Stephen. I think thats a great image for your street entry. I had a similar idea for speed and got some funny looks from people who found me stood on the backseat with my head outside the roof. I like the idea of using b&w.
Click to expand...

LOL i can assure you, you are not the only one to have attempted that :lol:;)

It has come on handy for aeroplane shots in the past too :thumbs:
 


Stephen Ramsay said:
Week 5 - Speed - So this week i present this:
​
Click to expand...

TYPICAL!

Anyway on with week 6. This week I had quite a few ideas, but I had a brain fart about the current position we all seem to be in....the CREDIT CRUNCH....at this present time we are all facing it, be it elderly people, middle aged people.....even our young ones....

So here my brother is expressing the present credit crunch :thumbs:

Week 6- Present


week6-Present.jpg


Would like C and C again as I feel quite happy about this week, although its a portrait and I would like more comments towards that if possible :p

I'm fairly happy with the contrast again with the blacks and whites....I have found myself to play with the Vignette quite a bit recently so I need to calm down on that front, otherwise..... I'm ready for week 7 :cool:

​
 
Last edited:
Hi Stephen - You need to change your thread title to show "present" in it. It might get missed in amongst all the other threads otherwise :)

I'd be very pleased with this one too :thumbs:
Personally, I think it's the best so far in your 52.

Portraits are really not my thing, so there's not a lot that I can say. To my inexperienced eye you look to have got the lighting spot on, good focus on the eyes and I love the concept of "credit crunch".
The angle actually works well too. It's not my favourite technique, but it does work well with this image.

The only bit that's not quite there for me is his collar on the RHS (his left). It just looks odd the way that it's disappearing out of frame. I think you needed just a bit more space at the bottom of the shot to get more of the collar in, or to have adjusted his wardrobe slightly to get it sitting closer to his neck on that side.
 
Thanks Sarah, Title now changed...thanks for the heads up!!

Best of my 52 aye? So far, I hope :D

I see what you mean about the collar on his left side, does look odd, and is now rather distracting :'(

Ive yet to see another credit crunch take on this week so im rather pleased with myself for that :thumbs:
 
Last edited:
I really like your shot for Present. Personally it looks really got and works well in B & W
 
Nice one - and different. :thumbs: I agree that the collar is a bit odd but you have nailed the rest pretty well.
 
Tracer said:
Nice one - and different. :thumbs: I agree that the collar is a bit odd but you have nailed the rest pretty well.
Click to expand...

Cheers :) happy enough with the way it turned out.

MC_Stoo said:
I didn't notice the collar until Sarah pointed it out... now I can't take my eyes off it :bang:

Good facial expression, nice angle and lighting :thumbs:
Click to expand...

Thanks very much :)

:D Sarahs good for spotting the imperfections and leaving you to stare at them endlessly.....thanks sarah :thumbs:

But thats exactly what I like, so I know what to look for next time.
 
WEEK 7 - PEOPLE


So this week I thought id post early, giving me the chance to re-shoot. I went to the market in town with the zoom lens and within five minutes I was in my element shooting people right in front of me for close ups!

The ISO was bumped right up as it was a dull day as usual and I couldn't get any focused shots above 1/60

So I thought id shoot fast and deal with the ISO later...

This week I have two images to chose between before Sunday.

First choice so far, caught out.....:D

week7-finalimage.jpg


**second image removed, as it is now sunday :P **​
 
Last edited:
Stephen Ramsay said:
:D Sarahs good for spotting the imperfections and leaving you to stare at them endlessly.....thanks sarah :thumbs:

But thats exactly what I like, so I know what to look for next time.
Click to expand...

:'( you're making me feel bad now . . . so I'm glad you qualified that by saying that it was helpful :)

No dodgy collars this week though :D
Of the two I'd have to pick your first shot. It's just a bit more intimate than the second one and a really good candid capture.
Just the right amount of DoF to make out some background detail and give context, but not enough to be distracting and it's very nicely composed - good eye contact too.

You're really very good at people shots :clap: :clap: :clap:
 
Not sure about the colour processing on the first Stephen but it's definitely my favourite of the two. You've really got the attention of the subject in both, but the first just has a nice gritty feel to it.
 
Dont feel bad, feel intrigued to find more :D

Thanks a lot for that comment Sarah.

I tend to think I let myself down whilst out on the street as I don't always shoot what I see. Some shots I don't feel comfortable shooting whilst others I will hold the camera in position for ages to catch it.

Nearly all my shots on the street are of elderly people for the following reasons:

-kind and respectful people, and will accept the 2-3 minute talk in why I took the picture

-Slower reactions, easier to catch.

-Generally, for me, they share more interest through their characteristics

The only thing I'm not happy about with the image is that it isn't sharp enough...Just happy i caught the pose :thumbs:
 
dlh said:
Not sure about the colour processing on the first Stephen but it's definitely my favourite of the two. You've really got the attention of the subject in both, but the first just has a nice gritty feel to it.
Click to expand...

