Darkslinger's 52 Week Challenge - 2023

n1kcy · 28 Jun 2023

nice set of images, I like the fern the best.

Crotal Bell · 28 Jun 2023

Lovely shot of the mushroom and a nice set all round.

Baloo · 28 Jun 2023

Excellent set, the chosen shot is my favourite one, love the delicate colours. Got to get me one of your lighting kit thingys.

Fuji Dave · 29 Jun 2023

Great set of images Bill, got to be the mushroom for me as well.

Cloudforest · 29 Jun 2023

Lovely set Bill. I like the fern one best.

HelenC · 29 Jun 2023

A stunning set of images. I'm with you on your chosen submission - the colour and detail is beautiful.

Darkslinger · 29 Jun 2023

-Oy- said:
Nice set of pix with the new kit Bill.

The curly fern gets my vote

nog said:
Had a look on Amazon, your new toy looks interesting. Good set of pics, the first and the last pics my favourites.

Thanks Nog, I was torn betwixt the first one, the little fern and the mushroom...

SimonH said:
Fab set Bill - you're chosen shot & the mushroom for me!

Thanks Simon!

n1kcy said:
nice set of images, I like the fern the best.

Thank you Nicky, that little fern growing out of the moss was maybe the size of my thumbnail. I probably wouldn't have seen it if my dog hadn't stopped to do her business...

Crotal Bell said:
Lovely shot of the mushroom and a nice set all round.

Thanks Keith. I took a few shots of the mushroom and some others that were nearby but that was the only one that I liked well enough to post.

Baloo said:
Excellent set, the chosen shot is my favourite one, love the delicate colours. Got to get me one of your lighting kit thingys.

Thanks Roger, I'm having some great fun with it.

Fuji Dave said:
Great set of images Bill, got to be the mushroom for me as well.

Thanks Dave.

Cloudforest said:
Lovely set Bill. I like the fern one best.

Thank you Pete!

HelenC said:
A stunning set of images. I'm with you on your chosen submission - the colour and detail is beautiful.

Thanks Helen, I appreciate the kind words.

Darkslinger · 5 Jul 2023

Week #26 - Watching

It's a long weekend here in the Great White North... Canada Day.

Not sure where my time went...three days off with only one image to present.

Gracie spends much of her day watching over the backyard, keeping us safe from the predations of evil cats and squirrels...

-Oy- · 5 Jul 2023

Fab shot of the Squirrel Police

Fuji Dave · 5 Jul 2023

Lovely image of Gracie keeping and watch out.

Peter123 · 5 Jul 2023

She looks very alert and a lovely guard dog Bill.

nog · 5 Jul 2023

Nice shot of Gracie, can see she takes her job seriously. We have a couple of dogs who have appointed themselves in charge of security.

HelenC · 6 Jul 2023

She certainly looks protective. The territory definitely belongs to hers...

overbez · 9 Jul 2023

Gracie looks a little sweetheart - bet she can be feisty when needed!

The interior arrangement of Vancouver Library is a stand-out image - love the people in the forground which somehow anchor the image, while allowing the rest to be a floaty blended blur. Love it!

The little fern is a beauty - and you;ve used shallow DOF perfectly on the purple flower, to have it all in focus, and a lovely smooth BG blur!

Darkslinger · 10 Jul 2023

-Oy- said:
Fab shot of the Squirrel Police

Fuji Dave said:
Lovely image of Gracie keeping and watch out.

Peter123 said:
She looks very alert and a lovely guard dog Bill.

nog said:
Nice shot of Gracie, can see she takes her job seriously. We have a couple of dogs who have appointed themselves in charge of security.

HelenC said:
She certainly looks protective. The territory definitely belongs to hers...

overbez said:
Gracie looks a little sweetheart - bet she can be feisty when needed!

The interior arrangement of Vancouver Library is a stand-out image - love the people in the forground which somehow anchor the image, while allowing the rest to be a floaty blended blur. Love it!

The little fern is a beauty - and you;ve used shallow DOF perfectly on the purple flower, to have it all in focus, and a lovely smooth BG blur!

Thanks all for you kind words, I have a follow-up to the story of Gracie guarding our backyard. I was working today in my office on the main floor when my daughter (who works out of her bedroom on the second floor) calls me on my cell.

It seems that Gracie (acting very cat-like) decided to leave a "present" on the stairwell landing...

She had obviously taken a rat by surprise and thought that it would be a good idea to bring it up to the place where she often eats her treats...Not something we want to see every day but something to laugh about in retrospect...

Darkslinger · 10 Jul 2023

Week #27 - Torn

I had a chance to get out and about downtown on Sunday. There is no end to images of paper ads torn and tattered on the lampposts that line the streets there. Here are a few of the ones I shot.
I started with these two and liked them for the blurred people in the background:

This sticker/poster has been on the wall for as long as I can remember:

These three stickers caught my eye because they seem to be just random pictures stuck to the pole (one of which is slightly torn away):

I really liked this one where one poster has been torn away to reveal the face in the poster below;

And, not sure how I managed to spot this, but this is a tiny little price tag torn off and stuck to this rolling shutter. I like the tones from the setting sun and the lines that lead away into the distance.

-Oy- · 11 Jul 2023

You chose the right one Bill. The eyes have it

nog · 11 Jul 2023

Definitely picked the right one, could have used that for watching as well

Darkslinger · 11 Jul 2023

-Oy- said:
You chose the right one Bill. The eyes have it

nog said:
Definitely picked the right one, could have used that for watching as well

Thanks guys, it was that one or the last one. A bit of a toss up for me.

