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Saturday, 30 June 2012

Spag ARt - Spring in the sun

P1780016_LR - Back to the Spaghetti for a bit of fun in the sun, mirror outside point setting sun on to a black light box with a slit. Played in Lightroom a little (sorry about that) but the original is below

Lightroom - crop and tweaked
LUMIX G VARIO 14-45/F3.5-5.6
Tripod

Tags
Spring, sun, light, spaghetti, curly, coil

Yellow on Black

P1750834 - During experiments with the new lens, kind of liked it, but like it a little bit more!

SOOC
DMC G1 + Canon 75-300mm 1:4-5.6 II
Free hand

Wash Day Green...........!

P1750694 - Beyond shop worn! But I liked the light on this

SOOC
DMC G1 + Canon 75-300mm 1:4-5.6 II
Free hand

Scavenger Challenge
20. Ragged, tatty, frayed, torn...show us the character of something shabby or shopworn.

Friday Tripping - Canon of Coffee

P1770310 - Another candid from the ferry trip, doing stuff!

SOOC
DMC G1 + Canon 75-300mm 1:4-5.6 II
Free hand

Bleached


Bleached, originally uploaded by Rusty Marvin (Lost the Plot).

P1770228 - Candid mistake of three ladies trying to work out what to do on a car ferry and where to stand to outside and be out the wind (is the hair bleach or natural, do they come from Essex!)
Sorry did you not realise you might be in the middle of the sea on a windy day :)

SOOC
DMC G1 + Canon 75-300mm 1:4-5.6 II
Free hand

Brick Art - Left Angle

P1760354_LR - Yes I have, the marbles have gone west, east, north or south.
Came across these crazy patterns in a brick walk way and love the child or primitive art forms they created.

Another brush with security,can I ask why you are taking photographs of our building, I'm not, I 'm taking pictures of the ground oh, can I ask why you can, but I would like to point out that your building is not very straight.Your right, it’s not, can I ask why you’re taking pictures of me and especially when I am using my card in the ATM we don’t look at that camera ok, what you just record it, in case I drop my card. Enjoy your pictures sir.
A crop and a little tweak in Adobe Lightroom 4


Not SOOC
LUMIX G VARIO 14-45/F3.5-5.6
Freehand

Framed Upnor

P1770054_PS - If you only knew how windy it was in Chatham today, then some idiot holds up a card frame in an attempt to frame the Upnor village and castle. So a bit of a rough job bottom left, which is meant to the metal holding the frame in the corner and the clouds holding the rest, like many things lately back to the drawing board then.

It's NOT SOOC
DMC G1 + LUMIX G 14/F2.5
Free hand yep just the one the other was attempting to hold the frame

Experiment - P1760729 - Composition and angle - ARt School - Wide

P1760729 - Out 406 shots I land up with three that I am fairly content with. Some say I a perfectionist some say I am nuts other just breeze by not reading the stuff I put here. If perfection is getting something that appeals to and I think is pleasing to the eye, then ok call me it. Personally its me getting a lot of enjoyment out of photography, probably the hunting shooting fishing thing the in chase more than the race.

Enough rambling WHAT DO YOU THINKis it this one or one of the others Gone be honest and tell me why, don't be shy, tell its rubbish, tell me its good on the condition that you tell me why you think that.

SOOC
DMC G1 + LUMIX G 14/F2.5
Tripod natural window light

Go Rufus, not the Mash potato, but the Funky Chicken

P1750785 - Rufus thomas, the funky chicken go one have a listen wentout for lunch to the garlic farm, chickens about 30 feet (10 metres) oh go then show us how its done.

Easy photography course, take camera find somewhere nice to sit, order coffee and lunch, try you new lens on some slightly colour subjects about 30-40 (more than 10 metres) feet away

SOOC
DMC G1 + Canon 75-300mm 1:4-5.6 II
Free hand

Oh Dere it's a Honda

P1750870 - Having problems finding a farm tractor that is not a John Dere, so this is a Honda quad bike. Many people use these whilst on holiday as a fun ride, this one in a farm vehicle and posing here with a trailer behind and catching up with a wheelbarrow. Quad says what do you want to be when you you grow up!
Quad bikes are used extensively on the Island as a tool on farms to carry hay, herd sheep, talking of which the Shepard done the road has a box on the front and one on the back for the two collies and have seen that configuration along with two bails of hay in the winter. These are great tools and perhaps have replaced the small farm tractor, depending on what you buy they have PTO power take offs on them and a whole raft of stuff.
Enough rambling

SOOC
DMC G1 + Canon 75-300mm 1:4-5.6 II
Free hand

Four Candle Strobist Cherry Pie on split tile !

