Yet another 52 - The Matt

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The Matt

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Week 1: Theme- Reflection



This isn't quite what I was going for. I was hoping to be able to get a really clear reflection of the person walking nearest the window. I think what I really needed was bright sunlight on most of the scene, but not falling on the window.
 
I think we're all finding 'reflection' isn't an easy subject, and imo you're brave to go for a street shot. So full marks for going for the tough option, even if it didn't work quite how you'd hoped. I admit to being a wus and I'd have gone for the easier option and not tried to get the movement in the figures. :clap:

Enjoy next week's challenge. :)

Jean
 
:agree: with Jean. Full marks for going for something that tough. It's worked well for me :thumbs:
 
Good try, and so nearly!

Certainly on topic as the buildings are nicely reflected.
 
I really like the idea, and the slow shutter speed to capture movement really works well in the image (if not best suited to reflection). I did something similar myself many years back when I did A-Level photography, although I focused with a long lens on the reflection in a framed window from a distance and just captured the face of the person.

What have you learned from the weeks shooting that you can use for this week's theme?
 
Thanks everyone. Simon, I've learned that inconspicuously snapping passers by is really really hard to do. I've not learned anything that I can apply to this weeks picture (gone for something completely different) but I have learned a bit more about lighting for future stuff.
 
Week 2: theme, history.


Hull local history library is history. The building closed its doors for the last time on Christmas eve. It will re open next autumn on a new site along with two other local archives

Three shots stitched in to a vertical panorama. The lighting is really tricky in there. For atmosphere's sake, I relied purely on window light to get some stark contrast. It is quite hard to capture the ranges of brightness, and I used a grad filter to allow me to lighten the foreground a touch. This would have been so much easier if I hadn't accidentally left my tripod when I rushed out the house in the morning.
 
Missed commenting on your first so let me make up for it now :)

Your history shot almost has a church like feel - maybe the shape of the window helps - there is a hush and reverence conveyed by the image :) Would never have guessed it was a stitched image :)

Good atmosphere and well balanced image :)

First one has a good sense of movement but I think #2 is a stronger image :)
 
I too missed your first one. And getting candids is a lot harder than it looks :lol: as I found out last year. I like the sense of movement and the almost ghostly feel of the reflection.

I love the sense of calmness in #2. You've made great use of the available light :thumbs:

Keep it going :clap:
 
Really great shot, and very atmospheric. Just goes to show that sometimes a great shot can contain both blown highlights and lots of underexposure. Although, I would like to see a comparison shot that's a bit brighter with a bit more detail in the shadows just to see if there is a difference.

I bet you are upset that the theme for next week is Learning as this image would fit beautifully under that (it reminds me of a classroom at my old school)
 
lovin both your entrys there, have to say the reflections shot is the best for me
 
Now that works really well in mono...:clap:

3 shots stitched together..I take my hat to you..:thumbs:
 
Thought I'd already commented. Have looked at the first a few times. I like the sense of movement and the reflections are good. Agree with John the 2nd has a hushed silence that borders on reverence something akin to being in church :clap:
 
Very good shot for History, well stitched and interesting contrasts. I agree with Simon and think it would have fit Learning well too.
 
A lovely atmospheric image, fits the theme really well.:clap:
 
Thanks everyone. Personally I thought it best to darken and crop out the detail in the fringes as I thought it was a bit uninteresting and distracting, but soon I will post a lighter shot for comparison Simon.

It's been an idea in my head for a while and fitting the theme gave me the nudge I needed to go do it, but I am kind of kicking myself for playing it so soon. I had several other ideas for the history theme and my ideas for learning are a bit thin on the ground. doh!
 
The Matt said:
It's been an idea in my head for a while and fitting the theme gave me the nudge I needed to go do it, but I am kind of kicking myself for playing it so soon. I had several other ideas for the history theme and my ideas for learning are a bit thin on the ground. doh!
Click to expand...

