09: SINGLE FOCAL LENGTH
MASTERCLASS & CHALLENGE
Add your challenge images below in the comments field
This challenge ends on the 25th. I’ll review your image from time to time and give you personal feedback. Best images and feedback have a chance of being featured in following month’s Photo BootCamp Magazine. Good luck!
Click here to learn how to add your image below, commenting & resizing.
Remember to be nice, be positive, be encouraging & have fun! 🙂
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Oh, Brent. Your Challenge videos always make me smile. Thank you for being positive, encouraging, and fun!
Thanks Kathleen – itâs been a challenging month for me but itâs always good to create these videos and have some fun doing it. Brent
This should be fun and it will push me to use the 50 mm prime lens I have. I am so used to zooming in that having to move will be great. I only wish North Dakota was a gray soggy mess right now.
Yeah it’s fun walking around with a 50mm
So I will probably shoot with my 35mm lens, and later with my new lens that will be coming which is a 105mm Macro lens. This out to be a lot of fun. Thanks for another good challenge.
Sounds like a great challenge Barbara
Good morning all. I think I will continue with my 50mm Prime Lens. Still have a lot to master in this regard. Nice challenge Brent.
Great – go out an use it. Interested to see what you create. Brent
My first thought is “may a thousand camels sneeze in your general direction!” Hah. You’ve managed to well and truly take me out of my comfort zone. Hmm.
I tend to use the full range of my zooms, because, well why not, that’s what they are for. And now, constraint, but quite possibly … enlightenment? perdition? euphoria?
And my fave prime I specifically purchased for a specific purpose and use it for such regularly
So, what to do? Something a bit different.
The perfect excuse to race out and grab the 1.4 35mm prime! (extremely unlikely to be acceptable to the exchequer)
ponder ponder
Which way will I go …
Seriously, looking forward to the challenge, one lens for a month, hmm
No need to spend money – all you need to do is pick a focal length and stick to it all month. Looking forward to what you come up with, and that “feeling” you get when shooting with this creative constraint. Brent
Ha, I was trying to come up with a plausible excuse to spend some of my wife’s hard earned money! Now you’ve wrecked my plan!
Seriously, the more I think about this the more I think I’m going to enjoy this challenge.
I haven’t used the 100mm macro to any great extent so that’s my pick, now to find willing subjects!
Ok spend it – tell your wife itâs my fault đ
I’ve been glued to my 90mm f/2.8 macro lens, and I was going to continue practicing with it. However, I’ve decided to concentrate on the 50mm, which I hardly ever get out of the camera bag. This is really going to stretch me, as I don’t find my current location this month very photographically interesting. I WILL have to think “creatively.” And out the door I go…on foot!
Perfect!
I use my 50mm a lot, so have some fun!
My first thoughts were similar to Nick’s. I just retired my Leica Q with a fixed 28 mm prime lens and spent a bundle on a new Sony a7Rlll and a 24-70 GM lens to improve the scope of my creativity … so I haven’t decided exactly what I will do for this challenge.
Before the “Q” I shot with a Nikon D5300 and a 18-300 mm lens which is a great setup, but I got tired of lugging it around. I purchased the “Q” about 3 years ago and I really fell in love with it because it fits inside my jacket pocket, weighs practically nothing, and is a joy to use. I found shooting with the “Q” quite enjoyable and carefree, but that the photos required significant cropping to create the final image that I wanted. The self imposed creative restraint proved to be too much for me, especially after joining Boot Camp. So now, I have the Sony (which ironically is a bit heavier than the Nikon) and I’m enjoying the flexibility that it offers.
I will have to ponder this one for a few days.
Ponder away Richard. Glad I’ve challenged you. Brent
Morning all…welcome to November…..been reading all your posts below, and i am very keen to see what you all come up with!
Personally, i am going the other way. I am going to shoot using my 70-200 fixed at 200
Happy creative shooting everyone!
Nice – maybe try some gaffer tape on the lens to keep it at 200mm and avoid the temptation to zoom. Brent
yip….thanks for the tip!
I was going to suggest Araldite!
Funny Nick….!
I tend to just use my zoom lens over 100mm, so I think I will be going with my kit lens, which is 18-50mm. So I will be taking photos at 50mm. I look forward to stretching my comfort zone. I also look forward to everyone’s photos. Good shooting everyone!
This is going to be interesting , because it’s going to force me to do something that I’ve actually been thinking of doing. Outside of the monthly challenges, I tend to shoot wide angle, ( astro, landscape ) or telephoto. I have a vintage 28mm ( 45mm equiv ) f/3.5 lens. This is really close to what the eye can see. The challenge will be dealing with a somewhat slow lens. I’m really looking forward to this.
Hey guys! What an interesting challenge for this month. Iâm not even sure which lens or focal length to use yet so am excited to challenge myself along with seeing what we all come up with. Happy Halloween from the USA!
So this is really the first opportunity since I joined to get involved . As I always use a zoom lens this will indeed be a challenge. I’ve recently purchased a ‘new’ full frame camera, a Canon 5D, that came with a fixed 50mm focal length lens and have been putting off actually using the lens… so yay the perfect challenge, I also shoot at either end of my zoom lenses.
Excellent – go for it. Brent
Well I learned a really big lesson while out shooting today. I learned you can’t put a 35mm crop sensor lens on a Full Frame lens and expect to get what you see. I had to do a lot of backing up just to get my subject fully in the frame. Therefore, until I get my 105mm lens, I will be shooting with my D5300 not my D750. With that said I found some unique things to take pictures of. This is a picture of a lion made out of drift wood. The guy goes around the shore collecting drift wood and the sculpts the wood into different creatures. So the feeling I had when taking the pictures was some frustration with not getting what I though I would get. However, when I ran into the drift wood sculptures I felt awe and amazement. This was shot with my D750 with a 35mm lens at g/1.8, 35mm and 1/80 of a sec at ISO 400. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/39f46a0916fa4f5ebe49fc646a421886cf971c5bc97c40b0e3852facab915423.jpg
I love driftwood sculptures. They are gnarled, and possess a textural element that you can feel with your eyes. I can feel the small barnacles too! Really, I love this shot. This is my first comment ever, I hope you receive it đ
I did and thank you. Glad you could get a sense of feel with the picture
Barbara, this is very cool! I could spend all day in that shop! I find the background slightly distracting. Maybe a B&W to bring out all the texture in the lion? Well done.
Thanks, I will see what it looks like in B&W
Hi Barbara. Nice detail and clarity in this shot. Well framed. I am not sure about the head on composition mainly because of the background. Maybe a shot looking up or a partial side on shot. I think it would work well if not better in B/W. Well done.
Thanks. I was down on the floor so couldn’t get any further angle on that, and I tried a few different angles but to much stuff in the background. Will redo in black and white and repost here soon.
Hi Barbara. Thanks for getting back to me. Down on the floor is as low as you can get. It has the look of a very busy place object wise. I look forward to seeing it in B/W which I think will enhance the texture and tones of the shot. Well done again.
Here is the black and white version. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ccd04af3ff3c2be4457677b50f698b98749fd45a7e998f9e1948e20717b9a23b.jpg
Hi Barbara. Many thanks for posting the B/W version. Looking at both shots as I prefer your first post. However that said I think the B/W version has a strong claim to fame here with a little work in Post. Well done again.
Thanks
I prefer the colour version, Barbara. Love the detail and tones in your subject. You could try pulling back the saturation of the background a bit
Thanks. I will try that on the color version
Hi Barbara – this sculpture is amazing! What beautiful detail and textures. I prefer the colour version….has more depth in my opinion. Your chosen lens worked out really well.
Thanks
great subject and the detail is superb
I’m finding the monstera (?) leaf to the right a bit distracting (easily fixed by taking a half step to the left)
and I’d go for a little more contrast, especially in the B&W version
Though have said that I find the image riveting!
Thank you
Barbara, very nice picture. I like more the B&W as I find the coloured top of the coloured one a bit distracting. Just my personally impression. Good composition. Well done.
thank you
Hi All.
I recently bought a 27mm pancake prime lens, which I have not tied out as yet, (until now)
So my focal length for this month is of course 27mm. Brent’s challenge is to use our feet.
so here goes. ISO200, fl27mm, f5.6, 1/500sec
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6456dfbba82d9567c1662c234158731b5f578fd2e25d0c8401f41267665eb37f.jpg
Great shot. Really like the black and white look. Composition is also great, you give plenty of room for the train to move through and out of the picture. Nice Job!
Thankyou Barbara
Well done John! It is very sharp and like Barbara said, you leave room for the train to move.
Thankyou Sara
Hi John.Lovely shot. Composition is nice. I like the choice of B/W. Good clarity and focus. Two things. I wonder could the front of the tram be lightened a little. I might try and see how it looks. Secondly if you were to move a little more to the left when taking the shot how would that look. Well done.
Thanks Denis, I was leaning over a guard rail for this one, there is a fence just out of frame.
Love this one, John…so many leading lines, great composition, so sharp, and beautiful in B&W. Well done.
Thankyou Kerrie, yes you are right they are part or the story.
Great detail in this shot. Perfect for black and white. I like your composition as the subject is coming right toward you. Well done.
Thankyou Valerie
Nice capture John. I hope you were on the other side of the railing
Thanks Juan, yes I was, leaning over a bit though.
Really nice, John. I like the composition, and I think the image works really well in B&W.
Thankyou Judy
John, very nice picture. Great to see the infrastructure with the vehicle. Great B&W btw. Well done.
Thanks Christian
Wow, very nice! excellent composition and leading lines. B&W is an excellent choice for this kind of subject. Very good work.
Thankyou Jackie
1/160 f/4.5 50 mm ISO 100 I have walked passed this old, abandoned piece of farm machinery on several occasions, thinking one day I will photograph it. This challenge provided the perfect opportunity. I tried to shoot it from several different angles, and this is the one I liked the best (texture, leading lines, shapes, color). Being creative with composition has been a real challenge. How does it make me feel? Sad, because I am getting old and one day maybe I will outlive my usefulness/productivity, but I am hopeful I won’t be abandoned. Interesting that in its day so many parts worked in concert with one another! Bonnie
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/27bd7911ebbc7f8e24504dcb7d4a7c39f8ef50396a73677499f8f185004a70d1.jpg
Very interesting subject. I like the composition and the textures are good. Good lighting. The only thing I might change is to increase your depth of field to at least get the one rod going up the middle of the picture in focus. Otherwise great job!
Hi Bonnie, I appreciated the colors of this shot so I enlarged it on my tablet and it comes alive. The different colors of the rust, the textures of the corosion, the lichen. While a relic from the past, this âold abandoned piece if farm machinery” is making a comeback and appreciated in various forms of industrial art and, dare I say, steampunk. As for me, it is very nostalgic and reminds me of my family history as farmers and dairymen. Thank you!
Hi fiat 76. This looked a very interesting shot, so I enlarged it to get a good look and I am glad I did. It comes alive and I would love to see it restored. I like your composition, the light balance and the detail you captured. I see you shot this at F4. I would love to see it at F6/7. A very nice capture of Past Glory. Well done.
Love it – interesting image and a good sense of depth. There is a lot going on without being too cluttered. Great work
Hi, this shot is similar to one I took of our old attic fan. It still works and cools our non-AC house. The muted colors and diagonal with the two circular shapes really make this photo. It might be fun to try enhancing colors and clarity just a bit. Also, never mind about getting old, as long as our eyes still see beauty and our brain recognizes new ideas. Cheers!
Bonnie, This is awesome! I like the colors and the DOF. Great job.
I also find this subject and composition to be interesting, especially the spokes radiating out from the hub in the lower LH corner. The textures are great and the image has very good depth that separates a top and a deeper layer. In my view, thought, it would be better to bring the hub and spokes into focus rather than the objects further into the picture, such as the gears. At least that is something you might try. Everything in focus would also be worth trying. The reddish brown, oranges, yellows and greens work well together.
I have appreciated all the reactions to this image! Thank-you. When I return home, I will shoot it at f 6/7 to bring the lower left corner more into focus. I will also try bringing the foreground more into focus and the gears more out of focus.
Here is the revised image using some of your suggestions, one of which was to adjust the aperture setting and another which was to focus the foreground and background. I plan to work on this one until I get it “right.” Bonnie
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b78a3e9183f3693c854a86fe5f6ed37c1ce499e7477dca94e3df982ba9ea8f6f.jpg
1/60 f/10 ISO 320 50mm
Hi Bonnie – I really like all the textures in this image. As others have already mentioned, I would like to see the depth of field capture those front spokes in sharp focus, as well as the gears at the back. I see you are planning to reshoot; hope it works out.
Very nice picture with those remarkable rusty colours. Good composition with those leading lines from left bottom upwards. Great detail. Well done.
Having chosen 200mm as my single focal length for this challenge, i wanted my first image to be a flower image. Using the natural environment, i wanted to create a soft blur in camera for the background, at the same time keeping my subject sharp.
I used a tripod and my tamron 70-200mm with the following settings 1/320 sec. f/4 200 mm ISO 100. I also had a circular polarizer on.
This is the Anigozanthos âLandscape Yellowâ â Kangaroo Paw https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/dd2d1d7dc56ea46303341cc2e4e66a6d53883d1e3a57b7be086549ec1a47b6e4.jpg
Beautiful capture, Rerro. Such a creamy dreamy background, and nice detail and light on the hairs. I also love the “frame” effect. It adds another dimension to your shot.
Thanks so much Kerrie đ
Good morning from Ireland Christine. What a nice composition. You have kept it simple and yet everything is there – Clarity, Good definition, Softness of the Flower itself, Nice capture of light and lovely soft background. For me this is a very nice sensual photograph. Yes you have achieved what you set out to do. Well done.
Top of the morning to you too Denis! Thanks again for your kind comments!
Wonderful image – great light and I like the diagonal positioning of the flower. Great work
Thanks so much Erez!
Fabulous photo – wonderful lighting and softness! The red in contrast to the green tones makes the image pop.
Thanks Sig đ
Beautiful! The lighting and the colors are spectacular. Well done.
Thanks Sara đ
Love. Such a beautiful pick. Gosh this is something to aspire to.
Thanks Keri – glad it has inspired you!
Beautiful photo. Nice detail and softness combined.
Thank you Valerie đ
A masterpiece!! This is a great shot. Everything is crisp, sharp and clear. I love the blurred out background, and the composition makes this plant pop. Awesome job!
Thank you for your comments Barbara!
Beautiful! I love the colors & the way the stem comes out of the corner.
Thanks Robin – it is amazing how much a simple thing like positioning the stem can improve an image!
I feel your pain Rerro. I am doing the same thing. The colors are amazing and the blurred background brings out the subject.
Thanks Juan – i love your image of the squirrel….i must say, i have missed using this lens! I think i will start using it more frequently again đ
Wow! This is gorgeous, Christine. Your composition is bang on and that smooth background really makes the flower pop.
Thanks so much Judy!
Brent. Can you ban this person from posting these magnificent photos in this group. She is making us feel inferior …
But, she’s also making us all lift our game
Great photo Christine! light’s brilliant, focus is superb and the framing spot on.
How to make it better? Not sure you can, crop a bit from somewhere, maybe?
Me – I’m wandering off to read another photography magazine.
You are a funny guy Nick! Thanks for all the kind words mate!
Much appreciated đ
Sure – @rerrorocher:disqus stop posting such amazing images – just joking. Brent
hahaha…lucky shot!
Simply Beautiful Rerro ,love the colors & tack sharp .
Thanks for your kind comment Peter!
Rerro, very nice picture with beautiful colours. Very good composition. Very smoothly blurried background. Well done.
Thanks Christian đ
Aahh, Christine. Another masterpiece ! Why is it that when creativity rained from the heavens you caught most of them? Ha ha. Great composition.
hahahaha….thanks Romy…..i just hope my creativity can inspire you all đ
Hi Rerro, your target is reached. You get exactly what you wanted. You made a fantastic job. Magnificent subject, crip and clear. It’s just perfect. Love it.
Thanks so much Jackie đ
Would love to get your feedback on this image Brent!
Truly beautiful image; color, composition, focus and subject! Wow! Sweet!
Thanks so much Deby!
Gorgeous image, Christine, again! đ Love everything about it.
What more can I say? Quite beautiful Christine!
Rerro, Thank you for sharing you fine art. I think we all are learning from you. btw, it’s a fabulous image.
My pleasure Richard and thank you – and I am so glad you are gaining from this experience đ
cool flower! And I love all the detail with the ‘fingertips” and the hairy fuzz on the blooms.
I agree with @romy_villanueva:disqus – another masterpiece. Well executed, sharp subject with soft background and great leading line from the bottom right. Love the light in your image, that back/side light really brings out the details. For me what makes this image extra special is 2 reasons. No.1 is that we’ve just planted this same plant in our little garden in our new house – and I’m trying to keep it alive. No.2 are the colours. Most of this image is analogous colours, the yellows and greens but then there’s that red stem which is complementary (opposite) and adds that extra bit of contrast to your image. Well done, don’t change anything. Brent
Thanks so much….entering into my club competition, so just needed to check. Thanks Brent đ
Go for it – and good luck
Thanks….and good luck with those Kangaroo paw’s in your garden!
So, I decided to learn the capabilities of my Nikon 50mm 1:1.8G lens. I use zoom a lot so staying at 50mm will definitely be a challenge. H https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1331b8348be2916f7f1fc8f482ec852dc0e5274909cc93cdbb7d4fb2f32d527b.jpg ere is my first submission with that lens, shot on a very windy day at the Jersey shore. Is it goldenrod, all you gardeners out there? Or, just a weed fighting the wind near the waves? Slightly cropped and rotated. Nikon D5300; 1/2500; f/3.5; ISO 400; 50mm.
Leila, This is very interesting. I like the composition. Interesting to see which parts are in focus and which are not. Well done.
Hi Leila. Nice subject matter and composition. I like the light balance. I am not sure about your choice of Aperture. I think that F7/8 might work better. Well done.
Hi Leila – I like the composition of this one with the fence palings behind and the pale palette. You have a really high shutter speed here – I’m guessing that was to help stop blurring from the wind. Perhaps you could use a smaller aperture to get more of the flower in bloom (part closest to the lens is blurry) which I think would work well with this subject if the wind dies down.
Leila, I’ll have to agree with Judy below
In my view – for this to be a really magical photo a lot more of the flower head needs to be in focus
These types of flowers with a lot of floweretts(?) require a lot of extra focusing and depth of field. Experimentation is the key,
cheers
Leila, very nice picture taken in consideration of the wind disturbing the ease to capture this. Good composition. Very nice colours between the light wooden fence and this flower. Well done.
This is representative of the fall colors at the moment. Thankfully, we do not have snow quite yet. On this Saturday the weather was not very cooperative as it was raining lightly. It reminded my of late April early May in Ireland. Taking this made me a bit sad and bittersweet-the changing of the seasons. But it really is the start of something new. ISO 400 45mm f/7.1 1/200. I guess 45 mm is what I am shooting, rather than 50mm.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0570615050db5128c954de8bb03a25f7139ae7ba52797b05680c59845641b42c.jpg
Nice fall season shot, Sara! Good focus and depth of field.
Thank you Sig.
Hi Sara. Very nice capture of Autumn colours. You also captured a a nice soft movement in this shot. Well done.
Thank you for the kind words Denis.
Sara nice capture and composition. My area looks so much the same and why I have been struggling to decide on a lens to use. You have done a nice job with this subject and colors.
Thank you Valerie.
Very nice. I like the fall color of the grasses. My only suggestion might be to brighten up a little, by maybe uping the shadows a bit. Otherwise it looks good. Nice work!
Barbara thank you for your feedback. I actually darkened it slightly to bring up the contrast a bit. There was no sun as it was drizzling at the time.
Ah, that would make sense.
Looks like one of my garden beds – in need of a good weeding! lol
Nice colours and everything is nice and sharp. An image pleasing to the eye
Though it really doesn’t have a single point of interest and my eyes wandered around the image looking for a hidden gem
Nick, it reminded me of a couple of my garden beds a few years ago! No hidden gem, I just liked the way the grass looked, rather than the wide angle shots I had taken before this. Thank you.
Sara, this is a rather busy picture. Nice colours. Personally I would make a closer one with more detail.
Thank you for your feedback.
Hi Sara. Nice colors of Fall. Sign of the changing season. It does jog your memory of something. Interesting .
Thank you Romy.
After Brent posted his “Freedom of no-choice” video several weeks ago, I should have guessed what was coming – fixing one or more settings when shooting. Actually, I find this to be an interesting challenge. Since I have not been using my 50 mm f1.8 prime lens very much, that is my choice for the month. I have some of the same seasonal challenges as Sara, overcast skies, lots of rain and even the odd snow flurry. While I work on finding suitable subjects and scenes to shoot, I am cheating a little bit and posting a photo shot a few months ago. It shows one of the portals at the Palace of Versailles. Settings: 50 mm, f11, 1/500 sec and ISO 100.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b8e0fc178e88a3815e257f7354c90ace9629821ece4819e8ad432b629b444a88.jpg
Hi Sig Nice shot against a lovely sky. I take it the Crown Jewels on top are the main point of interest. I think I might have tried to isolate them more at the time of taking the shot or in post afterwards. Still like the shot though. Well done.
Hi Denis, Thanks for your reply suggestion! I had actually not thought of isolating the Crown Jewels, but that is a great idea! See the new version below. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0e47d875d2c01031f4b5d802e82f6349eec419f519a083320fd9f79902ac012a.jpg
I like this one, too. The detail is superb and the contrasting gold vs blue is very striking.
Beautiful shot, Sig. So so tack sharp, Pure and simple. Love it.
I like this one better. Less distraction and a tad straighter. Well done.
Sig, good picture. Good symetric composition. Great contrast between the golden structure and the virgin blue sky. Well done.
I like this. Kind of looks like the gates of heaven. Nice color balance and sharpness and placing it in the center works. Good job!
Thanks Barbara – much appreciated!
I like this image Sig. The leading lines provided by the vertical bars and the curved lines take my eye to the crown. Nice symmetry. The simple (no cloudss) sky provides a nice backdrop. Great shot.
Hi Everyone. I have chosen 55mm for this month and I am already finding it a challenge as I like to really zoom in on things. I usually get the 250 out. This is my first shot for the challenge. Pine Trees. 1/200, F13, ISO800 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/05dc5ad7e8ea93887bb771721a3af61ac4d9d56c65a47a124a623cf22dc9f102.jpg
Hi Keri. Nice shot here and I like the depth of field. You have also captured the bark of the tress very well. That said I wonder did you take any other shots with a lower aperture whereby the pines in the distance are not so much in focus sort of fading into the background as it were. This shot might also take well to B/W. Well done.
Kind of reminds me of my backyard. A row of pine trees. I like how you have captured the texture in the trees. Nice and sharp and I like the cropping as well. Nice work!
I like the row of trees & the texture of the bark.
nice capture Keri. I can feel the texture with this picture
Nice use of texture and depth, Keri.
Beautiful photo, Keri. Great texture. The tree in front is tack sharp. Well done.
Keri
Nice image – you can imagine the trees lined up and going on forever. I’ve often tried this type of photo and never been satisfied with the results. You’ve nailed it.
I’m wondering whether it needs to be cropped a smidge on the left? I’m finding that little bit of sky distracting?
Keri, I like it! I also have tried a similar photo and have not liked the results. You have done a great job! I agree with Denis about trying different apertures.
Thanks Sara.
Keri, nice picture with all that texture of the bark of those trees. Good composition. Nice colours. Good use of the leading line by the bottom of the trees. Well done.
Thank You Christian.
Keri i see the texture of the trees and the liner angle of trees great.
Thank you Phyllis đ I dont have any fancy lenses just the standard kit lens for my 700D so trying different things and getting a good result is very rewarding.
Keri, I like this photo showing the rough texture of the bark on the trees and the vertical lines create a very strong image.
I generally use my telephoto or the mid to upper end of my kit lens, so 18 mm will be my focal length for the month. I did go to a car show where Tamron was there loaning lenses & used some very wide angle lenses, & had a lot of fun with them. The weather is rather crappy here, cool & rainy, & the colors are all gone, so it will be a challenge to find subjects in my yard.
This new challenge takes me out of my comfort zone and I have been struggling with what lens to shoot with. I typically use a zoom lens and I either zoom all the way out or stay at the low end. I finally decided on my 24mm to 70mm and wanted to stay at 50mm for this challenge. The attached photo is at 52mm so I guess that is where I will plan to stay or at least close to. This is the view from my front yard at sunset last night. Settings: 1/100sec, F8, ISO 900, 52mm. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/203c752107204e47fe6a7bff852695dc31e0644cae7b59c3ea6a8873be19e8e4.jpg
When this photo opened it took my breath away, such a beautiful capture.
Gina thank you for such nice comments. I agree with you completely the nature that surrounds us is truly amazing and we are so fortunate to get to experience it! I appreciate your feedback.
What a lovely sunset picture – just beautiful!
Thank you Sig.
What a spectacular sunset. I like the way the colour is reflected on the snow. 52mm worked so well here!
Thank you Judy I appreciate the nice feedback.
Love this, Valerie! Beautiful light and composition. Well shot!
Thanks Kerrie.
Beautiful sunset shot Valerie. I will never get tired of looking at golden hour photos. No two skies are alike. Great composition and lovely colors. Well done Valerie.
Thanks Romy. I appreciate your comments.
Hi Valerie. Great sunset. Love the light on top of the mountains. Great colour to the sky. Well done.
Thank you Denis.
Nice image and great colours both in the sky and reflected off the snow
My only suggestion would be to bring out the shadows a little
where was it taken? magic scenery
Thanks Nick for your feedback. I posted a new version where I have lightened the shadows. The photo was taken in my front yard. I live only a short distance from Yellowstone National Park, in Idaho, so I am fortunate to have a lot of beautiful scenery that surrounds me.
Valerie, I am jealous of your front yard! I love the colors. My only suggestion would be to lighten the foreground so you see more of the pine tree, or to get rid of it. Well done.
Sara thanks for your feedback and yes I love my yard. I am very fortunate to live in such a beautiful place. I tried taking the pine tree out of the photo before posting the original but my editing talents didn’t work out so well so I just left it in. I have however uploaded a second version with the foreground lightened up. I also removed the light vignette I added in the first version.
Valerie, great colours in the clouds and the reflection in the snow. Good composition. Personally I would enlighten a bit the foreground. Well done.
Christian thank you for the feedback. The foreground did not seem this dark on my computer. Others have suggested a similar adjusted and I have updated the photo and posted a lighter version. I appreciate all of the comments. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/aef057b7cf1efc0dc14842d1866fdf025a66ff5c52728d5399f77c24e16f8525.jpg
Very nice Valerie, the composition is perfect. I love the single tree in front of the mountains.
Thank you Phyllis.
Wow, this lighter image is stunning.
Thank you Rachel, I appreciate the feedback.
I like this better! You didn’t lose any of the drama with lightening the foreground. Very well done.
Thanks Sara.
Valerie, This version is much better. You still have the drama of the sunset without eliminating the foreground. Really nice !
beautiful! Love the highlighted top of mountain in contrast with the part in the shadow. In my opinion, I would use a landscape format and crop the sky to emphasize the shadows and the lights of the mountain who is the main subject. Grat shot!
Thanks Jackie for the suggestions and feedback, I appreciate them..
Gorgeous view with such rich colors in your front yard!!! WOW!!! Really beautiful image Valerie.
Thank you Deby.
You get to look at this all the time??? Incredible!! And for those of us not privileged to experience this, you have taken us there.
Thanks Keri your nice comments are very much appreciated.
What an amazing view have from your front yard Valerie. Those clouds are a stunning warm colour, reflected off the snowcapped peeks too. I like how you have cropped this image with the mountains in the lower third of the frame. Something I would consider is to increase in the shadows on that mountain range. Well done. Brent
Like everyone else is saying this challenge is taking me out of my comfort zone. Using a prime lens 35mm f1.4 I have to do all the walking, bending and kneeling. When I got home and reviewed my images I realized to get the effect I was looking for I needed a ladder. I know I should only send in one picture at a time but I couldnât choose. This is a field of cotton that is ready for harvesting. Shot during high-noon 35mm, f4.5, iso 100, 1/1000 (was a little windy). https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/78f7b261c58786b39cf438b580cc99f17ba823df6d07af84c2dead2cc5a54ff9.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/947e8f0ed8c68635433ee2db6d0f8f56d943f3da6cec25ae76b0f4d0fc6b4ac9.jpg
Phyllis, very nice. I have never seen a cotton field
That was the reason why i couldn’t choose which one to post. This cotton field is in Tucson Arizona which is the desert.
I like the image of the single cotton boll best. There’s a lot of texture in the husk and leaf that wrap around the cotton that is bright white against a very blue sky. Very nice
Thanks Gina.
Hi Phyllis – I totally agree with you about how just a small change in the angle of view can make a big difference. I like the way you filled most of the frame with the crop – it gives me a sense of the size of the field.
Thanks Judy, I’m glad you saw what i was trying to accomplish.
Hi Phyllis. Personally I prefer the close up shot of the cotton plant against the blue sky. Great composition. Well done, Phyllis.
Thanks
Hi Phyliis. My preference is the close up. Good composition which plays well off the blue sky. Well done.
Thanks đ
Phyllis, I like the crop better. The color of the sky makes the cotton boll pop.
Thanks
Phyllis, both pictures are great. As I live in a rather urban environment I like more the view of the cotton field with the mountains in the background. It gives me a feeling of space. Good composition. Great colours. Well done.
That is what i was thinking. Thanks
i am shooting with my Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L lens https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e033a668a07305050d0684d37537e185fb22cd1ebba9a27d5a35931e2370a4fb.jpg at 200mm with my Sony a7III with a metabones adaptor ( I know way out of my comfort zone; using non native lenses with my Sony A7III. ISO -100, 200mm f/3.2, 1/250 sec
Great shot Juan! The composition draws us into the squirrel and using the 200mm focal length and the wide open aperture of f3.2 has given a very nice bokeh through using the sun shining through the leaves. You have also captured a wonderful little catch light in his eye. As if that wasn’t enough, you have got a story line too….with the little fella eating his forage! All round, a wonderful pic! well done đ
PS.. I love how his tail curls up around his body!
Thanks for your comments Rerro, they mean a great deal coming form such an artist as yourself. Very much appreciate it.
Terrific composition and great focus on the squirrel. The shallow depth of field works really well.
Thanks so much Judy
Awesome composition Juan. Bokeh was equally nice and provides a great background. The squirrel is tack sharp. Love this image. Well done.
Thanks Romy
Well shot, Juan.. beautiful composition, Bokeh, and sharpness.
Thanks Kerrie. The Sony A7iii has the eye detect focus so I am also trying to use it as well.
Hi Juan. A very good shot. Nicely composed and presented. Lovely mixture of clarity and softness. Well done,
Thanks Denis. I did not have to do any post processing, except the crop to use the rule of thirds
That makes it even better.
Very good detail and nice background bokeh. I really like how you have captured this.
Thank you Valerie
Juan, Well done! Your composition is spot on. Lovely.
Thanks Sara
Nice photo. I love taking pictures of squirrels. Nice capture of him eating a nut. Composition is good and it is very sharp and great catch light in his eye. Nice work!
Thank you Barbara
Juan, very nice picture. Good composition with those leading lines towards the squirrel. Nice coloured details of him/her. Very nice blurried background. Well done.
Thank you so much Christian
So cute and great capture.Very beautiful background which really emphasizes the subject. Very nice!
Great shot Juan. Love the sharpness of your subject and the lovely background bokeh.
How adorable. I feel like I am right there watching this cutie. Very nice Juan.
Brilliant capture Juan – and it paid off waiting for the squirrel. Perfect focus, like those colours with the greens in the background. Something to think about is maybe a slightly different crop, using the tree trunk and lower branch to frame your main point of interest. Right now the diagonal line is taking my eye out of the image. Well done. Brent
Thank you so much Brent. let me see what I have to do the different crop
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4aa09031ebe64c43218002812eb0e2da2f9d3d34c34378d40143c2984143bb51.jpg
How does this crop look?
Or this one which is actually the same picture but cropped like you suggested https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/22e13183f4456eaf82b374ac19f1b0fab78c72d8daa2bb5d59016d073f803a84.jpg
Yeah really works better for me – well done. Brent
My favourite lenses are my 100mm macro and 35mm prime, so I’ve decided to use the 11mm end of my 11-20 zoom lens for this challenge. I think I need some of that gaffer tape that Brent mentioned as I really wanted to zoom and get closer to the detail. Here is my first offering taken a couple of days ago using a tripod a few minutes before the sun climbed over the mountain. The lake is starting to freeze; winter is just around the corner. Settings 1/125s, f/10, 11 mm at ISO 100.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c3714dead1db92f33816006c5fa0302fec8338144783c081c096851f23d2a935.jpg
Wow ! Beautiful shot, Judy. The reflections of the sky and the mountain in the lake are just perfect. That 11 mm lens is really right for this landscape.
Great job.
Thank you, Romy! I was very happy with the reflections.
A real stunner Judy….beautiful shot. I love the reflection and the 11mm is perfect to get all this awesomeness into view.
Reflections are great too! Well done!
Thank you so much, Christine. My lens zooms from 11-20mm, and I found it very hard to keep it at that 11mm mark. I’m having fun learning how to get the stretching effect in the corners by changing the angle of view with this lens.
Oh my…Judy I absolutely LOVE this! You have got it all here…foreground, mid, and background interest (all sharp) . I love the leading lines from the pebbles to the rushes to the 1/3 point in the horizon/water line. ….and then the lines of reflections of the clouds, and the clouds themselves…everything meeting at the apex. I really like the tones, it portrays the cold feeling. I think this would have to be the best landscape image I’ve seen here since joining Bootcamp. SO So good.
Gee, Kerrie…thanks so much đ
I think your landscape work is superb, so I’m really pleased you like this one. It was a magic morning just before a breeze came up with many great spots to take shots.
hey great image
Nice colours, great reflections
That ice forming is brilliant
I’d think about cropping a bit from the bottom, if only to bring the distant waterline down from mid frame
agree or disagree it is a beautiful landscape
I did think hard about the cropping, and thought I would go with losing some of the sky to bring the horizon line up, instead of losing some of the foreground, because I really liked the pebbles in the bottom right. I decided to keep the sky because I liked seeing the full reflection of the cloud on the right. Remember that I’m an accountant.. my natural tendency is towards balance đ
I find I get attached to elements in my images, and I find it hard to let them go, even though doing so might strengthen the composition.
Hi Judy. What a lovely composition. Great sky and reflections. like this one. Well done.
Thanks so much, Denis!
Beautiful composition Judy. I really like the reflections of the sky
Thanks Juan. The clouds were perfect in that the reflections really worked well as leading lines.
Absolutely beautiful. One of my favorite things is reflections and you have captured this so well. Great detail and composition that draws you right in. Love it!
Thank you Valerie! I have lots of shots from this series of lakes, all with fantastic reflections…one more might be posted for a later submission. Somehow my focal length kept being changed, so those shots will be put on hold for another challenge. I don’t remember zooming, but must have been me as I was there by myself đ
Fantastic shot, love the reflections, must be wonderful to be in thgis area.
Thank you, Norm. The reflections were indeed spectacular that morning. I’ve driven by this spot many times over the years, but never seemed to be at the right place and time to capture this sort of image. This is the Vermillion Lakes area just a few kilometres outside Banff.
Judy-beautiful shot! The reflection of the mountains create a leading line to the real thing! Well done!
Thanks so much, Sara đ
What a great picture. “Did you use a polarizing filter to help bring the reflections out in the water? If not you can use a little dehaze adjustment to do that. Otherwise this is an “Ah inspiring image”. I really like it. Great work!
Barbara, that is a great tip about using the dehaze adjustment. I did do that with one other image I’m keeping up my sleeve from this general location for later this month. I did have a circular polarizing filter on the lens, but admit that I couldn’t see that it made any difference. I was basically looking straight into where the sun was rising, so I don’t think I was at the right angle to benefit from using the filter.
Beautiful Scene Judy ,A truly awesome photo ,Can’t say much more .
đ
Thank you, Peter.
Judy, great picture with the reflection of the landscape and the clouds. Good use of the leading line from the left bottom going by the water towards the passage between those mountains. Very good composition with great colours. Well done.
Thanks so much, Christian. Thank you for appreciating the colours. I really tried to make them natural to what I remembered on the morning. I forgot to mention in my notes above that this is a blend of 3 different exposures to cope with the high dynamic range of light in the subject; that really helped get the colour to be as I saw it on that day.
Great shot nice reflections and good use of leading lines
Thanks John!
Wow! Fantastic shot! Clarity and Light are just perfect, so natural. The reflection from the sky is amazing as the leading line. Wounderfull image.
