|
| Group |
Round |
C/R |
Comment |
Date |
Image |
| 6 |
Mar 20 |
Reply |
Yes, but you haven't got rid of us yet! (Well, me at least, I can't speak for Tom.) It's so nice to be able to browse and comment in DD, but I'll keep looking here as a priority. Do come and look at Group 95, and indeed the other close-up groups. |
Mar 23rd |
| 6 |
Mar 20 |
Comment |
It's much sharper than I would have guessed for f3.5, Salvadore. I think it would have been nicer to have a bit more in focus though. I personally don't worry about the far leaves being blurred, and the background is super. I love that feeler! Feels like it might poke me in the eye. |
Mar 6th |
| 6 |
Mar 20 |
Comment |
Nice picture, Dick. Fab textures and lovely simple colours. Muted reflection to complement not compete. Super execution as usual.
I would have liked the stem to visually protrude a bit more, I thought it was a crease in the leaf at first. |
Mar 6th |
| 6 |
Mar 20 |
Comment |
Hi Janet,
Tom and I got poached! I did try to persuade the powers that be to let me be in both but failed. I might get back some time.
Nice pic, just a bit "ordinary" from this viewpoint I think. Lower angle - maybe, give it a try! Also you could go directly above. Get her to play some chords so that some keys are depressed - costs nothing to experiment! Converting to mono might let you emphasise the shapes. Two thumbs never play the same note together so keep them apart! Get closer to a finger holding down a key, see what it looks like.
Good luck! |
Mar 6th |
3 comments - 1 reply for Group 6
|
| 32 |
Mar 20 |
Reply |
If so, it's not for lack of lighthouses over there! In group 64, in April 18, John Roach posted a photo of Permaquid lighthouse in Maine and subsequently I looked it up. Seems there are lots in Maine - see https://www.visitmaine.net/page/39/lighthouse-directory. The photos there don't show one in the sea as often occurs here, Point of Ayr lighthouse on the sand being not far down the coast from New Brighton for example. So maybe that's a difference. Also looking down https://www.countryliving.com/life/travel/g2422/the-30-prettiest-lighthouses-in-america/?slide=1, (et seq) there are few in the sea. Here's a project for someone! (once we are able to travel again)
My picture of New Brighton was discussed in group 64, July 18. |
Mar 29th |
| 32 |
Mar 20 |
Comment |
I'm sure you're in the 1% :-)
Voila - |
Mar 27th |
 |
| 32 |
Mar 20 |
Reply |
Sorry, I was assuming readers are mindreaders, I should have been clearer. I suspect the crane wouldn't burn down especially in that weather! Yes, the original 1 does have a sort of sepia tone to it, nice. Anyway, I'll upload what I meant below.
I did some long exposure work there a couple of years ago, and one or two came out well. But if I put one a comp, the judge inevitably says "Oh, New Brighton, I've seen lots of photos of that", etc, so perhaps I need to enter it in far away comps! |
Mar 27th |
 |
| 32 |
Mar 20 |
Comment |
Hi Diana,
Visiting here this morning from semi-isolation in Malpas near Whitchurch. I spotted your photo as I browsed to my groups and recognised the lighthouse which I photographed a couple of years ago in rather calmer weather. Super timing and drama.
As a mono lover I've got to disagree with those who prefer the colour. The sunset is very nice, and it's good photo I think, but the colour distracts from the shape and texture of the seascape for me. The Seaforth docks in the background also compete (more so in the colour) and I'd prefer to see them less obtrusive but not removed. Perhaps a crop of the right to just take off the windmill and then burn down the crane on the left a bit and clone out the adjacent windmill? I would dull down the bright lights a bit too. |
Mar 27th |
2 comments - 2 replies for Group 32
|
| 64 |
Mar 20 |
Reply |
Thanks for your tips, Diana. I've just sat down to do a mono for next month, so I'll have another go with Nik.
