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| Group |
Round |
C/R |
Comment |
Date |
Image |
| 64 |
Jul 23 |
Reply |
Ahhh! You're right, Helen. should have done that. It's an awkward item to clone out,as well. I could always go back, it's not that far away for me. |
Jul 25th |
| 64 |
Jul 23 |
Reply |
Thanks John. I suppose it does reflect a fairly dim interior, with just the window giving problems and pushing me to do HDR.
There's a photographer over here called David Boag who does tuition videos on his website (for a fee!). I have access to it because he's a good photographer and a charming teacher. One of his sayings is something like "The most important creative decision you make when composing a photograph is the lens you use." I agree with him. |
Jul 16th |
| 64 |
Jul 23 |
Reply |
As I was there, the photo doesn't look at all odd to me! But I agree, I must try to improve the contrast. I've just bought Affinity v2, so maybe it can be a learning exercise this evening. |
Jul 16th |
| 64 |
Jul 23 |
Comment |
I agree, a brilliant image from what appears to me to be a not very encouraging original, Jerry. I'm afraid I know nothing about the ceremony being performed, I just like the resultant image. Super. |
Jul 10th |
| 64 |
Jul 23 |
Comment |
I'd not have seen that transformation - well done, Helen! I think it's a super result. I thought it was a straightforward left/right reflection at first.
That must be one of the longest titles I've seen! |
Jul 10th |
| 64 |
Jul 23 |
Comment |
A classic landscape with a nice item in the forground, so we have close, middle and far to look at.
I like the composition, and especially the rock tones and shapes.
What amazing combinations of camera settings these smartphones come up with. f1.4 is about the last setting I would use, yet it's still sharp in the foreground. I guess it's a strength (and a weakness in some cases) of the small sensor. |
Jul 10th |
| 64 |
Jul 23 |
Comment |
I like the striking lines and diagonals. Your cropping has got rid of distractions and improved the picture a lot, I think.
There's not much to choose between colour and mono really, but I would go for mono. "When colour is important to an image, use colour. If not, use mono."
My experience of trade work in Spain is never to expect the work to be done quickly! |
Jul 10th |
| 64 |
Jul 23 |
Comment |
I think this is an excellent photo. On the whole it is minimal with resultant powerful punch, the diagonals converging on the knot increasing that. The viewer then sees the reflection of the ship which gives it more meaning and context - great!
The textures and tones are lovely and add to what I think is a great result. My only negative comment would be that the rope disappears on the top left, I would have burned it out less. |
Jul 10th |
| 64 |
Jul 23 |
Comment |
I think this is a nice photograph, but it seems to be lacking in punch. More contrast as Don suggests might help.
I would find it impossible to leave that tower in! As its interface with the trees is very short, I would have thought that any imperfaction there after cloning it out would be unnoticed by viewers who didn't know it had been there.
I would also slightly burn in the very light area of the windmill tower. |
Jul 10th |
| 64 |
Jul 23 |
Reply |
Hi Don,
The lens is only 9mm focal length (18mm in full frame terms), hence the exaggerated perspective. |
Jul 8th |
6 comments - 4 replies for Group 64
|
| 95 |
Jul 23 |
Reply |
I've been reminded recently that a Raynox lens on the 60mm macro gives good results, so I've been doing some trials of that as I have a DCR-250 (see http://www.raynox.co.jp/english/digital/d_slr/index.html). This can give 1.6x magnification when the lens is set to 1:1, which isn't far from the 2x on the 90mm lens.
The 90mm can go to 4x if a 2x tele converter is added, which takes it further from the 60mm capability, but they are expensive too - about GBP 400 here. I found with my 1x-5x Canon MP-E that taking at higher magnifications such as that isn't as simple as you might think. Even finding suitable subjects is a challenge.
I've taken some pics of a caterpillar in my garden with the 60mm + Raynox setup, and will post one next month unless something more interesting comes along. But this combination does work well, and at about 80 GBP the Raynox added to a 60mm macro lens is an awful lot cheaper than the 90 mm lens. |
Jul 20th |
| 95 |
Jul 23 |
Reply |
As I mentioned, I was borrowing the lens and only doing this as a test. We were on a campsite at the time, I had no macro equipment with me of my own. So I got this twig and placed it on a blue camping chair, using an arm of the chair as support as I knelt down to take the photos. Hence the blue, checkered background! I agree, it's pants for a normal macro shot, but needs must! :-)
As for the stacked shot vs the single shot, it's probably a good example of the difference which photo stacking can make, even hand held in the field.
|
Jul 20th |
| 95 |
Jul 23 |
Reply |
I'm no expert in lens design, but I thought depth of field is set by overall factors, not by internal lens design. In a simple lens (one element) the DoF is set by physics, but complex lenses like this might be different.