Thank you so much, Jackie đ
Such a wonderful image Judy! Really nice lighting, lines and subject matter.
Thank you Deby đ
Gorgeous shot Judy. Love the composition and lighting.
Thank you Rachel!
great looking photo Judy. I really like this a lot. This is worth framing and put in your living room or office.
Thanks Jeff. Iâm pretty happy with it đ
Just beautiful Judy. Soooo crisp.
Thank you Keri đ
Judy, this is a great shot. It says winter is coming, and I love the reflections in the water. I do agree with Nick that the image would be much stronger if the bottom third of the photo were eliminated bringing the leading lines of the grasses down to the left corner.
Acting on the suggestion from you and @Sillen55:disqus, here is a version with the lower part cropped and some of the right hand side uncropped. I like that the horizon is less centred, and thank both of you for getting me to view the image differently. I’m still deciding if I like it. I admit to being attached to the original version.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e48fc3fca8a0586dddfb52ece9f6773e2d3c4fc962f9c37f7eab4bedb1979f24.jpg
Yup, this is more me
thanks
this is stunning! The light and the reflections!!!
Thank you, Marsha. The reflections really were very beautiful that morning.
What I like about your image duty is the symmetry here, and the shapes and curves. Especially on the right hand side when my eye starts and then moves into your image And set goals where the mountain range drops down closer to the water. I also like your original of buts for some reason in this version really does attract me more. Stunning! Brent
Thanks Brent đ
Awesome scene Judy ,love the reflections & shadows ,great shot .
Judy, I like them both, but prefer this one that includes the foreground pebbles.
I’ve looked at some of the offerings so far and I nearly didn’t post, you lot are seriously superb photographers!
Anyway, I’m a bit time poor at the moment and my only opportunity was Sunday and of course it was breezy!
Trying to take photos of buds and flowers when they move in and out of the frame is a challenge …
So my lens of (reluctant) choice this month is a f/2.8 100mm macro. My least used lens and often used on a tripod and for stacked images. So this month no stacking and hand held. Tripods are so last season! Handheld is the new black!
Mango (I think) 1/800 sec, f/3.5, iso 100 and, ta da, 100mm
I was particularly intrigued with the silver backs of the new leaves.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0df0e63389c9f2bcea128a71d827b0cb57e66615edcf52d30c27ee56cc389e61.jpg
What a great shot Nick….love the silver in the leaves. The composition works so well in the portrait orientation, and the fact that you have 3 makes the shot!
Hi Nick. Great shot, well composed. I particularly like the lighting balance in this shot. Well done.
Hi Nick. This is a great shot. Beautifully composed and the lighting is great. Nice shot !
This is a very good shot. The light contrast between background and subject really makes this photo.
Nick, you are too modest! I love the softness and the detail! Not quite sure how you did that in the same photo. Well done!!
This is awesome Nick!. I really like the dark background. It helps to make the silver backs pop off the page. Great work!
Great shot, Nick. Love the light drawing us to the velvety underside of the leaves. The darkness creates a sense of mystery. Love it.
great composition Nick. the light balance brings out the textures of the leaves.
Nick, nice picture. Good composition. Good use of lighting for those front leaves, so you can see the structure of it.
Lovely composition and great pastel feel about this image, well done
Very elegant, Nick. I really like the way you have picked up that bit of light on the silvery leaves.
The natural light is just magnificent and gives a little bit secret atmosphere for these young leaves hidden in the hollow of the plant. Very very nice. Love it!
Love your writeup too Nick, very funny. I’m sure you’ll come to love that lens by end of month. Great shot – I like the “arti-ness” of it, the subtle colours, the blurred background, that darkness. I’m a big fan of art. Brent
Lovely image Nick. This Bootcamp challenge (all of them, actually) are so good for getting us out of our comfort zone. My comfort zone needs tweaking for sure so I’ll join in soon with a photo. This is such a peaceful and calming image. Nice job.
You’re funny Nick. I really like the softness of this picture. Really nice composition.
@rerrorocher:disqus @denisobyrne:disqus @romy_villanueva:disqus @valerieworthen:disqus @disqus_cdh6bhNTbb:disqus @disqus_ZMqciOxroU:disqus @kerrie_clarke:disqus @disqus_GS4axOeNE1:disqus @christianpiron:disqus @disqus_M3Vu7ObayX:disqus @disqus_W81kCdSr3n:disqus @jackieschefer:disqus @brentmail:disqus @disqus_j869NoZSC2:disqus
@keridown:disqus
Thank you all very much for you kind words
This was one of those images that begged to be taken and I was glad that when I was wandering around looking for inspiration I saw its potential
cheers
Just beautiful, Nick! I love the mood you have created…… well done!
Thank you – though I think that Mother Nature deserves a lot of the credit!
I really enjoy my 100mm macro lens too – love how the leaves in your image stand out from the surrounding leaves, maybe it’s that silver backing. This image feels “fine art” to me with the muted colours and darker overall look and I like it. Maybe increase exposure a touch would be my suggestion. Brent
Thanks, fine art was what I was trying for!
I’ve discovered the issue. I’ve now re-calibrated my monitor, it was a tad high on the brightness scale (well ok quite a lot). My photos while great here seemed darker elsewhere!
How’s this?
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9e915fe6e117cf947e502ecbd1dcc7ec8b9b3a28f797c71de3b656a08d4e51f6.jpg
Hi Everyone. My very seldom used 90mm f2.8 macro lens will be fixed on my camera for a month. I have not tried macro photography before. I have relied so much on Sony’s auto focus system but this time I will be forced to use the DMF focus mode with the macro lens. Here is my first submission. A close up of a Portulaca flower showing the stamen and the stigma (?) that looks like octopus tentacles. ISO 640, 90mm, f8, 1/500s
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/eacfa89c299b47aa82ba116985ad6c1d5dd9a6841b9b0aec2d259d4ccdca38ae.jpg
Hi Romy. Nice shot and composition. Good creativity. Maybe a little more crop from the left would be good. Well done.
Thank you Denis. Much appreciated.
Romy, this is an incredible first macro image! I love your creative composition of filling the frame with the flower. The little octopus tentacles stand out beautifully as the point of interest. Very well done, i look forward to seeing what else you come up with in this challenge at this focal length!
Thanks much Christine ! Macro photography can be a little daunting though. For now I have to concentrate on stationary things.
Here is the square crop as suggested, then rotated to show the shadow cast by the stigma.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7c0ba945a453a0a51c34ed7b91bbc1edb9cb73c4185bd19a4d876af6f0071934.jpg
I prefer the original image Romy. Composition wise, it is way more powerful
Romy I like this version best. I like the fact that you can see the shadow of the stigma on the square version. Well done
Thanks so much Juan. I appreciate it.
Romy, this version is much better. I like the way the white lines in the background play against the radiating lines of the white stigma in the center.
I agree with Rerro on this one. I think this one is the stronger image. The colors are amazing.
Thanks Sara. Much appreciated.
Very nice work! I do like the square version better and the shadow of the stigma is excellent. Great work!
Thank you so much Barbara.
Great shot Romy. Love the colours and composition …and the detail in the Tentacles is awesome!
Thanks much Kerrie. I appreciate your feedback.
Romy, very nice picture. I like more the original one because of the space on the left with the leading white lines. Very good composition. Great colours. I like very much the playful structure of the flower. Well done.
Hi Christian. Thank you. Much appreciated.
What a great shot Romy – I prefer this composition better to the square crop. Love how my eye is attracted to the “mini octopus” inside the main flower because of it’s shape and lightness. Macro photography is a lot of fun – just work with closed down apertures for more depth of field. Well done. Brent
Thanks much Brent. Yes, macro photography does offer new and interesting subjects. It can be very challenging though. For now I think I have to concentrate on stationary subjects first.
Great macro shot Romy! I like the white line arcing down to the centre. The detail is very interesting. Did you use a tripod? The ‘tentacles’ are tiny bit fuzzy.
Thanks Judy. I took this photo outside the house and the Portulaca flower was at ground level. Just a light breeze would easily nudge the flower out of focus. I had to take the shot in burst mode handheld.
WOW, Romy. I love this. Almost looks unearthly….. good composition and handling of your 90mm!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a44f42c8f5109009eadce8134e92e9ade18c7ebd04977fe512e98d3e3076ac72.jpg I took this photo this morning. It is a 9/11 Memorial at the Shrine of St. Joseph, Stirling, New Jersey. It was made from metal beams from the World Trade Tower North Building. The bells came from the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity. The message is a ” Call to be Peacemakers”. I shot using a focal length of 50mm, ISO 3200, f/8, and 1/50 second.
I like this very much. Your composition is great and the subject is sharp. It looks like it might have been raining, which gives it a nice look as well. The only thing I might have done different would be to step back so that the top of the beams could be seen. Great job!
It was raining today. I tried to step back, but ran into trees. Normally I use my wide angle lens for my travel photos to get everything included. Thanks.
That makes sense. Sometimes we just can’t back up any further. Great photo.
The limitations of fixed focal length – yes can’t go wider, then maybe go closer if you can or even change orientation to landscape. Great detail in your image and I also like the hard metals against the softer fall leaves. Great shot. Brent
Thanks for the input. I will re-shoot on a sunny day and walk all around the monument. My comfort zone is my wide angle 15- 30mm lens. I am not used to shooting at 50mm. I will try landscape, too.
Thanks, Barbara. I did go back and retake the picture to include the top of the beams. It is further down the thread.
Peter, I really like this-for multiple reasons. The story, the composition and the colors. Well done. The only thing I would change, is to have the top of the Memorial seen, rather than cutting off the top front. Well done.
Thanks. I will go back when it isn’t raining and try to re-compose including the top. Usually I soot with a wide angle lens.
ell done Peter. The story and the whole monument. It is difficult to capture so much with a 50mm lens. I would also try doing it on a sunny day to see if you could bring the ISO down to decrease some of the noise.
Thanks, Juan. It was raining so I used the high ISO to get the picture sharp with a faster shutter speed. I will try to re- shoot on Saturday if the weather is better.
Hi Peter. Nice shot and composition. Pity about the top been cut off. While there are lovely colours in this shot I might look at B/W in a retake. Also a close up of one of the bells could be interesting. Well done.
Thanks, Denis. I lost the top when I straightening the image. It was raining, and I was backing into some hedged behind me. I will try to re-shoot on Saturday.
Wow…what an incredible story, and amazing image Peter. I absolutely love the detail and the colours you captured on the bells, and how well the metal of the bells compliment the flowers in nature! Truly a special image indeed!
Thanks, Rerro. I will try to re-shoot on Saturday, weather permitting. I will try other angles, too.
Peter, nice picture. Good composition. I like very much the colours of the vegetation and those of the bells. Personally I would have stand back to have the whole monument. Or you could go closer to have more detail of a part of it. One other try could be a picture taken low upwards to the sky. At least you would have one of the ends of the monument entirely in picture. Now it is just not the one or the other. Well done.
Thanks, Christian. I will re- shoot on Saturday and move around more. It was raining, and I was limited due to trees and other landscaping.
Hi Peter, this is an interesting subject. My eyes are drawn from the bottom to the top by the bells gradually becoming smaller. If you could reshoot this, try to move back some more to include the top of the shrine and place the subject squarely in the middle.
Good advice Romy
Thanks, Romy and Rerro. Due to my work schedule, I will re-try on Saturday. It was raining on Monday when I did this. Don’t know if the leaves and flowers will still be as colorful.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5cb7d31855807bd31a52f2a3a79d461025720f160d35a9b1b2a22064d795e701.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/201fdc6ba0cfdb38fb8fea9a25efebd93a904862331ad1f3ce5bbef7e7f84d32.jpg Here is the re-shoot from this morning. I stood on a bench to get the top of the beams in this time. I had to change the focal length to 35mm, ISO 200, f/8 and 1/20. The rain and wind got rid of a lot of the background colors. The second shot was made by shooting towards the sun as it was rising. ” Freedom ringing at dawn’s early light “. Settings – ISO 200, 35mm, f/8, and 1/320 sec.
Great job on this reshoot, Peter. Well done !
Thanks, Romy.
Thank you for your suggestions, Romy. Saturday morning was gorgeous.
Great job on the reshoot! I like the bolder colors in the reshoot. The silhouette is very nice also. Well done!
Ah, yes Peter. I do prefer your second image on this. Amazing how we think about it then go and capture the moment! Well done!
Wow, very nice subject with a lovely backround. Love the colors and the leading line from bottom to top. I agree with Romy for the top of the shrine. grat shot !
Sorry, my english is not so good. Correction: Background :))
Thank you, Jackie.
Hi Peter – Love the way the colour works here and that you shot this in the rain resulting in a neat ‘texture’ on the beams. My suggestions have already been covered by other. Hope you have favourable conditions for your reshoot.
Thanks Judy. I hope the all leaves don’t fall down with the rain.
Very nice photo! I really like the stark contrast between the tower and the surrounding foliage. The tower and the bells draw your eyes both in and back out. Well done.
Thanks Valerie.
Very nice photo Peter with a great meaning to it. Like the fall colors.
Thanks, Jeff.
I was in a waiting room this afternoon & noticed this tree because the groups of needles on the periphery of the tree looked really interesting. As far as how I felt, I felt damp. It was misting out. đ Here are the settings 18 mm, iso 200, 1/50th second, f5.6. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/93284e5ddb9627119d105bc031e1f5501d520a8ee0b96936375abecc52831922.jpg
I like this one! Nothing like staring out a waiting room window and noticing how the outside is framed.
Thanks. There’s not much else to do. đ
Hi Rohn. Good effort here. I think you would have to be nearer to the tree to get a good shot of the needles you describe. That said I Like the shot . It has a softness to it which invites you in to explore with nice light throughout. Well Done.
Thank you. I tried to capture the edges that first caught my attention, but even though it was a cloudy day, point up at the sky to see them, the sky was blown out, & the tree was dark.
Yeah it’s difficult to shoot into the light like that without a flash. I can see needles with a darker background (tree trunk) that you might move around and find a spot where they work. That’s the challenge with fixed focal length, finding a composition that works. Brent
Rohn, nice wide angle. Is there any way you can focus on the needles in the foreground? It might give you a little more detail than the focus on the distant ones.
Thanks, I was trying, but my biggest complaint about this lens is the focus, both auto & manual. That is one of the reasons it is my least used lens! đ
Is it soft when you focus? Brent
Yes, it is not as sharp as I’d like when I auto focus. And on manual focus, you have to turn & turn the focus ring for a very small change in focus, plus there is no distance indicator on it. This is a kit lens, & I’m really hoping to replace it soon.
I thought I had replied to this, so I’m sorry if this is duplicate. I have noticed comments seem to disappear. To answer you question, yes, I’m never real happy with the focus I get from auto focus, & the problem with manual focus, is you have to turn, & turn, & turn the focus ring to change the focus a little bit. Plus there is no focus distance indicator. This was the kit lense which came with my camera, I’m hoping to replace it soon.
Rohn, nice picture. I find it rather busy, much detail. With a wide lens as you have I think you can have great pictures of landscapes (nature, city,…). You could get low with something on the foreground. Detailed pictures of the nature can also give good results.
Thanks
Yes, I agree with Christian about your image being a little too busy. I do like the sharpness and colours in your tree but it’s missing that single point of interest, checkout my masterclass here https://shareinspirecreate.com/bootcamp/03/ which will give you ideas for how to find that point of interest. Thanks for taking up the challenge, look forward to seeing your next image. Brent
Hi Rohn – as others have commented, a single area of interest here would help make this image more compelling. It is tough to capture the detail of the needles with a wider lens. My idea, as mentioned by @disqus_GS4axOeNE1:disqus is to focus on those needles at the front with a bit of orange at the tips using the widest aperture you can to blur the background. Using a higher ISO may allow you to use a higher shutter speed…maybe that will help sharpen the focus, too.
I’ve chosen a focal length of 135mm for this challenge, because outside of Bootcanp challenges, I love to shoot wide landscapes, or full zoomed attempts at capturing birds.
This is a Leucadendron flower, shot with canon EF-S 55-250mm lens at 135mm
1.3 sec f7.1 ISO 100
I felt rather amazed at seeing this up closer than normal, and wondered why I’d never done this before!https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5c530e4151248fb0113b1f777458dec6d6b7f6a4f502a302d33de087525467c5.jpg
Beautifully captured Kerrie….lovely softness and detail. Did you do any post processing with the HSL? and was this taken in natural light?
Hi Rerro, it’s been raining like mad here, so I took this indoors with window light and a lamp. I played with the luminance a little.
Thanks, i thought so….just wanted to make sure. There are a few over exposed spots…maybe see if you can bring the exposure down in that area…top left, on the yellow tips of the flower
Good spotting – never noticed those until now. Brent
Hi Rerro, Thank you for the questions and comments. I shot this watching the histogram, and there were no blown out spots on importing to LR. I have tried to address the “bright spots” but it just doesn’t work..Those hairs are white. .maybe I’m missing something here. Anyway I went outside this morning and reshot in situ in natural light. ..(the rain had stopped) I’ve posted it with my original image.
Thanks for the info Kerrie…my apologies…i assumed that the white was caused for over-exposure. If that is the flower…great stuff!
All good, Rerro. đ I did repost in response to your comment.
Nice capture Kerrie. Thanks for the explanation of Rerro’s questions. I would try putting a soft light or a cloth on the lamp to see if the reflections are soften a little. nice details.
Hi Juan, thanks so much for your suggestions…It’s a great help and much appreciated. I’m a complete newbie to indoor photography and lighting, so again, thank you đ
Hi Kerrie. An amazing shot given your conditions. Nice composition, softness and clarity. Well done.
Hi Denis, thank you for the feedback. There has been some comments on blown out highlights that I could not nicely fix, so I’ve reposted with my original post.
Kerrie, very nice picture. Nice composition. Great detail. There are some little overexposered ends of the flower. Beautiful colours. Well done.
Thanks for the feedback, Christian. I was watching the histogram while shooting this, attempting to avoid blow outs. On bringing it into LR, the highlights did not even reach the end of the histogram. I have tried to lessen those highlights in the image, but it just looses something.
Great capture Kerrie at 135mm – love all the warm colours that this flower shows. The details in your image are what makes it for me, those little hairs and pink bits. Part of this challenge is to make us open our eyes to different focal lengths and what they have to offer, glad you’re enjoying it. Brent
Thanks Brent, I am enjoying the challenge đ
What a complex flower! The detail is divine & I love the scattered pink highlights. Great job, as usual đ
Thanks so much, Judy. I am completely out of my comfort zone with this, as we all are I guess! I love to shoot wide. Also I don’t have a prime lens, and my zoom lens is a little slow and clunky in the focus department. đ
Hi Kerrie,
Did you use manual or automatic focus? It would be interesting to what it would look like focusing on different planes of the flower. Very nice.
Hi Peter, I used manual focus. Do you mean focusing on different planes and then stacking ? Thanks so much for the feedback.
Wow what a really neat flower. So many different parts and pieces to it. Nice capture, well done.
Thanks Valerie đ
Wow! Gorgeous! The perfect choice of your settings to emphasize all the complexity of this magnificent flower are excellent. Colors are fantastic. Nice nice nice!
Thank you so much, Jackie!
In response to the blown out area, I’ve tried to fix it with no luck, so I reshot this morning in the garden, in natural light. The background is a bamboo hedge that was in shade.
1/100 f6.3 ISO 100 @135mm canon efs 55-250mm lens https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1aa2970c74a9a8118d1fde29cccee76b7ec111cf3f09874038596e4e29d9b5dd.jpg
Hi Kerrie. this would be my pick.
Thank you Denis, I much prefer shooting in natural light!!
Just amazing, love this one with the green leaves and red on the tips of the leaf!
Thanks for the feedback, Phyllis đ
Hi Kerrie, I like the second shot the most. A very interesting flower indeed. I agree, extreme close up view of things we normally see from a distance present new world of perspectives. Lovely composition. Great job.
Thank so much Romy đ
Kerrie, I like the second version better also. I like the composition with the little bit extra on the right side. Beautiful.
Thank you Sarah!
Hi Kerrie, I like the second version. You can see better the detail of the beautiful flower. It pops more. That being said the 1st image is lovely and maybe a bit more arty which I am finding personally I am attracted to as I grow.
Thanks Keri, I am undecided!
Kerrie
I thought I’d commented on this – must have had a senior moment.
Great flower. I think I prefer the detail in the second attempt
great colours and composition
Thanks Nick, you’re excused for the “senior moment” !! đ
I really like the detail and composition of this second image, Kerrie. Well done!
Thanks Sheree. We’ve missed you!
I’m LOVING this challenge so far. Took my LUMIX and 25mm (50mm equivalent) up to the hunter valley on the weekend where I helped my wife at a Landcare day, pulling out prickly weeds in severely hot conditions. Afterwards we went to a coffee shop inside an old church called… “The Holy Cuppa” – funny! This place is amazing with so many things to shoot inside, but I decided to post this one.
It’s an image of a chandelier looking up towards to ceiling. I was shooting wide open aperture at f/1.7 on 25mm lens ISO 400 at 1/60sec (aperture priority mode). I think my mistake was too shallow a depth of field but it was fun anyway changing the composition while looking down on my flip screen (everything was backwards).
I converted it to B/W to get rid of the brown wooden church ceiling (distraction). Like the repeating patterns and highlights but I did crop off the left highlight which was distracting too.
Hope everyone else is enjoying this challenge so far, I’ve commented on some great images already. Brent https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/eaa4619843618e585022bb9ab657bb5d4f45b7a33ff11f678b8f29f101961ea9.jpg
Very interesting photo! I am not sure I would have figured out what it was without your description. I also like the repeating lines. The highlights remind me of ice sickles. Nice choice for black and white. Thanks for the challenge this month it really makes me stop and look before photographing..
Thanks Valerie – that’s the intention of these challenges is to make us stop and think (and feel) more. Brent
Very arty shot, Brent. Love the composition with the shallow Dof and the radiating lines with the bokeh balls (?) Love it, nice shot.
Thanks Kerrie
Brent, very nice picture. I like much the details on top with the reflected lighting. Good composition. Nice idea to convert to B&W to avoid colour distraction. It is almost an abstract view. Well done.
Thanks
Intertesting perspective Brent…i have to agree about the DoF. I think having more defined lines might have been better…not sure….the more i look at this, the more it grows on me! Quite surreal….almost impressionistic!
Thanks – yes should have shot at about f/8 or so but I didn’t review my images until later on – was having too much fun shooting, or maybe it was the coffee?
Hi Brent. It is certainly a different perspective. I would agree with your comments on depth of Field.
Thanks Denis
Interesting composition, looks surreal and the B&W works well
Everyone else would have had a greater depth of field, me included
Looking at it clinically, how much more would we want in focus? the 4 or 5 stalks(?) near the centre, and how would that effect the atmosphere of the photo.
You’ll just have to go back and have another coffee!
btw great name for the coffee shop, and now it’s known all around the world!
Thanks Nick – yes it’s worth a visit if you come up my way. Brent
Brent, I like the abstractness of this image. While it would be great to see more of the chandelier, this shot makes you wonder what the whole thing looks like. If you had not identified the item, it would have been interesting and entertaining to see what people would guess.
I actually really like the mystery of it. It appeals to me as I am becoming more interested in this type of style of photography. A little black and white, a little of the unknown. I like it.
Interesting shot Brent, you had me guessing…
Brent, I really like this one. The B&W treatment really highlights the sparkle in the crystals. It’s an unusual view and I think it all works really well together as an abstract image.
Ha….I was in Hunter Valley about 6 days ago!!!—but obviously missed “The Holy Cuppa”!!!
I love these type of shots, and thought originally that you had zoomed out on the subject and quickly realized this was “fixed”!!! Very nice!
1/125, f5,6, Iso800, Canon 100mm f2,8 macro lens. Sorry, this is a photo of last year as I’m again in the bed with a broken back. But it was a real chalenge for me as a landscape photographer. I borrowed this lens from a friend for a try. I do not use a tripod for this Robber Fly and had to crop nearly 50% for this result. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/98dd847c0656f0e61e556b6b8309b1c8b3235024b2034e851fa0826689109211.jpg
Jackie this is a great photo! Love the detail and composition. You must have super steady hands as I would not have been able to get this clarity. Hope you are back on your feet soon. Take care.
Excellent! Look at those eyes…the detail is amazing. Great job Jackie. Take care of yourself and get well soon.
Brilliant photo – just love the detail in it’s eye and those greens and yellow really attract my attention. Sorry to hear about your back – hope you’re out of bed soon and taking more images with that 100mm macro. Brent
Awesome image, Jackie! And you captured this hand held! I can relate to your feeling the challenge as a landscape photographer having to go in close for this exercise, but you have done this so so well.
Jackie, just an amazing picture full of colours. Good composition. Very nice details. Well done. I hope you will recover soon.
Great detail captured Jackie….and this is hand held, WOW…very well done!
Hi Jackie. First off let me wish you a speedy recovery. I like the composition. The head is well focused and sharp with the tail fading away. Great shot. Well done.
Jackie, great texture in the eyes, as well as the colors. So sharp for hand – held shot.
Amazing shot, Hope you recovery is going well
Awesome caprure, Jackie. The details are great, eyes tack sharp. Beautifully composed.
Hope your back heals fast.
Wow, great clarity, with nice colors. Well done.
Amazing image clarity Jackie. Well done. Best wishes for a quick recovery for your back.
Awesome shot Jackie. Love the colors in it’s eyes and the composition.
Amazing Jackie!!! Love the clarity, crispness and the blur leaving the eyes and other little critter as the the incredible focus,
Jackie, This is a great shot … the compositionI and focus is perfect. It looks like the Robber Fly is catching a lesser bug which tell the story. I hope that you have a good recovery so we can see more of your work.
Oh wow! Amazing shot Jackie. I love the detail in the eyes.
An amazing shot, Jackie. He is crisp and has clearly robbed someone of their skin!
So sorry about your back! Here is to a speedy recovery, take it easy.
Beautiful shot Jackie. Wishing you a speedy recovery.
incredible shot….those eyes are amazing. Sorry to hear about your back(yikes!)
For this challenge I chose my 90mm prime lens I bought recently. For me it this very challenging as I’m used to have a zoom lens.
A zoom is very comfortable for me, but with this prime I have a great minimum aperture of 2.8.
In a field of wild grass and some flowers I saw different butterflies in action.
After some previous shots and much patience, one butterfly was looking how I was struggling to get the right distance and focus.
I think he was warming up as I was but for some other reasons.
Here is my first macro picture. I hesitated to crop away some of the background in the upper part to have a square format.
But I didn’t to give space to the suggestion the butterfly would fly away upwards.
settings: 90mm f/4 1/100s ISO100 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/135e5cf0711a3832ee38020e77c997f349c7058c916c1ebd552a495c44533f82.jpg
Hi Christian ,Lovely image. It looks almost surreal to me, so artistic.The background is nice and dreamy with your f stop. I really like that you have left space above. It’s a nice change from leaving space to the left or right for the subject to move into.! Well shot
Thanks Kerrie for your appreciation.
what a beautiful capture Christian – i love everything about it…even the negative space! Great work mate!
Thanks Christine for your appreciation.
Hi Christian. Very well done here. Great shot, lovely composition and the light balance throughout is great. I was going to suggest a crop from the top but the more I look at it I think it is a equal part of the shot in this case. Well done again.
Thanks Denis for your appreciation.
Christian, I like the extra space at the top. I’m waiting for him to take off straight up.
Thanks Peter for your comment.
Beautiful composition, Christian. The background blur is great. Love that negative space. Well done.
Thanks Romy for your comment
Really a very nice capture, well done
Thanks John for your comment
Christion, very well done! I love the colors and the light behind the butterfly.
Thanks Christian for your appreciation
Great Capture! I really like that you have the butterfly looking directly at you. Nice composition and colors. Well done.
Thanks Valerie for your appreciation
I think this is really beautiful Christian.
Thanks Keri for your comment
Christian, this is an excellent capture, and I agree with leaving the upper space for the fly-away. I am shooting with a 85mm lens and struggling to get the right distance and focus. Nice work.
Thanks Richard for your appreciation
Beautiful! I’m amazed how you managed to get this shot before the butterfly flew off.
Thanks Janet for your appreciation.
Wow Christian – this is beautiful. I really like the choice you made with the composition to have all that negative space at the top. The backlighting on the butterfly is very pretty.
Thanks Judy for your appreciation.
Very cool shot Christian! still might have taken a little bit more in the upper part, not enough to make it square, though!
Thanks Sheree for your comment.
I have found this very difficult, I have chosen a Nifty Fifty and it has taken me quite a while to feel comfortable but I guess that is the purpose.
I have posted three photos for this posting, I hope that is OK? but I feel one photo couldn’t tell the story. And the story is the chaos that the beautiful Jacaranda trees cause in Kirriibilli
1st shot 1/50 sec F/11 ISO 160 50mm
2nd 1/40 sec f/11 ISO 320 50mm
3rd 1/125 sec f/11 ISO 100 50mm
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4fd9f7166b53c18e94bb5b24eb4f48b9f000643ee7aac2f44ee4af179eec746d.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/60a33540e4b73fad29deb1d20a46b1c92d4a2fe6b43d81cb46a9fe5b56b2f2c0.jpg
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0022fe794e2ad1134949ea942bef36d6502287ac9561d95d5d541fd5444b38f4.jpg
Hi Andrew. The rule for posting is one shot at a time. It is easier to comment on and makes us look at and evaluate our own compositions. I think the third shot is technically the best and the sharpest. This is most likely down to the faster shutter speed. The first two shots have quite a slow shutter speeds – one equal to the FL and one below the FL.. After all that I think the third shot is the the nicest and best produced composition. Well done.
Thanks Dennis I did wonder about that. Thanks for your comments and I will make sure not to do it again.
yes I agree with Dennis, you have gone beyond the scope of 1 image
every 5-7 days
Thanks John won’t happen again, I have deleted the offending pics
Thanks Andrew – just gives everyone a chance to comment and post. Also I’ve made it 7-10 days now so that we go out and shoot with intent and have more time between posts. I shot another image yesterday but I’ll wait 5 more days before posting again in case I get a better shot. Brent
No problems Brent, cant believe I missed the posting guidelines, It’s there big and bold. Won’t be doing that again Cheers.
This is a very nice composition and a good story to tell, lovely colours.
I love The selfie. well done
(ps. sorry I did not mean to be to harsh on previous comment)
Andrew, I like the varying facial expressions. Good composition although I do find a few people distracting in the background.
Hi Andrew. Nice story telling here. Good composition.
Andrew I also like the story you’ve told here. With your Nifty Fifty you can make your subject ‘pop’ from the background by choosing a wide Aperture. This would make the background less distracting. Experiment with using different apertures and I’m sure you’ll be pleased with the results.
Good advice, Thank you
Hi Andrew – what I like best about this image is the way you have captured the expressions of the three young women in this candid shot. I find I have to be patient with my Nifty Fifty. It can do a wonderful job, and I’ve learned to work with manual focus in preference to autofocus; mine tends to be very noisy and can be slow hunting for the autofocus subject area.
Thanks Judy I know what you mean, That’s why I was at F11 as I wasn’t confident with finding exact focus quickly. I have been mucking around with shooting F1.8 and when you have time to set things up it does give beautiful results. Cheers.
This is a superb capture, Andrew. What is a nifty fifty?—–
I really like the expressions, and they are all busy in various ways on their devices!
Thanks Sheree, In my case the nifty Fifty is the Canon 1.8 50mm lens. Cheers.
1/60 f/10 ISO 320 50mm I originally shot this at a wider aperture and followed some suggestions to shoot at a different aperture to bring more of the image into focus. As suggested, I also enhanced the color and clarity. I appreciate all the input! Bonnie
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1d48e4defb48cbe009ef769805bb21a9c292e6d93820eed0be1550094b94df35.jpg
This picture has now more variation of the rusty colours. It has an added value to make this picture more interesting. Well done.
Very nice image, like how the centre of the axle is to the left,
the radial spokes lead straight into the frame. well done.
Hi Fiat76. Well done on going out again to retake the shot. For me this is a much better shot. Well done.
I really liked the first image even with the small imperfections. But this image is So Much More! and I really appreciate that you were able to capture the raised iron emblem at the right upper corner in full. There was only a small glimpse of it in your first shot and it made me want to know more about the orgin and purpose of this rusty relic from the past. Thank you for the effort put forth to make this image so much more amazing.
Great job on the re-shoot. I really like the color variation.
Great reshoot. Now everything is in focus. Nice choice of a subject. Interesting.
I like all the angles and leading lines. Great job.
fiat76, I love this shot with so much detail and leading lines. I think it would be a better image if the hub of the spokes were to be dropped to the left corner.
Is this what you had in mind? I have appreciated all the feedback! Bonnie
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1a735d2cc2ab35e063f37c95857bd0a1c2621b4d1359b13abb6e685c7b886d4d.jpg
Bonnie, yes … this is a lot better in my view.
Thank-you, Richard! There are some great images in this challenge!
Agree, this tighter crop is a stronger picture. Really do love this, well done!
This is a strong image where your choice of aperture, depth of field combines well with the composition you’ve chosen here. i’m sorry I didn’t see your original shot but I do like this one.
Looks great Bonnie. I really like seeing all that mechanical detail and texture of the rust.
I’m still working on focus with my 55mm camera for this challenge. This image is from a morning walk in our local park. Fall colors haven’t been too https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3c5f05874dde128ffed22040ad8883f13dc8a34db7976805afe25cfcb5600d7e.jpg bright here in New Jersey due to much summer rain. NikonD5300; 1/4000; f/1.8; 55 mm; ISO 400.
Great detail and bokeh with this lens at 55mm Leila.
Hi Leila. This is a very nice image. Good composition, nice soft bokeh, and light balance. Good composition. Well done.
Leila, Well done.
Hi Leila. Beautiful composition. I like the nice separation of the subject from the background. Beautiful depth of field. Well done !
There is good contrast between your subject and the background Leila, and the composition works well with the branch coming from the lower corner of the image
I like the lines, the separation of subject from background, and how you use the light background for bringing out the plant. Well done.
I really like the crisp definition of the plant against that super smooth background. Nice job, Leila.
Hi All, My 2nd 27mm fl Image is of a local Graffiti wall, there was several others more
colourful, but it was the message that attracted me to this one. taken down a very narrow
lane, just enough room to capture. ISO640, fl27mm, f8.0, 1/125sec.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/af3d94af08d181ef20a9d82c7588190b90c4e791e509d6f37af5328445c595a7.jpg
Great street photography shot John….the colours have come across really well. To improve your image for next time….think of adding a person walking by, or a dog perhaps. This will not only give it context, but it will also make the image yours (so too speak). At the moment, it is just someone else’s art – that you have taken a picture of…hope that makes sense.
Thanks Rerro, I see where you are coming from, but my back is up against a wall
and I just managed the shot as it is. however if I do take wall art again I will keep that in mind.
Rerro, I do agree with your comments. It reminds me of a photo I submitted a while back “Woman Viewing Art” where having the woman in the photo made the image much stronger and told a story. I think that finding shots that tell a story and create a great image is very rewarding, but difficult.
Hi John. Nice composition of Street Art and well captured. I would agree with Rerro’s comments. Well done.
John, interesting shot. I like the message also.
John, like street art and this is very interesting, but I do agree with Rerro’s comments about having something uniquely yours in the image.
Well done, John. I also agree with Rerro’s comments in making it your own in some way. Love street art like this…..
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f0ef3b72382393843de4e77da234657c5b85d0fc622d20bd4a1f7d582d61e3aa.jpg
Hi all! This is my first photo for this month’s challenge.
I’ve decided to use my Prime Sigma 35mm 1.4 Art lens for this challenge as I’ve actually only used it a few times (really!). I want to explore it’s potential so this is a good kick in the booty for me to get going with it.
I used my Canon Crop sensor 70D with this lens so here is the result. I shot the corner of this building in Santa Fe, New Mexico USA. I was visiting here last week with family, but only used this lens on a few shots as it is rather heavy (for me) along with I’ve always been a “zoom lens kinda girl”! I dislike changing lenses while out shooting so love the convenience a zoom lens brings. Using a Prime lens will be a bit awkward for awhile, to say the least.
ISO – 100, f 3.5, 1/250th shutter speed, handheld
Hi Deby. I like the light and shadows on the building which I take is your main point of interest.I also like the detail on the top of the building. Works well against the sky. The tree is a little busy for me. Well done.
Thank you for your comments Denis.
Deby, nice picture. I like the angle upwards through the branches of the tree viewing the building. Nice balance between the more filled right side with those branches against the more open side with the blue cloudy sky. Well done.
