I mentioned a few weeks ago that my new PEN camera had some art filters. I am generally not a fan of these additions but I have been exploring them. As with most things, used in the right context they can be effective. This is an example of the dramatic art filter. I was on a weekend conference in the Leicestershire countryside and today, just before breakfast, I went outside to take advantage of the beautiful light and misty conditions.
Not a bad result and, for me, a passable landscape image.
Week Forty Six - November 13th
I have not had chance to get out with my camera this week so my picture of the week is another from my August trip to Southwold. The lighthouse,
http://www.southwoldmuseum.org/thesea_lighthouse.htm, is situated amongst houses and is open to the public. I declined the opportunity to climb the stairs but my daughter did take the challenge!
When I looked at the image yesterday I found it quite compelling but couldn't work out why, so I sent it to a friend, I always trust his judgement on all things photographic. He pointed out the fact that it is not symmetrical, most staircases are, and that this makes the image a bit different, I think he is right. Might be one for the Worms Eye View competition at my camera club.
Week Forty Seven - November 20th
Last year I found myself in a hotel room on my own. The hotel was situated in the middle of a busy road junction, hence few places to go in order to take pics!
As I have mentioned before I am convinced that there are pictures which can be taken wherever I am so I started to look around the room, with my photographic eye in focus.
The bathroom looked promising, with its clean lines and piles of towels, and I set about finding a suitable angle. Back at home I went to work on the image, my initial idea was to go for the white on white effect with a blurred layer, but this has been done so many times, I have seen many award winning images of that type and decided I wanted to do something different.
I went to the opposite end of the scale, using all the tools at my disposal to create a vibrant lively image from a very muted, static subject. The success of the project can be judged by others but I enjoy its difference, will it make the grade in exhibitions and competitions? I doubt it, but time will tell.
Week Forty Eight - November 27th
This week I have returned to some pics I took a few weeks ago at Whipsnade Tree Cathedral. I have never successfully produced a panorama picture and wanted to capture the beauty of the tree in Autumn. This is a combination of 5 images.
Week Forty Nine - December 4th
This week I was pleased to hear that I had had two images accepted in the Smethwick International Exhibition, an exhibition in which I had previuosly had no success.
This image was taken in February when I visited Brighton. Although there were many photographers around few seemed to have spotted this one!
This one was taken over a year ago and has been very successful for me, it even got into the London Salon. It was one image I nearly didn't take. I was on my way home after a very cold trip to the zoo to try and get some snowy pics, this was spotted on the Dunstable Downs and the snow was so thick I got stuck and had to get some friendly youths to push me out...oh well it appears the effort was worth it!
Week Fifty - December 11th
An experimental work in progress. This was an image which formed part of a panel of three for a club competition. I really felt it had more potential and so I went to work on it this evening in order to try and pull out more from the image. I wanted to emphasise the boy in the red coat and the movement of the people. The lines of the roof and the walls were exagerated to give context and the image was desaturated slightly, leaving an almost graphic image with none of the people sharp or in focus.
Today I have been editing some pictures from my summer trip to London, I am hoping to make another visit in just over a week to try and get some winter pics to go with the summer ones, so I thought it would be a good idea to remind myself of some of the images from the previous trip. My photographer friend always tells me that he prefers to go back to images after a while, it is easier to be more objective. I have never understood that as I am too impatient to see what I have taken, however I am beginning to see what he means.
This was taken on that last trip and, whilst I spotted it's potential back in the summer, it was only on a return visit to the image today that I think I have now got the crop right.
Week Fifty Two - December 25th
Well I finally made it to week 52, it has been fun but it's surprising how difficult it is to select one or two images each week, especially as I haven't taken pics every week of the year.
My last entry is a landscape image, I do not profess to be a landscape photographer so this image is selected purely because I enjoy it.. This one is pleasing to me simply because of the stark outline and shape against the sky.
Thank you for following my exploits this year. I will add more images next year onto the main body of the blog....that's assuming I haven't taken up knitting!!!!