Thanks DLH,

As I shoot in RAW, the image was originally black and white and I could convert it back to colour in PS.

I didn't like either of the two so I went for a sepia look as my other images have been quite dark throughout the last 7 weeks, BUT....big BUT....

Ive changed it to black and white, only because I've just edited it better.
 
Last edited:
I don't have the courage to go out and take candid photos of people so I am always impressed by those who do. I can't decide where you intended the focal point to be.
 
68lbs said:
Looks out of focus to me? :shrug:
Click to expand...

It is, and I stated that above, was zoomed so it was quite hard to focus very quick. When I said 'In my element'... I meant I felt comfortable taking the pictures...even when I was being looked at

justlooking said:
I don't have the courage to go out and take candid photos of people so I am always impressed by those who do. I can't decide where you intended the focal point to be.
Click to expand...

The Focal point was supposed to be the eyes, it proved difficult at speed and I must admit it was a lucky snapshot whilst he walked past me
 
mowse73 said:
Hi Stephen, I had similar problems to you this week, the composition is fine but looks out of focus. But at least you got out there taking pictures of the public.
Click to expand...

Cheer Mowse73,

It is annoying when you capture a good picture of the public and its not in focus. Thats exactly what this 52 is all about though, to get out and do new things and learn from your mistakes :)
 
Hi Stephen,

From your "present" shot, it's clear you can take a good portrait, and it's such a shame "people" was not focussed. It's a great "busted" capture though, and he has an interesting face.

Ian.
 
Harlequin565 said:
Hi Stephen,

From your "present" shot, it's clear you can take a good portrait, and it's such a shame "people" was not focussed. It's a great "busted" capture though, and he has an interesting face.

Ian.
Click to expand...

Thanks very much Ian :) Really appreciated!!

I will somehow fit another portrait into my 52 before it ends to prove myself :lol:
 
"people" is an excellent capture and I like the processing very much. It's slight softness doesn't bother me too much as this is a regular problem in candid street shots, and his features are strong enough to stand it. Even the great Cartier Bresson published some OOF photos which were still arresting.

:thumbs:
 
:agree: I like it very much.
 
Bit of a catch up for me!

Present: I'm never sure whether or not to post critique when I'm so late, so I hope you don't mind. :) Your brother's a good model and you've caught a natural, life-like expression. The catchlight in his left eye is tiny - but effective. Generally, I'd say move your subject off the wall a little to avoid the shadow round his head, but imho, in this case I'd keep it because it adds another dimension to the halo lighting effect you've created. Black and white was a good choice - and a good conversion. I just hope your Visa card survived the crunch (in every way!)

I have got one very small niggle (sorry :'() your Stephen Ramsay Photography stripe makes the bottom of this particular image a bit confusing.

People: I agree - taking photos of interesting people is very satisfying - and this gentleman is a good choice. :) You've caught a natural gesture and expression and the dof works really well. You already know it's a bit soft and I suspect that was more to do with battling against horrible light than anything else. I've missed all the alternatives you posted, but this was a good choice and with (I hope) better weather and better light in the coming weeks/months I shall look forward to lots more Street candids from you. :thumbs:

btw - thanks for the feedback on Sarah's comments and mine - the 52 should be fun and if we can help each other get the best from it, I think that's great. :)

Jean
 
I like that alot, I think it's a great capture. It does look a bit soft but I don't think it detracts much from the image. Well done :)
 
jeangenie said:
Bit of a catch up for me!

Present: I'm never sure whether or not to post critique when I'm so late, so I hope you don't mind. :) Your brother's a good model and you've caught a natural, life-like expression. The catchlight in his left eye is tiny - but effective. Generally, I'd say move your subject off the wall a little to avoid the shadow round his head, but imho, in this case I'd keep it because it adds another dimension to the halo lighting effect you've created. Black and white was a good choice - and a good conversion. I just hope your Visa card survived the crunch (in every way!)

I have got one very small niggle (sorry :'() your Stephen Ramsay Photography stripe makes the bottom of this particular image a bit confusing.

People: I agree - taking photos of interesting people is very satisfying - and this gentleman is a good choice. :) You've caught a natural gesture and expression and the dof works really well. You already know it's a bit soft and I suspect that was more to do with battling against horrible light than anything else. I've missed all the alternatives you posted, but this was a good choice and with (I hope) better weather and better light in the coming weeks/months I shall look forward to lots more Street candids from you. :thumbs:

btw - thanks for the feedback on Sarah's comments and mine - the 52 should be fun and if we can help each other get the best from it, I think that's great. :)

Jean
Click to expand...