Thank you very much Christian.
Deby, I like the composition and the colors. How can you go wrong capturing the colors of Santa Fe? The shadows are cool. Well done.
Thank you Sara. Yes, I loved the colors of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The food was pretty amazing, too!
Hi Deby, nice shot and well composed. That Sigma 35mm f1.4 is really good. I also use it on my Sony A7r2 with mc11 adaptor. I agree it’s rather heavy but the sharpness of the image that you get is exceptional. I look forward to more of your photos using that lens.
Thank you Roxy. I appreciate your comments.
Hi Deby – I like the way you have captured the contrasting colours of the building and the sky, and the shadows in the architectural detail. For me, the tree adds a layer of textural contrast which I also really like. I also have that lens and love it. You are right about it being rather heavy.
Thank you for your comment Judy. I’m still fighting the “un” zoomability of a prime lens. I’ve been wanting to use this lens more so this is good homework for me this month. Glad you love this lens so I’m thinking I made a good decision to purchase it last year! Ha!
For some reason I was not able to see the comments on your settings or lens, but I love how you have captured the contrasting colours and the tree in the foreground. The clouds are wispy in the blue sky. Well done!
Well this is being a very challenging, challenge, for me. I started out using my manual, vintage 28mm f/3.5 lens, and I wasn’t happy with the results. Switched to my 57mm, f/1.7 vintage lens, took lots of pictures and still wasn’t happy. Next my 18-55mm AF, IS kit lens at 55mm. these photos were better, but still not what I was looking for. What I did learn is that I need auto focus and IS to get good consistent photos. I recently purchased a 55-250mm tele lens and decided to give that a go at 250mm. A walk along the lake, this morning, yielded this shot. Shutter priority, Auto ISO, JPEGs. FL 250mm. 1/500sec, f/8, ISO 100. Only PP done was crop and WB. This looks like a confrontation but they were actually both feeding along the edge of the water.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/38aeadef85b12a26626bafe2c49863fb62b308ef658c5a3a34122c039db67d54.jpg
Rachel, for me this is a tough one. Their is a leading line going from one bird to the other. For me it is OK to see 2 birds in your picture. It could give the impression of defending their place searching for food. Personnally I would have the right bird also full in the picture. Or perhaps from a different POV to get them more close. Well done.
Hi Rachel. The Gull to the right is neither in or out of the shot. I think I might take it out and concentrate on the Herron. Well done.
Great effort with the new lens Rachel. I do agree with Denis about the bird in the foreground. Although, i can see you are wanting to show the story and connection between the two birds…in this case the seagull is not adding anything to the image. To improve the image, i would suggest cropping out the seagull and getting the other bird into a portrait setting and try and enhance the eye.
Christine, Denis, you mean like this!? I was going to go with this, but felt that the look in it’s eye needed context, which is why I went with the original shot. However, I do have this one as my screen saver. Should have stayed with my original choice.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1a2b7456ed306b59220074a7e2501cfa0a2955053681a26bde0f35007cf0bfb5.jpg
Hi Rachel, I like the one with sea gull. Unfortunately the gull is not completely in the frame. It’s almost like the heron is about to pounce on the gull.
The heron by itself is also a beautiful image. It makes you wonder what the heron is looking at. Beautiful shot.
Thanks Romy!
Rachel while both are good I like this shot much better. Great detail on the bird and strong point of interest. Well done.
Thanks Valarie!
Much more powerful….! Well done đ
Thanks, Christine! đ
Love the composition in this image, Rachel. Really nice detail in the Heron, great shot.
Tanks, Kerrie!
Hi Rachel. Very much so. This is now a very powerful image. Great job. Well done.
Thanks Denis. I knew that this was the better image, I was just second guessing myself.
Great shot, Rachel. It looks like the heron is about to walk out of picture.
Thank you, Peter!
This has become a much more interesting image. It brings out the details of the heron beautifully enhancing the appeal of the image to the viewer. Well done!
Thanks Dianne!
Rachel, the cropped version is a much better image and since the bird appears to be walking quite stealthily towards something it’s easy to zen in its intended prey.
Thanks, Richard!
I like the cropped version much better. Birds are difficult subjects and I think you got this one. The claw gives a sense of motion too.
Thanks, PR! đ
Rachel-I really like this version! The bird is clear and looking intense and about to walk out of the frame. Well done.
Rachel, nice job on the crop. I like how you left the bird space to look into and not closed off that side of the frame. Nice clarity on the bird.
Thank you Jeff.
I like this crop too…excellent clarity on the bird!
Thanks, Marsha!
Great shot, Rachel! The bird looks like he has a strong intent. I see your point about the seagull being part of the story, but I don’t think the gull is necessary given the focused look on the heron.
Thanks, Judy.
This one tells a good story on its own. He is crisp and moving with intent……an intent that is expressed in the face. Well done
Thanks, Sheree!
Ok … the pondering is over. Since I spent the last 3 years shooting with a 28 mm fixed lens I thought I would try using a prime lens at a longer focal length. So, I added the Sony FE 85 mm F 1.4 GM lens to my a7Rlll kit. Here’s my first submission for this challenge “Sun Flowers in Vase” This shot was taken wide open @ 1/100 sec, ISO 100. It’s fun shooting with this lens, and it creates great portraits with real nice bokeh … but I still find myself trying to zoom ! *https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/01dcb35b887c78b9327a9f5c48591ed597e2db8380c35d2d3c41ad72783010e3.jpg
Wow, amazing shot Richard. Great colors and absolutely sharp. I’m going to nit-pick. Looks like a lamp in the lower right hand background!? Maybe clone it out?
Rachel, you are correct … it is a lamp, and I have tried to get rid of it, but my skill level for this kind of editing need a lot of improvement. Perhaps you or someone else could use this photo to demonstrate how to do this. I tired everything that I know in LR and PS but my efforts only made the image worse. I guess another lesson here is to be more careful about what’s in the background before you capture the shot.
Hi Richard, Ah yes, LR! Kind of a steep learning curve there, which is why I went with “Affinity”. A one time purchase and it does everything that LR does, but is easier and quicker to learn. I took your photo, clicked on the wall color to “pick” it and proceeded paintbrush in where the lamp is. I zoomed in to pixel level, to be as accurate as possible. A bit painstaking. Then I used the “blur” tool to blend it in. About 5 minutes. My technique still needs work. There’s probably a quicker way but I haven’t delved into that yet.
Removing the lamp to start with, is the simplest solution. :o) LOL!!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b0c373951588a40925106bdc307b31356e9ad535f6035c9e2bfbf7681f96dfca.jpg
Rachel, Your edit is perfect.
Thanks Richard. You should be able to do that in LR/PS, without much hassle. It’s just a bit fiddly.
Fantastic shot Richard…..so vivid, bright and sharp!
Really like the brightness of this shot!
Hi Richard. A very nice bright vivid shot. Good sharpness and clarity. Well done.
Richard, nice picture. Loverly colours of the sunflower surrounded by those other ones. Sharp taken. Well done.
Richard, wonderful colors and the flowers are tack sharp. I would have tried for the purple/pink background and no distractions.
Nice clarity of the flowers Richard, and great use of colors.
Thanks to all for the nice comments and suggestions … next time I will remove the lamp before I take the shot since that may be easier than trying to do it in LR or PS. It looks like Rachel may have the answer … see her edit below.
Lovely image, Richard. I like the way you have used the complementary colours of gold and purple here, and your choice of that wide depth of field gives the flowers a nice mix of definition and blur towards the back. Yes, I have also learned that it is easier to tidy up the background before clicking the shutter đ
Awesome, Richard! Beautiful palette, and sharp where it needs to be. Personally I don’t find the “lamp” a distraction as there are other light spots in the background…it is kind of balancing in that respect. Really well shot.
Beautiful shot! I love the clarity of the flowers and their centres…..I might have stepped back a little to capture a bit more of the stalks….but that is just a personal preference….
Hello Everyone. Great “Red” Magazine this month. I know/feel that I am growing and I keep aiming for that next great shot. What I have found as a member of this photo family, is that personal preference is a real thing and if I don’t hit the mark then I learn anyway because now when I am out, feedback just flashes into my head. I take you all everywhere LOL!!! This shot may or may not hit the mark so I ummmed and ahhhhed about posting. Thanks in advance for your incredible, talented feedback. Kit lens @ 55mm which is my chosen this month. 1/60, F22, ISO 640. Converted to B&W.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f320a23bc1bd26c597cdd100ff4ebfa7eaafc87c99b4784a7268e8cb78f32852.jpg
Interesting photo Keri. I’m having trouble figuring out what your objective was. I think your POI was the foamy water but then you used f/22 in an apparent attempt at max DOF!? I’m thinking a better image would be had with using a hyperfocal focus distance!? I’m not sure. What does it look like in color?
Thanks Rachel. I had to google what the hyperfocal focus distance meant. Here is the shot in colour. I guess I was thinking that the foreground is pretty cool and then the windsurfer appeared. I am not sure now. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d7e4aca7620ea485c6f50db237644f61d7eb81a288f50c9c0ec9c8d5604c31de.jpg
OK, to my taste, the B&W is the better image only because of the brown foam, but I thing it’s a bit dark. I imported your color photo and converted it to B&W, with no other changes, and it looks OK to me.
Thank you Rachel. I appreciate your feedback.
I like the colored version better Keri, nice capture of the foam with good focus and I like how the windsurfer is just a little blurred. Well done.
Hi Keri. I appreciate what you were after here. Just something about it that is not hitting home with me. I am not sure if the colour version is the best option. This could all be down to the shutter speed v focal length – ss1/60, fl 55mm. Maybe a faster shutter speed. I am no expert and a bit lost on this one. Well done.
Keri, I like this version better as the brown foam is not pleasing to the eye. I wonder if you lightened the tones/contrast if the B&W would be stronger, I agree that the above seems a tad dark.
Interesting shot, Keri. I like the way you used that smaller aperture to get that whole ‘arm’ of foam sharp. My preference is leaning towards the B&W version, with a preference to brighten the foam.
Very interesting, Keri! I love the foam in the foreground and would almost want that as my focal point and forget about the wind surfer! Really like this image!
I prefer this B/W version of your image Keri – mainly because of the arty feel to it. Very creative focusing on the foam and having that extra element of the wind surfer in the background to give it scale. Also like how you’ve composed this image with space around the foam. Well done and glad you’re taking all of us with you when you go shooting. Brent
Thank you Brent. I appreciate your comment. You know resistance…..had a bit of that. Cheers.
Hi this is my first image for the month and I have chosen my 35mm prime lens. i love the ability to open my aperture wider than I can with my zoom lenses. This was taken late yesterday afternoon and the sunlight on the seaweed made it appear that there were small pearls tangled up in the weed. My settings were Aperture F3.5 ISO 200 and Shutter Speed 1/4000 at 35mm.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/43bae5a35fc2329eb417b9fcc892a12461ec766c605667a01aa043b73bbac721.jpg
Love the golden globes in tihs image….:)
Thanks Rerro!
I like this Dianne. Very detailed,warm image of the seaweed and nice use of shallow DOF. I am finding that the waves, at the top, keep pulling my eyes away from your subject.
Rachael as I was unable to crop this successfully, I have taken another one this afternoon (any excuse for a beach walk). I have taken the liberty to change the composition slightly to focus the attention to the right hand lower corner without any distractions from waves. Settings were a little different F2.8, Shutter Speed 1/1500, ISO 100 at 35mm. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/803f0e155cdb500f4a25db62456d1a9bd0a2344cd187b04e230dbade80125540.jpg
Hi Dianne. Prefer this option. Good work on the adjustment. Very nice golden touch to it. Well done.
Thank you for your comment Denis, Iâm happier with the second take too.
Dianne, I like this one better, the color palette is more pleasing to the eye. Wonderful job.
I prefer the colors here as well. Thanks for the comment,
Many thanks Sara!
I actually like both photos. I like the waves on the first picture, and I also like the seaweed all by itself. Nice use of colors in both. I also love the ocean and make excuses to get myself out there as well.
Thanks Jeff, a walk along the beach is quite inspiring. I like how just a small change allowed a different perspective. I appreciate your comments.
Dianne, despite the waves I like more your first picture. I appreciate here more the watercolours and ripples then in the other rather muddy effect. Personally I would try to use the brush or spot removal to get it away or reduce the effect. Well done.
Thank you for your comments, Iâll check to see what I can do to reduce the muddy effect.
Hi Dianne – I like the version with the waves and the textural interest added by the gentle ripples. To me, the waves add to the story. I like it even more when I click on the picture to look at it at full size as my eye goes right to the pearls, whereas they get lost a bit in the rest of the plant in the preview version.
My second image at 200mm was taken yesterday evening during the golden hour down at Claisebrook Cove in East Perth. This is quite different, and might not be to everyone’s taste….but to me it comes across as a timeless classic!
This is a Sea Eagle looking out across the Swan River towards the new Optus Stadium! Camera settings 1/640 sec. f/7.1 200 mm ISO100
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9135772bcda534cf11b2589e88ae3aebe3de13c924cda6526238e4646e218eff.jpg
It is quite different and I have done the same thing on a photo I took a year ago of a vineyard. :p
At first, I thought why are you posting a photo from the early days of photography? đ
I like it. The eagle almost looks like it has sunglasses on with messy hair until I looked closer to see what it really was. I like the play on the viewer’s eyes that makes them look closer. đ
Hi Christine. Lovely composition and you have achieved that timeless feel to the shot. I like this one. Well done.
Christine, beautiful picture. Less is more. This picture gives a peaceful timeless feeling. The eagle looking from above waiting for the right moment… How did you get this effect? Well done.
Thanks Christian….i used Nic collection post processing and the vintage preset
Hi Christine. This is truly a classic ! I love that vintage look. Oh my ! I can’t wait to hear what Nick is going to say about this one. Maybe he is already off to another photography magazine. Hahaha.
Well done.
chuckle
I thought the eagle might be wondering when the cricket starts … and I’ve given up trying to get Christine limited to one photo a month – Brent’s not taking me seriously! lol
Rerro, It does look like a classic, and I like the way you have rendered this image with a blank background. How do you do this ?
Thanks Richard, this shot was taken at 200mm, so that helps blurring the background – but, in this case, this was pure blue sky!
Thanks Rerro, I guess you were just lucky !
Very cool Rerro! I love the composition.
Love this! Your choice of composition and the black and white tones really set the mood. Great job!
Just lovely, Rerro!
Nice photo Rerro. You are correct, it does look like it was taken back in the 60’s or so. Nice capture of the Sea Eagle.
I love the way the branches lead off to the left, the position of your “model”, the toning, the way you cropped this along with the composition. Really cool Rerro!
thanks deby!
Very old fashioned feel to this one – great processing choice, Christine. I really like it. The tree adds great structure and lines, without busy twigs and leaves, and the profile of the eagle lets me see the curve of the beak and tuft of feathers on his head.
Thanks Judy
Nice
I like the starkness and the sepia look – real old worldy
the limbs flowing through the image really add to the feel of the image
superb
This looks like a charcoal drawing! So very nice, crisp and beautifully composed. I like how you handled the background, and the soft texture.
Thanks Sheree đ
A really unusual effect – I like it!
Working on the yard today and at the corner of my eye, I seen the most interesting Sweet Gum leaf on my driveway. Maybe it was the way the light was hitting it. Taken with the Minolta 55 f/1.7 @ f/8, ISO 100, 1/60 sec. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f9d500c819cc95a607e647816a02172c552ad8dc50e106ee15655cd73968674a.jpg
The leaf was not touched. After I took the shot, a gust of wind blew it away.
Very sharp capture of the leaf and I find the shadow adds interest. You were lucky with the light.
Hi Point. What a lovely shot. Great capture of the light and shadow as well. I believe this spontaneous shots are often the best. Well done.
Brilliant capture Point…..the lighting and the shadow are fantastic! With the tips of the leaf curling back, it almost looks the front leaf is running away from the leaf at the back….. Sooooo good!
Point, very nice picture. Very good composition with the leave on the left and his shadow on the right (in the open space). Good looking light on the automn coloured leave. Well done.
Hi Point. Nice shot and great timing ! A few seconds later you wouldn’t have this shot. Love the shadow. Beautifully composed.
Point Reyes, You have to have a good eye and a quick camera t get a shot like this. The way you have captured this looks almost like 3D. Nice work.
Point Reyes, very cool shot! Great angle and DOF. Well done!
Great shot! Looks like the leaf is running rather than being blown by the wind. Composition, lighting and details are very good!
Awesome capture, PR…so beautiful just to be in the moment. Love it.
The contrast between the lighted leaf in orange and the darker background make this image work. I’m jealous that you had a camera ready for just such an ephemeral shot.
Great highlight of the leaf. i like the vibrancy of the leaf and the dark background. Nice capture.
this is a stunning photo with the gorgeous colour and the light shining through the leaf!
This is really beautiful. Very nice.
I love the lighting of this, & the way the veins show up! It looks like it is running away from the leave behind it. đ
Delightful shot, Point! The backlighting is to nice and I like the resulting depth from the shadow. Take a bow for capturing fleeting beauty.
Wow! It looks like the leaf is running away! The lighting is pure magic. Well spotted and nicely composed!
Great capture Point!
Been lying low for the last couple of months so thought Id better get my act together for this months challenge. My choice of focal length is 105mm on my 18-105 kit lens. This photo of a bottlebrush was taken at a local park on a very bright sunny day. I like the contrast between the flower and background, and that fact that the colour of the flower is different to the more commonly found red or pink. ISO 100, 1/50 @f5.6 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/aaa0436f8c884ef14a7c741b5937a86a6652ddef2e99a8a3b41fad4c7f9decd9.jpg
Hi Janet. Great to see you back. This is a very good composition. You have captured the deftness and the clarity of the flower. Lovely bokeh and light balance throughout.To be picky and that is all it is, I might try to remove the long leave/stem in the background directly behind the flower. Well done.
Thanks Denis. I’ve had a go at removing the long stem in the background behind the flower, and also the leave that appears to be piercing the flower. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7162834b0524e3d01cef0ffefcf3cb0019921770b1a62927779e09455ea4a594.jpg
Janet, very nice picture. Good composition. Very nice colours. Personally I would try to remove some leaves at the right who are crossing the leading line of the flower. Especially the front one. You have a nice sharp view on this flower. Well done.
Hi Janet. This is a beautiful bottlebrush. Tack sharp. Beautifully composed. I suggest erasing the leaf in the foreground that appear to be piercing the bottle brush and the diagonal stem in the background.
Janet, I like the colors and composition. But do agree with the other comments about the front leaf on the bottom right.
Hi Janet, beautiful sharp capture. Your subject is nicely separated from the background, and I love the composition.. Rather than trying to erase the offending leaf, you could try re shooting, and just pull down the leaves you don’t want in your frame.
Thanks Kerrie. I have erased the offending leaf (see below in response to Dennis’ post. I was unable to reshoot as the flower hangs out over a small lake and I could not reach it, and unfortunately I can’t walk on water!
Hi Janet, your edited version is great!
Janet, I too like the contrast between the foreground and the background. Nice clarity on the bottlebrush.
Janet, I like the detail you have captured here; sharp through a wide range of the flower. To me, the flower seems to glow faintly (probably just an optical trick in how my eyes view it) and I really like that effect.
nice image – great focus and nice soft background.
I find the green varieties to be quite interesting (well and the red as well!)
that bothersome leaf – I’d move out of the way for the photo or nip it off with my fingernail – all for arts sake of course!
Lovely capture, soft brush and soft colours…..well done!
For this month I have decided to use the wide angle lens I recently bought, a 7.5mm (15mm equivalent) lens. It is a focal length I have not often used and I have spent the last week since this challenge started taking all sorts of photos of different subjects and finally decided to post this shot of the sunset last night at a nearby lake. Also happened to be almost time for the moon to set an hour or so later so it also got into the frame. I decided to crop to a 16:9 aspect ratio to remove some of excess foreground which crept into the photo no matter how close I got to the water (it is quite a wide lens).
Settings: 1/25 sec @ f/5.6 (?), ISO-800, lens 7.5mm ( 15mm equiv. ).
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3f5645c4a3594d1593fc6a6211d49f9485a0397b24939d715baa520f00ce0057.jpg
Lovely sunset capture, Rodney. Awesome golden colors. Well done.
Thanks Romy
Rodney, This is a very peaceful image with the birds playing along the shore while the sun is setting. If I were to change anything, I would try to lighten up the foreground to show the birds a bit more … not a lot. Nice work.
Thanks Richard. I did have a look at adjustments to the foreground and did lighten the shadows of the seagulls just a bit in the posted image. I found it is a fine line with the brightness and didn’t want to lighten the shore much more or it would start to compete with the sun for the attention. I also find the brightness is a little different on a laptop / monitor / phone / tablet etc and also found that Discuss sometimes tends to darken images slightly. I will have another look at it.
Rodney, I understand the fine line you speak of, and I think you made the right choice.
Rodney, Beautiful job! Very peaceful.
Thanks Sara.
Beautiful. The light reflections on the water and bird silhouettes make for a really nice story. Well done.
Thanks Valerie. I had some shots without the birds and them came across the seagulls while walking further along the shore and thought they would make a nice addition to the scene. When reviewing the images at home I did like this one better.
Love the wide angle and the beautiful colors and feeling of peace. Thank you. Love it.
Thanks Kerrie.
Lovely balanced sunset Rodney…..the golden hue in the sky and the reflection on the water is so warm and peaceful. I like that you have the birds in the foreground and the moon in the sky….very nice image!
Thanks Christine. The birds were an addition I thought might work well and I could position myself to include them as I wandered back and forth. The moon just happened to be in the right spot the night I was out, but I was still happy to be able to include it.
Hi Rodney. Lovely composition. Nice tranquil feel to the shot. I like the reflection you have captured. Well done.
Thanks Dennis
Very nice photo Rodney. I like the colors, and what a great shot of the lake.
Thanks Jeff.
Rodney, very nice picture. Good composition. Great colours with their reflection in the water. Nice foreground with those birds. Well done.
Thanks Christian
Beautiful wide angle dusk image Rodney. I especially like the interesting foreground elements – birds. Love those warm use against the blue at the top of your sky. Such a tranquil image. My one suggestion is the add more feathering to the vignette, or back off a little on the vignette. Well done. Brent
Thanks for your comments Brent. I have posted a slightly revised version above.
HI Rodney – This image is very serene. I really like the birds in the front, and the fact that they are almost in silhouette, plus the sliver of moon in the dark blue sky. The gentle sunset is the star of the show, here. To my eye the vignette looks a little strong, but I admit to having a personal preference for light vignettes.
Thanks Judy. I agree the vignette is a little strong for this photo. See the revised version above.
Really love the composition on your photo, Rodney. It is hard to do these extra wide photos without distractions! I also love the darker blue sky with the sliver of moon. I do find the vignetting a bit harsh, so would pull back on that—to me it distracts from the glorious sunset.
Thanks Sheree. Yes. See the revised version above.
Thanks for all the comments. Regarding the vignette (@disqus_fGWrfrmXu3:disqus, @disqus_W81kCdSr3n:disqus , @brentmail:disqus ) , having another look at it I agree it was a little strong. For a change I had used a Preset for the initial post processing and then made a few tweaks to that (It was one of Johny Spencer’s – “Landscape-The-Starter”) but not a problem with his preset – just a bit strong for this image and I hadn’t adjusted it to suit. I have reduce the vignette and also lightened the shadows in the foreground a little, but not too much … (thanks @disqus_VMEwMaCfC1:disqus ). Here is the revise slightly lightened version.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5a8e7afb40c097d98b64eefb8a79d3271c4623d890aa580912f7872a8bdbc236.jpg
My Longgan tree is flowering and has attracted a lot of bees lately. The first image is an environmental shot just to give an idea of how it looks like with the bees feasting on the nectar. Settings: ISO 1600, f8, 90mm, 1/640s
taken handheld at Aperture priority.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3e40ef9ae6ac4a89aa562e2183ef84a2e60138a5b8592ea155b279a5595ec71b.jpg
The second image is officially the entry for this challenge and is a close up shot of one of the bees. Settings: Aperture priority, ISO 160 , f8, 90mm, 1/100s, handheld.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f93d18e06176edf6a3ecbb6ac9d60a991784b4f6c0c3e858a5446105b016daa2.jpg
Romy, wow great job getting the bee in focus. I like the composition and the colors are great.
Thanks Sara.
Great shot and so many bees to work with. Nice composition. Well done.
Many thanks Valerie.
Actually it took me more than an hour and about fifty or more shots to get a few keepers with the bees in focus. Bees don’t stay still.
Great capture, Romy! Gorgeous background, great composition, and the bee is beautifully focussed. Well shot.
Thanks so much, Kerrie.
Romy….great macro image of the bee…..i do like how you have used the sketching technique from the previous challenge to work out your shot. Shooting hand held is very difficult with such a narrow focal plane to work with. You have done really well, but there are areas that movement is evident. Next time, try and rock forward (slowly) in burst mode and then stack and blend the shots in PS
Thanks so much Christine. Those words are really encouraging. I still have the rest of November to practice some more. I dread Photoshop. When I get to focus stacking I will probably use Bracket Pro for my Sony.
A perfect alternative Romy đ
Thanks Christine. Got a question. Are you using a ring light in your macro photography? I am planning to get one What would you recommend ? Thanks.
I do have a ring light…..but never felt comfortable using it. A normal speedlight with a manufactured soft box is the cheapest way to go. Here is a link to help https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Flash-Diffuser-for-Macro-Photography/
Or if you can spend a few dollars a twin flash setup is the best option.
Looks interesting. Thanks.
Hi Romy. The second shot is the my pick. Good clarity and composition. Well done.
Thank you Denis.
Both photos are nice. Nice clarity on them. Good clarity on the second photo.
Hi Jeff. Thanks so much.
So many bees !!! Glad the bees are doing well where you live. Great shot.
Many thanks, Peter.
Great shots…I know how hard it is to capture bees..they really don’t sit still at all!
Thanks so much, Marsha. Welcome to Bootcamp.
Hi Romy – congratulations on only taking 50 shots to find your keeper! It’s tough – I tossed dozens of attempts away this summer. I really like the soft, warm tone you have in this image.
Thank you Judy. Sometimes we get lucky. It’s a continuous learning process. Bootcamp has been very helpful. My sincere thanks for all the comments from the members.
I’m hating it that you’ve managed a great bee photo and I haven’t! lol
well done – great capture!
edit: 50 shots – I’ve taken more and not got a keeper!
Patience, more patience then even more patience! Well done….. You have done a super job here getting the bees in focus and a good composition. Well done!
Here is my second submission. I took this the same day I took the first one. A couple of the days have been sunnier since, but I have not had a chance to get more photos taken. This is along my compute to work. I adjusted the colors a bit to draw out what little cloud definition I could. I look forward to your comments and feedback. I was a little disappointed in the weather-but happy I got a couple shots I thought I could use.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5fcf8957bcc59e148d69cb6377ea58c2fcfa4bdcfe2edfd07bae60f389a69870.jpg
Sara, this is a good capture of the mood of a November day! We have had many days like that here in Central Canada as well.
Sure captures the mood Sara and the clouds are quite dramatic….not sure what your main focus point was though. Perhaps next time change your perspective by moving around and finding a clear view of your subject. The tree of the left is a distraction in my opinion
Hi Sara. You have captured the mood of the day very well. I might take the tree on the left out of the shot. Well done.
Well done despite the weather. I like how your photo leads my eyes from front to the back.
Sara, good result taken in consideration the weather. Personally I would have taken more tree at the left for framing or no tree (as said by others). In PP perhaps enlighten a bit the shadows for the foreground.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5c0ebaac6f82e9d067d910ea8726c92de8c65bb89c874489d86020ab030ec034.jpg
This is in response to a few comments about the tree on the left. I have taken it out and tried to lighten the foreground a bit. I appreciate the comments. My subject was the river valley. I realize that I should have moved down the road to keep the closer trees out of view. It has been too easy in the past to zoom out past the trees and at 45mm that is hard to do. đ Which is why this is a great challenge.
You have really captured the atmosphere well here, Sarah! I have a chill…and want to bundle up! These are very hard shots to work on given the trees in the foreground. I may have kept the one on the left and cropped in toward the one on the right, so as to frame the entire scene… but I am not even sure that would work!!! Well done on capturing the blue mood!
Hmm
It’s an interesting scene and I see what you are trying to accomplish.
With the clouds, I’d try a polarizing filter to make them more dramatic (yeah I know, I don’t carry mine with me all the time either)
I’m finding the white structure (water tower?) in the middle a bit jarring – I think I’d clone it out.
I’m not too worried about the tree on the left but find the one on the right to be a bit out of place. If your aspect of this image is the valley and lake than that tree doesn’t help much – maybe use it to frame that side of the photo?
Thanks for the feedback and ideas Nick.
Today is Remembrance Day in Commonwealth Countries, as well as in Belgium and France. In the U.S. it is known as Veterans’ Day. I’m posting this photo for its message and the significance of this day. The 11th day of November is especially meaningful this year, since it is the one hundredth anniversary of the armistice at the end of World War I. The poppy is the official symbol of Remembrance Day. Settings: 50 mm, f2.0, 1/100 sec and ISO 4000.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/34cd081462e1ab4880356ed993ee6eb8c9ac18c7d621fd3592c4d1d1f78790d9.jpg
Love the story in this,Sig. It’s beautifully composed and very powerful.
PS..I also took some shots on 11th in my home town. Will post one on the passion project for you to see.
Thank you Kerrie!
Very powerful and emotive story and image Sig! Not sure if you cropped the image, but did you manage to get the full body of the soldier kneeling? At 50mm i am not sure how far away you were standing.
Hi Rerro, thank you for your comments and question. Yes, the image has been cropped, in fact quite a bit. The original image does include the full body of the soldier, but I felt it contained undesirable distractions – the bright rectangle above the soldiers head, the name ‘Roland’ and the flag. To me the latter is not recognizable as a commonly known flag, so therefore cannot be readily associated with the rest of the scene. I have posted the original photo below, as well as an alternative crop that includes the full body of the soldier. My feeling was that my original crop made the scene more intimate and therefore more meaningful. Let me know if the new crop is better. Thanks!
P.S. Is Rerro Rocher a pseudonym? I see others address you as Christine. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/469b23d5a647e85476cce89d3830fc7fe4c079934990c36884413cf60f6555b5.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bc35f7dd1f9d1eda35153e4e375d05002e155532d2d79463bbd661847c5f0ed7.jpg
Thanks for your explanation Sig….and i can now see how you arrived at the final image. And i completely concur, that the final image is the more intimate. Well done on a great outcome!
PS….Rerro is a nickname….my real name is Christine đ
Thanks very much Rerro!
Hi Sig. Now you are talking. This is the image for me. Well done. Great work.
Thanks very much Denis!
Sig, very nice picture. Great use of the red poppies who grow a lot in Flanders (Belgium). Good composition. I like your final picture. Well done.
Thank you Christian for your comment and for tying this in with Flanders! Perhaps you know the poem by the Canadian army doctor, John McRae “In Flanders fields the poppies grow…”.
Yes Sig. Full of emotions.
Beautiful final image. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Sara!
Me too I like the original better
Hi Sig. Very powerful image. I was watching some of the events world wide yesterday. War is never the Answer. Pity the soldier is not in the full frame. Well done for capturing the moment.
Thanks Denis for your comments! This was pretty much an action shot. People were coming forward, quickly bowing down and depositing their poppies. This gentleman took a little longer, since he was kneeling, so therefore enabled me to catch a few frames in rapid fire. See the other images posted below in reply to Rerro.
I don’t mind that you have cut him off mid-body, that’s the decision we need to make with a fixed focal length lens. Brent
Sig, You have captured well the essence of this day of remembrance. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Richard, my pleasure and thank you for your comment!
Great story!
Thank you Janet!
A very significant day indeed all around the world – here too in Australia. You’ve captured a great story here Sig, With the poppies and the service man kneeling down to show respect. Your image is sharp on his face and I like how the darker wood background almost frames his head and body. Great capture. Brent
Thanks Brent, I appreciate your positive comments!
Hi Sig – you’ve captured a meaningful moment here, in my opinion. I like this original version. I don’t miss the rest of the veteran’s body as I think the important connection is between him and the cross while he adds a poppy to the platform. I’m guessing you did not use flash here, is that right? The shadows look quite soft.
Hi Judy, thanks very much for your comments! Yes, you are right – no flash, so had to shoot almost wide open. I’m almost surprised that the dof turned out OK.
Hi Sig. A powerful composition for a meaningful event. You really captured the prevailing mood of the moment. Great image.
Romy, thank you for your positive comment!
Such a lovely photo, very moving. The lighting adds to the overall mood of the moment, you have done a great job in capturing the respect and quietness of the actions within his face….. Well done!
Thank you Sheree!
Thanks Sheree – glad you like the image!
Sig, really nice image. I love the story you shared behind the image. My grandfather’s brother, Floyd Arnholt gave his life due to disease in the Great War, as did many others. He is buried in Flanders Field in France along with all the others who paid the ultimate price for the freedom we all enjoy today. Lest we never forget! What is really interesting is that my grandfather was born in 1883, not sure if he was born in Germany, or here in the US. My family were German immigrants. In WW1, Floyd was fighting against Germany for his new home of the United States of America.
Hi Jim, thanks so much for your comments and the account your family’s relationship to the Great War. My father-in-law’s family were also immigrants from Germany arriving in the US in the 1880’s. I am not aware of anyone in that family participating in WW I, but my father-in-law was a pilot in WW II, stationed in England and flying missions over Europe.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/59869913861691b35ac4257a56b899e8b0f22242d2ea5abf02c2f08a14478335.jpg This photo was taken at the Shrine of Saint Joseph this Saturday as the sun was rising. The point of interest is the statue, with the 9/11 Memorial Bell Tower in the background. The message – may well all live in a world that is peaceful for our children to grow up in. The settings were ISO 200, 50mm, f/8, 1/250 sec.
Hi Peter. What a lovely shot given the weekend that was in it. Well captured and great sentiment. Well done.
Thanks, Denis. I wish the leaders of the world would look for peaceful solutions.
Hi, Peter: What an exquisite image! The light and composition are prefect and one’s eye is continually drawn to the gentle look on Joseph’s face. Well done.
Thanks, Leila.
Nice vibrant colors with the white of the statue and the blue skies. The orange of the tree/bush is a nice divider between the 2 colors.
Thanks, Jeff.
Hi Peter. I love this photo and it is even more meaningful with the inclusion of the memorial bell tower in the background. Nice composition.
What a glorious shot Peter, the autumn leaves are so rich in colour. You have captured lovely light on St Joseph and a young Jesus in the statue, and the white pops against the vivid blue sky. Just fabulous! Very well taken đ
Thank you, Rerro.
Peter, very nice picture. Good composition. Good contrast and interaction between the white (statue), the blue (sky) and the autumn colours. Well done.
Thanks, Christian.
Peter, well done! We each have our part in making the world a better place. If only everyone would recognize that.
Such wonderful side lighting on your subject, Peter. You chose a great angle with an interesting background.
Thanks, Deby.
Great capture Peter – What makes this statue stand out so much is that dark blue sky. Great message too. Once again my suggestion is a little more space at the bottom of the statue to give your image more of a foundation and balance. I’m talking another inch of statue would do it. I also like that you have the statue facing to memorial and there is space on the left. Brent
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8c79cbd539813e98c43f3393535cec5358f85c72853de3bc34a7bb2827fe24ff.jpg Here is the original version with a little more base. Re-edited in Lightroom and Luminar 2018 so a little different colors. Thanks, Brent.
Peter,
Such a lovely shot and I really do like the way you have handled the light and the colours. I much prefer this version–I can feel the warmth of the light….so nice!
Wow, Peter…Beautiful colours and lighting, and the textures on the statue are awesome. Love the composition with the bell tower in the background. I agree, a little more room below would make this even better.
Thanks, Kerrie. See the un-cropped version below.
Nice job! Love the blue sky with the orange and red leaves. These help the statue to pop from the photo. Nice sharpness and great composition.
Thanks, Barbara.
Hi Peter – I really like how you have used colour here with the strong, dark blue sky contrasting with the autumn leaves and the white of the statue. Also, the angle of light shows the detail in the statue. My one thought for adjusting the composition is to give the stature more room, especially at the bottom.
Thanks, Judy. I was limited by the focal length – my wide angle lens would have gotten more into the frame.