|
Mar 27th |
| 64 |
Mar 20 |
Reply |
I've just started to use its control points having bought a "how to" book. They are interesting, and I've a lot to learn about them via practice now. Personally I find all presets in software a bit over-rated - useful for quickly seeing some ideas but I usually go back to Affinity and get the effect I want there (if it's within my ability to!) |
Mar 27th |
| 64 |
Mar 20 |
Comment |
A challenge! OK, how about this? Affinity's inpainting brush took out most of the wires (and what looked like reflections in the panes) and where it didn't, the clone brush did a tidier job. |
Mar 23rd |
 |
| 64 |
Mar 20 |
Comment |
Well done, Abhijeet!
I'm afraid I don't like this portrait, though. Hands are always a problem if they become prominent, and whilst toned down by the glove, it does distract as the face just doesn't pull the eye enough in my opinion. The necklace and watch are the brightest parts and so they also distract me.
If you selectively dodged the face and eyes, I'm sure it would be a more compelling portrait. |
Mar 23rd |
| 64 |
Mar 20 |
Comment |
I think it's another case of an interesting subject in non-ideal surroundings. The plant and the bag do distract. I think the bag could be cloned out carefully, but the plant is perhaps a bit too big for that. I agree, the lack of eye contact or visibility is a shame, she might have looked up from time to time? I like the mono conversion, there's a loss of shadow detail but I don't think that's a problem. |
Mar 23rd |
| 64 |
Mar 20 |
Comment |
The clouds look so dramatic and blurred (as if taken by a long exposure) that they look out of place to me. It's a street scene, as you say it could be travel photography; but not street photography, there's no real Decisive Moment. So perhaps a better time could have been found with no cars or passers by? I agree with the others' comments. |
Mar 23rd |
| 64 |
Mar 20 |
Reply |
That's true, but homeless people looking for donations usually sit like the guy on the left and put their hat or box out into the pavement a little way. He's got a bottle of coke under his leg. As you say the passer-by has a fancy rucksack, so I think these identify them. |
Mar 7th |
| 64 |
Mar 20 |
Reply |
Thanks, John. Looking at the work of others is often inspiring, and what drove me was seeing the FIAP images of a visiting speaker to our club a few weeks ago. He, to be ruthlessly fair, had taken 50 ordinary-ish photos and processed many of them to really punch above their weight. Alas he couldn't (or wouldn't!) reveal his secrets. Maybe I'm learning. |
Mar 7th |
| 64 |
Mar 20 |
Reply |
Can you estimate what "8x telephoto lens" means in term of field or angle of view, Jerry? Compared to say your Nikon with a zoom telephoto on it. I didn't notice that capability for the spec I read. Is this built into the camera or one of those strap-on accessories? |
Mar 6th |
| 64 |
Mar 20 |
Comment |
Technically I think this is fine. The sky's bland obviously and could be improved by importing a different one.
I didn't want to be the first to say it, but I'm afraid I agree with Don's comments, not really interesting other than for those who know the building or area perhaps. |
Mar 6th |
| 64 |
Mar 20 |
Reply |
Me too. I wish I'd learned to lip read, it would be so handy for seeing what people are saying in the background on TV! |
Mar 6th |
| 64 |
Mar 20 |
Reply |
Yes, the guy on the right doesn't look "well heeled", does he? By footwear he looks the rough sleeper, but it was the chap on the left. They both looked kindly sort of people, I hope they are OK. |
Mar 4th |
| 64 |
Mar 20 |
Comment |
More interesting as a mono than colour, I think. I like the symmetry which is relieved by the wires, particularly the prominent one. The texture of the leaves contrast nicely with those of the stone and wood. |
Mar 3rd |
| 64 |
Mar 20 |
Comment |
These new camera phones are quite amazing, I think. It was interesting to hear the webinar by Topaz which predicted that in future cameras will be defined by their software rather than their hardware. Their weakness appears to me to be the poor long focal length performance - the 4XL spec I've seen offers 52, 77 and 90 degree fields of view. The mass market is people doing selfies and party shots I suppose. I look forwards to a camera maker making a compact designed for photographers with proper ergonomics and this sort of technology.