Thanks very much Jean, Yes I have a very annoying habit of changing signatures.....Im in the process of making my own website, so It will soon be kept to a copyright minimal :p

As for the comments, yourself and Sarah have great critique and I have learnt a lot from you both in the last 7 weeks already. Still a long way to go and I hope to show great improvement in my work and thank everyone who has posted in this thread at the end, for helping me do so.



jgs001 said:
:agree: I like it very much.
Click to expand...

Thanks :thumbs:

Tracer said:
"people" is an excellent capture and I like the processing very much. It's slight softness doesn't bother me too much as this is a regular problem in candid street shots, and his features are strong enough to stand it. Even the great Cartier Bresson published some OOF photos which were still arresting.

:thumbs:
Click to expand...

Thanks very much. I just looked up Cartier Bresson as I was clueless as to who he was, very inspiring I must add :thumbs:

SpidersEye said:
I like that alot, I think it's a great capture. It does look a bit soft but I don't think it detracts much from the image. Well done :)
Click to expand...

Again thank you very much for comment, The softness really does get to me when I look back at this shot...I will make myself do street again in the upcoming weeks to fit a theme in order to nail this problem :thumbs:
 
WEEK 8- MECHANICAL

Woops.....its now monday....

I didnt get an image in last week, I completely forgot :cuckoo:

Anyway, for week 8 I present this:

Week8.jpg


For this week I chose the still image factor of mechanical and thought of manual labour. I went through many crops trying to find the right stance for my chosen tools, and this is what I liked best.​
 
Last edited:
Stephen, I like the crop you have chosen and your lighting is good too. My only niggle with it is the oof ring spanner at the bottom right, this distracts my eye.
Oh you can always get an image to catch up with missing last weeks:)
Iain
 
blakester said:
Stephen, I like the crop you have chosen and your lighting is good too. My only niggle with it is the oof ring spanner at the bottom right, this distracts my eye.
Oh you can always get an image to catch up with missing last weeks:)
Iain
Click to expand...

Thanks Iain, first time ive missed a weeks image....hopefully the last :thumbs:

clud17 said:
nice image and fits the theme, i have to agree with Iain, its a pity the bottom part is oof, was this intentional?
Click to expand...

Thanks clud17, the answer to your question is yes, I wanted the top spanner to be in full focus with the DOF making its way round the tools, I wanted the first one sharp, and the last OOF. Whilst the others work their way to that point.
 
I agree with the above. If you'd shot it from a different angle so the bottom on the spanners were in focus then cropped across that for the composition you want it'd be fab.
 
Having to agree with the DoF comments. All the heads in focus would have worked better. Needs a tiny bit of space on the left too but otherwise not a bad shot :)
 
Thanks lads, the original image was actually a landscape image with several different sized spanners lined up to form a semi circle. the idea was to have the middle one in focus and watch the focus become lost as it went round.

I thought it would look better like this so I posted this version instead :)
 
Nice shot, whilst I agree with the DoF comments I hadnt really noticed until I read them.

Nice simple image, well executed
 
Hi Stephen,

I'm so glad that you're finding the C&C from the 52 useful.
It was such a great learning curve for me last year, thanks to Jean, John (JGS) and all the others . . . it's good to see it continuing this year.

IMO there's a lot to like in your shot this week. :thumbs:
Good, clean background . . . I wish that I could do whites that well.
Nice control of the reflections in the metal and nice reflections on the white background underneath them.
I think you've picked the right crop for the image too. IMO this is far more interesting than a landscape semi-circle.

I agree with the comments about the DoF - it's worked really well with the heads of the spanners in the background, but it's just a bit too much OOF on the one on the RHS. If you could have just changed the angle slightly to get that a touch sharper it would be perfect.
 
dan_yorkshire said:
Nice shot, whilst I agree with the DoF comments I hadnt really noticed until I read them.

Nice simple image, well executed
Click to expand...

Cheers dan :D It will have mixed opinions, but not everyone has the same take on a picture.

SarahLee said:
Hi Stephen,

I'm so glad that you're finding the C&C from the 52 useful.
It was such a great learning curve for me last year, thanks to Jean, John (JGS) and all the others . . . it's good to see it continuing this year.

IMO there's a lot to like in your shot this week. :thumbs:
Good, clean background . . . I wish that I could do whites that well.
Nice control of the reflections in the metal and nice reflections on the white background underneath them.
I think you've picked the right crop for the image too. IMO this is far more interesting than a landscape semi-circle.

I agree with the comments about the DoF - it's worked really well with the heads of the spanners in the background, but it's just a bit too much OOF on the one on the RHS. If you could have just changed the angle slightly to get that a touch sharper it would be perfect.
Click to expand...

Thanks again Sarah.

I was debating doing the 52 this year as it is my first attempt at anything like this. 8 weeks in and I'm still happy that I chose to do it...i learn something new each week and I love the fact im doing so :thumbs:

I've captured it how I wanted it, but obviously it didn't work to my advantage that well.

This week is another chance for my portraits.....I have a few really good ideas :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top