My yard is looking pretty barren as winter approaches and I have some cleanup to do. This is one of the last roses still clinging to my favorite bush. Cropped a bit to place the rose within the rule of threes and the red color and highlights enhanced. I’m getting used to this lens though I still miss my zoom lens. Nikon D5300; 1/4000; F/2.5; ISO 100; 50mm. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/66043c4f73272f47344e24c205862be5cca90dfbb73f7d3ce196af31be4214d8.jpg
The last bit of colour before the winter….glad you are pushing and challenging yourself at this focal length Leila. The image seems to be very soft, and it appears that the leaf just above the rose is the only part that is sharp in the shot…you used a wide open aperture at f2.5, which is fine, but then you need to be spot on with your focusing. I am presuming this was handheld….try the same settings on a tripod, and then aim at getting the rose tack sharp. Great effort đ
Great feedback here @rerrorocher:disqus – I have another look at the rose and it is a little soft. Yes when shooting at such a shallow depth of field (wide open aperture) the focus can be a little tricky. Brent
Hi Leila. I do like the composition in this shot and what you were after. I would agree with Rerro re the clarity and sharpness. I think it is worth another go. Well done.
Leila, I like the composition and the colors. Agree about the focus.
Well done for sticking to the single focal length challenge. Like how the rose is sharp and the leaves are blurred, but they do lead the viewers eye to the rose. My suggestion would be to increase the shadows in the rose in Lightroom. Well done. Brent
Very pretty. Great composition, color and sharpness. Great job!
Interesting image ‘fading glory!’
I’m wondering whether there is too much foliage to the right? I’m finding it a tad distracting
and a bit more depth in the flower would be wonderful – ie bring the shadows out a bit?
Well done, Leila. I find some sadness to this—a final flower clinging on! I do like your composition, but wonder if you can do some more work in post processing. Lots of great suggestions below so do not have any more to add….
Hi Leila – I find it sad to see the last blooms for the season; seems appropriate that this one is looking somewhat downcast and past it’s prime, so good job telling that story with this image. My main thought here is that a smaller aperture work help get that flower head sharp.
I just joined the BootCamp and decided to use my zoom lens at its highest zoom of 210 mm(on a crop sensor camera) for the month. I am also taking a course on the elements of design at a local bookstore and thought that a photo I took for that class would be a good starting point for a post for BootCamp. The photo is of part of a wasp nest I found a few years plus some newly collected oak leaves.The photo was converted to Black and White using a Lightroom preset(I chose black and white since there wasn’t much colour to start with anyways!) Taken with my Sony a6000 mirrorless camera: 210 mm, 0.8 sec, f/14 and ISO 200. . https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/855f3e32d8e5e1e04594089dfb3e602f7cdbc0576b9d8e5a08a3d30b8083c2c2.jpg
Welcome to the BC Marsha….very interesting first image. there is a lot of detail going on, and i think you made a wise decision to convert to B&W on this occasion. You have managed to get really good sharpness and lighting on the leaf on the left. However, I am presuming the wasp nest is your subject here? I like that you have positioned the leaves in a way that the nest is framed with them. There are however details lost in the shadows of the leaves. What made you decide on the settings you used? and were you shooting handheld or on a tripod?
Hi….thanks for the comments. I took this photo indoors and did use a tripod. The poor lighting created the shadows but I decided not to bring out the shadows too much…..if I had brought out the shadows in the leaves the wasp nest would have been too surrounded by light and I like high contrast!! I think the one leaf that is really dark is because it actually is right-side up up and the others are all upside down(and therefore lighter coloured). The other settings I chose were a reasonably wide depth of field with f/14, kept the ISO low to prevent grain and therefore needed a long shutter speed.
Thanks for the explanation đ
Makes sense that you used a tripod
Hi Marsha. Welcome to Bootcamp. I hope you enjoy and learn a lot some the experience. Nicely arranged shot with a lot detail in it. I particularly like the detail and light on the leave to the left. I would agree with the comments by my colleague Rerro. Well done done and again welcome to the group.
thanks…I like the leaf on the left too…it almost looks like leather!
Welcome Marsha. I love this black and white photo. Everything is sharp and in focus and your subject is well placed in the photo. Great job!
Marsha, nice picture. Good composition. I like the interaction of black and white. Personally I would try to get more detail from the shadows. Well done.
Thanks…I tried lifting the shadows but I liked it more contrasty so I left them darkish!
Marsha, I like this. I might try for a slightly different angle, from above the wasp nest looking down.
thanks…I have tried that…but that view loses some of the surface details(especially the papery texture!) but maybe I will try again with a slightly more top-down view than I have here!
A very big welcome to Boot Camp Marsha – glad you’ve joined us here. Great first image to post too – I’m huge fan of black and white images. Your image is very sharp, did you use a tripod at 0.8 seconds? I’m seeing quite a a few elements in your composition and what my eyes settles on is the texture from the wasps nest. My suggestion would be to leave the little space below the wasps nest so that I can see the entire thing. Well done. Brent
thanks. And yes I did use a tripod. I will restage this scene and try all the suggestions from bootcamp members about different points of view!
Hi and welcome, Marsha. I really like the contrasting dark areas and textures in this, though I would like to see more space below your POI
Welcome Marsha, this is an interesting image for a black and white conversion with a good mixture of lights and darks. My eye is immediately drawn to the wasps nest. I agree with the other suggestions below, but a good image to start with.
Hi Marsha. Interesting image. Nice composition and indeed it looks good in B&W. Well focused. Some more space at the bottom of the image would help. Welcome again to Bootcamp.
Interesting textures and the B&W works well
I’m finding the area just to the left of the wasp’s nest to be distracting, I take your point on the dark shadows though that may be a bit too much dead space
And welcome to the Boot Camp
Welcome Marsha! I have always been fascinated by the papery texture of wasp nests. I like variety of tones you have captured in the surrounding leaves; B&W treatment is very effective to show off the different textures in this image. As others have commented, I would look to incorporating the whole nest as it is your main subject.
I had a chance to go into Washington D.C on Sunday. I was expecting to be there after it got dark so I didn’t bring my tripod. Either way I think this picture came out pretty good despite being hand held. I shot this with my D5300 with the 35mm lens at ISO 800, with a +.3 exposure compensation @f1.8, 1/6 of sec. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c1b40c6fb46995ac5258e1d6925b7a851142275dac7a27952402775e81eeb400.jpg
Hi Barbara. A very good shot for hand held. I wonder could it be straightened in pp. Well done.
Yes I agree with Denis here @disqus_ZMqciOxroU:disqus about straightening that memorial which is easily done in Lightroom on Photoshop. Great handheld capture, I like how the sky is not totally black yet, And you have bits of coloured lights on the left. Brent
Thanks. I will post the newer version. However, I worked on straightening it before positing. The flag pole gives the illusion of it not being straight, even when it is.
Thank you. I will do a little more straightening
.
Barbara, nice picture. Good composition. Rather dark, but the buildings came out well lightend.
thank you
Barbara nicely done. Washington D.C. is on my bucket list. I agree with Denis that the photo needs to be straightened just a bit.
Thank you
Here is another version slightly more straight then this one. The flag pole gives the illusion https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/090ecc90d45997ce88a3aa03cb67fbef074afb83dd8158f6049ff8035a21cf53.jpg of it not being straight.
Hi Barbara. Great adj. Well done.
Thanks
Hi Barbara. Nice straightening job on the second image. I like the composition. For such a handheld shot at shutter speed of 1/6s this is an amazing job. Well done.
Interesting image well done on the handheld
I like the darkness and the relieving lights in the trees and on the memorial
The sense of movement from the car lights is intriguing.
I like the straightened version as well. If you really wanted to have a play and straighten both the memorial and the building on the left you could have a look into using the lens distortion effect in photoshop (at least I think that is what it’s called)
Hi Barbara – I like how the memorial and the street and trees in front are lit against that sky with the fading light. Great job being hand held! I’ve been reading the other comments; tough job here to get all the elements straight. I’ve been scratching my head trying to fix some distortion in one of my images; not making much headway there. The shape of the memorial (being slightly wider at the base) does trick the eye in this image.
Nice image Barbara!
This weekend I was walking in a park with the trees in autumn colours. The earth is covered with the fallen leaves preparing the wintering of the trees. I love walking in such a scenery. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/cd70a5c1d8730576abcc5abf169a6c103dc03b088844b5d80e7e74731a71a505.jpg
settings: 1/15s f/11 90mm ISO 100
Christian, this is a beautiful photo, with fall colours at their peak! I also like the carpet of colours on the ground.
Thanks Sig for your appreciation.
Christian, well done! I was not able to capture any similar photos this year as my timing always seemed to be off. Great job! I love the colors.
Thanks Sara for your appreciation.
Wow Christian, Just a mass of warm colours – love it. I like the different shades of yellow in this image, with the darker shades closer and a lighter shades in the background. I’m seeing a lot of horizontal as well as vertical lines in this image – I was wondering if you stepped to your left a little bit more that horizontal line (the darker foreground leaves in the shade) could be a leading line into your image, a diagonal line if you like. At the moment that line takes my eye out of your image. Just a thought as I’m working on my Composition Recipe Cards I’m very in tune with tune with lines and shapes. Hope this helps. Brent
Brent, I agree. For me this was my best shot I could take. There were some disturbing elements like big trees in the foreground and a tree lying on the ground. Thanks for your appreciation.
Stunning image, Christian! I love the feeling of being fully immersed in those rich Autumn colours. I agree with Brent that bringing a leading line into the image may improve the composition. But I do love it as it is!
Thanks Kerrie for your appreciation. See comment at Brent.
Hi Christian, on reading your comment to Brent, I realise that when viewing an image, we don’t take into account what disturbing elements you were faced with at the time of shooting the photograph. I should have known there were distractions, because I have them often. I still think this is stunning.
Hi Christian. What lovely colours. You got the depth of filed correct here and captured a very nice balance of light. Well done.
Thanks Denis for your appreciation.
Nice fall picture Christian. The colors are vibrant and the lighting and composition are perfect. Nice job!
Thanks Barbara for your appreciation.
These colours are so well depicted in this image Christian. I like the way the carpet below echos the leaves above. You are very fortunate to be able to see these traditional fall colours. Here in Queensland we have a different climate and very few examples of this kind are found. Then again we have mild winters and beautiful sunshine, so I’m not complaining!
Thanks Dianne for your appreciation. Indeed the nature influences our way of taking pictures.
The colors of the trees and leaves are really pretty. This photo definitely has a mood to it. Great capture of the beauty in fall.
Thanks Valerie for your appreciation.
Hi Christian. Beautiful colors of Autumn. Peaceful and calm image, helps me relax just by looking at it . Great composition.
Thanks Romy for your appreciation.
An image with a hint of majesty. Great foliage and trees and the colours are extremely soothing and relaxing
Thanks Nick for your appreciation.
Wow, Christian. What was the focal length and settings?
I miss these colours so much…… and really love them. I also love the way you handled the composition and captured the leaves on the ground. Well done!
Thanks Sheree for your appreciation. My settings are below the picture. Perhaps you have to click on the “see more”.
The richness and density of the colour is lovely. Beautiful capture, Christian. The difference in the colour of the leaves in the foreground vs those in the background help provide depth.
Thanks Judy for your appreciation and comment.
Really nice image Christian. The colors here in Ohio just did not happen this fall. Too warm too late and then too wet. Oh, well, there is always next year
Thanks Jim for your comment.
Been 7 days since my last post, and I’ve been trying for that long to get another shot with my fixed focal length 25mm (50mm equivalent) lens. I really wanted to challenge myself so I’ve been to my friend “Macca’s” house to shoot the Rainbow Lorikeets. He feeds them and every time I get close they fly away, so I decided to setup my camera on a tripod near to the feeder and attempt to control if via the remote control app from my phone. I’ve been back 3 times now (3 hours of shooting) and this is the best shot I’ve gotten so far. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f39dc7cccd7e8f0be4b418a9fbd22da7174f47e5b4a8edf72186ec6f57a3455b.jpg This has been a real challenge for me but it’s been enjoyable and I’ve visited with my friend (who’s in a wheelchair) more often than I would have, and enjoyed a few too many cold beverages while attempting to shoot these skittish birds. Shot in manual mode, 1/250sec f4.0 (when I shot at a wider aperture, the depth of field was too shallow) at 200 ISO with 25mm lens. I cropped in a little to get rid of sky and leave space on the left. I call it “Pecking order”. Brent
Hey Brent, Great capture. Love the focus on the “top Bird”. ..I think you could try to reduce the brightness and bring out a bit more detail on the timber perch. Also, I find the bright blue spot on the far right a bit distracting…:)
The perch was hit by full sun – already reduced it as far as it can go. Thanks for you comment. Brent
Brent, this a very colourful picture. Good composition. The birds stand out very good from the background. Taking into account the difficulty with the DOF the background is blurried enough. Good result for all the effort!
Thanks Christian – gonna try f/5.6 next
Brent….very nice image…using an aperture of f4 you have managed to have the main 3 birds clearly in focus….and great work getting their left eye in sight and you have faded the background just enough for a lovely bokeh, and to help the birds pop…..not that they need it with the glorious colours! Great work….and persistence on getting this shot!
Thanks Christine
Would you be able to critique my first image ….the kangaroo paw submitted 2 weeks ago please. Would like your expert opinion please.
Sure will – give me some time. Brent
Stunning shot BTW
thanks mate đ
Hi Brent. lovely shot All in a row. Very vivid colours. I like the way the first and second bird are nice and sharp with the rest on a gradual fade. What is that app you use on the phone for remote release.?
The app is called Panasonic Image App – but it only works with Panasonic camera’s. What are you shooting? This app works using wifi to connect but it disconnect and loses connection from time to time especially when the birds have flow in and I want to shoot đ
Hi Brent. Thanks for that information. I have a cannon 1000d. Thinking for while of an upgrade.
google remote shutter for your camera model and you can probably find something really inexpensive that works for your camera.. I found one for my Sony for less than 10 bucks! It is super handy.
Love this Brent. Great composition and focus. Vibrant colors and nice and sharp. Love the different actions of the birds. Great photo!
Thanks Barbara
this is a great example for me since I am using my 55mm lens for this month’s challenge. Of course, I don’t have such a colorful subject with our late fall browns. I agree with Kerry that the bit of sky to the extreme right is distracting, but the strong focus on the first bird’s eye keeps drawing me back to the birds.
Thanks Leila
i’m impressed with the clear focus on the first bird as I know how very skittish these birds are around people. A good choice of subject colour to make the birds stand out from the back ground.
Thanks Dianne
I love this picture! We have bird feeders outside our window & I enjoy taking pictures of them, but we don’t get anything quite that colorful in Norther US!
I enjoyed photographing the squirrels in winter in Wisconsin.
Lovely group shot, Brent. Very colorful birds. With f4 aperture there’s some degree of softness in the background that helps the eyes to focus on the birds. Great shot.
I’m going to try f/5.6 next time – maybe in an hour or so. Brent
great photo
pity about the depth of field and the last bird, (who obviously isn’t paying attention!)
I’d be a bit wary of decreasing the aperture too much as you’ve got the balancing act between blurry background and sharp in focus lorikeet
magnificant birds
Nice image, Brent. Love the composition you achieved from a remote shutter. The dark background really allows the lorikeets’ colours to pop.
Very cool image. We have skittish birds in Minnesota, none quite so colorful! I like the reflections on their eyes. Well done!
I have a ton of pictures of these colorful birds. We had two pairs that we hand fed. They are such great fun to photograph. Love how you managed 5 in a row and the angle of the shot. I was wondering a CPL filter would have helped with the glare on their heads? Yes or no?
You guys have the most beautiful birds. I love these colorful guys. What a great idea to outsmart the birds by setting up your tripod. Such vibrant colours. Very nice.
What beautiful birds and what a delightful image to view! Great idea to trigger the shot remotely. The bird second from the right has a different pose the others with its head high. This draws my eye and the focus on that bird in particular is bang on.
Thanks Judy – wait for the next image (and video). Brent
Brent, totally awesome image! Well done.
My 2nd image for this challenge is of a dwarf bearded iris in my garden. I went out the back to see the sunrise and watch the birds wake up, as I do most mornings. I noticed this Iris still in bud… then an hour later it was fully open. We had had rain overnight, and it was cloudy, with intermittent sun breaking through. I love this time of the day
I call this “new life”
1/160 f5.6 ISO 100 135mm EFS canon 55-250 kit lens
will try to post again https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a336e465d13956bb4154a710e0366a421c89f149b41aad2ce4d712c1925b0d3d.jpg
Hi Kerrie. A lovely shot and time of year. A nice composition and capture. I wonder could the shadows be lifted a baton the flower. Well done.
Gosh…what a fabulous shot Kerrie….you have separated the background from the flower very well….the background is a wonderful soft blur….and the the iris…..wow….with the water droplets too….just awesome! Well done đ
Thanks so much, Rerro đ
Beautiful. I love the deep purple of the flower and the water drops that accent it. You have done well with separating the flower from the background. Nice job!
Thanks so much Barbara:)
I love the shade of purple against the soft background! The subject is well lit, showing off the droplets on the petals and bokeh in the background.
Thanks so much, Dianne đ
Beautiful shot, Kerrie. Nice soft background and sharp focus. Worth framing too. Well done.
Thanks so much, Romy đ
Beautiful photo. The vivid purple and crystal water droplets are very eye catching. Well composed too.
Thank you, Valerie đ
Kerrie, very nice picture. Great colours of the flower with a very nice blurried background. Well done.
Thanks Christian đ
Great photo! – nice vibrant colours, shadows and water droplets superb
a little more ‘dead space’ at the top maybe … dunno really
Thanks Nick đ
beautiful flower….not sure if my computer is a bit dark but I think if you “brushed” up the exposure of the flower petals in Lightroom they would stand out a bit more from the background. I love the water droplets.
Thanks Marsha đ
Kerrie, beautiful colors! I miss these vibrant colors in the fall here in the States. I might have tried a slightly different angle to eliminate the leaf coming out of the back right side-it’s a little distracting. But if you were to clone it out, it might not look quite right. Overall I really like it.
Thanks, Sarah. this little guy is only about 8in tall, and there is a timber garden edged just to the right of it. I did try various angles, and this was the best I could find, as I was trying to capture the light on the raindrops as well. Unfortunately, I can’t recompose the shot, as the flower has finished đ I don’t trust my editing skills to successfully clone out that leaf. đ
You’ve captured the detail of the petals and water droplets so well, and I’m enjoying viewing all the detail in this iris. That vivid purple is amazing. Lovely work, Kerrie.
Thank you that feedback, Judy đ
Kerrie, exquisitely done!
Thanks so much, Jim!
I was roaming the backyard looking for subjects when I caught sight of this old tree stump with leaves on top. There’s a bit of glisten and great texture https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b63f5d40b872e7d97b7693479078dc8dffbe2bd700d4f4293375423cb6140eed.jpg on the stump surface and the dark color was a good contrast for the leaves. NikonD5300; 1/800; f/1.8; ISO 100; 55mm.
Good composition Leila, I like the softness of the leaves and the texture in the stump. The leaves ‘pop’ well through your use of a low aperture of 1.8. Well done!
I always find old tree stumps & what grows on them to be quite fascinating. Nice picture. I like the way the leaves really stand out.
Lovely composition, Leila. The dark color of the stump provides a nice background. The yellow and pink leaves are even more enhanced. Well done.
Leila, lovely image….i like the contrast in colours and textures here…esp the grain in the wood, it is acting like leading lines, drawing us in. Great composition. Because of the great texture here, i would have used a higher aperture to get more of the wood in focus.
Hi Leila. Very nice composition. I like the colours, texture and tones in this shot. Well done.
Leila, very nice picture. Great contrast between the robust remains of a tree and the (still) fragile leaf. Great colours and texture. Personally I would use a greater DOF. Well done.
great image – the aged texture of the stump against the crispness of the leaves make it interesting.
I’m not sure what would make this even better, maybe more in focus as others have suggested or possibly a bit more of the stump to the left and top, I’m thinking the yellow leaf is a bit too dominant(?)
Nice shot, Leila. Love the contrasts. Simple but very effective.
Leila, well done! I like it. I would maybe take out the L shaped twig in the upper left, I find it a bit distracting.
Love the simplicity of this and the contrasting colors.
Leila, I think the contrasting bright colours with the dark stump work so well here. My thoughts are similar to a couple of others here in that a wider aperture would have captured the entire gold leaf in focus, and showed off more of that beautiful texture in the stump.
Leila, I really like this image. Great composition, tack sharp and great color. Well done.
I had been wanting to get a picture of an old tractor I have silohetted against the sunrise, but it has been cloudy, so I was excited this morning when I woke up & it was clear. I went out & got the picture I wanted, but also like the way the sun was coming through the window of the shed, so I took that as well. Both were taken at 18 mm, 1/80th sec, f22, iso 200. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1be1f963378bd74d5e6adde6047484d4a91acee93762620fe5c273c43486245d.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2be911974bdf59ef5d687baacb0c9804927fba50ffbd8f8fcd24ca01ff6f911c.jpg
Hi Rohn. You got your silhouette, alright. I like the starburst. Since the silhouette is dark my eyes are drawn to the starburst. In the first photo the old tractor was the point of interest and the sun helps draw the eyes to it. I like the tree to the left of the tractor. In my opinion, if you zoom in and crop out the trees/bushes in the right side (while maintaining the landscape orientation) such that the tractor is placed near the lower right intersection of the thirds grid, I think it becomes a stronger image with the tractor appearing larger and the starburst more prrominent. Just a suggestion though. Nice job waiting for the right moment.
Thanks for the suggestions. I did try cropping it much tighter like you suggested, & you’re right, I do like it better. When I first shot the picture, I was thinking the trees on either side would kind of frame the tractor, then once seeing the pictures on my computer was not as happy with them, but wasn’t sure how much we were suppose to crop since the challenge is for a single focal length. đ I was told we weren’t suppose to post more than 1 picture every few days so I did not add the cropped version here.
Hi Rohn. It’s okay to post an edited or improved version of the same image in response to suggestions from the members. Just reply to your own image. Heavy cropping is okay, in my opinion, for as long as the cropping improves the image. Sometimes you just have to get rid of distracting elements in the photo. Photography is art and you are the artist. So go for it. We would be happy to see the improved version.
Hi Rohn, I will critique the second image. I love that you challenged yourself and waited for the correct light for this capture. It was well worth the wait! You have captured the wonderful morning light, and the silhouette of the house and trees are great….the starburst through the window is the cherry on the top…well done đ
Thanks, I also really like the starbursts, & have taken several pictures with them since learning how to create them using a small aperature.
Hi Rohn. The second image is my choice. I like the way you persevered and the result is a very good shot. Well composed and taken. Well done. PS. we have this rule in Bootcamp – One image at a time every few days.
Thanks, I’m sorry about the two pictures, I was not aware that was the rule. What about when someone makes a suggestion for a different edit, is it ok to post the results in the discussion here?
a couple of intriguing images.
I’m drawn to the tractor, the star burst effect is very interesting and adds to the photo. In my view it needs to be heavily cropped (as suggested by Romy below) to really make the image and to make the tractor and sun the point of interest, I’m not sure the right side of the photo as is adds anything to the image
Thanks. I did try cropping the image & do like it better.
Rohn, I like the shed picture the best. I think that the first image needs to wait a bit longer so you get a bit more detail, as you can’t really tell it’s a tractor. I really like the sunburst through the window. Well done.
Thanks, I had actually darkened it a bit because there is snow on the ground & it is kind of distracting.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ac96472946c252bc891b06254a4b58982a21fa325a928f91668fa37bed731e98.jpg A couple people suggested cropping the photo to make the tractor bigger & remove the trees to the right. I gave it a try & do like the results better. Here is my second attempt on this picture.
This is my second image for the month and was taken late yesterday. I have seen this bridge with it;s feature at the beginning of the bikeway. I was drawn to the strong lines here and could call it ‘All in a Row”
I’m not sure about the clouds and may go back on a clear afternoon. Settings: F/16, S/S !/250 and ISO 200 at 35mm
My computer was too quick for me, here is the image. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4b5eb3bee1a11d2b2126b62dcbe33df93b69cc6bbee6dee95772e2d963e1c702.jpg
Hi Dianne, what a beautiful image ! The repeating patterns are amazing. I agree about getting another shot when you have less cloudy sky. I think the image would be stronger. Nice choice of a subject and beautifully composed.
I like it with the clouds. đ
Great image Dianne, the repetition coming out the corner towards us gives this image so much depth…i would be converting to B&W here. I think it will be a much stronger image in B&W. To improve this next time – i would put the ND filters on and go for a long exposure to streak out the clouds. Nicely done!
Christine, thank you for both of your suggestions. I have just posted a B/W version. Thanks again!
Hi Dianne. Nice strong image and good dof. I would consider B/W. Well done.
Dianne, I like your picture as it is: the harsh fence pointing upwards to the soft cloudy sky as a sort of threat. Good composition. Good use of leading lines. It could be interesting to know what you like more: this one or (as suggested) in B&W or (as suggested) without clouds. It depends what you want to express. Well done.
Nice image – I tend to like the austere lines of the fence against the sky
I’d also consider B&W and maybe upping the contrast a little.
Christine’s idea of longer exposure times (with ND filters) might give a more surreal effect
Nick, thanks for the suggestion for a black and white version with additional contrast. I have only recently bought a ND filter and appreciate that idea that you and Christine made. Thanks!
I love this image too and like the others would be curious to see how it looks in high contrast black and white! Slow shutter could be cool too if the clouds were moving parallel to the leading line structures.
Marsha, I will add a B/W version shortly as it seems to be a shared suggestion. I appreciate your comments!
Dianne well done. The repeating lines are very cool, and the reflection off the pieces in between the “spears” are awesome. Great job.
Thanks Sara it is an interesting feature on the bridge and made a strong statement.
Thanks Sara!
Following a couple of suggestions I have changed this to a black and white and used a preset to enhance the contrast. This had added some additional drama to the image. ://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/82b272c148f2967a503bd755217683f4cc5e4b554d79c7853ff43368d66414b8.jpg
This is fabulous in B&W Dianne..Well done!
Thanks Kerry, it is quite different.
Hi Dianne. This black and white version is much stronger image than the color version. The white clouds provide a nice backdrop to the repeating patterns. Great job .
Thanks Romy it is something I don’t think of doing very often.
Dianne, this B&W is more dramatic. Well done.
Wow, I do like this B&W version of your photo.
Thanks Rachael!
Hi Dianne. My preference is the B/W.
Thanks Denis.
Hi Dianne. I like both versions, but probably prefer the B&W. Great lines and textures.
Thank you Tessa, the combination of lines was interesting.
Dianne, I also like both versions, and also lean towards the B&W version as my favourite. The curves in the clouds make a great contrast to the posts (?) of the bridge.
Really nice Dianne. I love the lines and the interesting sky. I like both versions but I like the color one better.
Good evening from Ireland. It is with trepidation that I make the following posts https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c3d3376fd24f9c059d4cc44cf94c3b048075592efb5ec9c11aa96f6ac3672c70.jpg over the coming days after watching all the excellent work so far. The last few weeks have been busy for me hence my delay. Finally a good day last Tuesday and I took myself to the city centre for a walk about. My Focal Length is 50mm Prime Lens. How did I feel on the day – got a sense of exploration, freedom at been back out with camera, and worry that I would arrive back home with nothing. This first shot is of a porter at one of our high end stores in Dublin. Shot details: ISO 100, FL 50mm, F3.5, SS 1/500 sec
Great shot Denis, sharp and great character portrait, well done.
Hi John. Many thanks for your feedback.
This is a fantastic shot Denis…..I like the candid nature of the image.and that your subject is off center. I also like the effect going on with the writing on the window….all together in the image make it a very interesting shot! The 50mm prime is perfect for street photography
Hi Christine. Many thanks for that feedback. I got something right!!. You have given me the encouragement to go out again. many thanks again.
Very clever shot, Denis. Love the different layers that you have captured with clarity.
Hi Phil. Many thanks for your feedback.
Denis, I like this image! It almost looks like a double exposure with the gold lettering shadowed on the white. I think someone should have given this lovely gentleman a pair of sunglasses so he wouldn’t have to squint. I like how the red pops.
Hi Sara. Many thanks for your feedback. Next time you are in Dublin take a wander up Grafton St. You will see him at Brown Thomas.
Denis, The man reminds me of by-gone days of fancy ushers at a movie theater like Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
Hi Peter. many thanks for your feedback. Glad it struck accord with you.
Very interesting shot Denis!
Hi Janet. Many thanks for your feedback.
Like the composition in this Denis.
Hi Rachel. Many thanks for your feedback.
Denis, nice picture. The red coat of the porter attracs the attention. good composition.
Hi Christian.Many thanks for your feedback.
Classic shot, Denis! really well composed.. your subject is tack sharp, and the right hand side of the frame is awesome.
Hi Kerrie. Many thanks for your feedback. Glad you like it.
A lovely shot Denis, with lots of interest – all in all a great environmental portrait. My only suggestion would be possibly a slight crop off the top to reduce the dark space above the porter’s head.
Hi Tessa. Many thanks for your feedback. Good suggestion. Rather than crop I. might look at lightning the shadows in this area.
Denis very good photo. This would have worked well for the red challenge as his coat and hat band catch your eye. Nice job.
I agree with you Valerie! Very cool image.
Hi Deby. Many thanks for the feedback.
Hi Valerie. Many thanks for your feedback. Yes indeed would have worked well last month.
Wow! Nice shot Denis. Beautifully composed. You are doing well with that 50mm prime. Well done.
Hi Romy. Many thanks for your feedback and those encouraging words.
Love this one Denis! At first glance, I thought you were getting super fancy with layering multiple exposures. You spotted a terrific composition and captured it very well.
Hi Judy. Many thanks for your feedback. Glad you like it. I like it myself.
Denis, I like this image for all of the reasons mentioned already, and because to draws the viewer into it to see what all of the words are about. I would entitle this ” Showtime Porter”
Hi Richard. Many thanks for the feedback. Glad you like it.
Denis:
I love everything about this image, the images on the right and the red coat and his rudy red face.
Hi Jim. Many thanks for your comments.
Took this early morning, struck me as a perfect beginning to a new day.
ISO400, fl27mm, f8.0, 1/160sec
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/cc972d6f18f228590425a2dc160021c15c9388fd0e43daa1cc27e80e39270ac3.jpg
John, looks like an enjoyable way to start the morning. I like the reflection on the water, but find the branch coming in from the right distracting. Maybe a slightly lower perspective?
Thanks Sara, I was using the branch as part of the framing.
Hi John. Looks like a perfect day for taking photos. As is, this image already is amazing. Evokes peace and worry-free scene. Composition is nice. Reflections are lovely. If you have a chance to reshoot try taking it at near ground level to show some more of the house or find another place where you can set up the camera with better view of the house. Beautiful shot John.
Thankyou Romy, I will try that next time I pass.
John, good picture. Good colours. Great reflections of the boat in the water. I wonder what is the POI. The tree in the middle is rather prominent present while the boat is visible through the branches and leaves. Still a peaceful view.
Thankyou Christian
Hi John. A very scenic, peaceful shot and yet a lot going on it the shot between the tree in the foreground, the boathouse in the background, and the walkway to the boathouse. Somehow they seem to work well together here. Well done.
Thanks Dennis
Thanks Denis
The colour really pops in this image, John, and the sharpness throughout the image is fantastic. My one suggestion is to check the horizon; looks like it’s tilting a bit to the right.
Thankyou Judy, what you are seeing is the shoreline of a peninsular.
Really nice John! I love the composition and colors.
Thanks Jim
Callistemon (yet another)
Am still trying to find the zoom ring on the prime lens!
1/80s, f/8, iso 400 and this lens is still stuck on 100mm
Image was cropped a little straightened a little contrast and white balance adjusted slightly
The colours and fragile beauty of the new foliage got me attention in this one
Callistemon (yet another)
Am still trying to find the zoom ring on the prime lens!
1/80s, f/8, iso 400 and this lens is still stuck on 100mm
Image was cropped a little and straightened a little, contrast and white balance adjusted slightly
The colours and fragile beauty of the new foliage got me attention in this one
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/867af954d83eeaf8929b3b6622ecffa286734c94370f7376c4225c7a4cac4fb0.jpg
I get it…I keep trying for the zoom ring on my prime lens too!!! very cool flower and I like the little bit of spider web!
And the trouble is you’ve grabbed the focus ring and the rotten image is now out of focus …
I’m just so used to having a zoom on the camera. I tend to put the prime on when I have a specific task in mind.
Hi Nick. What is a zoom ring ? Haha. Welcome back. You have been very quiet lately then suddenly here you are with this great image. And to think you have not found the zoom ring yet !
I like the composition. The black background is really perfect for this image. No distractions, brings out the beauty of the Callistemon flower. Well done.
Thanks muchly
Cheap lens – doesn’t zoom! Brent got to it with a bit of chewing gum or something!
Actually I’ve found myself on a number (ok a large number) of occasions automatically trying to zoom in or out a little to get a better framed image. Damn, I’ve had to move and refocus.
Actually that’s the other thing I’ve learnt so far from this exercise and with the lens I’m using and the type of shots I’m taking – manual focus, the camera is pretty hopeless at reading my mind!
Love the colors against black background.
Thanks, that’s what drew me to this little snippet of nature. I’d noticed the new foliage and the reds and greens a day or so prior as I walked past. Mental note – come back and take photo …
Nick, nice picture. Good composition with the flower stalk coming out from the left . Very nice colours. Good use of a black background. How did you got such a black background? Well done.
Christian
Thanks very much, your comments are appreciated
It was a dark and stormy night… whoops wait a minute, now I’m quoting Snoopy, lol
Actually it has been overcast and rainy and dismal in Sydney over the past few days and the garden background for this is normally pretty dark – nothing much grows because of the shading from large trees etc. This variety of callistemon is really a shrub allowing me to focus on these shoots against something pretty dark and as it turned out pretty bland. As you can see I’ve had to up the iso a bit to be able to do the capture.
I also deliberately tried to keep other foliage out of the frame.
Beautiful image, Nick. Love your composition, and the great lighting accentuating the fruit and delicate hairs. Love it.
Thanks muchly
I’d like to say that I carefully set this up and played with various lighting configurations but really this is how it was. No shrub was harmed in the taking of this photo! lol
Hi Nick. This is a nice shot and works well in the dark background. I wonder if the shot was taken at a different angle to allow the stem come from the bottom left corner, would that enhance the shot even more? Just thinking out loud. Well done.
cheers
thought of that – no room in this image to move it around in post and when I did the lighting looked a bit off
and one of those shrubs where these grow out sort of perpendicular
I did move it a tad to get the shoot more diagonal
I agree with you, Nick…in keeping the integrity of the form and habit of this Callistemon…I think rotating to make the “diagonal from the left” would do no justice.
Nick this is a beautiful photo. The black background really makes the plant stand out. Nice contrast and detail. And like you I sure have a hard time remembering that I am not zooming in this month!
Nick, lovely photo and the darker background helps, particularly to capture the the fine feathering along the edge of the leaves.
Nice and simple. Beautiful work, Nick.
I do a lot of my work with primes and find I have the opposite problem; I forget I can zoom with some of my lenses.
Well done Nick. I like the simplicity of this image. I do find the bit of spider web distracting, but that is just me being picky. The colors are gorgeous.
LOL, keep looking Denis and maybe you will find it. HA HA! Nice capture. Just seems a little under exposed. I love the color and the detail.
Wow Great shot. Love the background which brings this callistemon out. Nice color and composition and very sharp. Excellent work!
nice shot Nick ,it looks a little dark on my screen but just had a rebuild & new high end graphics card fitted maybe I will recalibrate My screen colours
For my second post I decided to try something I have not done before, a portrait. This was taken through the window of a vehicle. I have cropped the vehicle out except for the view out of the windshield. I post processed with black and white as I felt like it portrayed the scene a little better. Settings: 1/500sec., F2.8, ISO 100, 50mm. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9afc17835b92935ba79fd4248655759a6edd2e1131e9da7ef93e74718deb613e.jpg
Oh wow, Valerie, you nailed the focus on his eye! The B&W works really well on this.
Thanks Rachel I appreciate your comments.
Valerie, great picture. Very good composition. You did a good job to make it B&W. Very nice blurried background. Well done.
Thank you Christian for your comments.
Wow, Valerie! This is really nice. Beautiful in B&W ..well shot.
Thanks Kerrie.
Hi Valerie. Great shot.Nice and sharp with good clarity. B/W works very well here. I just wonder what he was thinking, he has that look about him. Well done.
Thank you Denis.
A super shot Valerie that really involves the viewer. I like the way you’ve left some space on the left for him to gaze into. I also like the light on his face – it’s a pity that his eyes are in shade, but with candid shots you can’t have everything!
Thanks Tessa. The light shining in is what caught my attention and why I asked to take the photo. I always seem to think of what I should have done after I see the photo on my computer. This group helps with that every day and I appreciate it!