Anyway, back to this picture. I think it's quite interesting, although it has three separate focal attractions of the canal leading the the bridge on the left, the boats in the centre, and the canal leading to the boat and another bridge on the right. Judges seem not to be able to deal with more than one centre of interest! (Sorry to all judges reading this!) But I wonder if this is a valid criticism of a panorama? Actually I love panoramas, they can carry lots of interest and information, and I think this one does. Lots of detail, good exposure, well composed, enought sky detail not to distract but to stop criticism for being blank; I really like it. |
Mar 3rd |
7 comments - 7 replies for Group 64
|
| 95 |
Mar 20 |
Reply |
Hi Marti, thanks for your comments. The rhododendron was shedding a few blooms due to being handled, I just moved one next to the fungi, not an original thought!
Soft - maybe - I'm no sure why, but alas I do find variable results especially if I stray from known good setups. But here I was indoor, had a good tripod, cable release, known excellent lens and camera, so perhaps I did have the cheap +10 dioptre on (I lost track as I experimented and of course it's not in the EXIF). I wonder if a Raynox add-on is really any good for such pictures as it was slightly over 1:1 |
Mar 14th |
| 95 |
Mar 20 |
Comment |
Hmm, I thought you might say that. I was aiming for a sort of "in the shade" feel. Maybe too much. How about this, then? I've made the end of the stamen a bit more distinct as well. |
Mar 11th |
 |
| 95 |
Mar 20 |
Comment |
A cracking macro, Tom. I love the 3D feel of this picture. I'd agree with Bob's comments of course. Suggestion - a little rotation to make the axis less horizontal and slightly pointing up? |
Mar 3rd |
| 95 |
Mar 20 |
Reply |
Hi Bob,
Welcome to our new group! Thanks for your comments. I'm expecting certain comments as I do like to break "rules", we'll see if the others are complementary :-)
The Adaptalux system is good on the whole I think. I have one pod, four white arms (two ultrabright ones), one red and one laser. I got a pro mount as the standard one I found to be a bit flimsy. I've got 2 white and 3 colour diffusers. My white ones are theoretically different opacities, but I can't see the difference between them. I found it difficult to see which arm was selected when using the pod to control them. They flash slowly when selected, but it's not easy to see this when you are behind them, so I drilled a couple of small holes in each of the screw-out shades so I can see them now. The bluetooth phone app though makes them much easier to control. In my view the colour arms are less useful than the white ones, and the bright ones are worth the extra cost. The laser is fascinating but I've yet to find a photographic use for it apart from abstracts. I might get a UV one, that might be more practical for me.
In terms of brightness, I find them a bit dimmer than I would like for what we might call close-up photography, with the arms maybe 20-30cm from the subject. Doing this I have them at close to full power and on boost usually. However at true macro levels, with the lights say half this distance, they are plenty bright enough. At first I thought the arms were not able to hold their own weight well, but you discover that you can be a bit brutal with them and they work OK. Usually I hold th pod on a tripod. With 4 arms on, the pod's mount struggles to hold the weight and I usually give it a bit of help with a suitable piece of something jammed in between the tripod and the pod to hold up the front if necessary.
You can bend the arms enough to get a real mini studio setup with front, side and top lights all from one pod. A second pod might be useful but is not necesssary.
I find their donwloadable instructions, relying mainly on pictures, rather inadequate. I annotated mine from reading other help on their site which makes it easier to use.
Yes, it seems that coronavirus-caused delays in China have put back production. I funded their crowdfunding appeal to develop flash units to the tune of buying 2 flashes, but they have been delayed too. Pity! It was looking for macro flashes that brought me to their site. |
Mar 3rd |
2 comments - 2 replies for Group 95
|
14 comments - 12 replies Total
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