P1750746 - Soft and warm, cherry pie, made by the mother-in-law, bless her, pastry is a bit thick, but mustn't grumble :) nice with Greek yoghurt

SOOC
DMC G1 + Canon 75-300mm 1:4-5.6 II at about11 feet (3.3 metres)
Tripod + 4 tea-candle and two mirrors (see below)

Monday, 25 June 2012

Spearing the Golden hour

P1750720 - More new lens playing, about 13 feet (4 metres) away.
Made me think of Uccello or was it ??? European old master?

Any ways I liked it and really pleased with the results I am getting with this lens, there is bucket loads to come .........which I apologise for in advance. Another new lens again like a new camera, interestingly happy with the detail in these SLR lens, I love the soft effect that the older lens give which has giving me time to practice, not in the cupboard yet the camera bag does weigh 9 kilo's :) The frustration was the amount of light the older lenses were sucking out the image.

SOOC
DMC G1 + Canon 75-300mm 1:4-5.6 II
Free hand

Please feel free to comment, criticise etc say what you like, but just don't insult my family or pets

Sunday, 24 June 2012

Compare - P1730895_LR - Last of the days steam

P1730895_LR - Sorry another, compare this Adobe Light Room version with the SOOC

This just before the guy showed us the magic of steam

Slight crop + Temp +15, Tint +2, Shadows +35, Blacks -83, Exposure -0.49
DMC G1 + LUMIX G VARIO 14-45/F3.5-5.6
Free hand

The Magic of Steam .........!

P1730920_LR - Another one from the Watercress line Mid Hants Railways, the magic of steam gives you powers! So like a kid in the candy shop; if it moved, hissed, looked like it might move, well in fact it just did not matter it was caught digitally. Completely against what I attempt to do with the camera..................... I will admit, I would probably have not got this shot.

The day consisted of over 2,500 shots, some of which were in multi setting mode, so blocks of three, some with batch setting so another three of each three = same shot nine times, others just point and shoot. Equals a very disappointing set of results, did I check the settings, did I always attempt to get the best focus NO, result a very sad Rusty Marvin :(

Lightroom; slight crop, complete light adjustment total time 35 minutes for the one image, to me not photography but image manipulation
DMC G1 + LUMIX G 14/F2.5
Free hand, gave up with the tripod, just to many things to click and snap

Scavenger Challenge
21. Capture steam, smoke, mist or fog in a photo (no tobacco or similar products, please).

Footnote: I sometimes wonder what these groups are about, is it the race?
If so I could have completed the months challenge in one day, by just rushing around and clicking and snapping on my day out. As above almost every shot a photography mess.
or
Is it about finding a subject and developing your photography skills, understanding the light, composition, focus, use of a very powerful tool to express the subject.


Engine detail Citation

The Birth of Pac-Man

P1740388_LR - Well you know I take a lot of the same subject and had to try one on its own, nearly got the lighting spot on. But running through the shots this week this one as a square crop made me smile more than some of the other individuals.

Just a crop in Lightroom nothing else, but I thought I would be square about it
DMC G1 + LUMIX G VARIO 14-45/F3.5-5.6
Tripod, Jobilee-Light and torch + single ply tissue

Scavenger Challenge
2. So...what have you Googled lately? Show us the subject or the reason you looked it up.
Retro games, during a discussion with some one played it once or twice could not see what all the excitement was about, so built an AI version on a Commodore 64K with a snake chasing it .....