A man pondering life’s big questions – like vinegar or sauce on my chips? (fries to some of you)
great image and B&W really sets the mood
someone you know?
Thanks Nick. I do know the person in the photo and it was nice of him to let me get a couple of shots.
Or maybe trying to find where the zoom ring is in a fixed focal length prime lens? Haha
Very nice shot Valerie. Black and white works really well for this image. Great capture Valerie. Well done.
Thank you Romy.
Great portrait, Valerie. Your focus on his eyes is super sharp, and I like the composition choice to leave the empty space in front as he views the road ahead.
Thanks Judy for your comments.
Valerie, well done. This work very well in B&W. Great job.
Thanks Sara.
Valerie, You have created a great portrait image of this man. The focus man’s face shows his concentration on something ahead out of the frame, and the nicely blurred background gives the viewer a sense of motion. The rendering in black and white is perfect for this image. Very well done.
Thank you for your feedback.
Really great B&W candid portrait. You got the DOF just right and the focus and details in his face are great. He is really focused on something ahead of him. Well done!
Hi all! Sorry so silent, just back from an amazing journey to NZ and Australia…but did not work on the Boot Camp challenge as I could not stick to fixed focal length for the trip! I will work on something this weekend to post…… busy fixing over 2,000 photos from trip and also to get ready for my Dad’s memorial in a couple weeks….but will be back.
Some amazing photos, guys! I am inspired and will go in and comment! By the way, I was not sure if we had to “declare” what focal length we would be sticking to for the challenge….. I very rarely shoot in the 35mm to 60mm range….I am going to give the 35mm a shot! (pun intended!).
What, you came to Australia and didn’t get in touch!?
yeah, how rude!
There are only a hundred or so of us in the Boot Camp to look up!
I for one would have bought you a coffee … and probably stolen your best lens!
lol
LOL, Rachel! I was semi-working—and honestly did not know who was where! đ Next time!
As its been a while since I posted the original of this image I thought I’d repost after taking on board the suggestions to remove the leaf apparently piercing the bottlebrush, and the stem behind it. I agree it looks better. Unfortunately I couldn’t retake the shot minus the piercing leaf as the flower was out over a small lake and well out of reach! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7162834b0524e3d01cef0ffefcf3cb0019921770b1a62927779e09455ea4a594.jpg
The detail in the bottlebrush is amazing. Love the composition. Very well done!
Soo good, Janet. Awesome job!
Hi Janet. A very good adjustment here. The first shot was very good, but this one is better with that adj. Well done.
Hi Janet. Love the different shades of green here. Great composition and detail and the adjustment has been done really well.
Love the shades of green, very nice composition, well done
Beautiful detail and great contrast from the background. Your edits are really good. Nice job.
Such nice color and lighting. Very peaceful to view. Which lens did you use? Sorry if I missed the first image but this one is really nice.
Hi Janet. Great job removing the leaf and the stem. Much improved composition. Make a big print and hang it on your wall. Well done.
Brilliant job of post editing
I really had to study the two images to see what you had done, without the original image I would never have worked out what precisely you had done! Perfect edit! And to think you did it on one of these furry/hairy/bristly callistemons! cool
I’ve noticed that nature tends to put some of these spectacular photo opportunities overhanging lakes, cliffs, 4 lane highways, pits of brown snakes etc.
… probably testing to see whether we are serious in our pursuit of our hobby!
Give yourself a big pat on the back!! Fantastic editing. You should be proud of this image. You used many different technical skills in capturing and editing to create this beautiful image.
great job with the editing(I couldn’t tell what you had edited out so I had to search for the original post!)….a lovely photo with all the sharp details of the “brush”.
Janet, You have created a beautiful image with great composition, detail and bokeh ! I wouldn’t change a thing.
Wow what a difference Janet – you have removed most of the distractions and I think it makes your image so much more powerful. Yes we normally see these as red, kind of nice to see it as a green almost monochrome image. Like your darker background and your image is super sharp too. I also like the way you’ve composed this with my eye entering your image at the bottom left and then settling near the top of the flower. Well done. Brent
This is my very first submission and I have to tell you it has taken months to get up the courage to do it. I have been following along with the Bootcamp challenges and have been taking photos as suggested. I have access to Lightroom and Photoshop which I used to resize the image. I generally use the telephoto setting on a https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/411be5c6937b3a3bc8f5b6afecfbda4070786769a801a2c68d44b7c43bcac36c.jpg DMC-FZ70 to capture wildlife images. This image was taken after I walked into a dark room and a glass vase sitting in the window was reflecting the sunset in such a dazzling way. I ran to get my camera and tried to capture some of the brilliance. The colors are interesting in that the vase is old and has taken on a purplish tint. The little glimpses of fuchsia are flowers outside the window.
What an interesting photo. Love the colors. Very well done.
Thank you Rachel, the colors were the motivation to try and capture the moment. They were remarkably more beautiful. I want to learn to take a picture that is as accurate as what I see with my eyes!
Gina, Are you shooting in “RAW” or “JPEG”. If JPEG, where most of us start off, the results are based on the settings that you program into the camera, as well as what you set to take the shot. You can go online and search for “the best settings for JPEGs” for your particular camera. The results should be really close to what you see. In RAW, you do the fine tuning with your photo software.
Gina, welcome on bootcamp. You have a creative picture. There are very nice coplours in the glas, especially with the accent by the sunset. Good framing. Well done.
Thank you Christian.
Hi Gina. A big welcome to Bootcamp and very well done on posting your first image. It is nicely framed and well captured. It has brought out that inner creativity within you in a big way. I like this one. Well done again and I look forward to seeing more of your shots.
Thank you Denis, if you knew how long it actually took me to follow all of the steps to resize the image and then post it using dizcus… well let’s just say, I was determined.
Gina
Welcome to The Camp!
A very intriguing image and I can see why you’d grab the camera a get the photo, I’d do the same, yep! And, seriously, it probably wouldn’t be as good as this!
The way the glass picks up and distorts the colours and the light is magic.
How to make it better?
This is where opinions will variably differ.
I especially like the way the light is diffracted and reflected in the right hand side of the vase (the snail shell like bit), I think I’d crop and make this the main point of the photo
notwithstanding that I really love the way the light is diffracted around the whole sculpture
Thank you Nick, I like the snail shell like bit too. To add perspective the glass vase is a Nautilus. I will try cropping and thank you for the suggestion.
Nick please see cropped version
Hi Gina. Welcome to Bootcamp! The first posting can be really daunting, but it’s worth the effort! I love the different lights you’ve captured here and the way you’ve encorporated the garden and the sunlight outside with the vase indoors. It would be really helpful if you could include your camera settings.
Thank you Tessa. The settings are Auto focus, ISO-640, FL 4mm, exposure time 1/4 sec, f/2.8. Please don’t imagine that I know anything about these settings. To me it is a foreign language, sad but… the honest truth.
Okay Nick, this is for you! This is the image cropped. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e660dd0337ef182da0eb3b95ce073bd8e52ecdcd47a377f64a307ce39fd9ffd3.jpg
Personally, I prefer the first image because in my minds eye it is more complete. But others may find this an improvement. I did have a little difficulty cropping this image without it being all blown out, gigantic and distorted. So I’ve done my best and after several attempts to reduce the size….I give up. So much to learn!
Gina
I think I agree with you on the 1st image. Sorry to put you to the hassle of cropping etc. You may wish to work through some of the YouTube tutorials for Photoshop and Lightroom.
Having said that – this is what I had in mind, though for it to really work it would need to be retaken so we have nice crisp tack sharp lines and less noise. And the sun may never hit the sculpture the same way again. You might need to manually focus with these type of images as all the lines and refracted light plays havoc with any camera’s auto focus.
PS: I find it captivating how light plays when it hits these types of ornaments etc and have always found it difficult to take an image that I’m happy with.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e1d50ed7a7e6e1297997e7e88f9e1eb35fb70293e78002fbb1e5a6c6cb350eda.jpg
Thank you Nick, I didn’t consider your suggestion a hassle. Imagine that I’m not sure how to accomplish âcrisp tack sharp lines”, and I don’t know what noise is! and I believe that the sun will hit the sculpture the same way in one year on October 31st, 2019, not to mention that I still need to learn how to manually focus đ l look forward to the adventure, the challenges, and I genuinely appreciate your thoughts, suggestions, encourament and willingness to help!
Hi Gina, I took the liberty of posting a section of your picture so you can see what we are talking about when we say the picture is “noisy.” In particular, if you look at the area of the picture just below the circle, you can see that it looks blotchy and kind of speckled — that is noise. Without getting too technical, when you shoot at higher ISO or in minimal light conditions, noise is a natural result. Also, cell phone images in low light tend to be more noisy.
You can reduce noise in post-processing, but you then trade off sharpness for reduced noise — a course all in itself. The best way to prevent noise is to shoot with lower ISO (e.g., ISO 100) whenever possible.
I noticed that you shot at 1/4 of a second — it is very difficult to hold the camera steady under about 1/60 of a second — which caused the “shake” of the camera to blur the image. If you have to shoot at that slow of a speed, you need some sort of a tripod. I’m guessing you used a cell phone, in which case a simple $10 tripod that clamps onto the phone would really help this.
All that said, this is a really nice and creative image — the mechanics of settings will come with practice, but the most important thing is the overall composition and story of the image, and you nailed that.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7451556853b97e8af88da639d07092752515b7a0ce76f630bd6b6cd375a718e4.jpg
Thank you Bill, I appreciate your taking the time to educate me about noise. Let the adventure and challenges begin! I did not use a cell phone but a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ70 on Auto focus. So the camera determined all of the settings. The room was quite dark when compared to the sun setting outside. Imagine that I was running to get my camera from upstairs, ran back downstairs with the hope of capturing, in my mind, a one time event. Sunset waits for no one! I want you to know that I would be lying if I let you believe that I had a clue about the settings at that moment…or any moment really đ Thank you again.
Hi Gina. I love the light refracted by the glass vase. The resulting opalescent colors are amazing. Interesting composition. Well done.
Thank you Romy for sharing your thoughts.
Gina, welcome to bootcamp. Don’t be nervous, as we all try really hard to be supportive and give constructive criticism. We all have learned a lot by listening to Brent and others. I like your photo and can see the inspiration for it. Keep practicing, it alway helps when you can see what works and what doesn’t. If you can try priority mode, which will pick either shutter speed or aperture, to get out of auto mode. Hope this helps.
Great abstract image Gina – like how you’ve really though about this shot before taking it. Well done and welcome to BootCamp. I am seeing a little camera shake but overall a vibrant image with my eye attracted to that warm light on the left. Well done. Brent
Keeping up with where I left off ( same shoot ), I just had to share this guy. This has probably been my screen saver photo the longest. I find it so calming to look at. Shutter priority, Auto ISO, JPEGs. FL 250mm. 1/500sec, f/6.3, ISO 100. Only PP done was crop and WB.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/256a116249b825bbf93308b62bae50012557c42cbe3003ecb7ef54b478570f84.jpg
Rachel, very nice picture. Good composition. Great colours. Very nice reflection in the water. Well done.
Thank you Christian!
Hi Rachel. Very nice composition here. Good colours, clarity , and light balance throughout. Well done.
Thank you Denis.
Superb! Tack sharp and the detail in the feathers is brilliant
Screensaver! Sacrilege, needs printing, framing and hung on a wall!
One little ting might make it betterer (if that’s possible) Can you bring out a little detail in the shadows ie neck and underneath head/chin? And maybe under tail. Or is the plumage generally quite dark in these areas?
Thank you Nick. The plumage is quite dark in those areas and I didn’t want to mess with it as I thought the overall exposure was spot on.
I will play with it a bit and see if there’s more there.
Lovely sharp shot Rachel. I particularly like the reflections and ripples.
Thank you, Tessa!
Great detail and focus. Love the movement you have captured in the water.
Thanks Valerie!
Very cool image. Beautiful composition and tack sharp. Worth framing. Well done Rachel.
Thanks, Romy!
Great shot, Rachel. Love the light and colour on the head.
Thanks, Kerrie!
This guy is very handsome, indeed. Love the detail in the feathers. I think the calm water really sets a nice background.
Thank you, Judy! I find it really relaxing, just looking at this photo.
Just lovely, Rachel. Well done.
Thanks, Sara! Check out the revised version and see what you think.
Very nice Rachel. I wonder what this would look like if you brought up the shadows a bit to lighten the head feathers and maybe lighten up the eye so it stands out more. You have catch light in the eye but it is a bit dark overall.
A couple of people have suggested brightening up the image, so here it is!? I have to admit, that side by side, the newer version does look better. Thanks for the critique/suggestion! đ
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b4ddc1cafe66269433dbdabc2dfbe6af1475a6906284b3a7a37c3a7373629283.jpg
You are welcome Rachel. This one is definitely much better.
Wow – this month has been a real challenge! I found it really hard to choose my focal length, but in the end opted for using my 50mm primary lens which I hardly ever use (as I’ve got a crop factor camera, it works out as 80mm). I took it for a country walk near my home the other day and tried to get some shots of things that capture the British late autumn. I found that the lens made me have to think differently, as I would normally go for a wider angle shot or much more of a close up and it definitely isn’t the lens I would normally choose for such a shoot. This shot is one of the simplest I took and I chose it because of that and because I liked the contrast between the colours of the leaves and the sky. Although it’s probably a bit naughty, I couldn’t resist cropping in Lightroom to remove some distracting other leaves and bring the twig closer (at which point I also spotted the spider!). 50mm 1/800 sec f/5.6 ISO 100. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3a2978c3f521c662e56394d64326a66b4c2c90fdd54722fde0124e95ad555d61.jpg
Hi Tessa. As you say the contrast of colours against the sky works well. Personally I would prefer to see the stem coming from bottom right or left corner up into the shot. Preferable from the left. This may well not have been possible for you here. I might have a look at rotating this shot and showing it in portrait. Well done.
Thanks Denis. See what you think of the revised version.
Tessa. Personally I prefer the adj shot. Your main subject looks a lot more natural. The sky /clouds are secondary and providing a backdrop only.
Tessa, nice picture. Good contrast of the colours with the blue sky. I known there are sometimes limitations for framing. Personally I would turn the camera to get the stem coming from the corner. As you have here a stem with 2 leaves, there is no constraint with a horizon not being horizontal.
Thanks Christian – I’ve experimented with rotating the image to place the twig in the corner and re-posted – see what you think. Although there is no horizon, the clouds look odd to me now!
Tessa, it’s your choice. You like it or not. Taken in consideration that clouds can be moving from anywhere to anywhere doesn’t disturb me. But I understand what you’re saying. Comparing the 2 pictures, the view on the clouds of the first one looks somehow more natural.
Rotated and flipped to place twig in lower left corner as suggested. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/92e2331ed0027b217067e3c7233e1efddd2363ba2a75cd607ba16ed4e0cb467d.jpg
Yes, I like this one better, too. Very nice framing and colors.
Tessa, this is much better. Those leaves are really flying high up there. Nice perspective and beautifully composed. Well done.
Tessa, This is a much stronger image. I like the separation of colors and the way the little branch reaches up to the sky.
Tessa I like your colours with the yellow leaves complimentary to the blue sky – they look great. I prefer this one to the rotated version below, and I don’t mind the twig coming in from the side. I also have no problem with you cropping to get a better composition. I have done that myself on (many) an occasion ;-).
Thanks Rodney. I only had reservations about cropping because it effectively plays with the focal length of the shot.
Tessa, I agree the colour contrast really makes the leaves pop, especially the one in the middle. While I think you can get away with both versions, I prefer this one..not sure exactly why, though đ The clouds and shadows are believable in both versions.
Hi Tessa, love the simplicity in this, vibrant colours and sharpness. I Much prefer this first post, as I find it to be a more natural orientation of the leaves/branchlet. Nice image.
Tessa, I like this one better. Although if you were to rotate it slightly (not as much as your second picture) it might be a stronger image. I do like the colors and the clouds. Well done.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9d23e8a176e1888656220ce4696dce3c956737cee8863eaa530676712147a43a.jpg
Sticking with my Sigma 35mm, 1.4mm lens, for this month’s challenge, I shot this image of a 9 foot tall bronze and stainless steel statue located in Santa Fe, New Mexico USA. The statue is of Staff Sgt. Leroy Arthur Petry who received the U.S. military’s highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in Afghanistan in 2008 during Operation Enduring Freedom.
I shot this from a low angle to focus on the statue’s Stainless Steel hand. (For more information on Ssgt Petry’s story of bravery, please feel free to search online as the details of his story deserve better than I am able to communicate here.) Thank you.
ISO: 200, f 4.5 and shutter 1/50
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5daedc6176169674bd8a98a5465767d67d7c7e6fb22a53cf459eb4a584f023e6.jpg
(Oh, I hope it’s ok to post this extra photo to give accurate details for my image above? Please let me know. Thanks guys.)
Hi Deby, Given the information your are trying to convey and its accuracy I would agree with the second image in these circumstances. Well done again.
Thank you Denis.
Hi Deby. You certainly achieved good composition and clarity on the hand. Nice information behind the shot. Well done.
Thank you Denis.
Deby, nicely composed with the hand front and foremost, and clearly the focus of the (photo) story – all puns intended. I like it. We photographers must look a sight at times getting these unusual angles.
Thanks Rodney.
Deby, nice creative picture. Good composition. Interesting details on the interaction between the bronze and stainless steel status. Well done.
Thank you Christian.
Excellent focus on the hand which tells the story of this brave soldier. Thank you for your second image to provide us with the story behind your image. Quite an emotional image!
Thank you so much for your thoughts, Dianne. Much appreciated.
Hi Deby. Great job focusing on the steel hand. Creative capture and beautifully composed. Here’s a suggestion. Another perspective would be to move a little lower or moving to a position such that the face or part of it is included in the frame and just letting the DoF blur the face. That would give the hand a personality to it. Just an idea.
Thank you for the suggestion Romy. Good to think outside the box along with shooting different angles while still at a particular location before moving on. I did shoot a few more images but liked this one the best as it provided a bit of mystery to me.
Thanks for the full shot, Deby. I love the mystery but I also got curious about the face of the statue. Now my curiosity has been fully satisfied. Great capture.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bf8beffc88922b22cd895c87dcdff27af72fa14df89ded4db99df4b2d9637d1b.jpg
Here is a straight on shot of the statue if this helps. Thanks for the tips, guys.
Deby, I like the point of view and depth of field you selected for this image. The lighting is really nice; not too harsh, but all the detail is clearly visible. This is going to sound corny, but the little starburst in the top corner makes me think of angels standing watch & giving us courage.
Thank you Judy. I believe I replied to your message several days ago but am unable to see it here. I loved your thoughts on the starburst in my photo. It gave me goosebumps thinking about it.
Awesome capture, Deby. Love your angle and composition. I find the colour palette really appealing, also the reflections on the stainless steel hand. Great story.
Thank you Kerrie.
Hi Deby, really nice shot and a creative angle. I don’t know if you noticed, but if you really zoom in on the fingers, you have what looks to be a self-portrait in the reflections — maybe an alternative crop? The rest of the statue clear shows a uniform, but it’s unclear just what kind of uniform — I guessed police officer because of the bluish color, which was wrong. The context would have been much clearer if you had caught the MoH around his neck. Even blurred, that is unmistakable and helps us understand the contrast between the steel hand and the bronze statue. But, you would have lost the sunflare, which I’m guessing is why you chose that particular angle. Again though, really powerful shot and the suggestion for a differing angle is just something to consider.
Deby, wonderful image. I appreciate the second photo with the story (I also do this so I do not forget details of items I photograph). It is an unusual angle, one I find works. Well done.
Thank you Sara. I agree with you on taking a photo of the story as I always forget details. I’m really challenged with words, stories, and remembering important details as I’m always focused on the moment of shooting my subject.
Really nice image Deby! Tack sharp focus with great detail. I love the fact that you focused on the hand but that you can still see the body of the statue in the background. I love the colors and the shine of the stainless steel.
Thank you Jim.
Deby, I like this image a lot for all of the reasons already mentioned, especially Judy Ward’s comment about the starburst. I would entitle this ” Proactive Hand” Well done !
Thank you Richard. Great title idea.
Beautiful image. Love the perspective.
Striking image Deby – by using sets a shallow depth of field you’re telling a unique story – a welcome helping hand. I also like the low angle you’ve used here, looking upwards towards the hand and body. Well done. Brent
While out walking today I took this photo of a pelican. But remembering I was still using my ultra wide lens as the fixed single focal length for this month, I noticed the shot also included a bridge ;-). Settings: 1/100 sec @ f/8 ISO-200, lens Laowa 7.5mm (15mm equiv.)
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/dc60f30b6e98d2eb7b1e1154312552916eb2650f6945ea678e318c1e60373bc1.jpg
Hi Rodney. I like this composition. For me it has good depth of field and a nice light balance throughout. Well done.
Thanks Denis. I hadn’t particularly noticed the light poles till you mentioned them, so I don’t mind them. I might have a look at a version without.
Rodney, very nice picture. Good composition with the bridge starting from the upper right corner. Very nice colours. Great layered view: water, border and the bridge. Well done.
Thanks Christian.
Hi Rodney. Great perspective shot. That lens is really wide. I love the leading lines.
Beautiful composition.
Thanks Romy. It is the widest prime lens for my camera (Olympus E-M1 with a 2x crop factor) without going to fisheye.
wow…I didn’t even know they made lenses that wide….great point of view and leading lines!
Thanks Marsha. It is a 7.5mm lens for my M43 sensor camera (Olympus E-M1) which has a 2x crop factor, making it a similar field of view to a 15mm lens in a Full Frame equivalent (approximately 110 degrees angle of view).
Very nice composition, Rodney. I like the way you have the bridge starting in the top corner and leading us to the opposite shore.
Thanks Judy.
Love all those leading lines disappearing off to the far side. The detail in the bridge is really nice against the blue sky and water. Well shot Rodney.
Thanks Kerrie.
Great composition and perspective Rodney!
Thanks Jim. The wide angle of the lens helps with the perspective.
Rodney well done! I had to double take to find the pelican. đ Lovely leading lines.
Thanks Sara. I really was taking a photo of the pelican. It is just when I looked through the viewfinder with that wide lens everything was so far away especially the pelican. I did crop approximately a third from the bottom of the photo. I didnt need that much foreground and either had to crop it or get very wet in order to reduce it.
Hi Rodney, this photo has a marvellous depth effect with a great dof to match! The end of the bridge is a wonderful focal point. I like the bridge better than the pelican and I love your sense of humour – great job!
Thanks Sig. When I saw the bridge from that position I thought it would work well with one of the features of this wide angle lens so I took the photo.
Hi all. My second image for this challenge. My walk about brought me to a City Centre Park called St. Stephens Green. Quite a popular place with tourists and Dubliners alike. The next few shots are of different aspects within the Park which I hope you like. This shot is of a fountain and the details are as follows: ISO 200, Fl 50mm, F16, SS 1/13 Sec – Shutter Priority Mode and Hand Held. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b4b408834749eb825886ff764ee391395adaa0912e13ca2f68b0de4b027344a7.jpg
Denis, nice picture with a lot of POI. Great to see the fountain against the pavilion. Very nice colours too. Was it possible to get the view a bit further away to have the whole pavilion and all water jets? Well done.
Hi Christian. Many thanks for your feedback. Yes and I took a number of shots. I liked the water in this one hence the post. This is another version. Let me know what you think. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d61d802cd388a99d1c64a428b71fa996aadae3f562dc4b4a968c94ed43ed65d6.jpg
Nice shot Denis. I like this version with full view of the pavilion. My suggestion is to move little more to the side and you would place the fountain separate from the pavilion and still keep both in the frame. The fountain would be in the lower left intersection of the thirds’ lines and will be the POI.
Hi Romy. Many thanks for your constructive input. I will have to go back and retake. However not in time for this project.
Denis, I like both pictures. As always there are believers for the one or the other. In the first one I like the accent on the fountain, in the other I like the overview with people in the pciture. Well done.
Hi Christian. Many thanks for coming back.
I like the water in this one, too, Denis. The angle of view also shows the low fencing for the grass which I think help frame the fountain. You are very steady with that slow shutter speed! When viewed large, a bit of camera movement is noticeable, but not when viewed in the normal preview screen.
Hi Judy. Many thanks for your feedback as always.
Denis, I recognize this fountain! We walked by it numerous times when we were in Dublin in April. I find the structure in the background a bit distracting, maybe a slight change is position would have helped. I do like the water. Well done.
Hi Sara. Many thanks for your feedback. Yes I should have moved a bit more to the right I think.
Nice image Denis. I like this one better of the two.
Hi Jim. Many thanks for your feedback.
Here is my second image for this month of prairie grasses flattened by the north wind and sky just before a change in the weather. At the angle I needed to shoot to get the windblown grasses pointing towards the middle, I was shooting towards the sun, so I used exposure bracketing over 3 photos so I could reduce the impact of the sunny portion in the sky. I combined those photos using LightRoom’s HDR tool. Shutter speeds 1/500, 1/2000 and 1/800 at 11mm, f/9.0, ISO 100 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7c5ba657a376f9fd3c43bdb1327e6189da7a74f4263f020bd5f9b5975c9f24be.jpg
Hi Judy.Great result here. I can feel the movement in the shot. The light reflections of the grasses is magic. A great composition with great work to go with it. Well done.
Thanks so much Denis. It was the light reflections from the grass that caught my eye, too.
Judy very nice picture. Good capturing of the moement in the grass. Good to see this movement and those of the clouds are goiing to one point in the middle. Great view of the wide fields. I like this B&W. Was there a reason to convert it in B&W? Well done.
Thanks for your comments, Christian. I originally worked on the colour version posted below, and I was not happy with green spot from the lens flare a the bottom. I had already desaturated the greens, but that didn’t completely remove the spot. I couldn’t remove the yellows in Lightroom without changing the colour of the grass, so I converted to B&W and liked the texture in the grass better. Of course, the easy fix was to crop the flare out of the bottom, and eventually I did that anyway. I did have trouble deciding whether to post the colour or B&W version as my submission. Which version appeals most to you?
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a9e4229290ccfb92a3578c6ec9dcd6ae3e94a848249a4a97cd7d5f63f04a3b9c.jpg
Judy, I see the green spot. Are you sure this is because of lens flare. On the right side of that spot I see some other green grass. In fact that doesn’t disturb me. When I look at your picture my eye is one time attracted to the slightly lighter in colour and the other time by the slightly darker in colour. Meanwhile I am aware of the waving structure of the grass. From there I go further to the horizon and the sky with the clouds. Of course that’s just my personal impression. That said: for me the B&W has more drama, the coloured one gives me more a subtle feeling of immersion in the scenery. Well done again!
I selected the B&W version as I thought it had more drama, too. The processing between the two images is slightly different, however. I’m very sure that green spot is lens flare. Follow the bottom left corner of the bright, thin diagonal line down and you arrive at the green spot. Besides, there is nothing green in this park at this time of the year đ As always, thanks for your thoughts.
Your image is great in colour as well – not sure which one I like better. The green spot does not bother me the least.
Hi Judy, I really appreciate the contrast which increases the definition and texture of the grass. Interestingly my eye is first drawn to the halo effect of the grass as it encircles the darkened center. Then my eye moves upward to a stormy sky. I love it, and I also very much liked the color version.
Nice Judy. You can almost feel the wind blowing looking at the grasses in the foreground. I also really like the color version as well.
Thanks Jim. The wide angle lens helped to exaggerate the angles of the grasses somewhat.
Hi Judy, this is a great b & w photo – I like the way the prairie grass is pointing towards the horizon and the dramatic sky! Also excellent contrast and dof. Well done!
Thank you, Sig. I just managed to walk home before the rain and snow started later that day. The sky was really beautiful.
Judy, although I like both versions of this photo, I find I am drawn to the B&W image more. It gives off a bit more drama. Well done.
Thanks Sara. I agree about the extra drama in the B&W version, and that was why I decided to post that version.
Judy you did well with your HDR merge and have ended up with a nicely exposed photo. I think the clouds look more menacing in this B&W version. I like it.
Thanks Rodney đ
I love this scene Judy. The black and white rendering added drama to the clouds. Personally I prefer this version over the color image. Great contrast.
Thank you Romy. I like the drama, too.
Judy. I love those waves of light and dark in the grasses moving toward that awesome moody sky. Lovely image.
Thanks Kerrie đ
What a dramatic photo Judy! Really great image.
Thanks so much, Chris! I won’t see any green in this spot until April or May, so I’m appreciating the textures.
This has nothing got to do with Photography rather the sport of Rugby Union. For any New Zealanders in the BootCamp – hard luck on yesterday’s epic encounter with little Old Ireland. The better team on the day won, kept the All Blacks try less – Come on you Boys in Green. It just took us a 114 years for the National Team to beat you on our home soil so I am sure you won’t begrudge me posting this.
Hi Denis I am Australian and our Rugby is in a real rut but that win of yours was outstanding, I wish I was there to experience it. I was in Ireland when Australia was playing Ireland in Australia this year and even though we lost I had a great time watching it with the local lads. Bring on the world cup. Back to photography.
Very good man.
Hi Everyone. Pls indulge me on this. I was about to post a Strelitzia (Bird of Paradise) flower. During post processing I noticed a black ant silhouette as I zoomed in so I am cropping the image as I find the ant a more interesting subject. ISO 400, f6.3, 90mm, 1/100s
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0e1bcdc588cef0a39d3257af8bbb17136858c7cff90ae44dc06e6f39027853b2.jpg
I am calling this image: IT’S THE CLIMB (borrowing from Miley Cyrus) or maybe HIGH HOPES
Romy, very nice picture. Great leading lines in all those tcolours. Good composition. The ant is indeed at the right place in the rather abstract environment. Well done.
Thanks much Christian.
Hi Romy. Good presentation of the Ant. I also like the colours and leading lines. Well done.
Thank you Denis.
I love the colors & how the lines fan out from the corner as well as the ant. I purchased a macro lens this summer & took a lot of pictures of flowers. I was amazed at the little creatures I found which I never had seen before.
Thank you Rohn. I also am beginning to enjoy my macro lens. It’s been with me for over a year but it’s only now that I was forced to use it and I was surprised to see interesting parts of flowers I never noticed before.
Romy, I find Bird of Paradise to be such a beautiful, exotic and striking flower. The colors here make me to want to see more. The silhouette of the ant leads me to ask if this shot is illuminated from behind? Oh, by the way, I believe that I know this ant! …his name is Flik! He had a leading roll in the Disney Pixar movie “A Bug’s Life”. đ
Many thanks, Gina. I took the photo at an angle such that the wall of the house serves as the backdrop. The white wall reflected the morning sun and backlit the flower.
Here is the full photo of the flower just for you. The ant is near the upper thirds grid and off center. Same settings.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/51723ba2953a3020b5fe330356659f0a9714fc18e458fa8c542db56db30ec801.jpg
I really appreciate seeing the entire image and, so much more so, the teeniest, tiniest, insignificant spec that proves to be like hidden treasure! Thank you so much.
Romy, I really like this image even w/o the ant, but I agree he really adds to the perspective & composition. Love the colors!
Thanks so much, Jim.
Well done! The lines and colors are wonderful.
Thanks much Sara.
Romey, The original shot is a great photo, but this cropped version is artistic composition. The way the strong lines of color flow upward from the corner of the frame with the ant climbing up tells an interesting story. Nice work !
Thanks so much , Richard.
I love this cropped version. I think I would have cropped and gone with the ant too. Well done
Thanks much Alan. Glad you like it.
Love the backlighting and diagonal lines in this Romy. Great composition!
Thanks so much Kerrie.
Love it when you find the unexpected in a photo! Good job!
Many thanks, Chris.
Lovely colours & composition & I like that you used the ant as a subject ,great image .I had 2 ants on a grevillea & I cloned them out ? who knew !
Thanks so much, Peter.
This is a very striking image, Romy. The colour pops and the silhouette of the ant is very well defined as it makes the climb.
Spectral Birds. I was in the Garden of the Gods (near Colorado Springs, CO, USA) just before sunrise and was trying to catch a sunflare off the bird perched on top of the rock formation. As I was composing, I noticed what looked like fireflies circling around the tip of the formation, which were actually the underside of the birds’ wings reflecting the rising sun. While a 35mm lens isn’t optimum, this allowed a little wider FOV that allowed me to catch most of the circling spectral birds. f/9, 1/500 sec, ISO 100, 35 mm. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f463f95e4ae37dc7382325398ec971991360724000ba87648f3320b629281fd2.jpg
Hi Bill, great silhouette image. At first I thought those were stars but zooming in they’re fireflies indeed ! Beautiful composition.
Nice image Bill!
Bill well done.
Hi Bill. Nice composition. Well done.
Bill, I really like this image. I think you have perhaps captured the sunrise more effectively without the sun flare. I think it would be a stronger overall image if you cropped out most, if not all of the negative space to bring the rock formation over to the lower right corner … just a suggestion.
Hi Richard, thanks for your suggestion. I re-cropped to put the rocks into the lower right corner, but still had to leave sky to get the birds in the frame, since that was the motivation for this particular image. Take a look and see what you think. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/38db2e566ae87b67ba28ec356bfd6e8b184ca3463f18eadc69b70c23e31f5abd.jpg
The second image was where I was going initially before I saw the backlit birds. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f5f339786a0e8751155296692d4998068c12ad6023efda9f17ae9dc60efdf19e.jpg
Bill, I like the crop on the second image because it fills the frame along the bottom. If you applied a similar crop to the first image I think you would have a photo worthy of a wall somewhere in your house … or mine.
Bill, I really like this one! Well done!
That’s lucky to see those birds – I would have never figured out what they were. I like how you’ve composed your image with all that negative space above and the rock formation looks like some creature about to get up. For sunflares makes sure you close down you aperture to f22 or so. Well done. Brent
Bill, I like your choice to have so much sky here, and that the sun is just behind thee rocks creating that bright area and showing the outline of the bird on the peak. The birds are like bright stars.
This is my first submission for this challenge. Being primarily a landscape guy, I am almost always shooting at a wide angle to capture the whole vista before me. I have been reading & hearing a lot lately about long lens landscapes and that every time I shoot wide, I should also shoot narrow and zoom in on the details and essentially get two vastly different images out of the same scene. I thought this challenge would be a good one to explore that approach so I decided to shoot everything at 300mm. I find myself thinking more about composition and moving my self about more to get the shot I want as opposed to zooming in and out. I could not pass up this sunrise a few weeks ago. I shot this from my yard here on the farm in Ohio. Settings were ISO 400, 300mm, F9 & 1/400 second hand held. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e2c9d7f30d7e727253299b6de4688a6a6c8c93252d9f61563625060bbd91107f.jpg
Hi Jim. Very lovely golden hour image, indeed. Normally many would use a wide lens in a landscape but that 300mm presented a different and interesting perspective. Composition is fabulous. Great capture.
Thanks Romy
Thanks Romy
Thanks Romy
Jim, interesting picture. Very strange effect in the sky with all those different colours. I never saw this before.
Thanks Christiian
Thanks Christian
Hi Jim. Nice shot with a very definitive sky. Reminds me of a water colour the way the clouds have turned out. In this shot they work well. Well done.
Thanks Denis
Thanks DENIS
Gorgeous colours, Jim. I like that you’ve included the almost silhouette effect of the foreground trees.
Thanks Kerrie
Thanks Kerrie
What a beautiful image Jim!
Really nice scene Jim ,great colours & I love the purple haze against the Orange .
Wow – that is so beautiful, Jim. I love the layers of colour that you have captured here with the contrasting textures in the clouds and trees.
My last image for this challenge at 200mm is an abstract image/ICM (motion blur) of a boat on water. My settings were 3/10 sec. f/32 200 mm at ISO100. I did not have filters on, so had to narrow my aperture quite a bit to slow down the SS. I did a bit of PP to define the levels of blur. This is called ‘Nautical’ https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/cb40cfc0a7c0e563f051f981c99130e479a73240e59e7fb474fe27bb6fe0bf36.jpg
cool
Thanks Nick….!
Really nice Christine. I love the blur & the colors!
Thanks Jim đ
Beautiful composition of colors.
Thanks Sara!
Hi Christine. Very nice abstract image. I was trying to do the same for the “MOTION” challenge but was unsuccessful. The images I got were not as cool as this. I will try again when I get the chance. Well done.
Thank you Romy….and keep on trying…..ICM is wonderful to express yourself….and you can never get the same image twice!
Fantastic abstract! I love the colors and the blur from your slow shutter speed which brings so much calm in this image.
Thank you so much Deby!
My fave, Christine! I would have this on my wall in a heart beat!
Wow….that is very encouraging…thanks Rach!
