Saturday 29 January 2011

Photos Everywhere

Anybody who knows me will know that one of the things I particularly enjoy is finding a picture in unusual places. Over the Christmas holidays I spotted a photograph whilst pouring myself a festive glass of wine.

One of our three ceiling lights in the kitchen had blown, this led to some interesting shadows and as soon as I poured a glass of my favourite red I knew there was a photo opportunity. After a little bit of Photoshop magic, this is what resulted. The shadows were enhanced by Fractalius.




I enjoyed the effect and sent it to a few friends for a bit of unbiased feedback!!!

Most seemed to like it although some found the out of focus glass stem somewhat distracting, my personal viewpoint is that it is needed to explain the image, without it it would become an abstract.






Following on from the wine glass I tried my hand at some different versions, including this one.......






....and this one. Personally I am not as happy with the beer picture, may be something to do with the angle...or maybe just that I don't really like beer!!

Tuesday 18 January 2011

COMPETITIONS

For me, photography is all about the relaxation and enjoyment of getting out and about with my camera and then creating an image which I like. Sometimes the finished picture is much as taken but sometimes, as you will have seen from some of my previous posts, it is about using all available options to create something different.

Once completed I enjoy entering competitions and exhibitions, mainly because of the challenge this brings, but also because it is good to hear the perceptions of others about the images, I find it very difficult to be truly objective about my own work and another viewpoint or opinion is welcome. In club competitions there is the added advantage of seeing up to a hundred other images and hearing the associated comments and commentary. Of course a judges opinion is just that, a judges opinion, and the results and comments always create mumblings of agreement, approval or frustration and exasperation amongst club members, however provided we all remember why we do what we do then it is all useful feedback and it hones our own skills of critiquing.

Anyway, last night we held our Panel of Three projected image competition. This always brings an additional challenge as you not only have to produce good images but they have to fit together well as a panel. In our club you  are allowed to enter three separate images or a triptych. Here are my three entries. The first two were entered as a triptych and the third was presented as three separate images.

Icelandic Geyser - awarded Second Place


 Plants in the snow - Commended

Movement on the underground - Highly Commended

I think this is probably my best showing, as all of my entries were held back and favourably commented on by the judge. As always I felt there were some other images which deserved a placement, and when projected the my plant picture really didn't look good, I certainly would not have commended it. The judge thought that the Movement on the Underground panel was down to distortion in Photoshop, in fact it was taken using a fish eye lens, with very little editing! Anyway as I said before its all down to the judge and, on this occasion, it worked in my favour. Now I am off to prepare for the panel of three print competition, I can enter up to three colour and three mono panels...that's a lot of pics!

Tuesday 11 January 2011

IN THE ROUND 2

I have continued to experiment with the polar coordinates, which from now on will be referred to as PC, and have produced several more versions. The first, called the High Seas, was created using an image taken on a trip to Hastings in 2009. Before I used the PC filter I edited to increase the contrast and burned in some of the birds so they would stand out. Once the process was complete I rotated so that the boat was in the position I wanted.

The second was created using an image taken two days ago whilst experimenting with my new IR filter, not much success at the moment, but at least I think I am beginning to understand where I might be going wrong. Anyway I got one decent image which I cropped into the letterbox format and realised that it might make a pleasing PC image.

Saturday 8 January 2011

IN THE ROUND

I enjoy exploring the possibilities of Photoshop and creating an image from a photograph. I always try and start with a technically good photograph. I think it is a mistake to think that using a Photoshop filter can rescue a poor image.

Today I have been using the polar coordinates filter under distort. In all of these images I added a Fractilius effect and used layers to create the image I had in my head.







This image started off as a picture of three trees which are in a straight line,  I have used them several times in different photographs, they are a 5 minute walk from my house.







This picture is a combination of two images, the tree was positioned below the horizon on which the people and the dogs were so that the trunk disappears into the centre of the circle.

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Finally an image created in the same way, but then cut in half to create a different image. Also you will notice that the people and the tree are inside the circle, rather than on the outside. This is dependant on the image you start with, you simply flip the image vertically to create the different effect, and no they are not the same people as in image two!

I hope you enjoyed looking at these and that you are inspired to try some for yourself. One tip if you are going to try this, look at the edges of your image before you add the filter. When the image is bent to create the circle the edges come together, if they are not similar you will get an odd joined effect in the middle.

Thursday 6 January 2011

THE REHEARSAL


In the next few weeks the camera club I attend is due to hold its annual panel of three competition. The Christmas holidays gave me some time to consider my entry and put some panels together. This mono print panel will be presented as seen here, with all the images on one mount, others will be presented as three separate images.

Tuesday 4 January 2011

MISTY TREES


I took this back in November, during a weekend away in Leicestershire. I have been keen to catch some misty/foggy pictures for sometime but have never been in the right place at the right time, or should I say I couldn't be bothered to get up early enough!!! Anyway this was the first of the snowy weather and when I looked out of the window I knew this was an opportunity I could not miss and quickly dashed outside, once I had dressed of course!

Apart from cropping to create a vertical letterbox shape, I am sure there is a proper name for this format but I don't know what it is, and a small amount of sharpening this is as taken. I must admit I am pleased with it as a first misty pic attempt but think it might need a bit more impact, perhaps one of my landscape expert followers might be able to give me some tips for improvement.


This one was taken a few minutes later and obviously has been given a very different treatment. I have never been successful with mono landscape pictures but I do think this one works, maybe because it was almost mono in the first place and the high contrast treatment seems to suit it. I am not convinced I have done the conversion as well as I could have and the compression for jpeg has not done it any favours, however it may well be one one I will return to and possibly even print for the club mono landscape competition later in the year.

Monday 3 January 2011

WOW - THE WORK OF VIVIAN MAIER

I have just seen this video in a post on the FTU forum and wanted to share. From what I have seen this woman's work is amazing and it seems incredible that she has remained undiscovered for so long.

www.wttw.com/main.taf?p=42,8,80&pid=A1hO97qcWo7ViDL_rWniVH2LakYxNa7J

http://vivianmaier.blogspot.com/

I hope you enjoy and thanks to Barr1e for posting the original link.

Sunday 2 January 2011

TIME TO CELEBRATE

Well not much photography today as it was my daughter's birthday. It's quite a while since she has been with her Ma and Pa on her birthday, so it was out for a very nice lunch at Loch Fyne in Woburn and then back for a leisurely afternoon.


Of course Mum had to make a cake and I thought that cup cakes would be a more sophisticated option, even with the butterflies. She can now take some of them home to share with her friends tomorrow.

Saturday 1 January 2011

SHADOW CATCHERS

Happy New Year to any blog followers watching, I hope it's a good one for you and yours.

This post is a continuation of the V&A pictures. During my walk about I looked down from a balcony to see the entrance to an exhibition called Shadow Catchers, I could just see in and recognised the potential for a picture. I have learnt it is always a good idea to look up, down and behind as well as in front, often the best image is not where you think it's going to be!

I have tried a few ideas in Photoshop, but I don't think I have yet got 'the picture'. The lighting conditions meant a longish shutter speed which gave the opportunity to give a ghostly effect to the moving people with one sharp stationary figure, the green tint adding to the ghostly effect.

It's probably a good idea to view the larger version of this image. Please feel free to make suggestions as this is definitely a work in progress. Thank You