PS Apologises for using the same subject matter, but I love working with them

A little ray of sunshine on the dashboard

P1740351 - Soft light, well it was raining that heavy after filling up with fuel and brought myself a treat, expecting to be waiting a few hours for a ferry due to the Isle of Wight Festival. But as I could not actually see to drive more than 20 mph, I decided it needed to be eating and right then was as good time as any.
By the way that's not DoF or focus blur that's rain and the light on the left was a brake light about eight foot away :)

SOOC
DMC G1 + LUMIX G VARIO 14-45/F3.5-5.6
Freehand Just the little bit of light that managed to get between the rain

Scavenger Challenge
12. Pies, croissants, rolls, brioches...pick your pastry and photograph it in warm, soft light.
Whoops it was only warm because the heater was on

Saturday, 23 June 2012

Bright on white

P1740222 - Ripe & Ready, Tangy, sweet & refreshing according to the packaging.
Physails Berries or Inca berry, Aztec berry, golden berry, me I just love the Sepal or papery calyx

SOOC
DMC G1 +
Tripod, jobliee light, pen torch with cut of and bounced back across the shot with a convex mirror

Scavenger Challenge
3. Pick some berries from the vine or off a grocery-store shelf.

Water, Smoke and Coal

P1730632 - At the end of the day 850 empties the firebox and awaits a tow back to the shed. Very disappointed with myself on a whole bunch of these shots landed up with a lot bleched skys, probably to much of a kid in the candy store, wanting every single sweet that was available :)


SOOC
DMC G1 + LUMIX G 14/F2.5
Tripod

Scavenger Challenge
14. Alphabet soup: subject must be a noun beginning with "W."

Shooting the Breeze

P1740155 - Who, two new additions to the Bladman Clan, Big Daddy Bland and Wee Baby Bland, what a bunch of artists

SOOC
DMC G1 + LUMIX G VARIO 14-45/F3.5-5.6
Tripod + Jobliee-light and pen torch bounced of convex mirror


Do It Daily @ Today's Posting
Make a photo of two complementary objects arranged in a pleasing composition, one large and one small., post it then Tag it with #TP226

Fracture Interconnectiveness

P1740091 - As a number of you know I do some of these challenges and towards the end of the month I start to realise that having thought about various shots or trying to locate something is not going to well. There is a sudden burst of interconnectiveness either in a holistic form or quanta not sure how it happens or the improbability drive kicks in.
A work colleague and me had been through a bit of rough morning with stuff, I was think I'll go chill out and take a few shots, so off we went, deciding to take the complete opposite route to what is normally taken, maybe it was the hope that we got lost perhaps! If you knew the area this is not a tough decision to make, go right and your in a shopping mall go left and you're in the historic docks car park. Went left and continued walking, discussing how bland the walk was and each of us had spent some time in the museum shop, then a building caught our eye, not been in there before and there we go the pealing on the lean wall.
Reckon thats a tipping wall myself:)

SOOC
DMC G1 + LUMIX G 14/F2.5
Free hand

Scavenger Challenge
1. The subject itself (as opposed to the photographic plane) must be tilted or tipped.
Probably not quite what you meant, but I thought it hit the spot

Architectural Fracture by Alexandra Hanschell BA(Hons)
University of Kent - School of Arts - Historic dockyard site

Street light and Sky!

P1740029 - Cotton wool sky with a street lamp so cirrus

SOOC
DMC G1 + LUMIX G 14/F2.5
Free hand

Do It Daily @ Today's Posting
Think of a subject or object that starts with either the letter D or S. Find it, post it then Tag it with #TP224

Dads, Dragons, Crowns and Watercress

P1720906 - What a wonderful day to reflect on, steam, cakes, coffee, cakes, coffee, steam engines, cakes, lunch, dinner, steam and a bit more coffee, oh did someone mention cakes. To all budding steam engine drivers and brothers from another mother, what more can one ask for.......well perhaps a ride on the footplate and a touch of the whistle, a shovel full of the black stuff., would have been nice, but did get a whole day driving some years back, boiling the kettle and cooking bacon and eggs on the coal shovel, steam dreams and memories.

SOOC
DMC G1 + LUMIX G 14/F2.5 (loving this lens), bit bleached out on the top, but the smell of black gold from the Welsh pits and water, who cares.
Tripod

Scavenger Challenge
13. We celebrate Father's Day in the US this month, so let's give dads the spotlight. & the UK

Please Keep the Pavement Dry!

P1720329 - Drinking fountain on Alton train station

Day tripper yeah....

P1720193 - .......got a good reason, you'll find out.

Have a great week everyone hope you're Sunday was as excellent as mine.