Christine, nice abstratc. I had to think at Gerhard Richter. But your lines are more fluent. Very nice colours. I like it very much. Well done.
Wow…thanks Christian that is high praise indeed!
Hi Christine. Nice abstract shot with flowing lines and colours. Well done.
Thanks Denis đ
Rerro, You have presented another masterwork. It looks like an oil painting using broad brush strokes across the canvas. I have been studying the image to find the boat … or were you in the boat ?
Thanks Richard……i was standing on the shore, and this yellow boat came past. I was playing around with ICM at the time….luck of the draw i suppose!
Rerro, Thanks for your reply … my definition of “luck” is when you are at the intersection of opportunity and preparedness. You nailed it.
thanks buddy!
Wow, Rerro, Love this! Beautiful blending of colours, and such smoothe, gentle lines. I too, would love this on my wall…Did you use a tripod to capture this?
Thanks so much Kerrie….this was hand held. đ
Wow this is awesome, and even better that it was hand held too. I love the mix of different colors too.
Thanks so much Alan!
Beautiful image, looks like a water color painting.
Wow I love this abstract. This is very beautiful and awesomely done. Excellent work!
Wow and wow again!! The colours work so well together, and the sweeping lines are beautiful. I find it very calming. Excellent work, Christine.
Thanks so much Judy đ
I shot this photo a couple of weeks ago when we still had a few spots of vivid colours in our neighbourhood. (Much has changed since – I went skiing locally yesterday!) This image is perhaps best characterized as an “abstract with a focal point”. It shows a small section of a “Burning Bush” in the front of our house. I played around a bit with the exposure – have one version slightly brighter. In the end I settled on this one for posting. Settings: 50 mm, f2.8, 1/40 sec and ISO 200.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/aa36b416015b080b1b243da1fd0ac8f30854b08d3e2c022482678828b0ac40d5.jpg
Sig, very cool. I used to have a burning bush in my yard before we moved. They are a great inspiration for photos. I like this, but maybe a square crop would be stronger? As always, personal preference. Well done.
Hi Sara, thanks very much for your comment! I had not thought of that possibility, but will certainly take a look at it.
Wow. Very cool image, Sig. Love that DoF. Make a big print and hang it on your wall. Well done.
Thanks Romy – good idea, yes may be I will print it!
Hi Sig, there is something so luscious about the background, and from it emerges dewy leaves with droplets that make me want to touch them with, dare I admit it …my tongue! đ
Hi Gina, thanks very much for your spontaneous and positive reaction to my photo!
Sig, nice picture. Good composition with the subtle leading line of the twig coming from left. I find the “detail” in the background has an added value to show the plant. Great colours. Well done.
Thank you so much Christian! I really appreciate your encouraging comments!
Hi Sig. Good shot and composition. Well taken. Maybe a square crop. Just a thought.
Thank you Denis for your positive comments!
Sig, I love images like this with the droplets of water on the brightly colored leaf. You have captured this perfectly.
Thanks Richard – much appreciated!
Brilliant capture, Sig. Awesome DoF ,colours and sharpness on your poi. If anything, I may try a crop from the top, but that’s just personal taste. Well shot
Thank you Kerrie – appreciate your comments and suggestion!
Just wonderful Sig…i love the DoF is this shot using f2.8….the colour palette and the droplets of water make this a stunning image. Very well captured.
Thank you so much Rerro! I really appreciate your encouragement!
Sig, really nice! I love the soft colors and the subtle green background blur. The water droplets really add to the image.
Thank you Jim – appreciate the complementary comments!
Beautiful colors. Love the red leaves against the green background.
Thank you so much Chris!
Love this picture. The water droplets on the leaf makes this a dynamic photo. The composition with the leaf is great. The leaf is practically jumping out at you making this photo pop. Awesome Job!
Barbara, thanks very much for your encouraging comments!
Sig, I really like your depth of field here. The detail in the water droplets is so crisp. Love the bright autumn leaves, too.
My last image was taken along a county road on my way to meet friends for a craft class. I was also trying to get to the post office before it closed. I was not able to ship my package, but I was fairly happy with the way my photo turned. out. I converted to B&W as there was not a great deal of color in the photo. I was trying to get the various shades of blue in the sky, but behind me was this shot. Thank you for your feedback. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/78602ddf7cd0c7e75b5dfaad8a571aa9dc01d34cf7a17ef4f15b1845c868fa1c.jpg
Hi Sara. This is lovely composition. So many leading lines including the power cables. I agree this is much better in black and white. Well done
Thank you Romy.
Hi Sara, its interesting how images can stir up memories from the past. When I saw this photo it immediately brought to mind a song by Glen Campbell, Wichita Lineman “is still on the line’.
Thank you Gina.
Wow, my first thought was, does she live where I lived!? How similar, especially at this time of year. Love the shot Sara. The one thing that I would suggest is cropping top and bottom, so that all your leading lines start in the corners!?
Rachel, it’s Minnesota. The countryside looks like this from now until April. Here is a cropped version to get the leading lines more in the corners.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a2dca2302ae78b7ad1a29a63f7d48033db3f95ff9f4c72573e1e6d72de71be8c.jpg
Sara, I like this image better than the first, but it looses some of the nice clouds. Black and white is a good choice for this shot.
Thank you Richard.
Hi Sara, I prefer this version, I think the power lines look better but for me the more important thing is that by cropping it you’ve eliminated what was for me a little too much empty space – this crop helps concentrate the attention on the subject. Suits B&W too. Looks bleak!
Sara, interesting picture. Good composition with use of those leading lines by wire and road. What are your settings?
Christian, I added my setting to the original post. I realized I forgot them.
Hi Sara. Yes this works well in B/W. I like the leading lines bring me off into the distance. Well done.
Thanks Denis.
great B&W
The leading lines are superb – I can’t decide which version I prefer (I’m not a great believer in leading lines starting directly from a corner). I think they both work well
I’d like a more dramatic sky – but then I like dramatic skies!
Thanks Nick. I was trying to not go overboard on the contrast and sky. Maybe I should? We shall see.
Looks like it could have been shot in Manitoba(we have the same barely there snow cover too)! Lovely leading lines.
Sara, great DoF in this image….the light posts really draw us right down the path.
Great leading lines, Sarah. I prefer this version with more sky. Lovely in B&W.
Sara I love all the different lines in this photo. Very nice in black and white. I also prefer this version as for me the sky adds dimension. Well done.
Very nice Sara. I love the B&W and the symmetry and perspective of the power lines converging & disappearing into the horizon.
Love all the converging lines in your image Sara. Looks like a cold and lonely road – and I like how you’ve converted it to B/W to add that extra “old time” feel. Well done. Brent
Great choice to present this as a B&W image, Sara. I really like the depth of the image as the poles repeat and fade to the horizon. Maybe crop from the bottom so the horizon is less centered?… I don’t know. I like it just as is đ
Still walking in the same park (where the previous picture was taken) looking around for a different view at all those autumn colours. This was taken in the direction of the sunlight. Therefore it was necessary to have the sun shining through another leave out of picture.
As I see my settings I apparently forgot to reset my ISO.
settings: 1/8000s f/10 90mm ISO 400
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c5b8cd7f1ac4d76e86ac1a26d14a22a71a812b1568e187d28d4010aa2eec2cef.jpg
Hi Christian. Nice shot. Personally I would prefer to see the stem coming from one of the corners, preferable left. Well done.
Thanks Denis for your comment. Personally I didn’t see the stem as a leading line as there is no view attraction. This picture was just meant as a web of twigs in the (near) background with that leave as POI. But I appreciate what you said to be aware how others have a different view on the matter.
Hi Christian. You make a good point. Well done.
an interesting photo
I at first thought that it was a bit cluttered and distracting
But looking at it, rather than a fleeting glance, I find that it has a real calming quality
the monochromatic colours are pleasing as is the overall image
Thanks Nick for your appreciation.
Christian, I find the background somewhat distracting. I am not too concerned about the stem coming out of a corner, although I think it could be closer to the lower right corner-it might make a difference?
Thanks Sara for your comment.
Christian, I agree with the comments by Nick and Denis, but I like the image anyway. I like the way you have blurred the background and captured nice detail in the poi leaf.
Thanks Richard for your appreciation.
Hi Christian, I find this image really beautiful. The lighting, composition and colours are stunning. Love it.
Thanks Kerrie for your appreciation.
Gorgeous colour palette here Christian, and i really like the simplicity of the shot. Well composed shot!
Thanks Christine for your appreciation.
Hi Christian. Great job focusing on that leaf. Well done.
Thanks Romy for your appreciation.
Good job on the leaf. Shows the colors of fall well. Composition is good too!
Thanks Barbara for your appreciation.
Hi Christian – I like your repeating theme…smaller, blurred leaves in the background, single subject crisp at the front. I think the composition works well, too, because I see the single leaf as the subject and it is in the right place in my opinion.
Hi all. My third effort at this challenge. I think the inscription tells the story. Shot Details: ISO 100, FL 50mm, Fi.8, SS 1/200 sec. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b3a308808e7410c80416a779819df3a8a2c764a2736369560524e0475d8c9181.jpg
Nice memorial shot Denis. Sharply focused. Well done. For memorial shots I normally place the subject centered in the frame but that’s just my personal preference.
Hi Romy. Many thanks for your feedback. It was my intention to be off centre with this one.
Hi Denis! I travel vicariously around the world through the experiences and shared images of others. I like the wintery background behind the bust with a few autumn colored leaves on stark bare branches. The features of the bust are so well defined, like a portrait that captures the physical appearance of the individual. I want to touch the face. Thank you for sharing, I’ve heard it said that it rains a lot in Ireland!
Hi Gina. Many thanks for your feedback. Re the rain, you have heard correct.
Nice shot Denis, you 50mm is working a treat….very nicely captured!
Hi Christine. Many thanks for your feedback.
Well done Denis. Although I find it a tad bight.
Hi Sara. Many thanks for your feedback.
Nice job. Crisp and clear and the inscription helps to tell the story. Nice composition as well.
Hi Barbara. Many thanks for your feedback.
My second attempt at the focal challenge at 220 mm. A wolf at my zoo…I love its pensive expression(it fell asleep shortly after I took this photo). I don’t mind that i lopped off the bottom of its one foot…I think if I walked backwards to get the whole wolf in the photo the extra distance may have caused the “intimacy” of the scene to be lost….but maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration!! f/6.3 ISO 2000 and 1/320 second. Given my focal length, a slighter slower shutter speed may have helped make the photo just a tad sharper. Photo was taken through a thick pane of glass though… https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b57fff7723bce12c25c352ac4564738bbe64500b2ef77b4b0c1161117a2b23e9.jpg
Hi Marsha. Very nice composition. Well taken given your circumstances and through a thick pane of glass. I am not so bothered about the right foot. I think I might prefer to see a little more space on top of his head. Still a great shot. Well done.
thanks…yes an extra inch above the head would have been good!
Hi Marsha. That expression was really pensive. Nice shot. I tried zooming in on the face and I liked it. Maybe you would like to try and make a portrait crop of the head. See if you liked it too. That would also enhance the intimacy. Well done.
I regret not taking a portrait orientation to begin with…..and I will try with portrait crops as a second best strategy!! thanks for the suggestion.
Hi Marsha. I really wanted to have a closer look at details of the wolf’s face so I opened this image on my tablet (8X10) and enlarged it until the face, from just below the ears and above the level of the paws, filled the screen and the eyes were as large as mine. Oh my, the eyes! I slid the image to the right until only one eye was visible then slowly back until we were eye to eye again. I am fascinated by this face!
yes…they are quite hypnotic!!
Lovely shot Marsha….you have definitely capture the connection with the wolf. The glass must have been pretty clean, cause i didn’t even pick that up when i first looked!
thanks…I think my lens was almost right against the glass(it was polka-dotted with white spots to make it visible to birds) so my plane of focus was well behind the glass!
Marsha, very nice picture. Good composition with a good filled view on the wolf. It doens’t disturb me that he’s not 100% visible. Certainly a very good job taken in consideration you had limitations with that glass. Well done.
Love this, you have done well. I love how you have captured it’s expression. Well done
Great photo. You could crop to show simply the face and really highlight his expression. Well done!!
thanks…I haven’t tried a square crop!
Really nice image Marsha. I love the eyes and the nice background blur. You did a great job shooting thru the glass! Wolves are such majestic creatures and one of my favorites.
Nice eye contact, and pretty good for a thru-the-glass shot. Cheers
Great capture, Marsha. Playing with some cropping options may be worth a try.
Marsha, well done with the constraints you had. Maybe a crop of just the head? I agree about a little more space above the head. Great job.
Marsha I agree with you. The cropping on the wolf is perfect. You capture the expression very well. Had you pulled back you may have had more distractions in the picture as well. Great lighting and the composition works here with the way the wolf is laying. Nice job!
Great image, Marsha. I think your composition is just fine; it doesn’t bother me that bits of the wolf are not in the frame. To me, this wolf’s face is what is important, and you have captured a good expression and the focus is bang on.
thanks…I don’t really mind bits being cut off either!
Here’s my second post for this challenge. Since the air quality here in San Francisco is still too thick to see beyond a few city blocks, I have been taking photos inside the house. This photo is a head and torso shot of one of our bronzes, “Pan w/double flute” by Coinchon – 1858, using my Sony FE85F1.4 @ 1/80 sec, ISO 100. Post pressing was limited to a square crop to eliminate too much negative space, and some adjustments to the exposure and light vignetting. Although I am learning to like it, I find that using a prime lens requires a lot more effort than shooting with a zoom lens. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/21896e2708fb0f724909c027e4a5831e0c2fcd1dca1e40108429af013b69802f.jpg
I love this shot Richard. Very nice composition. Love the DoF. Well done. That 85mm f1.4 is really fine lens. Sadly I bought my FE90mm f2.8 before the 85mm came out.
Fabulous shot Richard…..the lighting and the colour of the bronze is so good! I love that you have managed to use the lighting to accentuate the shadows…..the statue almost looks real…very well captured
Hi Richard. Lovely composition. Great lighting balance , clarity and sharpness. Love the way the bronze colour is to the fore. Well done.
Richard, nice well balanced filled picture. You have a good portrait with light and shadow on the right place. Well done.
Beautiful bronze and you have done a great job relaying that to the viewer. Well done.
Hi Richard, I agree that the single focus is a challenge – and that it will make us better photographers. I suspect that’s what Brent was thinking…I love the play of light on this – really highlights the shape and detail. Cheers
Wow, Richard. I like this so much..I keep coming back to look at it again and again. Beautifully composed, and your background colour works really well with this image.
Well done Richard. You did a wonderful job.
What a beautiful image. I agree, the weather here is very bad. I am told prime lenses take incredible photos and judging by this picture, I would say that is an accurate statement.
Really nice Richard. Beautiful lighting on your bronze statue. Such a great idea to stay safe inside with the unhealthy and smokey air in your area. Keep up the good work.
Great shot of this statue. You got the image sharp where it counted and the composition is great. Nice lighting overall really makes this image pop. Nice work!
Thanks to all for your comments and feedback. I learn a lot from each of you.
I think you will become a better photographer because of this constraint Richard – and this image is already proof to me. I just love that super shallow depth of field that you get with that f1.4 lens and of course I zoomed right in to check focus on the head – tack sharp! I like the leading lines made by the flute, leading my eye up to the face. Also the muted almost monochrome colours add to your image. Well done. Brent
Hi Richard – I really like how the lighting highlights the detail in the statue. The background colour really complements the bronze. Very nice! I do agree it takes a bit to get used to zooming with your feet when using a prime lens, and agree that it does make you think a little harder about how to achieve a good composition.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/63585c8e81588a80db663ca1310d68e1e2c5e7a3fcf557eb23d7ca0dc18ceb90.jpg This is my first image for this challenge. Shot with my 50mm f/1.8 prime lens on my Canon 80D. Settings: f/7.1 1/320 ISO 100. This was take at a recent swap meet, unfortunately I could not change the angle to get rid of the other car in the left due to direction of the sun and other vehicles.
Hi Alan. Nice simple composition, well taken with clarity and sharpness. The other car on the left is defused enough not to be a major distraction. Well done.
Thanks Denis
I like it! I really like the hood ornaments of the old cars, I wish they still used them. One suggestion, I might have tried going with a portrait orientation so you could have gotten closer & cut out more of the neighbouring car. But well done.
Thanks Rohn. Yes I love the hood ornaments of these old classics. Next time will try portrait, thanks for the tip
Really nice Alan. I love the colors and the tack sharp detail.
Thanks Jim
Hi Alan. Nicely composed image and good clarity. The car on the left is blurred enough that it does not distract me. Well done.
Thanks Romy
Alan, nice job! The green is so vibrant.
Thanks Sara
What a cool, vintage shot. I agree, I am not distracted by the other car.
Thanks Chris. I love this shot too. Not very often I come across one of this era, more the hot rod style of cars, which I love too
Cool shot. The image is very sharp and has a great composition. Great job!
What a fabulous hood ornament! That bright green is great in the background, too. The car on the left doesn’t bother me, either, but I think it would be pretty easy to remove/de-emphasise in Photoshop if it really bothers you.
An interesting challenge this one, I chose a 50mm lense and found it restricting at first but quite enjoying it now.
Tunks Park Sydney.
1.6 sec f/16 ISO 100 50mm
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/751c4f226bf02ae83f7e836f2644cf488a608ba0a97fc6167a9445ca37c35a18.jpg
Andrew, very nice picture. Great colours with the flowers and the clouds in the sky. Personally I would take less of the flowers at the bottom. Then you would have as POI the bridge and a frame with the (less) purple flowers at the bottom, a bit on the right and left and also with the purple clouds. Good to see the leading line towards the bridge. Well done.
Great shot Andrew. This image is just fabulous. Nice leadiing line to the bridge. To me this scene is perfect. Well done
Hi Andrew. Very nice composition and well taken. Overall I like the colour tone throughout the shot. However the blue bush/shrub is a little distracting to my mind. I like the leading lines from the left to the bridge which helps deflect from the shrub at the bottom centre. From the shot I am wondering what would it be like taken from the bottom looking up at the bridge?. Non the less this is a very good shot. Well done.
wow…I love the purple trees…and the bridge. I want to visit this place(though it is 10 million miles from where I live!)
I really like the colors & the bridge. Well done!
Andrew:
I really like the blue flowers in the foreground. I think they really help to draw your eye to the bridge. On suggestion I have would be to straighten the horizon and bridge slightly. Well done.
Great composition, Andrew. Nice placement of the suspension bridge. Love the Jacarandas, and the way the colour is repeated through the landscape, and is then mimicked in the clouds! Well shot.
Beautiful shot Andrew. The purples and greens really pop in this landscape.
Wow. I don’t know how you did it, but I love the purple sky and how it matches the purple in the trees. Great composition. Sharp and clear and lovely. Nice job!
Andrew beautiful shot
Andrew, beautiful job. I feel the bridge and horizon are not quite straight. Love the colors.
Wow Andrew! Love how the colour of the jacaranda trees is echoed by the purple in the sky! The image is tack sharp from front to back. Nice job, indeed đ
Hi Coming to the end for this month’s challenge. One more after this. This is a partial shot of a very large sculpture erected in honour of those who lost their lives in the Great War. Shot details; ISO 200, FL 50mm F5, SS 1/250 Sec. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c236d719bee94f34971cf00dca3f845118faf538cb878c8609d823f3a28cea78.jpg
What an interesting statue – love all the browns and details in your image Denis. Something I’d do a little different with this one is to move a little more to your right so that the tree frames your soldier. Put his head into the middle of those 2 trees in the background. Also remember to post a single image every 7-10 days, next month I’ll reduce this period again. Well done. Brent
Hi Brent. Many thanks for your feedback and suggestions. Classic mistake by me – A lot of people around and trying to get a shot of the statue was hard in itself. Lost sight of my surroundings. Apologies for the quick succession of posts. Trying to cram a lot in. I have one more to go. Hope you don’t mind. I will wait a few days.
Really nice shot Denis! I love how the color in the statue is mimicked in nature & vice versa. I liked Brent’s suggestion on using the trees to frame the statue. Perhaps another approach might have been to blur the background somewhat to make the statue stand out a little more.
Hi Jim. Many thanks for your feedback. I got focused on framing the shot – as in statue – that I lost out on other issues.
Hi Denis. Interesting statue and great capture. By the way, is there any angle where the shot of the statue could be taken against the blue sky? I wonder how it would turn out. Beautiful image.
Hi Romy. Many thanks for your feedback. Yes is the answer your question. I was absorbed at just trying to frame the shot. Have to admit I lost sight of my surroundings.
Wow Denis! How gigantic is this amazing steampunk sculpture? The detail is stunning and you’ve captured it so well!
Hi Gina. Many thanks for your feedback.
Very interesting image Denis – and appropriate for the 100th anniversary of the armistice. Someone has spent a lot of time making that and it’s a great concept. I once did a job at the property of one of NZ’s richest men and he has a similar one – of himself! – made entirely of car parts. And holding a pistol in each hand. He’s slightly eccentric… His is about 12 ft high, I’m guessing that’s about what this is. Brent’s idea about framing it with the trees sounds good too. I’m doing 50mm too – presents it’s own challenges. Cheers
Hi Alex. Many thanks for your feedback.
Hi Denis, beautifully sharp capture of this amazing sculpture. I do find the background a little busy and distracting. Maybe another angle might help.
Hi Kerrie. Many thanks for your feedback.
Really interesting statue, Denis. The colors and textures all work so well together. Perhaps a wider aperture to have the statue stand out from the background better? It’s a cool shot, though.
Hi Deby. Many thanks for your feedback.
Great picture. This is a cool object to photograph. It is sharp throughout and captures the essence of the statue. Nice composition as well. Good job!
Hi Barbara. Many thanks for your feedback.
What a great Sculpture & Monument to the Soldiers, Awesome shot Denis .
Hi Peter. Many thanks for the feedback.
What a great shot Denis. I love the background with the somewhat bare trees and blue skies And what a cool sculpture that is. Very unusual but compelling.
Hi Chris. Many thanks for the feedback.
Awesome shot and subject. Very sharp! Is this also in St Stephen’s Green? If so-I do not know how I missed it.
Hi Sara. Many thanks for your feedback. Yes it is still Str. Stephen’s Green. This was erected for Armistice Day this November.
This month has been really challenging for me as the weather here in Ohio for most of November has been 20 degrees below normal and much wetter than normal, making it difficult to get out and shoot. A few days ago Mother Nature graced us with an ice storm. I captured this unique image on one of our gates here on our farm. It is not as tack sharp as I would hope, something I always struggle with. It was captured at about 9:30 am in the morning here on yet another dreary day, thus the settings. My settings were ISO 1600, 300mm, F/5.6 and 1/500th sec hand held. I think it turned out OK. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/617f545a0e1c311b5cec3b1f680b6bc9c46b83fe231686ee46263edf34452590.jpg
Hi Jim. It did turn out just fine. Well done.
Thanks Romy
I like it. Ice is not fun to drive in, but it is pretty!
Thanks Rohn
Jim, nice to see the ice on your fence.Personally I would have cropped at the top to have the rusty bar lees prominent in sight. You have a very nice view on the iced wires with a beautiful background. Well done.
Thanks Christian
Hi Jim. Good capture if the ice with nice detail. Well done.
Thanks Denis.
Good shot. The ice is sharp throughout and gives the viewer a sense of how cold it is out there. Nice job!
Thanks Barbara.
Hi Jim ,I like this shot with the ice covering the fence wire & the droplets ,I also think a crop in the middle of the pipe would look better but just a thought well done.
Thanks Peter
Nice job Jim, the blurred background brings out the ice formation
I love this shot. Ice droplets like these are always fascinating to me, as the easily tell the story of just how cold it is. Well done
Lovely image. At first glance, I thought the upright fence pieces were spears! Well done.
Jim, I like this shot … very creative. I agree with Peter that cropping to the eliminate the background above the pipe would make a stronger image. I wouldn’t worry too much about having everything tack sharp … it’s still a very nice image.
For my third posting for this challenge I have selected yet another epic Ohio Fall sunset. I hope you all are not getting sick of these! My settings were ISO 400, 300mm, F/5.6 & 1/500th sec. I thought I would try something a little different in post by adjusting my settings so that there was just a hint f detail and color in the foreground. I think it is a nice effect. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5af177636c129863939d0b17760cd5a59f0dc14ed9903b793c9f385a012a9fc8.jpg
Whoa! Beautiful sunset colors. Great job with that 300mm lens, Jim. Well done.
Love those wavey clouds, Jim
Thanks Kerrie
Those beautiful clouds are quite abstract Jim and I like the line of trees silhouetted against them. Have you thought of giving the clouds more prominence by raising the lower part of the image to be about 1/3 and the sky 2/3? Just a suggestion!! I do like the image as is:)
Thanks Dianne.
Jim, nice picture. Great colours in the sky. Personally I would get more detail in the shadows. Well done
Hi Jim. Very nice shot. Sky is well framed with great colour and feel to it. I might lighten the shadows a bit. Well done.
Thanks Denis
Love this shot. Great sunset. Colors are great and love the silhouette of the trees. Awesome job!
Thanks Barbara
Gorgeous shot! At this time of year sunsets like these make it seem not quite so cold out(for those of us in Minnesota). Well done.
I thought i had submitted this before. I found single focal lenght to almost be safety problem. Almost got run over by this guy. U https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1f0aba35a8505415a447e43296c727317a7d512b67be434f51d64f6d4cdb7e5c.jpg sing a 17mm 4:3 or 34mm as a city lens. sometimes couldn’t get close enough or far enough away. maybe just a learning curve.
Norm, nice picture. You got everybody in sight.
Hi Norm. This is a nice shot. Good composition and well focused. Great capture.
Hi Norm. Lovely shot and composition. Nicely framed and shot. Nice clarity to it. Well done.
Nice shot. Glad you didn’t get run over. Good color and sharpness. Great work!
Don’t get hurt by using a super wide angle lens Norm. When photographing something that is moving like this vehicle always remember to leave space in front of it to move into. Maybe stand back a little more and please – stay safe and healthy. Brent
I wonder what the guy in the front seat is thinking? Nice job, as Brent said a little more room to move into would be nice. Glad you were not hurt.
Your models look like they are enjoying the tour đ Nice capture of this moment in time, Norm.
Not to deviate from my theme, just yet. This is an Eastern Koel, and has managed to be our wake-up call for the last few weeks. I’ve been contemplating something other than my camera, to shoot it. LOL! This was taken in the early evening, so I had to boost the exposure, in post, 2 stops, as well as other minor adjustments and cropping. He was way up at the top of my neighbors tree, and this was the only clear shot I had that was worth using, out of 10 shots.
FL 250mm, f/5.6, ISO 640, 1/125sec.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3d2629409fc28a56190d7468f5007cc1603063e1ed740c990a3728cd0eccb7b1.jpg
Rachel, nice picture. Creative filling of the space. Great contrast between the bird and the background. Well done.
Thanks, Christian!
Fantastic shot. The bird really pops from the light background. Nicely composed and good job in post processing. Well done Rachel.
Thank you, Romy!
Hi Rachel. Great composition. I like the way you have filled the frame with the bird. Stand out well. Well done.
Thanks, Denis! đ
I like this shot a lot. Great composition. You gave the bird plenty of room to move in the photo. Sharp and clear, and the red eyes are wonderful. Great job!
Thank you, Barbara!
Nice capture Rachel ,it looks great with the contrast of the branches & a clear sky back ground
Thanks, Peter!
Well done Rachel! Lovely composition.
Rachel, you’ve done a great job to get the head and feather detail in the wings nice and sharp. I think the composition works, too. Normally, I would look to have the bird less centered, but here I like the balance/framing of the branches on either side.
This is my fourth & final post for this challenge. This is another image courtesy of our recent ice storm. These are icicles that formed on the eave of our roof. I shot this at a really oblique angle with a shallow depth of field which is why the icicles left and right of the main subject are slightly out of focus. Not really intended but rather a happy accident I think! I noticed the drips so I played around with shutter speed to try to get the best capture of the water droplets. I think I could have done a better job of getting the main subject tack sharp. My setting were ISO 1600, 300mm, F/5.6 and 1/500th sec. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/25fc48879760a8c57bb0eca06a4eb0878146a640387ff350fcc95cbd0adf1a9e.jpg
Creative composition Jim. Nice capture of the droplets. Well done.
Thanks Romy
Hi Jim. Very good composition. I like the way you have captured this. Good job. Well done.
To me this looks like the blades of a saw. You did really well capturing the drip Jim – and that’s what photography is all about, spending time trying out different things focused on the moment. How do it make you feel when you’re photographing this? Brent
Thanks Brent. I was feeling cold, LOL. Seriously, I was feeling really good about this image as an abstract close-up. I was hoping I could find the right settings to capture the water droplets in an interesting manner. I have to admit that all of the challenges since the my backyard one have created a new interest in me in looking around my own environment and finding unique images right under my nose that I have taken for granted and overlooked in the past, resulting in me becoming a better photographer. Something my wife has been harping on for a while now, and she is always right!
Well done Jim. Thankfully we have not had an ice storm here this season, I am sure at least one is coming. Would it look better in B&W? It is almost there now.
Thanks Sara. Really great suggestion on the B&W. I’ll give it a try when I get a chance.
Jim, depending on the available light, you may not have had a lot of options to capture the movement of the drip and get more of the eaves in focus, so don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s a great shot !
Thanks Judy.
My final image for this challenge was taken in my backyard this afternoon. I’ve done years of work on rehabilitation and revegetation of bushland areas,and wetlands…and hence have become really passionate about (obsessed with, maybe) native grasses. This the flower heads of https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9cd8c6c5ea609550074690660e241116b1fe5a56df9bb7cbe49bf314151aa6d1.jpg Themeda triandra, or Kangaroo Grass.
1/160 f6.3 ISO 100
canon efs 55-250 lens at 135mm
Absolutely gorgeous!
Wow…thanks so much Rerro, glad you like it. It’s not as sharp as I’d like, but I have decided that this is possibly the best I’m gonna get with this lens, so I’m happy. I’ve spent hours over the last few days trying to get this shot! Was either too windy, raining, or dull light…took some indoors and shot there…but it just didn’t look natural. I LOVE and find such beauty in native grasses.
The colours are so warm and rich, and what you have been able to create with this lens (which is essentially a kit lens) is a job very well done. You should be very happy with this shot. Your passion is shining through !!
Nature is where my heart’s at. Thanks for the encouragement, Rerro.
I can see your passion in your image
Such a great shot, Kerrie. I really love the colors and composition choice. It looks really sharp to me.
Hi, and thanks, Deby. I guess I just have it in my head that I might get a sharper shot with a better lens! But I am happy to work with what I have.
Kerrie, very nice picture. Great colours with brown and green tints. Good composition. I like it very much. Well done.
Thanks so much, Christian. I feel that this really highlights the beauty of this little Australian native species.
You’ve turned a simple piece of grass, into an artwork. Your creativity is really showing! Love it!
Thanks so much, Rachel!
Hi Kerrie. Another piece of art from Kerrie Clarke ! Wow, I like the sound of it. Interesting composition using an ordinary grass. Love it. Well done.
Thanks for the feedback, Romy đ
Hi Kerrie. Very nice composition. Lovely soft light balance in this shot. You have captured the softness and the clarity required very well. Great job. Well done.
Thanks Denis đ
Nice shot. Great blurred background lets the grass stand out. Good sharpness all the way through. Great job!
Thanks Barbara !
Nice clean shot Kerrie ,good Bokeh &sharp.
Thanks so much Peter đ
Beautiful image Kerrie. Love the muted fall tones.
Thanks Chris;)
STUNNING!!! Even in the thumbnail is stunning. I can see that you photograph this with passion and it shows in your final image. My eye goes directly to the top left flower head and I think it’s the muted reds/pinks against the darker green background that makes it stand out for me. Complementary colours. Well done for helping your local environment too. Brent
Thanks so much for the feedback, Brent. đ
absolutely gorgeous shot!
Thanks so much, Marsha!
Absolutely Fabulous! Looks like it should hang on a wall somewhere. Very well done.
Thanks Sara!
Kerrie, This is a beautiful image. You have nailed composition, lighting and focus, and I love the muted colors.
Thanks so much, Richard đ
An absolutely beautiful shot Kerrie – I love the gentle colours and the soft background.
Thank you, Tessa!
Oh my… this is SO beautiful. Depth of field, colour, composition….all work together to make this a stunner. I really like the soft echo in the background of other flower heads.
Hi and thanks so much, Judy. I am pretty happy with it. I love our native grasses.
This is an image taken late afternoon after a miserable and grey day. Once again using 35mm lens, F4.0, SS 1/350 and ISO 100.https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b61d98a37ec9221498c45e0ad575b96c905c71c79876c257a01bf1ac1fea3c89.jpg
Love the colors and DoF of the image. Not sure that the background, on the right, is needed. Nice image.
Dianne, very nice picture. Great colours too. Good comosition with the leading line from lower left corner to the upper right corner with all those fading flowers. In my opinion the right open space has an added value due to the reason I add before and because of the direction of the front flower leaning a bit to the right. Well done.
Many thanks for your comments Christian.
Hi Dianne. I love the composition. Looks like you are getting used to the 35mm f1.4 lens. Very nice DoF. Well done.
Thank you Romy, I do love this lens!
Stunning image Diane – 2 Things stand out in this image for me.
1. Colours – Almost fine-art like
2. Composition – Yes a little more space on the left would help but my eye is attracted to the main flower right away and I love the shape made by all the other flowers in the background too.
Well done – your image ROCKS!
Brent
Many thanks Brent I really appreciate your comments, everyone is so encouraging!
Hi Dianne. Great shot. Very nice composition. Like the dof. Well done.
Lovely shot. I love the water droplets on the flower. Nice blurred background allows the flower to pop out of the picture. Good color, sharpness and composition. My only suggestion might be to give a little bit more room on the left for the flower and crop a little bit of the right. Great work!
Thank you Barbara, I appreciate your comments and yes I could allow a little more room on the left and remove some of the darker area on the right without centering the flower.
This is beautiful Dianne! Sadly, there is no color left here, winter is fully set in. I’m going to need to make numerous trips to the arboretum I guess!
Thank you Rohan, Iâm sure there will be lots to choose from in the arboretum. Even a single flower from the florist can present hours of fun challenges during your winters. đ
Great composition, Dianne. Your subject is well separated, and I really like the line of flowers blurring out to the top right of the image.
a lovely shot Dianne ,I found if you go to full screen you can see the Beauty of this Photo .
Well the day may have been miserable but this certainly cheers one up. Lovely shot Dianne.
Well done Dianne. I love the colors and the softness of the background.
Sorry my computer died https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/22a3e34db381886570beb5faa12cf9fe1a3152b2fd79cba0cb53e14fdc3185b3.jpg & i had to get it upgraded to Win 10 ,500gb SSD & new Graphics card .My choice of lens is my Minolta 100mm f2.8 Macro>I took a close up shot at this Pelican ,Sony A77 Minolta macro 100mm f2.8 , iso200 , 1/250
Hi Peter. Great composition. Great clarity and sharpness. Well done.
Thank you Denis ,some of that old Minolta glass is still good.
Wow what a great shot. Love the water droplets on its beak. Nice a clear and good composition. Nice job!
Thanks so much Barbara.
Love this image, Peter! Beautiful colours,composition and detail. Pelicans are so photogenic!
Thanks heaps Kerrie .
Peter I love this one, sharp, well focused and crisp! Great Work!
Hi Dianne thanks again very kind .
LOVE LOVE LOVE pelicans!! What a great shot!!!
Me too, and yes great shotIs
Thanks so much Brent, we have all seen the Pelicans feed at the central coast .
Thanks so much Chris glad you liked it .
beautiful…I love the detail that you have picked up on the beak and body! Amazing close-up with just a 100 mm lens.
Thank you Marsha ,It was where they feed them so they come almost to the shore ,I was waiting to see them get fed with my Grand Daughters & I had my camera with me for shots of the Girls & I had that lens on My camera so I took a bunch of shots & got a couple of nice ones .
Peter, great capture. I really like the detail. Did you have to do any sharpening around the eye?
Hi Juan thanks for the comments ,not a lot of correction normally just a little colour or contrast sometimes sharpen I usually just correct with Faststone Image Viewer ,editing is not my forte , I shot it with my Minolta 100mm f2.8 macro ,Lovely colours from Minolta glass & a great Portrait lens .I have very strong & steady hands & I hardly ever use a tri pod ,I take it away on holidays but never use it ,my wife says it was a waist of money.
Peter, love the detail on this one, the eye and the drops on the beak. The blue of the water seems very intense. Is this how it was or is it my iPad?