Nothing stopping you going back and taking a different approach ;)
 
I struggled a bit with inspiration this week.


I took the above, which I wasn't too happy with. I thought it fitted the theme because of the fossil ID books, but was just quite unexciting. So I tried something else:

Basic idea nicked from here

Both were difficult for the same reasons. Macro shots are just plain hard to focus properly unless you're steadying your camera on something. Note to self: find that tiny six inch high tripod you have some time...
Lighting was tough on both too. The first is purely natural light. In the shade, things just tend to lack punch, but in direct sunlight, white things (books) and shiny things (ammonites, in places) tend to be easily overexposed on the highlights. The second was a desk lamp. Due to some exposure & white balance issues I went with monochrome. I should get some black card for next time as the white paper reflected the light way too much and I had to underexpose for the fingers. Live and learn.
 
I really do like the first one! I like the set up and composition - the thought and effort thats gone into it is obvious. And it looks good for it :)

The 2nd - great bit of fun :D Love it :) (prefer the first though ;))
 
Prefer the first of your two on learning. The 2nd has John said looks likeit was fun but photographically the 1st one works better. It's a well exposed super sharp image with good detail. The composition and lighting are good and I like the idea. Nice one :thumbs:
 
Love the first one for Learning, that's worked really well, spot on. I had to laugh at the second one
 
heh what a cute pic the last one is :D Good work so far :thumbs:
 
I do like your history one, it's :thumbs: Liking the comedy in your second learning one ;)
 
I like the first learning one best - well composed and good lighting :clap:
 
First one really works and the lighting makes it appear to me that it could be taken in the field, even if the fossil in that condition (rounded edge with very clear shape) is unlikely to be found in the field :D

Second one is very ammusing, althoughit looks a little soft (but that could be due the compression on my 3G modem)
 
:clap:I like the first 'Learning' shot. The low angle of the light gives good shadows and the fossil is really sharp. I find the object on the right a bit distracting as I find myself trying to figure out exactly what it is. Nice shot.
 
And another 52 caught up with. You're history shot is the standout picture of the set so far I think, it's captures the mood and essence of these places so well.:clap:
I like my libraries and archive centres to be old and full of character, it suits their purpose in my mind.
 
Thanks everyone. Simon- That fossil is from somewhere up the North Yorkshire coast and you often find them in that condition or similar. Get a rollled beach pebble with the edge of an ammonite peeking out, and normally with one well placed whack the side comes off and leaves you with something like that. Great hunting grounds :) The second is a bit soft. I need a higher wattage desk lamp for decent shutter speeds...

I see what you mean about the background Graulges. I used another fossil book with a dark cover as otherwise the light tablecloth was too distracting. I need to get myself some black card or fabric to use as a backdrop some time.
 
I also prefer the first image, it's surprising how many of the images for learning could also have been used for history though!
 
Week 4: Surprise.

Tried some torch trails. It was pretty hard to do. I cheated a bit and pasted together 4 exposures here.
Is he surprising someone or being surprised?

Meh... It'll do for a first go, but if this is going to be something I'm good at it'll take some time...
 
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Interesting, I've never done torch trails before and am just wondering. You say this is 4 exposures pasted together, am I assuming right that means you drew this in four separate shots?

Pity you couldn't get it to say BOO in the speach bubble. A nice original idea for the theme.
 
I like that. A very neat (several) shot(s) combined :thumbs: very clever.
 
Yeah, the ghost shape, face, speech bubble and exclamation mark are each one shot each. I can't stay accurate enough to make all the bits fit in relation to each other if I do them in one go. I did try to write boo, but it just kept coming out as illegible squiggles. I need to practice more.
 
As someoned who is just getting to grips with the basics of Adobe, this for me seems like an impossible task and very very clever. :clap::clap::clap:
 
I am the world's worst at photoshop and such cleverness. All I had to do here was a simple resize of each photo and copy and paste a very rough cut out of the bit I wanted. The background is so featureless that the joins don't show.
 
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