SOOC
DMC G1 +
Free hand

I want to be a tree

P1710902 - Not totally convinced about this one, wanted to get a fern, but finding one in a clearing the right height, without things in the background and on a windy day is just not that simple. Slightly frustrated that the wind didn't help get the whole thing in the frame as well. But that's the boat I've got right now!


SOOC
DMC G1 + DMC G1 + LUMIX G 14/F2.5
Freehand


Scavenger Challenge
25. In a special feature from Sharon Drummond, low-angle photography is the Education Center topic for June. Low angle photography can add interest to your images by giving the viewer a different perspective than the one they are accustomed to. For this assignment, we will be avoiding the "standard" low angle subjects (like tall buildings) and focusing our attention on getting close to the ground to change our point of view. Please read the article before beginning.

Burnt House Lane

P1710578 - Still playing a week of 10-12 hours shifts so the only time to play is on the way home. That new lens is a whole new ball game and understanding the subject, light etc is taking a little time, still waiting for a 46mm Cokin ring to add some filters to the equations, but here a few in the meantime.

Long story short them, drive about 150 miles, get on a Ferry (1.5 hours later), get changed, drive to a dinner party. But had to stop and pop a few. Shame no one wanted to talk about wide angle lens :(

SOOC
DMC G1 + LUMIX G 14/F2.5
Free hand

Friday Trip - The Home coming tree, clouds and F......... again

P1710489 - Still playing a week of 10-12 hours shifts so the only time to play is on the way home. That new lens is a whole new ball game and understanding the subject, light etc is taking a little time, still waiting for a 46mm Cokin ring to add some filters to the equations, but here a few in the meantime. Slight blur, fairly high winds and a choppy sea

David and The Giants - Ten Miles High

SOOC
DMC G1 + LUMIX G 14/F2.5
Free hand

Friday Trip - Rays, Clouds and Fawley again

P1710358 - Still playing a week of 10-12 hours shifts so the only time to play is on the way home. That new lens is a whole new ball game and understanding the subject, light etc is taking a little time, still waiting for a 46mm Cokin ring to add some filters to the equations, but here a few in the meantime. Slight blur, fairly high winds and a choppy sea

David and The Giants - Ten Miles High

SOOC
DMC G1 + LUMIX G 14/F2.5
Free hand

Friday Trip - The Solent and Fawley again ....

P1710342 - Still playing a week of 10-12 hours shifts so the only time to play is on the way home. That new lens is a whole new ball game and understanding the subject, light etc is taking a little time, still waiting for a 46mm Cokin ring to add some filters to the equations, but here a few in the meantime. Slight blur, fairly high winds and a choppy sea

David and The Giants - Ten Miles High

SOOC
DMC G1 + LUMIX G 14/F2.5
Free hand

Saturday, 16 June 2012

Rusty Back - The Chosen one

P1710834 - Remember those Rusty Back spores, here's some little ones!

SOOC
DMC G1 + LUMIX G 14/F2.5
Free hand

pok pok pok pok pok pok

P1700792 - pok moon bathing ,no idea why, but it seemed fun when I started with the concept

Might bit a bit dark, using the laptop to post. Sligtly disappointed that it did not turn out the way I expected, might play some more before it goes off or not worry about the berries and play with the wood on its own :)

Its better in the light box

SOOC
DMC G1 + LUMIX G 14/F2.5
Tripod down light Jobliee-Light and 2 ply tissue diffuser against the window


Do It Daily @ Today's Posting
Today's theme is the number 6. Make a photograph of the number six, six objects, or express six in an alternate way., post it then Tag it with #TP217

Friday Trip - The Home coming tree, clouds and F......... again

P1710489 - Still playing a week of 10-12 hours shifts so the only time to play is on the way home. That new lens is a whole new ball game and understanding the subject, light etc is taking a little time, still waiting for a 46mm Cokin ring to add some filters to the equations, but here a few in the meantime. Slight blur, fairly high winds and a choppy sea

David and The Giants - Ten Miles High

SOOC
DMC G1 + LUMIX G 14/F2.5
Free hand

Saturday, 9 June 2012

Smiling Faces - 600966

P1700360_LR - Here is this, then in the Cafe a whole raft of Veal meals............................