It was on the ocean with clear blue sky & the light was great & the reflection of the sky , just in the right place at the right time .thanks for your kind feedback Hilary
Awesome shot Peter. I love the detail on the beak and the back of the neck too
Many thanks again Alan .
Great head shot of the pelican, Peter. Nicely composed and tack sharp. Love this image. Well done.
Thank you so much Romy .
Peter great job! Love the detail in the feathers.
Thank you for your feedback Sara .
Peter, Great image … I’m surprised that the Pelican allowed you to get to close ! Well done.
Hi Richard ,thanks for your feedback , It was taken at a Pelican feeding where they come within a metre of you .
I love this shot Peter – you’ve captured wonderful detail.
Thanks so much Tessa ,I have about 6 or 7 older Minolta lenses in My photo closet & I have a 50 & 100mm macro lens in the bunch & they always take beautiful colours
Super sharp and great detail. Background blue really sets off the pelican. Love it!
Thanks again Valerie for your thoughts ,I had to bang these shots in together because My computer had a melt down ,so a rebuild & reload programs & I was unlucky the graphics card they fitted was faulty so back it went again ,just got it back 4 days ago & rushed to get it up & running
Great image, Peter. The detail in this handsome bird’s feathers & beak is really something. I also really like the simplicity of the water in the background with just that little bit of movement.
Thanks a bunch Judy.
This is my 3rd photo for this competition. I never got to use my new 105mm lens. so this photo was also shot with the 35mm lens on the D5300 body. It was shot at night with ISO 800 with +3 exposure compensation at 1/100 of a sec at f/1.8. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/356d95bd07311d50798f6264b5b70202633bc923392944f5285df6a89c341d32.jpg
Hi Barbara. Well taken shot. I wonder could the shadows be lifted around the head. Well done.
Thanks. See revised shot
Great angle for this shot, Barbara. Interesting lines, textures and shadows. Perhaps a little lightening of the head?
Thanks. See revised copy
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/fd1be6f71db42539ab672454f1e9ae08060dc55c70823ee09e3753d4c7e89071.jpg I did lighten the head but as usual the forum makes it darker. Here is a new version with it lightened to compensate for the shadow.
Great picture Barbara. It is usually hard to take pictures there because there are so many people.
Thanks. I angled the camera up to avoid the people that were there.
Really nice, Barbara. You did a great job on adding light to the face. I’ve never been here but can only image the crowd of visitors photo bombing your (or anyone’s shots) at a popular site like this. Good angle, too.
Thanks. It was at night and although there were a lot of people I was able to squeeze in between, and also angled the camera up so as not catch any of the people
Good job lightening his head – makes for a more uniform image. Tell me more about this statue and what it means to you? Brent
Thanks. This is the statue of our 16th President of the United States. It sits inside at the top of the Lincoln Memorial. The statue represents freedom to me. This president fought to have the United States as one United Union and to free those in slavery. All men deserve to be free.
Agree – everyone deserves freedom. Great capture. Brent
Hi Barbara. Much better. Great job. Well done.
Thanks
I like this one better Barbara ,its hard to know if your screen colours are going to be the same when posted ,I found that I have to lighten My photos a little bit for the post .
Thank you
I like the lightened version Barbara. Very nice angle shot of the statue of Abe Lincoln. Great job excluding the many tourists that regularly flock the Lincoln memorial. Good composition.
Well done!
Nice work Barbara đ
Very powerful image. Well done Barbara!
sorry for the rush but I only have a few days to get some images in before the 25th .Sony a77 Minolta 100mm Macro , f2.8 , iso100 , 1/320 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/527d32afe096c8ebf6537ab014b4a084f02745ab62300d0e0bc66d0c90f6ff1a.jpg
Wow! Amazing color and details, even the tiny water droplets are reflective! Super sharp. Is this a Protea?
Thanks so much Gina ,the flower is a Grevillea .
Hi Peter. Very nice composition.. Nicely framed and taken. Good job. Well done.
Thanks for the feedback Denis.
Good positioning of the bottlebrush In your image, Peter. The colours are pop against the neutral background and perhaps if you choose a different position/angle you could avoid including the security screen. Well done!
Hi Dianne ,thanks so much .I was looking so hard at the Flower I missed the screen ,silly mistake .
Your adjustment to the image was very successful Peter. Much better!
Wow…such a stunning shot of this Grevillea! I agree with Dianne about the window frame.
Thanks Kerrie , it’s funny how you can look at your photo & think thats it ,looks good ,post & you miss things like that mesh screen .
I removed & blended what I could ,a little better on the eye I hope ? https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4b39f2d97ee7b0cbb710f82c815494607e9997b143b9ffc7f06b5bb333635484.jpg .
Good job removing that distraction in the background Peter – stunning flower and capture too. Love all the details in the flower and the colours really pop. Well done. Brent
Thanks for that feedback Brent ,I filled all of that in by hand with a clone tool.
Love this shot and the details of the flower itself as magnificent. Well done.
Thanks so much Alan .
Great job at the post processing removal and blending. This task can be quite hard to accomplish sometimes. You aced it here. Love the composition and the flower is nice and sharp. My only suggestion would be just a little more room on the left. Otherwise awesome job!
Thank you for your thoughts Barbara .
Hi Peter. This version is much better. Good work at post processing. Nicely composed and well focused. Beautiful image.
Thank you for your feedback Romy .
Well done Peter. Great colors.
Thanks so much Sara .
Great shot Peter – and very skillful editing work.
Thank you for your feedback Tessa .
I love the colors & the lines! I bought a macro lens this summer & had a great time exploring the detail of flowers & bugs! I understand about getting so ingrossed in the subject, you miss the distractions in the background. đ
Easy to do ,thanks Rohn .
I’m in the same boat as you. Also posting last minute. This is a great image. I love macro shots and this shows great detail.
Thanks heaps Chris .
What a beautiful grevillea – and a stunning shot Peter. Well done.
thank you for your kind thoughts Hilary .
We’ve had a lot of cloudy days lately, but when I came home from work yesterday, & saw a beautiful sunset in the works, I thought, I wonder if I can get a selfie of myself in the mirror my wife has on a tree in the yard & the sunset. I didn’t have much time, so didn’t quite get the composition I wanted. It’s amazing how fast the sun & moon move when your trying to take pictures of them! Fortunately this afternoon was clear as well & I was home so I was able to go out ahead of time & get my tripod setup for the composition I wanted. I used a Graduated ND16 filter. Settings are ISO 800, 1/30 sec, F16. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c788a132ffc5681a0d2e29b4480e22cebdbba441e4eb559591266e4b6bdf3ea1.jpg
That’s a great shot. And I agree, it does move fast when you are trying for the perfect shot.
Thanks Chris.
Very creative image Rohn, like a window into another world – I’m guessing you’re photographing with an 18mm lens like your last image. Did you use the grad filter to darken the sunset? Looks bloody cold there. Brent
Hi John. Very nice composition and use of the mirror. Well done.
Thanks Brent. Yes I did you the grad filter to darken the sunset, plus I used the gradient filter in Darktable to darken it a bit more. Yes it is cold, about 28 F, but not near as cold as it will be in January & February. I’ve seen -40 F actual temp with -100 F wind chill. What am I still doing in MN?
Holy moley – that’s cold!!!
Great thinking what a top shot ,love the window in the tree theme ,nice one Rohn .
Very creative. Love the window look with the sunset going on in the background. Very nice!
Thanks Barbara, I thought my wife was silly when she hung that mirror out there, but it worked out well for me in this case! đ
Very creatively composed Rohn. You got your selfie with an added sunset shot. Great imagination. Well done.
Thanks Romy. It was fun!
Very creative! Well composed.
Thanks Sara, & Happy Thanksgiving to you too!
Rohn, creative picture with an extra dimension. Great to see the sun on the right. Well done.
Thanks Christian.
Robin, very nice creativity.
Thanks Peter!
Love this concept, Rohn. Very creative and effective; like a picture within a picture! Nice use of the filter to prevent that sun from being too bright.
Thanks Judy, it was a lot of fun!
Well I am very late the challenge. Apologies in advance for posting a few images so close together. I decided to use my Tamron 150-600 lens for this challenge. It’s heavy and even on a tripod, hard for me to move around quickly. But no excuse. Anyway, the weather in California has been very bad due to fires so I was able to escape to the Monterrey Peninsula last week. There is an area called Pacific Grove that attracts monarch butterflies at this time of year. They cluster together to keep warm but the weather was so nice that they were flying about. While it’s true I generally post macro images, these were taken standing fairly far away and looking up. I was generally happy with the results. Settings 500mm, ISO400, f.6, 1/1000. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/22ebb4242661ae082f5ab95a3140257847b3c061faf47efd17f237f786b2e186.jpg
Sounds like you guys are burning-up in California, stay safe. Another stunning capture Chris – tack sharp with you butterfly off-centre with the leading line from the flowers stem. I noticed you are shooting into the light here – something I would do In post is to lighten the butterflies wings a little more. Well done. Bent
Thank you Brent. California is a mess right now but I’m safe as are my family and friends. Many are not as fortunate. Thanks for the suggestions. Will ttty to lighten the wings a bit.
Hi Chris. A very nice composition. I like the Butterfly off centre. I would agree with Brent re lightning the wings a bit. Great shot. well done and stay safe.
Thank you Denis .
love the butterfly Chris ,a few years back these butterfly’s were everywhere & now we are lucky to see them ,even the Butterfly farm near Me closed it doors a few years ago ,such a shame .
Thank you Peter. I agree. Use to see a lot more bees too.
Hope all is well there for you. Beautiful picture of the Monarch butterfly. I love the light coming through part of its wing. You also go it sharp and clear and the composition is wonderful. The soft background helps make the butterfly stand out. Great job!
Thank you Barbara. California is a mess right now. I am fine though. Many were not as fortunate.
Hi Chris. Lovely shot of the butterfly. It stands out against the soft focused background. Nicely composed and sharp image of the butterfly. Well done.
Thank you Romy.
Lovely shot. I like the composition and the colors.
Thank you Sara.
Nicely done! It reminds me of warmer days!
Thank you, indeed it was beautiful that day.
Just beautiful, Chris!
Thank you Kerrie.
Chris, nice picture. Good composition. Loverly colours too. You have a nice blurry background. Well done.
Thank you Christian.
Good shot Chris. You’ve captured great detail on the butterfly and I like the balance of the colours.
Thank you Tessa.
Great shot of the monarch, Chris. Close to where I live in New Jersey is a wildlife preserve that follows the monarchs and their migration, north and south. I hope the fires don’t affect their migration, as their numbers are shrinking.
Thank you Peter. Out here they congregate in eucalyptus trees. Volunteer groups count them and try to keep track of them.
Love this shot, Chris. That long lens gives you a really nice, creamy background. The butterfly is nice and sharp and the backlighting through the wings is very pretty.
This is not a photo post, but as it is Thanksgiving Day here in the States, i thought I would extend my gratitude for all of you today. Thank you for the awesome feedback and the wonderful shots. I am always anxious to stop by and see what everyone has posted. So Happy Thanksgiving to you all! Have a great day!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, Sara.
Happy Thanksgiving Sara, I’ve been eating for days!
Thank you Sara đ
I chose 50 mm for this challenge. A problem I’ve noticed with this focal length is that, compared to wide angle landscape shots which is what I do most of, getting a tack sharp photo from front to back is difficult especially if you have things in the close foreground as well as far background, like this one. Actually the autofocus didn’t do a great job overall but that’s beside the point. Seems to me I’d have to take two shots with different focal points and blend them in P.S. to get front to back sharpness. Depending on the photo it doesn’t always matter of course but I would have liked to have got that here.
These crosses are part of 18000 total, representative of New Zealand’s dead in World War 1, to commemorate the armistice on November 11. It was a heavy toll from a population at the time of about 1 million. The names of each soldier are on the crosses, and their descendants are invited to take home the cross with their relatives name on it, after the exhibition, which I thought was a nice touch. What an appalling waste of young men’s lives.
Settings were ISO 320, 47mm because I don’t have a prime lens and didn’t get the zoom perfectly on 50mm, f9, 320 sec. I hadn’t noticed I had the ISO on auto otherwise it would have been on 100. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4c16c79798b0a522dec96c4f7831603afd413ab10449a088e3a803f80adabccb.jpg ,
Hi Alex. Very poignant shot given the month that is in it and I agree with your sentiments. Maybe if the shot was taken from a lower angle and landscape rather than portrait. I still like the shot as presented and it conveys the message very well. Well done.
Thanks for the feedback Denis
Hi Alex. A very touching photo. Just fit for thanksgiving. For their sacrifices those soldiers deserved the gratitude and thanks from the living. Well done.
Thank you Romy – I think it’s fair to say they are not forgotten!
Alex, nice job! Touching story. A agree with Denis that a lower angle and landscape would have bene good.
Thanks Sara – a few of you think the landscape version would work better. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6635aad221e03b2c6b0a0165556d7905ffd305cd99612ae5d7988bac1141930d.jp?
I dont have a landscape shot of the original but I do have this – what do you think
Great timing Alex to coinside with remembrance day & they won’t be forgotten ,so many lost souls .I also think landscape & lower perspective would look better ,still a good shot .
Thanks Peter… once in a lifetime shot too – it won’t happen again
Very moving image Alex with all those who were lost – I do like the leading lines and shapes in your image. I see what you mean with sharpness from front to back but what I love about that 50mm is the wide aperture that comes with it – so I say use the features of that lens. Well done. Brent
Thanks Brent – yep, just gotta work with what you’ve got
Very powerful image Alex! Thanks for sharing the story. Well done.
Thank you Jim
Very sombre, Alex. I like that you chose to present this image in B&W. I think it helps put the stark reality of the waste of lives right in the viewer’s face. All those crosses…âŠ..
Yes, all those crosses, alright. B&W does seem to fit the mood – cheers
Here is my last image for this challenge. spotted this reflection in a very
shallow puddle, looked a bit arty. ISO250, fl27mm, f2.8, 1/60
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6ca9a76deb71a981021b921b11353f3810ed60c373e57f0720f92104a64e3c83.jpg
Hi John, At first glance I thought this was a street lamp in a snow storm. It’s great
Thankyou Gina
John, nice picture. Good use of the reflection. Well done.
Thankyou Christian
Hi John. Yes it has an art feel to it. Good use of your surroundings and of you creativity. Good job. Well done.
Thanks Dennis
Hi John. It is indeed an artistic shot. Very creative. Great composition.
Thank you Romy
Excellent image. I love the abstract nature of this. The texture in the image adds to fine art quality of it. Love it.
Thanks Jenet
Great shot, John. Very good use of textures and black and white.
Thankyou Peter
John, great shot! i really like it. I tried for a similar photo on vacation but I didn’t have the correct angle, you sure nailed it here.
Thankyou Sara
Super arty John – I love it. Reminds me of an old painting I had of Paris in the rain. I’m a huge fan of abstract images like this one and I think converting to B/W is a smart choice here. I like the symmetry and the fact that you’ve broken all the rules and put in right in the middle – work for me. Well done. Brent
Thanks for your feedback Brent.
Wow, I love this, very artistic and the black amd white works great for this shot.
Thanks Chris
John, Arty is good ! Its amazing what you can see if you are looking, and having a camera handy to capture the moment is even better. I like to sure crop and the black and white rendering. Nice work 1
Thanks Richard
Terrific shot John. Beautifully captured.
Thanks Keri
Very arty, indeed John. I love it. I think it would also work well if rotated 180 degrees.
This is my second image for this challenge, and my first bee ever!!! I was out in the garden and this little honey bee appeared out of nowhere so I felt obliged to give it a try. Bees, like sunsets, wait for no one. 35mm, ISO 100, 1/800, F2.8, cropped and used a vignette to reduce surrounding distractions. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/04b31813d8f424b9cccb72436293db775d4b9fabaf3f47688906563235282d5b.jpg
Very true statement about bees & sunsets sitting still for no one!! đ Beautiful pic Gina, & nice job on the processing.
Thank you Rohn đ
Gina, nice picture. I like those flowers. Great colours. Personally i find there too many distrating elemnts. Perhaps getting in closer woul help and more view of the inside of the flower.
Thank you Christian, I’ll keep trying.
Hi Gina, love the colours and the flowers. Well done. I am guessing that the bee is your point of interest here. I suggest that next time you try to focus on the bee, and bring it up much higher into the frame ,bottom 1/3 line. I feel that a lot of the top of the flowers and foliage don’t add anything to your photo if the bee is your POI
Thank you Kerrie for your suggestions and yes they are helpful. Raining here today but that honey bee will return with the sunshine!
Hi Gina. Vert nice shot. Nice colours and contrast. Very good attempt at getting the Bee into frame. Next time try from a lower angle. Yes I know it takes patience and stealth. Good job.
Thank you Denis, so many things to think about…All At The Same Time! The challenge has begun and the next time I shall kneel đ
Hi Gina. Great capture of the bee. Something could still be done to improve the composition if you wanted to make the bee the point of interest. I suggest to crop the top and part of the left side such that the bee is placed at the bottom left intersection of the rule of thirds gridlines. Just a suggestion. The photo is lovely as it already is. Great job.
Thank you Romy I really appreciate your suggestions and willingness to help me improve. So I hope I have understood your instruction…this ones for you! đ Bzzzzzzzzz https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0244fff631188c5657a8f289b1882124399d1ed40a39c1ba39cc8e0f880d3d2e.jpg
Yes Gina. Great job in cropping and placing that bee near the bottom left intersection of the grids. Much better. Lovely.
Thank you Romy for your encouragement!
Much , much Better Gina ,now I get drawn into the photo & see the Bee 1st ,Well done .
Thank you so much Peter.
I like this one better. Well done.
Thank you Sara!
I love this photo. The red flowers look like little bells and the bee is in perfect focus. Great job
Thanks Cathy, the flowers are a type of fuchia with 4â trumpet shaped blossoms. The branches tall and pendulous.
Nice work Gina. Well done!
Thank you Kerrie.
Both great but I do like this crop better.
Thank you Chris.
I think I prefer this one too, Gina. Here the bee is more the subject. In the original posting, I see the cluster of flowers as the main subject. Bees are not easy to photograph – great job here.
Good capture Gina ,your lucky to catch it while flying , (where is that zoom lens when you need it) I find that you just find one on a flower , get it all lined up & they fly away, I’m sure its a game to them , good work anyway .
Thank you Peter for your thoughts đ
I love bees! After I shot my first clear one, I was hooked! Great image!
Last Photo for this challenge ,Hard to get total clarity up so close .Sony A77 , Minolta 100mm f2.8 Macro , A/P , 1/250 , iso 100 . https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/891a938158add3b8a577c59addcd9c4d6bd337d47552e7cbafd0d23b2937ac19.jpg
Beautiful pic Peter! I like the way it pops out of the background & the water droplets.
Thank you for your thoughts Rohn .
Peter, very nice picture. There is a lot of detail. Great colours. Well done.
Hi Christian ,thanks for the feedback .
Hi Peter, beautiful image…I think you have enough detail here to go for a really tight crop. Love it!
Thank you so much Kerrie .
Hi Peter. Very nice composition. I like the way the flowerhead fills the frame. The water droplets are always eye catching and again very good in this shot. Great job. Well done.
Thanks you Denis ,very kind .
Aaahh. Great macro shot Peter. The clean dark background brings out the flower. Beautifully captured.
Thanks very much Romy .
Hi Peter. I love the central darker part of the flower. With the water droplets and fuzzy part above them, I can see a little kitten face with two eyes and a nose in the center.
THanks for the feedback Peter .
Beautiful contrast between the colors and the dark background. The water droplets really draw in your eyes. Very well done.
Thanks very much Valerie .
Peter, I love the colors in this photo, a couple of my favorites. You did an excellent job with the water and the DOF.
Thanks a bunch Sara ,very kind .
Really nice tack sharp capture Peter!
Thank you Jim .
Wow, Peter….that is so sharp at the centre, and the vibrant petals really draw the viewer’s eye. Excellent use of aperture to get that whole centre sharp, while having that super smooth background.
Last one for this challenge, Playing around with the depth of Field of the 50mm, Turns out it is quite a versitle lens as my three submissions for this challenge have been very different. I am quite liking the lens now. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/297f620c67afabc0246839614f53ffbacb637c1e2fb674c572f182fe37a5e7ef.jpg
Great colour with this one, and the depth of field works well too – cheers
Stunning image Andrew! You have found the sweet spot on the 50mm lens…..it is perfect for shallow DoF shots like this one!
Great shot. Andrew. Love the composition, DoF and colours.
Andrew, very nice picture. Great colours. Nice to see the repeating pattern with those flowers. Well done.
Hi Andrew. Nice composition and I like the gradual fade into the distance. Lovely colours and contrast in this shot. Well taken. Well done.
Lovely composition Andrew. Nice DoF. Well done.
Hi Andrew ,that’s why they call it the Nifty Fifty ,Its a great scene ,good colours , lovely Daisy’s & well composed . It’s good to play with your less popular lenses from time to time & you sometimes get a new perspective & a pleasant surprise .
Lovely colours and DoF here Andrew.
This is lovely. I like that you have filled the frame with the beautiful yellow flowers.
Gorgeous job Andrew! One of my favorite flowers. You have captured them very well-great DOF.
Glad this challenge has opened up this lens to you. It is a very versatile lens – I’ve enjoyed it too. This image really stands out to me the most – because of the colours, contrast and shallow depth of field. My eye settles on the middle flower. Something I would try to do is simplify this image a little more – maybe by cropping. Well done. Brent
Beautiful image, love the colors and agree, filling the photo with flowers is lovely.
Andrew, I want this on my wall. Such a happy, beautiful picture. Gorgeous!!!
Nice Andrew. I love how you used DOF to accentuate a few flowers in the middle and give the background a really nice bokeh!
The contrasting yellow and purple is stunning. I also like that you have filled the frame, and I think that using the narrow depth of field captures flowers in various degrees of sharpness which I find more interesting than if they were all in sharp focus.
Only just made it, and probably only one post. WiFi in these parks is almost none existent. One heck of a challenge as we are in India for the month and noway could I exist with only one lens for historic buildings, landscapes, streets, and tigers! Compromise – brought my 300mm lens (that I used to use on my Nikon SLR 40 years ago) along with a Metabones adapter. I used to use this lens with a 2x adapter – that was the best deal I could afford then for wildlife in Zambia but have removed the 2x adapter. Never tried this before on my Sony a6500. I was suprised how easy it was, especially focusing. However, 300mm on an APSC sensor is quite large and you can easily get too close! Anyway, this was taken two days ago in Tadoba National Park, Maharastra. I set Aperture priority f8, ISO 800 and let the camera choose shutter (1/320). Taken from the back of a vehicle, hand held, of tigress Maya and her two cubs who are about 7 months old. There is not a lot os choice for viewpoint – full frontal may have been better – but I rather like the way one cub is peeping out from behind his mother. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6fdd5b136c881c598782f1bcf305610407917ca3423da370ea5938933761a46f.jpg
Hi Hilary.I was on a similar trip a few years back in Africa. It is what got me to purchase my DSLR. It is difficult to get the shot you want in these circumstances unless you are on a special Photography one, and even then the animals may not play ball. I like this shot. Nice capture given your circumstances and conditions. I think if you try and lighten the tigers it will help them to stand out. Well done.
Great capture, Hilary. I love the angle that shows muscular beautiful body of mum. looking forward to seeing your edits. happy and safe travels to you.
Hilary, always nice to see those animals in their natural environment. It’s a pitty we can’t see them all. Perhaps you can enlighten a bit the shadows in PP.
Hilary good job. I agree with the below comments. I also agree with you on the one cub peeking out from under Mom’s head. Stay safe and have a blast!
Great capture, Hilary! Front on would be good, but I love the muscular view of mum’s body. Looking forward to seeing your edits. Happy and safe travels to you.
Wow, sounds like you’re traveling all over the world – great! Yes a 300mm lens of crop-sensor camera had a lot of reach. There is a lot you can do with this image in post, up the shadows, reduce highlights and maybe add a radial filter over the tigers to give them more punch. Well done. Brent
Really great image, so nice to see them in their natural environment.
Fabulous…. when you are able, may work a bit on lightening the shadows and really focussing on the animals. Such a great image….
Nice image Hilary! Nature doesn’t always give us the best poses, vis a vi, a front view. However, I agree with you that the cub peering around mama helps this shot a lot.
Some models don’t take directions very well, do they đ Nice work making the best of the pose you were given. I love tigers.
Good morning all. Last shot for this challenge. Came across this performing artist on my way back home. Hope you like. Shot details: ISO 200, FL 50mm, F5, SS 1.25 sec. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/620ec2a8a72e83cb8f3ba47918dc3494a2e0d13af5a2bf6272301bdc4afa5327.jpg
Denis, very nice picture. Good composition. You got the intensity in his eyes.
Hi Christian. Many thanks for your feedback.
Nice shot Denis ,everything is square & composed well , the green window behind the singer really frames him well ,good capture .
Hi Peter. Many thanks for your feedback.
A great street shot Denis. The composition is good and I like the way the reds and greens add interest without distracting from his face.
Hi Tessa. Many thanks for your feedback.
I love street photography, but am usually too scared to try much. Bravo on your shot! Nice focus on him. The green around him helps him stand out.
Hi Janet. Many thanks for your feedback.
Very nice, Denis. I like the space you left on the right side. His eyes make me wonder about what he is looking at.
Hi Peter. Many thanks for your feedback.
Great shot Denis, good composition and you were able to capture his focus
well done.
Hi John. Many thanks for your feedback.
Denis great job! I like the composition.
Hi Sara. Many thanks for your feedback.
I love this photo. The colors are amazing. There have been so few photos of people that this quickly drew my attention. I love the red pick!
Hi Kathy. Many thanks for your feedback.
Wow Denis, love this image – the way he’s looking into the shot. Looks bloody cold man – but I’d love to visit your part of the world sometime too. Looks very interesting. Like the way you’ve framed your performer using this windows too. Brent
Hi Brent. Many thanks for your feedback. Like this one myself.
Really great image Denis!! Nice gritty street image. Love the colors too.
Hi Chris. Many thanks for your feedback.
Love this shot Denis… Question, I am quite shy when it comes to street photography, did you ask him if you could take his photo? I am always scared they will tell me to get lost!
I love the composition, the red pick, with the red bits in the background, the window which nicely frames him, and his look…. such a cool (and literals cold looking) photo!
Hi Sheree. Many thanks for your feed back. We made eye contact, I pointed at the camera, he nodded and away I went. I think I took about 10 shots. As I left he smiled, nodded again and I left him a few bob in his basket. My intention is to Print and give him a copy. I will see how that works out.
That is so sweet. I have done something similar….but the shyness is hard to overcome!
Denis, I really like this shot. I can almost hear him singing ! I like the way you have framed the singer with his face and eyes looking into the picture, and leaving the background in focus rather than having it blurred out because it provides important context. Great image !
Hi Richard. Many thanks for your feedback.
Great shot Denis. I am there. Well done.
Hi Keri. Many thanks for your feedback.
Great street photography, Denis. The composition and lighting are both very good to tell the story of this performer working on a chilly day.
Good Morning. My first submission and recent member here. I bought the Nifty Fifty a couple years ago, but rarely used it. So I decided to experiment with my love–pet photography. This is Lily, our senior dog, recently diagnosed with congestive heart disease. Shot at ISO 8000, f1.8, SS 1/500 and the 50mm lens. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/adc17f3e68ad9e15f174935b46d6212a66fbc99a4340f01409e81deb2ce754c8.jpg
Hi Janet. A lovely composition and well captured shot. I like the way you got down low. The lighting, clarity is well balanced throughout. Great job. Well done.
Thank you. Getting down low does look better, but gets harder with each passing year. haha
Cute Cavalier. With the new medications we now have, many dogs with congestive heart failure can live a long time. Good luck with her. When I am not taking pictures, my day job is practicing veterinary medicine.
Thank you Dr. She is on a lot of meds and cared for by a dog cardiologist. She was actually a model and did several photo shoots, so seeing her decline has been especially hard.
Janet, welcome to Boot camp. Lovely photo of your Cav and it is worth it to get down low to capture this angle. You have the face in focus and nicely blurring into the background. Well done.
I took a similar sleepy photo of one of our Cavs a few months back in the Hard & Soft Light challenge.
Cavs are great! Thank you. Hope to see one of yours soon.
Greetings Janet and welcome to Boot Camp! This is my first month also! I have found everyone to be friendly, encouraging and,personally helpful although if I was capable of taking such a remarkably intimate image like this, I would probably not receive so many incredible and helpful suggestions! That aside, I so appreciate this image of your beautiful Lily, I love it. Thank you for sharing it.
Thank you and Welcome to Boot Camp to you as well.
Janet, welcome. Well done. My only suggestion would be to have changed the angle slightly so the blue wall behind her is not a distraction.
Yes Sara I agree. Looking around the frame before pushing the shutter is something I need to work on. Thank you.
Lily looks lovely resting on her paw Janet ,Maybe you could have gone to f4 & a little to the right to catch the whole face more clearly ,only a suggestion its still a great shot .
Peter you are right. Normally I would have gone to at least 2.8 if not f4, but trying to get better at the shallow DOF. Thanks for your suggestions. Much appreciated.
WELCOME to BootCamp! Great shallow depth of field image Janet – and I love this low angle too. Well done. Something to keep in mind when shooting at f/1.8 is to make sure Lily’s eye’s are tack sharp, and with autofocus sometimes it focuses on the dogs nose instead of the eyes because it’s the most contrasty part of the dogs face. Like your composition with face off centre and the leading line from the foot on the left. Brent
Thank you. Yes I think I missed focus on the eye a bit. But I was determined to shoot at f1.8. I needed to practice more at that aperture and obviously still do! haha. But practice is key.
She’s beautiful, poor little thing. Great image and welcome to Bootcamp.
She is hanging in there. Thank you.
Janet, very nice picture. Great composition with just enough space on the left and the right. Lovely colours. Nice blurry background. Well done.
Thank you.
This makes me smile. I have several dogs in my life and every time I go low to take a picture, they want to come and give me a kiss. I need to work on “stay” . Beautiful shot.
I have 2 others that do the same thing. Making someone smile made my day. Thanks.
Welcome to Bootcamp! Janet this is a fabulous pet portrait. I love your angle and your DoF. I would have tried to focus his eyes a bit—his nose is crystal clear!…. but it would be a bit better if that right eye that is slightly opened was crystal clear! However, I probably would not have noticed in camera until after I was processing, then would have missed that moment! đ Well done, I look forward to lots more!
Thank you. I appreciate your comments.
Oh Janet what a beautiful shot.
Welcome Janet. Nice job capturing your senior family member!
Janet, this is a lovely portrait of your old friend. I like that you got down low to take this shot.
Here is a second shot from my walk last week. Shot with my 50mm lens (80mm equivalent on my camera). I would normally use a wider angle for a shot like this, but I using this lens brought out more detail in the textures and patterns. Although I’m posting this in colour, it also works in black and white. 1/160 sec f/5.6 ISO 400. Apologies in advance – I’m going to try to squeeze in one more shot before time runs out. I had a problem with Lightroom and couldn’t open in for a couple of days until I fixed it! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a9649b35d53064e574caae0fbb3ee3171da7f16729639e4c556b293c78fbcd41.jpg
Hi Tessa. A well composed shot. I like the depth of field , colour and light balance throughout. Very good job. Well done.
Thank you Denis
I love that lighting!
Thanks Marsha
Nice scene Tessa ,looks great with the filtered light & shadows ,only thing I would have looked at maybe get closer to a tree or shrub to give depth perspective . still a good shot all the same .
Thanks for the suggestion Peter.
Go ahead and squeeze in another image. I do like all the textures and vertical lines in your image but I think what’s missing is something for my eye to settle on – an obvious point of interest. Brent
Thanks Brent – point taken!
Hi Tessa – I really like the way you have captured light here. It must have been so beautiful to see the light coming through the trees, picking up the highlights in the park and orange/yellow leaves.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f3c3f21bbba74d88ca0ef472b9946b406ac6cc9865f103f7d0ca91e32d2d15d8.jpg This shot was taken on a rainy day at a local wildlife preserve called The Great Swamp. My point of interest was the tree with the brilliant red and orange leaves and flowing branches. The green algae on the left and reeds on the right drew my eyes to the tree. Due to the overcast weather I shot it at ISO 2500, 50mm, f/8, and 1/80 sec.
Lovely image, Peter. The line of green leads me to the stunning foliage, and I really like the vertical lines and texture of the tree trunks. The colours throughout are really beautiful. To me, your image has a magical feel to it. Well shot.
Thanks, Kerrie.
love the colours and the poi, well done
Thanks, John. I really liked the triangular shape the branches created..
Peter this is so surreal, i love it! Thank you đ
Thanks, Gina.
Great scene Peter ,I bet it looks awesome in the sunlight with reflections .
Thanks, Peter. I go there often at different times of the day and different seasons. Such a peaceful and serene place.
Peter, well done. I might have cropped a bit more off the left to put a little more focus on the red tree. Love the colors.
Thanks, Sara. I liked the red tree on the left to help frame the image.
Beautiful image, so serene. Love the fall colors.
Thanks, Chris.
Hi Peter. This is a very well composed shot. I like the balance to it – colour, light, depth of Field. Great job. Well done.
Thanks, Denis.
Peter, very nice picture. Good composition and lovely colours. Well done.
Thank you, Christian.
My favorite color is red so this photo really drew my attention. I just love the red tree offset by the greens in the water. I can even feel the weather!
Thanks, Kathy.
Gorgeous fall colors! I like the green in the water leading the eye to the trees.
Thanks, Janet.
Vibrant colors and nice highlights on the water. This scene draws you right in. Well done.
Thanks, Valerie.
Peter, I really like this picture. You have captured a very quiet, peaceful moment in the swamp. The bright green algae is a good complement to the orange and red trees. Nice work.
Thanks, Richard.
Peter, this is a great fall image! I really like the bright colours – red vs. green. The black water in the bottom RH corner adds mystery.
Thanks, Sig.
Really nice fall image. Great colors and textures.
Thanks, Jim.
Peter, I really like how you have captured the contrasting colours. The algae and the tree are both so vibrant!
Thanks, Judy.
For my third and last photo for this month and considering the different perspective a single focal length lens can have, I took to the backyard and found one of our dogs much larger than I thought he last was, and peering over the top of the fence.
Settings: 1/80 sec, f/8, ISO-400, lens 7.5mm (FF 15mm equivalent). https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/412849146287eaf3a23c600770e50a82b5b1b3cba3db9ca91cb6547fe65c1668.jpg
Rodney, nice job! It appears your dog is sniffing the leaves of the trees.
Yes it does. Thanks Sara
This one really makes me smile, Rodney! Thank you đ đ
Thanks Kerrie. I smiled too when I finally got the shot I was after.
He’s like godzilla!! Great shot Rodney!
Thanks Chris
Hi Rodney. Great shot. I might have tried a lower f number. Well done.
Thanks Denis. I tried a few different settings but I needed the depth of field at f/8 for the effect I was after. Focussed on my dog at just under 0.5m I got from about 0.3m to infinity – this lens provides quite a large DOF but the photo still needed some careful positioning.
Rodney, very nice picture with a strange effect by the f17mm. It does me thing at “Alice in Wonderland”. Well done.
Thanks Christian
Great fun shot Rodney. I love the expression of concentration you’ve captured on his face and the catchlight in his eye – good composition too, with the eye on the third line. Just one suggestion – maybe straighten so that the fence in the background is horizontal.
Thanks Tessa. I did make the corner post vertical.The real backyard and fence does slope slightly, and any further levelling would make the side fence even more skewed. To get the size effect I was after I needed to point the lens upwards slightly which with this lens is counter to keeping all the verticals vertical. After many many shots I thought this photo was the best compromise.
I love the point of view resulting in the “large” puppy!!
Thanks Marsha
What a funny and delightful shot! Perspectives are so odd how they work. Sweet dog.
Thanks Janet
Really nice perspective to accentuate your subject!
Thanks Jim
Ha! I like the optical illusion, too. I’ve also had fun using my lens at angles I normally wouldn’t use.
Thanks Judy
Thttps://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/77cf1a50cbfe7d62b5a2ec485dc01843f0d8f6f7171615c6579ff32f3037b8a5.jpg
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/77cf1a50cbfe7d62b5a2ec485dc01843f0d8f6f7171615c6579ff32f3037b8a5.jpg
In order to get to the ocean, boats have to cross the bar. Sometimes that is very difficult. The three crosses are three fishermen who lost their lives trying to cross the bar. Either coming in or going out.
Doris, Nice job with the water spray. A sad memorial. I would like to see all three crosses fully, I think your photo would have more impact. What were your settings?