I thought the working distance was a bit further out than my 60mm,but I never thought to measure them. I find it no problem. However it's why I don't have their 30mm macro lens, despite its cute inbuilt light and its wider angle of view. Those lenses are as cheap as chips now, I guess they don't sell many.
The worst example of silly working distance I have come across was the reversing lens kit sold by Novoflex. This passes the lens-to-body signal via 2 adapters and a connecting external wire around the reversed lens, to retain automatic diaphragm operation. I tried lots of lens combinations, and some had a less than zero working distance!! (ie they wouldn't work). I sold it, even the best combination was impractical for micro 4/3. |
Jul 15th |
| 95 |
Jul 23 |
Reply |
Yeah, pretty good I think. It would be nice to give it a head to head with the 60mm lens at 1:1, but the friend lives in Scotland. I will if I buy one. I've got a few more brackets taken with it that I can stack when I have time. The lens has the usual Olly Pro lens feel - very precise and solid. But the price causes a sharp intake of breath. |
Jul 15th |
| 95 |
Jul 23 |
Reply |
Yes!! The centre of this one is much clearer, too! I like it :-) |
Jul 14th |
| 95 |
Jul 23 |
Reply |
Agreed. I did some, and it worked fine, but I hadn't got round to stacking any. How about this one? |
Jul 14th |
 |
| 95 |
Jul 23 |
Comment |
I like this too, a good attempt. The main issue for me is that the upper close petal is soft, and it should be the sharpest part. I don't think you did anything wrong, it's just physics working. I don't know if the 5Diii has any stabilisation; if it does, then you could certainly have tried a slower shutter speed and smaller aperture. Maybe a stop more on the ISO setting too. It costs nowt to take several images to see what happens! As Carol says, the water drop on the right is super.
There's a very blurry light circle, bottom right of the flower, which is a bit distracting - the clone brush or inpainting brush would make short work of it. |
Jul 12th |
| 95 |
Jul 23 |
Reply |
It's on the extreme bottom right - brightened here for clrity, just the bottom right of the berry to the bottom right of the frame. It's not much, but once noticed, I see it every time. |
Jul 12th |
 |
| 95 |
Jul 23 |
Reply |
I got a crop of mainly leaves in their first year, 3 years ago.
Yes, a frame would do the usual job of separating the image from the server's black background. I often forget to do it on images with dark / black outsides, but I think it makes an improvement. Indeed, not having it is a distraction for me, as I look for the edges of the image.
I've just spotted a red patch, bottom right corner. Worth removing, or making it more like the top right corner? |
Jul 11th |
| 95 |
Jul 23 |
Comment |
You have taught me the name for what is a well-used technique. That doesn't detract from how attractive is the result. It has given a super 3D effect. I like your post processing, but how about a 3 pixel frame?
There's an interesting article on Chiaroscuro lighting here - https://shotkit.com/chiaroscuro-lighting/
Your focus point is bang on, and f5 gave a nice depth of field. More would be nice perhaps, but I'd be happy with this.
You've done a great job on the highlights, as none are too bright.
I've grown lots of strawberries this year, I got 42 lb off my patch, but alas they all disappeared in a very gratifying way before the camera got a chance! Yum. |
Jul 10th |
| 95 |
Jul 23 |
Comment |
I think it's a worthwhile result in the circumstances.
I would suggest that trading some shutter speed for a smaller aperture would have helped with the limited depth of field, you could easily hand-hold up to 4 stops in that direction, giving more depth of field and getting to the lens's sweet area.
More importantly, getting in closer is crucial in getting more crisp detail - the heavy cropping has caused the softness, despite getting the focus point correct. |
Jul 10th |
| 95 |
Jul 23 |
Comment |
I think this is a good result. There's strong flow and simplicity, great depth of field, nice composition, nice exposure, good detail.
The highlights might be toned down a little to good effect, I think. |
Jul 10th |
| 95 |
Jul 23 |
Comment |
I think this is a super result after much trial and error. Taking trouble can often pay off!
It's simple, unusual, with a nice depth of field, a good diagonal, lots of detail. Well lit. Well processed. Well done! |
Jul 10th |
| 95 |
Jul 23 |
Comment |
I can see that getting a good composition here was difficult. Without seeing the subject, I might be talking rot, but to me the loss of the tip of the lower anther is a shame.
Given the image, I would try to concentrate attention on the tips by cropping off some of the right and bottom of the image, and to darken the light areas, preferable with a complementry colour in the top right. |
Jul 10th |
6 comments - 8 replies for Group 95
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12 comments - 12 replies Total
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