Smiling faces sometimes pretend to be your friend
Smiling faces show no traces of the evil that lurks within(Can you digg it)
Smiling faces, smiling faces sometimes they don't tell the truth
Smiling faces, smiling faces tell lies
And I got proof(Oh Lord Yea)

Have a listen to another Whitfield master piece, brought to you by Undisputed Truth, probably my favourite version.

Square crop, slight tone tweak
DMC G1 +
Free hand

One from Bluebell Just Do It!

The Stickiness of Rain

P1690840 - In the UK we had a Bank Holiday or two, which means it rains! This would seem to form some sort of pattern. The shot is even better when the sun is on it perhaps, then when it's sunny one day I might find out :)

I love the properties of rain water they have something special about them, these droplets are hugging a curved surface and had been for an hour or so.

SOOC
DMC G1 + Standard lens
Freehand

Do It Daily @ Today's Posting
Make a photograph that features a very distinct curved line or surface today.#TP190

They came in droves, the field was ready, disappointed to find it was not a Rave!

P1690418 - Ryde towards the piers in the West (well it would be that's the place the sun sets). Not a great fan of fireworks and probably not a Royalist, but got dragged down the sea front by the good lady and some friends (well they call themselves friends, he didn't want to go either). Well not to miss an opportunity with the camera and a bit of practice in low light.

QE2 Celebrations
There are some more on Facebook

SOOC
DMC G1 + Standard lens
Free hand (whilst holding someone's wine)

Whirls Over the Garden gate

P1690814 - Such a lovely sky had to share.

SOOC
DMC G1 + Standard lens
Free hand

Docked Sky Boats

P1690463 - Apart from the smoke at the end, this is my fun with fireworks.

Like this as a piece of ARt

SOOC only rotated 90 degrees anticlockwise
DMC G1 + Standard
Freehand (no beer or wine, just a little squiggle)

Repeating Occurrence a sort of pattern

P1690826 - In the UK we had a Bank Holiday or two, which means it rains! This would seem to form some sort of pattern.
The shot is even better when the sun is on it perhaps, then when it's sunny one day I might find out :)

SOOC
DMC G1 + Standard lens
Freehand

Do It Daily @ Today's Posting
Make a photograph that features repetition., post it then Tag it with #TP212

Probably should square crop it, but then I would lose the pattern underneath :(

Shooting Bokeh over the sandbanks

P1690465 - Apart from the smoke at the end, here is my fun with fireworks.

SOOC
DMC G1 + Standard
Freehand (no beer, wine or could you hold the bottle opener)

Three day week how sweet!

P1690579 - And Finally some room's, hope you didn't get to bored with the fireworks!

Have a great week well what's left of it, thank you ma for giving us an extra day off. Still confused if your coronation was in 1953 and you celibate it 60 years on would that not be 2nd June 2013, Mmm, then ok we'll celibate your ascension to the throne sorry that was in April 1952, probably asked a meerkat cat to work it out on compare the Royals dot com.

SOOC
DMC G1 + Standard lens
Free hand (no wine, no bottle opener, just a couple of very wet hands, but it had to be done)

Tuesday, 5 June 2012

Flaming Golden Triangles ....

P1690270_PS - More of an experiment in the theory of golden triangles, not sure if I did do anything in Photoshop Elements or Lightroom apart from load it in there.
Below is a rough guide to what I was attempting which was to get the two centres in the corner of the intersecting lines, plus try to aim for a bit of golden mean in the process, based on the size of the centre of each rose head. So the response is not quite.

Apologies to all my Today's Posting friends and contacts for not getting a bit more up to date, but I am working on it :)

DMC G1
Free hand

Do It Daily @ Today's Posting
Use or illustrate the Golden Triangle in a photograph today. #TP207

Other submissions for the assignment #TP207 or have a look here to see some better examples.

How Low can you go

P1670909 - Probably not the best in the series of flowing shots I have taken, but for some reason it appeals to me. So find a stream, notice a little shingle bank, try standing on it and get a shot, m I known put your feet up on the bank and your shoulder on the shingle then position the camera without getting wet. To the left is a whole variety of Ferns, Fiddle Back, Rusty Back and another I have not yet identified.
But that's on the list of to dos:)

SOOC
DMC G! + Pentagon + Doubler
Free hand (upside down)

Scavenger Challenge
22. The theme is flowing water: rivers, streams, fountains (no water taps, please).