Sorry ISO 400.1/160@f /10
50m f 2.8
Hi Doris can you tell us more about what lens you used and the challenges of shooting this image? Brent
Hi Doris. Nice memorial shot. Well captured. Well done.
Doris, nice picture. Good composition. Great to see the splashing water on the rocks. Personally I would have tried to get the left cross full in picture.
Hi Doris. This is an interesting and poignant picture and I like the way you’ve captured the wave breaking on the rocks. I agree with the others that the composition could be improved by fitting all three crosses into the frame.
Sorry, I forgot to add: IS) 400, 1/160 @ f/10; 50 mm f/1.8
What a sad story. I very often like smoothed out water with slow shutter speed, but this image and the story of it is perfect to have the wave crashing on the rocks. It shows the strength and power and danger of the water and helps with the story. Was there a way to get lower perspective on the scene? I think that would show the power of the waves more maybe. Nice image. Thanks for sharing.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/605ef6b08e6475a7ec75b00fc3c90b69248bd6a95a287fc4dfc9c97765a3a0ca.jpg
Winter came early to North Dakota and with it clouds and a very dull landscape. I traveled to Seattle for Thanksgiving and noticed this beautiful red leave nestled in some flower beds. 1/60, f2.8 SS 320. I enjoyed the challenge of a prime lens. I used my 50 mm and I am so much more comfortable using it now!
Kathy, well done. I like the pretty red leaf. My suggestion would be to change your angle and have the leaf be upright in the frame.
I agree! It wasn’t until I downloaded my photos that I realized I should have moved a bit. I may try to retake it later today, if the leaf is still there! I think one of things I am really learning with the prime lens is the need to move. And how just moving a bit to the right or left makes a completely different shot. Thank you.
I really like the colours & shapes in this! I know what you feel with the early winter, I’m really missing summer in MN as well.
Love how the red pops – and those highlights from the wet add an extra punch to your image Kathy. Can you post it as a 2000px wide image so I can look a little closer? Brent
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/65be0dea3476fb40d1e2d2f99b4c05e5b3d922623f3406dfacc9476dc5791beb.jpg
Thanks Brent. I am using my laptop rather than my desktop and I hadn’t updated the resizing. I had to go back to a very old email to get the information again!
I am impressed that you made the leaf a photo opportunity ,Well done Kathy , I would have looked & gone Bloody leaf in my garden & put it in the bin .
This is beautiful Kathy. I feel like I am there in the rain seeing this for myself. Great capture.
What a beautiful image, I love the way the greenery looks like stars.
Me too! That was what attracted me to the area.
Hi Kathy. I like how the leaf pops against the background and the sheen. Well done.
I hadn’t even noticed the sheen on the leaf at first. The red just jumped out at me. I enjoy traveling and seeing different textures in the landscapes.
Kathy, very nice picture with the repeating patterns on the ground. Beautiful coloured leave. Well done.
I like the colours and patterns here Kathy – in particular the way the background colours offset the bright leaf and the star shapes of the moss emphasize the points of the leaf.
Thank you. I was initially attracted to the moss and the star like affect with the variety of colors. When I saw the red leaf I knew it could make for a nice photo.
Nice image Kathy. They don’t call it the “nifty fifty” for nothing!
Hi Kathy – I like the way you have captured both contrasting textures and colours in this image. The detail in the shrub is amazing, and the colour in the red leaf really makes it pop.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/eb323495af5ac84b91224eea0e9842b5de454c6f40d03b80c41f89ddc3ff6bc4.jpg
My final shot for this challenge. Used Tamron 150-600 lens for this challenge. This picture was also taken at the butterfly preserve in Pacific Grove, CA. There is an area called Pacific Grove that attracts monarch butterflies at this time of year. They cluster together to keep warm but the weather was so nice that they were flying about. I generally post macro images, but this was taken standing fairly far away and looking up. I did crop this, just wanted to fill most of the frame with flowers and one butterfly.
Hi Chris. Nice capture here. I might crop tighter on the butterfly. Well done.
Chris, nice picture. You got a beautiful butterfly. It got a bit lost between all those flowers and structure in the blurry background.
Nice leading lines to the butterfly from edges along the top of the flowers and the stems, Chris. The butterfly is so sharp when I enlarged the photo. Very peaceful.
Another lovely butterfly shot Chris, with a beautiful bokeh. I agree that you could crop even closer to bring out the butterfly more – the quality of the shot could stand it.
Sunshine, flowers and butterflies. Oh my. Your photo makes me wish for spring. This is a beautiful shot. I love the butterfly. I am still learning Lightroom but I am wondering if the butterfly could be brightened a bit. I love all the flowers and the bokeh in the background but the butterfly does get a bit lost. Its a beautiful photo.
Chris, I agree that the butterfly gets lost a bit, a closer crop would be more pleasing. Great DOF.
I really like this shot a lot. The background is nice and dark with the foreground plants so light and beautiful. I think the crop is fine, I just wish your “model” had stood up on the top of one of the light flowers for a better view. This butterfly was not cooperating that day. But it is still a beautiful shot.
Great shot Chris ,Good bokeh , if you could have lightened the butterfly a little bit it would be perfect .
Nice capture Chris! I love the monarch contrasted with the flowers against the nice soft background blur. If I recall from 30 years ago when I lived in Santa Barbara, there is a tree there that attracts extraordinary numbers of Monarchs at certain times of the year.
I like this one, too, Chris. As usual, your focus on the insect is great. As @disqus_F5Cz9osm6J:disqus has already commented, too bad your model wasn’t perched up high on the flower. I would explore an unconventional crop for this one in the style of a panorama…quite a bit off the bottom and a bit off the top.
My last image for this month, trying a different sort of shot with my 50mm (80mm equivalent) lens – probably one to which it is better suited. I took this when I was making a pasta sauce this week. It would have been a good submission for last month, but I didn’t have a pepper handy then! Shot with off-camera flash 1/125 sec f/8 ISO 100 and background darkened in Lightroom. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/16f279133d1015d8550db04dde080cd4a4ab42f52adead7be98ba72d7b393b24.jpg.
Well done Tessa. Tack sharp with vibrant color.
Thanks Sara
What a wonderful still life shot. And not with a macro lens is amazing. Nice focus and the centering for this image is perfect.
Thanks very much Janet
Thanks Janet
Tessa, This is a great image. You have captured the texture of the pepper flesh and seeds perfectly. I like the sold black background. Did you create it in post processing or use a black backdrop ? Nice work.
Thanks Richard. I changed the background using the adjustment brush in Lightroom – it was originally just on a chopping board, which looked a bit dull. I tried all white, but that was rather stark so I opted for black in the end.
Once more simplicity does the job & you just see the subject ,what a great shot Tessa .
Thanks Peter
Perfect! Awesome image, Tessa. That’s all I can say!
Hi Tessa. Nice composition. Well framed and presented. Good job. Well done.
Thanks Denis
Tessa, nice picture. It is a simple but effective way to show the inside of a pepper. Great contrast with the black background. Well done.
Thanks Christian.
Love this one, Tessa! The detail in the seeds is so cool, and the black background really makes it pop.
Thanks Judy!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0207ed2d7913a137d5e81157b012db5b46f8793244b0377ed2520200a0c7b8d3.jpg
My niece made everyone an amazing drink for our Thanksgiving. I just loved the colors with the mint and the red cranberries.
1/60ss; F2.0; 320 ISO. 50mm lens. I certainly have a greater appreciation for this lens. This was a great challenge.
That looks refreshing ,nice clean shot & good bokeh ,maybe a little more gap at the bottom would look better Kathy ,but that only my thoughts .
Kathy, I love the effect you’ve captured inside the glass. Awesome colours, and great background.
Hi Kathy. Has a nice refreshing feel to it. Well framed, however a little more space at the bottom would help I think. Well done.
Really nice close-up food shot! I love the tack sharp focus at thre top of the glass and the gradual soft blur from top to bottom.
Well done Kathy. Makes me thirsty just looking a it. đ It is well composed and thought out.
Kathy, great picture. Good composition. Very nice colours with the green and orange. Nice blurried background. Well done.
Yummo – that does look really refreshing. Love the pop of red from the cranberry.
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2nd attempt: ISO 220 1/160 @f/8.0
50 mm
Doris, This image is much more powerful than the first because we can view the crosses in more context and see the story without the need for a verbal explanation. I think if you cropped a bit more away from the right side to balance the picture, it would be an even stronger image. Nice work.
Hi Doris that looks a better shot ,well done .
Hi Dorris. I prefer this one. It gives me more of a feel for the shot and your capture. Well done for going back out.
Doris, thank you for going out again to get this image. Well done.
Doris, this is definitely a better picture. It gives a good view of the crosses and the environment.
Thank you!
This challenge has really made me try to focus on composition and I must admit it has been a little challenging finding that just right angle and distance. Our weather has also been a little challenging with blowing snow so I decided to try and capture a little of the winter feeling. My goal was to capture the falling snow which was a challenge in itself. Settings: 1/500sec, F8, ISO 1250, 50mm. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/db79f8c861b6a42fe753a1cd1792430702eb6b83cd818765a9ad6ed5ab018c38.jpg
Valerie, You have achieved your goal, and then some. How did you get the frog to ride into the frame ? (ha ha)
You nailed it! Were you outside or was this taken through a window? I just love the frog. I haven’t taken a photo of falling snow yet. I am sure I will have plenty of opportunities in the near future.
Thanks Kathy this was taken outside. Good luck getting your snow pictures it is both fun and frustrating! Have fun.
Hi Valerie , I really love this shot , The snow covered background grabs my view & then the frog against the tree makes me pull back & take a 2nd look ,Great scene .
Thanks Peter I appreciate your comments.
Love this Valerie! the background with the snow is just beautiful, and the frog….WOW…tack sharp and great expression on his face. I can see this in a children’s story book, or on a greeting card. Really well shot.
Thank you Kerrie I appreciate the nice comments you have given me.
What a fantastic shot Valerie. I love this.
Thank you Keri!
Hi Valerie. A very nice composition here. You have achieved your objective re the snow. This would make a very nice Christmas scene. Good job. Well done.
Thanks Denis. I enjoy the winter even though it can be challenging at times.
Really nice image Valerie! I think you really achieved your goals on this one. Did you use any flash to capture the snow or just shutter speed? Nice choice of subject for your foreground.
Hi Jim, thanks for your comments. The photo was taken with just shutter speed, no flash.
Valerie, you have captured a great image here! Love the surprised look on the frog’s face. Well done.
Thanks Sara.
Such a fun image! Nicely composed, and has all the elements of a great image! Well done, Valerie.
Thank you Sheree for your nice feedback.
Valerie, nice picture. Good composition. The blurried background gives the picture a great snowy effect.
Thanks Christian.
Cute picture, Valerie. The colors of the frog blend in perfectly with the background.
Thanks Peter.
Valerie, I think this is brilliant! So much fun, and perfectly executed. I’m glad to hear I’m not the only person who finds it tricky to photograph falling snow đ
Thanks Judy I appreciate your comments.
Here’s my final image for this challenge. I’ve seen this wall from the train as I travel to work each day before dawn. I set out to get up close and tried to capture the cheerful energy of the lighted wall. I appreciated the wide angle lens I’ve been working with to get the width of the escalator into the frame. Settings 11mm, 1/125s, f/6.3, ISO640 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7697aec325ad274ba0bde900f1557e6da3872850dda9cf0e10cfb156e89e4361.jpg
Judy, I love this image. You have created a very strong composition with the escalator in silhouette against the vibrant colors of the wall. The lone person coming down the escalator tope it all off with a sense of motion. Excellent work !
Thanks Richard đ
I love all the colors and the silhouette of the person on the escalator. You have a great eye. I just love the bright colors in the background. I am enjoying my wider lens as well
Thank you, Kathy. This challenge has pushed me to use this lens and learn its pros & cons.
WOW! just wow. I love everything about this. The person is perfectly placed. It provides a little tension because it is silhouetted and she is at the exit edge of the image. I just love it.
Janet you took the words right out of my mouth…wow, Wow, WOW!!!
Thanks so much Janet and @disqus_TYXvwjiO2Q:disqus ! My original idea was to capture more people riding at the same time, talking and messing around (this is on campus of a technical college) but I arrived too late in the evening. Maybe next time….
Hi Judy ,I think you got your shot just fine ,good colours & composition & the person on the escalator is a bonus to the shot ,great work .
Thanks Peter! I did have to wait to get the person into the shot, but agree that it was worth the wait.
Gosh….an incredible image Judy……love the diagonals with the verticals….and vibrancy of the whole image. The fact that you got the person walking down the stairs, turns this is a winning urban landscape shot! Pure GOLD!! – the only thing i would try toning down, is the bright blown out spot on the yellow window at the bottom
Well spotted, Christine – yes, I agree that yellow is just a bit too bright. I did have to play with the colour and exposure quite a bit in this image to get the escalator and person dark, while keeping the lights bright. I had to wait several minutes for the person to ride down, and was worried I wouldn’t get the shot before I was asked to leave the building đ
Judy, I love this image – it is totally amazing! The silhouette of the escalator, railings and the person is very effective and the picture totally pops because of the vivid colours. Great job!
Thanks so much, Sig!
Judy…so many lines and awesome colours! Love the black diagonal intersecting from corner to corner, and the silhouetted person brings some magic and also a feeling of loneliness to this. Well done
Thank you, Kerrie. I had a few shots without a person there, but they seemed empty and cold.
I really like this Judy. It’s a bit arty which I like. Well done!!!
Yay! Arty is where I want to be. Thanks for your comments, Keri đ
Hi Judy. A great capture here. Great colours, lines, and balance throughout. Like the the way you captured that sole individual on the stairs. Great job. Well done.
Thanks for your thoughts, Denis. I was pretty happy with this one myself.
I really like this, great capture. The colors and silhouette of the escalator and person create a dramatic effect. Well done.
Thank you Valerie.
Really nice image Judy. Just enough blur to convey some motion. I love the colors. Great job!
The colours caught my eye and sucked me in, too. Thanks for your comments, Jim.
Another great shot Judy – perfectly framed.
Thanks Tessa! I added the black frame by adding that border in Photoshop just for the heck of it (practicing skills), and loved the effect.
Judy, well done indeed. The colors really pop and the lone person I think makes the image.
Thanks Sara đ
OMG! This shot is so amazing it gave me goosebumps! I really love the colors and simplicity of this image. Really creative, Judy!
I’m glad you like it, Deby đ I had hoped to get a shot with a group of students using the escalator together, laughing and goofing around, but it was late, and most were studying for upcoming exams instead of moving around the building. I’m not sorry, though, that I only have one person here. Simplicity can be a good thing.
Amazing shot, Judy. You did a great job in capturing the colors, the great lines and the fantastic silhouette. Well done, certainly was worth thinking about and getting what you were after!
Thanks so much for your thoughts, Sheree.
Judy, great picture. Great composition. You got a clean abstract with a human presence in it. Great to see all those coloured walls. I find a very good idea to give your picture this black border to frame the scenery. Well done.
I agree the black border helps bring the image together. The photo as shot had a natural black border at the top, but there were several bright lights at the edge of that beam and the where the coloured panels began and I could not cleanly remove them in post processing. So, I cropped out the troublesome lights and then added the border.
I didn’t realise that the border was added – I thought it was all part of the structure. I really works well!
Incredible shot, Judy. Were you panning on the person as they rode down on the escalator? Did you you burst mode to take multiple frames and select this one? I love the colors, the angles, and the framing.
Hi Peter – Thanks for your kind comments and questions. I was not panning, but I was shooting handheld. I took some test shots for exposure settings, and then waited until this woman started riding down. I took 5 shots as she moved in front of each panel. The lights are constantly changing e.g. the blue would be where the red is above after about 30 seconds. I picked the shot where I felt the woman was best placed to balance the image. e.g. her head was too close to the top when she was in front of the chartreuse coloured panel. I like the colours, too. I had to play with the exposure as you can probably see that the wall of the escalator is quite light, and I wanted more of a silhouette. The black border was added in Photoshop as a final touch.
Thank you for explaining what you did to set up the shot. The black border to frame it is perfect.
I really like the silhouette against the bright colours, & the lines running from corner to corner!
Here’s my final post for this challenge. Although I have not focused much on it, street photography is a genre that fascinates me, and San Francisco is rich with opportunities. I took this shot of an unattended shopping cart this morning on the Embarcadero and decided to post it to acknowledge the hardship with which some have to live. This is most likely the sum total of a person’s possessions, and they are probably thankful for having the cart in which to keep them. Who ever owns this stuff had stepped away to gather more stuff. I am thankful that I don’t have to live that way … and for so much more. The shot was taken with my Sony 85mm F 1.4 GM lens,1/4000 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 100. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4588bcc860ca4979d55320aaaf83d2bc28cc34f952bf753e368ae49417e14609.jpg
Your photo is very thought provoking. As we just finished Thanksgiving here, I think we all forget to realize how thankful we should be for all we have. I keep looking at the cart, and try to figure out what could be in the bags. Thank you for reminding us all of how much we should be thankful for!
Kathy, Thank you for your response. I was hoping it wold touch someone this way.
Richard, a well captured shot, but with very sad undertones. Well done!
Richard. This image moves me to tears. Very powerful.
Thank you Richard for daring to focus on an obvious reality that is remarkably uncomfortable for most people to acknowledge, yet has continued to increase until it is impossible to ignore. There are many reasons, most not easily understood, that can result in a person living like this. I appreciate your compassionate concern and empathy…
Well worded, Gina
Good shot Richard. Unfortunately it sums up someone’s existence which is sad. Nice soft background and sharp focus on the subject.
Hi Richard. Good sot and well composed. Make me feel appreciative of what I have. – ” There go I but for the grace of God” Well done.
Your photo speaks volumes!
A very moving street “portrait” Richard, even if the human subject isn’t present. As Valerie says, it speaks volumes. Well captured.
A very poignant shot.
I’ve walked along the Embarcadero and seen some of these folks trying to sleep on the grass while guarding what little they have. You really captured a moment and shared a reminder for all of us to be grateful for what we have. Also, this shot tells a story: what is the person going to do with all these unrelated items? Great job.
Very hard to fathom, this is a good capture, Richard. The stories it tells! Also so sunny, juxtaposition—you almost expect great and wet!
Thanks to all for your comments … it was meant to thought provoking !
What I see is someone who takes pride in what they have to keep it as meticulously neat and organized as it could be. The person may not have a place to live, but what is home to them will be well taken care of. Thank you Richard for sharing this portrait of an uncomfortable dilemma to discuss in America.
For my final submission this month I’m posting a plain and simple image of a “Small Tree in Winter”. Settings: 50 mm, 1/80s, f/8 and ISO 100. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/658e0653baa6c8766942a462e7570539921fc6bf48efd186383f46ab4905b07f.jpg
Hi Sig, the light accentuating the venation on those leaves is just stunning! To me the image is a cross between fragility and resilience.
Really nice shot Sig. Simple but so beautiful.
Hi Sig. A very nice simple composition, well framed and shot. Well done.
A beautifully simple, clean shot Sig and perfectly composed. The blue of the snow (whether intentional or not) works really well with the brown of the leaves .
Well done Sig, I like how the rabbit tracks in the snow give a bit of depth to your image.
Simple is best! Well done Sig. Love the handling of this.
Sig, This is a very beautiful image … delicate subject, strong composition, and I love your caption .
I love the simplicity and the contrast of this image! The brown leaves against the white of the snow. Excellent job Sig!
Sig, nice picture. Good composition. Lovely contrast between the brown leaves against the snow. Personally I would have compensating the exposure to get the snow his (more or less) natural colour. Well done.
Hi Christian, thank you for your comments and suggestion! Your observation is correct, the colour temperature is not natural. However, as my “artistic choice” I deliberately moved the colour into more blue tones in post in order to make the image look cold and wintry. However, may be I went overboard. I have posted another version above with more natural colours.
Sig, I like your second version more. It looks more natural.
Thanks so much to everyone for all your comments – very much appreciated!! In response to Christian’s suggestion I have posted another version here with more natural colours. I have also posted yet another version (“Hope in the Midst of Winter”) with a different twist – would be interested comments on that one too.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/51ea7e226bb711e966a0090288717edb39a114d4733af09b4132dbdeefdeeaa4.jpg
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c665dfafdf91782008a70fc295189ee3643ea3f621f9227c9d6d8e810cdaf432.jpg
I like your “Hope in the midst of winter”, it is how I am feeling! đ
My final offering for this challenge
1/50s, f/9, iso 100 with the lens that seems to be stuck at 100, handheld as this is non tripod month âș
In post the image was lightened about a stop, a bit of contrast added and converted to B&W. Then the sepia tones added (oh and a screw that was holding the cone upright was cloned out)
Not the image I set out to take (I was after close ups of jacaranda flowers but the wind here was a bit too much) but the pine cone made a willing stand in model
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/03d07cb9b722deb7b229ce8d40dcf78f09646dc611fa6d0a659c9e438cfeeb18.jpg
This is beautiful. The light on the pine cone is perfect. Very creative. I especially like it in black and white with the sepia tones. I’d frame it!
Thanks
Interestingly my wife and I quite like botanical art and have been known to purchase some. We have two pieces in a similar vein, though with black backgrounds
Love the tones and simplicity in this, Nick. Really beautiful.
Thanks muchly
Stunning Nick. Well done!!!
Hi Nick. Good composition and well taken. I like your PP work on this one. Good job. Well done.
Good details on the pine cone and the coloring is perfect. Good job.
Nice Nick!
I love this Nick – so simple and sophisticated, yet with a lot of interest. Looks great in the sepia tones.
Well done Nick. I like the sepia.
The unusual position of the pine cone and the sepia tones really make this image stand out. Usually pine cones hang upside down so standing this one on end was genius. Nice!
Very nice shot, Nick. It is very sharp, and I really like how you have composed it. I like your sepia as well, almost gives the pinecone a golden sheen. Well done.
Nick, very nice sepia colours. Nice to see those lightend parts and those in the shadow. Your pine cone looks as a monument.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/09eb25933175ad06c35db1ccc1d553c4b1d2fd2897c2201eef87d31e34e50bb1.jpg This is my final image for this challenge, also shot at the recent swap meet. Canon 80D, f/7.1 ISO 100 1/125 with my Canon 50mm f/1.8
Hi Alan. Nice shot of this vintage car. Good job. Well done.
Alan, yes this is kool indeed – really nice capture! I see the car is a Hudson. Not sure when that make went out of production, but it must be a really long time ago.
Great car image Alan!
Nice job Alan!
Nice picture! I really like these old cars, with the details they put in the hood ornament, name plate, head lights etc. I wonder if a lower perspective might accentuate these details better.
Alan, nice to see such a beautiful old car. I wonder what is your POI.
Thanks Christian. I do not have any single POI in this, rather it is the whole bonnet and front, as I love the paint work on the bonnet and the headlights look very similar to eyes to me
So I have called this shot Happy Hour. I hope it brings a smile to your face. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7d50371d115aeb86fd63179ad7fb81bde960a85fd1c0fa8fc230cc5373b6a41f.jpg 1/800, F5.6, ISO 640 @ my chosen 55mm.
Ha Keri. it certainly puts a smile on my face! thank you… You have separated the green on green beautifully, and your focus is spot on. Soo good! I’d love to see some “voice over” bubbles on these guys, so much personality in each bird.. would be a real crack up! Love it and well shot.
Thanks Kerrie. They seriously just make me laugh so I was hoping to capture their funny personalities. And totally agree on the bubbles. That’s what makes me laugh because I commentate all the time.
Hi Keri. It is damp and miserable here in Ireland this morning. This has raised my spirits greatly. Well done. Great job.
Beautiful birds! Great capture getting them all to pose for you. What an opportunity to watch them every day. Well done.
Hi Keri, yes this is putting a smile on my face too! What a great capture – nicely framed with good dof. I guess birds of a feather are happy together!
Really nice shot Keri! Great job with getting the bird bath and the birds in focus with a nice background blur. Great timing with getting the one bird just landing.
What a lovely cheerful image Keri and so full of character! Like Denis, we’ve got horribly wet and dull weather here in southern England at the moment, so it’s great to see something so warm and summery. I love the way you’ve captured the different poses (looks like there’s some gossip going on here) and the movement of the bird coming in to land – the crisply focused birds also stand out very well against the blurred background. Great job!
Certainly brought one to mine, Keri…thank you!!! What a great capture! Well done. I really love the way they are all looking at each other, very engaging and cannot even suggest anything to enhance. Beautiful!
Mission accomplished. Thanks Sheree
Wonderful job! I love the one coming in for a landing. It looks like they are listening to the one on the right.
I enlarged this image and could not help noticing the green bird on the right with a drop of water hanging from his lower beak as if it just slurped down a big swig and then sqawked âAhhhhhh…” Colorful, cheerful, well done!
Thanks Gina
Keri, this is a wonderful shot. Really nice job focusing on the stationary birds — every detail is razor sharp. For a very different feel, you may want to consider a very close crop of the three birds in the center — just from the breast up so it looks like you are listening in on their conversation. It loses the overall context of the bird bath, but you get the advantage of an odd number of subjects, and the three heads form a nice diagonal across the frame.
Hi Bill. I did consider a tight crop because I saw what you have suggested. Thankyou
Keri, This is a great capture … and I love your caption. What else could bring all these birds together ! You have managed to get all of the eyes in tack sharp focus, and the little drop of water on the lower beak of the bird on the right seems to indicate satisfaction. Very nice work !
Hi Richard. Thank you
Keri. Awesome image and perfect caption. Totally looks like happy hour. Beautiful colors. They really look like they are in conversation. I like that they are gathering around the “watering hole” but I think it might be better if crop some of the top off to take some of the distracting background out. Great shot!
Bring me lots of smiles. Thanks Jim
Keri, lovely to see all those different coloured birds. They seem to have a tutor. Well done.
Thank you Christian
Well done Keri. There is definitively a story there.
Thank you Juan
Hi Keri, I would love to know what they were gossiping about. Great capture. What would it look like if you added a vignette? The bird all the way to the left is a little over-exposed. Maybe it would darken it’s face a bit.
My first thought is what are they talking about! Every time I try to photograph a bird they take off. I see one is just coming in for a landing.
So I was doomed not to post in this challenge. Was going to get out today to post at least one, but my desktop has been serviced all morning—-and does not look like I will get a shot! If it finishes in the next couple hours, I will. BUT, did want to say WELL DONE TO ALL!!!! You all are so very talented and inspiring…. even though I did not participate, being able to look and read the reviews in and of itself is a learning experience…and also idea generating, and inspiring… Thank you all for sharing your talents and being a part of this great program….hats off to Brent, this is absolutely brilliant!
Oh and one more thing: I just read all of your messages of condolences.. Thank you so very much, all of you are awesome. We are just getting through the memorials, one next weekend in Florida and the following here in Cayman—thanks again!
Here is my last post for this challenge, which really forced me to learn the capabilities of this new lens. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0706f98d14d3862798e1aabbb2ac963fc1712297a6b8a9ff55d5d88d2db0d8fd.jpg I wanted to emphasize the transparent leaves against a grey-white sky. It was windy that day but I think I got the effect I wanted. NikonD5300; 1/4000; f/1.8; ISO400; 50 mm.
You have successfully achieved what you wanted! Well done. If you have had a chance, At first I thought the black tree in the background was distracting, but it has grown on me and sort of illustrates winter coming on and this little guy holding onto the last of the greenery!
Thanks, Sheree: I thought about cropping some or all of the tree out, but then found it kind of balanced the curve of the leaves. It does betide winter and just a few days after this photo shoot, we had 6 inches of snow and ice. I’m trying to convince myself that snow provides opportunities for photography but I’d rather find warmer subjects.
It does look very cold! đ
I love this shot, beautifully done. .
Leila, very nice picture with those gadations from the green leaves to brown onesleaves. Good compostion. Well done.
I love the way the leaves stand out against the background Leila. They almost look as if they are made of glass. Good composition too and I like the way that the tree in the background almost provides a frame.
Here is the first and last photo. I have spent the last 2 hours playing around the Christmas tree! I had said a few weeks ago that my FFL would be 35 mm…. I do not have a fixed lens, so used my 24 to 70 lens set at 35 mm. I was challenged in setting up the photo, moving in and out, not being able to focus… then needing to crop in post. But here is what I finally ended up with. I have used vignetting a lot more heavily than I would normally do, but it has added to the photo and taken out some of the other ornaments that were distracting.
ISO 100 f2.8 1/4 sec at 36 mm on D750 24-70
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/92deba1a6a8cc3519a4162b0bc92c1cd811007a74066a39f516e7c5b95b3e908.jpg
Hi Sheree, you did a really good job here! Ornaments on a Christmas tree are challenging to photograph because of all the potential distractions. I have tried it myself, so I know how hard it is! It seems that the vignetting has worked well too.
Thanks, Sig! I was trying to focus on the heart and the appearance that she was “giving a heart”…. when I zoomed in — after posting, I noticed the ornament hook down her right side!!! Never saw that until just now!. The helps so much to “see”!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2dbb1c1b67e42363b50cff41c4470d0daba17fe9975b9849f2135b90d5cfead9.jpg
This is my 3rd and final post for the one lens challenge. Sigma 35mm, 1.4 Art.
I shot this image on Friday night (Nov 23, 2018) at The Guess Who Concert in Nevada, USA. Derek Sharp (pictured here singing) is their lead singer who is also one of their guitar players. Derek is a newer member who has been with The Guess Who since 2008. Leonard Shaw is playing Sax just to the right. The Guess Who is a Canadian Rock band from decades ago but they still sound fantastic with such amazing energy. (There are some new band members, of course, but too much info to type in here.)
The lights were low so I struggled with grain and focusing issues. I need to brush up on how to photograph concerts. I wasn’t sure if they would even let me take photos so it was a gamble bringing in my camera to this event. I shot this handheld with my Canon 70D crop sensor body and Sigma 35mm. ISO – 640, f stop 1.6, with 1/250 shutter speed.
Wow! This is an amazing shot….. I love how you captured the purple lights, the clarity and focus! Great job. In order to enhance, (not much else to do!)…I would probably crop the left a little bit more to get rid of the “floating mic”!
Great capture, Deby.
Thank you Sheree. I appreciate the tips.
Great shot Deby. Very sharp. I have tried taking concert pictures and they come out very granny due to the poor lighting.
Yes, many of mine didn’t turn out due to bad focusing on my part, poor (but fun!) lighting, wide aperture and grainy/noise in my photos. So much to learn, right!
Deby, this is a great on-the-fly capture! I really like the lighting on the two band members and the dark background – colours are wonderful too. This sure is a true rock concert scene! I am also impressed that at f/1.6 the main subjects are so well focused.
Thank you very much Sig. I am a real beginner with this low light photography so hoping to improve in time if I go again! đ Many of my photos didn’t turn out due to the wide aperture. Glad I got a few good ones.
Deby great low light photo. You captured the mode perfectly. Well done.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/340eb001a6af2031d3ab581d3cc7ce926dfbbc9b70c6108e238027557dfca77d.jpg
So I’ve finally managed to get an image to post. A bit rushed. Canon 7D withy 40mm stm lens at f/2.8 iso 100 1/200sec.
I just love hoare frost.
Barry, that’s a beautiful shot. Great sharpness in the frost, and your shallow depth of field really makes it stand out. I don’t know if you thought about cropping or masking out the stuff in the lower right corner — I held a gray card to cover that piece and think it makes your subject stand out even better, especially given that the main and corner pieces aren’t connected. Another thing to consider would be to adjust your color temp ever so slightly towards the blue (lower) to increase the “coldness” of the image.
Thank you for the compliments and suggestions, Iâm still working on getting used to the idea of manipulating âextrasâ in Lightroom, etc.
Very interesting shot. I have never seen this type of frost before, Barry. Nicely done. I would agree with Bill’s suggestions.
Thank you, we seem to get this frost in âfits & startsâ. But itâs beautiful when it happens.
Hi Barry, nice shot! I do agree with Bill that some cropping might be advantageous, as well as “bluing” the image a touch. In my view the vertical bright spot to the right of the tree is a bit distracting. You might try to tone that down a bit. Otherwise a well focused image with wonderful background blur.
Thanks for compliment, and the advice. Much appreciated.
I love this shot of the hoar frost…..and I love the grey-brown tones
Blue Full Moon. Took advantage of the full moon to take some long exposure shots of the Organ Mountains in New Mexico, USA https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b0188af4980321cac64995c2c05d568ee75ee83228dad0ae41b3d2cfa524b819.jpg from my backyard. f/5.0, 30 sec, 35mm, ISO 100
Hi Bill. Awesome shot. I love that you captured the lights of the town with the outline of the mountains. What a beautiful sight to see every night. My only suggestion for how to make it better would be to crop the top off to where you can see the definition of the clouds and also at least half of the bottom. Just my take. Beautiful image!
I really like this photo. Great night light photo. Brings back a lot of memories of that area. (My college alma mater). Well done.
I got to spend the day with my grandson yesterday, & he was helping decorate great grandma’s christmas tree. He got more of the fake snow on himself, the floor, & the furniture than the tree, but he was a dedicated helper! đ https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6d59fa326275d67581b9ea76478328dbf0569f528a828fed07576b85e125471b.jpg Shot at 18 mm, ISO 100, 1/125 sec, F3.5.
Lovely family moment, almost Norman Rockwell like!
Thanks Sheree!
Hi Rohn, nice situational shot – well lit and focused. As far as I can tell this was shot with flash. What you might try in this type of situation is to bounce the flash off the ceiling. That should get rid of the dark shadows.
Thanks Sig. I don’t have a speedlite yet, too many other bits that I want more right now! You are correct, I did use a flash, but it was just the pop up flash on the camera which I can’t rotate.
Sorry but I’ve been away for a while. Here’s my first submission for the single focal length challenge. My wife with my third grand-dog. No grandchildren yet, so we have grand-dogs instead. We are definitely dog lovers. My prime of choice: Tamron SP 45mm f/1.8. ISO 800, f/1.8 @ 1/30 sec. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d9fb2080a034dacadcb7c55a4ef3970a70fbf47ed73e04c2f02f9910ac6acac1.jpg
I absolutely love this image, Jim. So warm and natural…and full of emotion. Great shot!
Thanks Kerrie. I love capturing candids like this. They’re so real.
Great shot Jim – depicting true human-dog intimacy! We are also fortunate to have a dog that is similarly affectionate, so I recognize this as a daily ritual.
Thanks Sig. Very true. We have one of our own and three more between our kids. It’s pretty special.
I love all the emotions in the sone, Jim. Great capture of a moment… The dog’s face is pure joy…. and her face is full of love.
I am not sure what is down the left side, but I may have just cropped it in close on that side.
Thanks Sheree. That’s a wine bottle on the left side. It kind of hid me a little so I could get the shot without interrupting the moment. I like how it frames the shot, but thanks for the feedback.
The look on the dogs face says it all. I also have 4 granddogs, no grandbabies. I certainly have a greater appreciation for my prime lens. I took it off after the challenge and ended up putting it back on! What a beautiful photo.
It does, doesn’t it. She’s still very young so she’s a bit hyper, but when she settles down she’s a real cuddle bug. I have a new appreciation for my primes too. I’m so glad Brent gave us this challenge. I was one to always use my zooms and have them at one extreme or the other, but now I really enjoy my primes. Thanks Kathy.
Very nice photo. Nice tones and a definite story here. Well done.
Thanks Valerie. Thanks for saying you see the story. I’ve been trying to improve on that aspect of my photography.
Lovely shot Jim. I like the positioning of the faces in the picture and the way that the expressions are so similar. A lovely moment captured!
And my last submission. Rusty old tractor. ISO 100, 45mm, f/2.2, 1/3200 sec. This is a 3 exposure HDR image.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/29073f2c93c4e9afa1dced73568075071b69f154ad3eb6df175b1ca114a8ca7d.jpg
This challenge in now closed – well done everyone! Early next month (around 7th – 10th) I’ll publish the BootCamp magazine with the top 40 images and comments from this challenge. Good luck. Brent
P.S. Thought I’d post my last image for this single focal length challenge – trying to photography these Rainbow Lorikeets at Macca’s house using a 25mm lens and camera on remote control. Shutter speed here is 1/500 sec at f/8 – like that I have a single bird up front (main point of interest) and then a bunch of colour in the background.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/aacd766a9bf0eb987a543757f89c5ea021c97402379b72d97f29295291174416.jpg
Here’s the video I made too – https://youtu.be/tE5wcUMxtwE
Fabulous photo, saved for last….enjoyed the video as well—they may be beautiful, but boy, are they noise. Sorry I did not get to post except for the one Christmas one! Looking forward to next months challenge.
Cheers!
Thanks Sheree – next months is going to rock too! Brent