OK, I'm fine diving in the bedroom

P1680541 - Coming to the conclusion that I might just be putting to much effort into some shots.
A scuba divers OK, I am ok gesture, very important gesture and signals as it is a bit hard to communicate, amazing what you do hear, but some how its not voices from peoples mouths.

So what's this about using a mirror covered with some acetate used for overhead projectors about 2-3 mm form the mirror to give an under water effect and then show some dapple down light broken by the surface waves.

SOOC
DMC G1 + Standard lens
Tripod, bedside lamp and Jobliee-as the down light

Scavenger Challenge
4. Physical gestures such as a shrug express concepts. Keep it family-friendly, please.

Friday Trip - Ride Me to the Moon

P1680812 - Well it made me smile

Play me


SOOC
DMC G1 + Pentagon 2.8
Freehand shaking rattling juddering car ferry

Do It Daily @ Today's Posting
Make a photograph of something that you find amusing today., post it then Tag it with #TP206

Friday Trip - To The West, the Bank Holiday gathering ....

P1680768_LR - More Lightroom 4 tweaks, surprising the difference from the East to the West, the East below

Friday Trip to the East, Good or Bad Moon arising!

P168060_LR - Playing around in Adobe Lightroom 4 just to see if what, when and perhaps some how.

You can Split my H2O anytime .......

P1670966 - It's all about the light and the wonder of Mother Nature (MN), some most of world is all Greek to me, fancy words and Latin names with a whole bunch of did you know. But strangely it is the simple thing that make me happy, I do not really need to understand what photoautotrophs organisms do and probably nor do you. But some leafs in the dapple light of the bright rising sun on a Sunday morning give you air to breath (and its been recylced from the pollution us humans make), the sun to add some of those missing vitamins that children of today do not seem to get from sitting in front on a computer or games console, alongside all these new diseases were the world is near perfect (what ever that means). Then as I right and think we are just a bunch of chemicals any ways, eighty percent water at that

Art, Science who cares, why not sit back and enjoyed it

SOOC
DMC G1 + Pentagon + Doulber
Free hand

I knew there was another reason for this photograph, see I just take em
Scavenger Challenge
14. Alphabet soup: your subject must be a noun starting with "Gr..."
But the I remembered the scientific thing oh well I like talking a load of photoautotrophs !

Pink Footed, Black Bellied, Long beak and Brown Whistling Duck....

P1670744 - This is one of those someone will probably known, but my best ID so far was a Adolescent Egyptian goose. But hopefully the presentation in a Field guide photography format will help you correctly indentify the large pink footed bird.Living in a pond with an array of birds and ducks.


SOOC
DMC G1 + Mitakon zoom 1:3.9 f=80-205 mm
Freehand

Scavenger Challenge
24. Education Center: Field guide photography is a very exacting discipline. Please read the linked material in the Education Center before beginning! Your subject must be a live and preferably wild animal, bird or other creature (i.e., not a plant), outdoors and NOT POSED, and must fulfill the requirements as explained in the article.


Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis)

The Dark Outsider by a head!

P1680253 - Had images of crowds, slightly different movements, but after just 57 shots (some where colour B&W experiments) the winner is the dark outsider. Hey Number 3 don't look round, doh to late, now your third.

SOOC
DMC G1 +
Tripod + Jobliee-light and pen torch to provide down light

Scavenger Challenge
19. Win the race, the prize, or win someone's admiration or heart. Show what it means to win.

The World Is Just A Great Big Onion

P1680360 - So what do you do to relax, well I find an onion and then spend about 15 minutes cutting it out to get some layers. Then light it with a Jobliee-Light attach various lenses, how many, about seven, do all sorts of lighting things take about 125 shots and then land up with something your not that happy with.

What a couple of pairs Ashford & Simpson, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, the later such brilliant artists and passed so young. The World Is Just A Great Big Onion

SOOC
DMC G1 + Helios 44M + Doubler
Free hand + Jobliee-Light

Not overly pleased with the end result, but hell the music is good:)

Scavenger Challenge
13. An onion and a good photographer should have many layers. Photograph one or both!