Boots · 11 Jul 2023

I think your chosen image is a great one!

overbez · 11 Jul 2023

Great set Bill. I'd take the chosen shot, for the blue / yellow combo, plus the sunlight on the oof figure in the BG.

Agree there's something pleasing about the sticker on the roller shutter. Think that the precise composition makes it work.

Adamcski · 11 Jul 2023

I like the rolling shutter image the most. Good texture, some leading lines and the tag just stands out enough to catch the eye. They torn image revealing the eyes is also good and the colours really help it pop. Either one would have been great in my opinion

SimonH · 12 Jul 2023

Great set Bill, and nice take on the theme. +1 for your chosen shot.

HelenC · 15 Jul 2023

Amazing collection of some very random posters. Another vote for your chosen shot as the eyes really draw you into the image.

Darkslinger · 18 Jul 2023

Boots said:
I think your chosen image is a great one!

Thanks Paul.

overbez said:
Great set Bill. I'd take the chosen shot, for the blue / yellow combo, plus the sunlight on the oof figure in the BG.

Agree there's something pleasing about the sticker on the roller shutter. Think that the precise composition makes it work.

Thanks Graham, took a little bit of thought to put the sticker shot together and a little tweaking in Lightroom...

Adamcski said:
I like the rolling shutter image the most. Good texture, some leading lines and the tag just stands out enough to catch the eye. They torn image revealing the eyes is also good and the colours really help it pop. Either one would have been great in my opinion

Thanks Adam, it was difficult to choose between the two.

SimonH said:
Great set Bill, and nice take on the theme. +1 for your chosen shot.

Thank you Simon!

HelenC said:
Amazing collection of some very random posters. Another vote for your chosen shot as the eyes really draw you into the image.

Thanks Helen!

Darkslinger · 18 Jul 2023

Week #28 - Unsightly

I think that my shots from last week could have worked for this week too!

Anyways, I was walking along False Creek and saw this blue plastic barrel floating in the water. There was a scum on the water as well (not sure if it came from the barrel). I thought that it was unsightly enough to deserve a place in this weeks challenge but I wanted to do something with it other than just a straight documentary shot.

I took seven shots holding the camera still and grabbing the movement of the barrel as it bobbed on the waves. I blended the shots in PS. I kind of like how it turned out with the buildings in the background still and sharp and the blur of the barrel simulating movement.

Here is one still shot for context:

-Oy- · 18 Jul 2023

Yep - blurry blue barrel works for me

wornish · 18 Jul 2023

Think I prefer the still shot it shows the mess on the water's surface better.

HelenC · 18 Jul 2023

I'm voting for the blurry shot.. it highlights the movement of the barrel bobbing along.

SimonH · 18 Jul 2023

Nicely done Bill. A very effective technique.

Adamcski · 21 Jul 2023

I prefer the second image myself as it clearly shows the subject and the debris on the water surface.

overbez · 22 Jul 2023

Another great photo, using your well honed technique in another unique way to bring life into a possibly dull scene. Subtle but effective processing overall too.

(Please don't consider that I'm implying overuse. I absolutely am not. Keep up the creative work Bill).

nog · 24 Jul 2023

Good to see the different techniques you use rather than a straight forward record shot. It is different to see the blurred barrel with the background in focus but perhaps the downside is losing the detail/mess on the water.

Darkslinger · 27 Jul 2023

-Oy- said:
Yep - blurry blue barrel works for me

Thanks Dave.

wornish said:
Think I prefer the still shot it shows the mess on the water's surface better.

I don't disagree David. I wanted a documentary style shot to illustrate the state of the waterway I would definitely choose that one. But I tend to like the "artsy" type photos, just my own esthetic. I think that there are merits to both.

HelenC said:
I'm voting for the blurry shot.. it highlights the movement of the barrel bobbing along.

Thanks Helen.

SimonH said:
Nicely done Bill. A very effective technique.

Thank you Simon.

Adamcski said:
I prefer the second image myself as it clearly shows the subject and the debris on the water surface.

Thanks Adam.

overbez said:
Another great photo, using your well honed technique in another unique way to bring life into a possibly dull scene. Subtle but effective processing overall too.

(Please don't consider that I'm implying overuse. I absolutely am not. Keep up the creative work Bill).

Thanks Graham, no offense taken, I appreciate your comments and support!

nog said:
Good to see the different techniques you use rather than a straight forward record shot. It is different to see the blurred barrel with the background in focus but perhaps the downside is losing the detail/mess on the water.

Yeah, I thought about just superimposing the blurry barrel on a single static shot but, in all honesty, sometimes I'm just lazy and that seemed like too much work...

Darkslinger · 27 Jul 2023

Week #29 - Pretty.

A bit of a shoehorn, the week just got away from me. We were walking through local festival and heard this performer making pretty music on a wooden xylophone.

He was really talented and had probably 30 different instruments from all around the world that he demonstrated for the audience. Here's a couple of others:

I think that I like the b&w shot the best but it was the tune from the xylophone that grabbed us so I thought it was appropriate to highlight that shot in the main thread.

-Oy- · 27 Jul 2023

Good take on the theme for me Bill

nog · 28 Jul 2023

Think the B&W pic shows his character more, the colour pics show him concentrating. I like the girl on the RHS on last picture, not sure if she is dreaming or bored

seaodyssey · 30 Jul 2023

Some good shots there Bill, I like your Blurry Unsightly shot, as you say it's good to be different.

Darkslinger · 1 Aug 2023

-Oy- said:
Good take on the theme for me Bill

Thanks Dave.

nog said:
Think the B&W pic shows his character more, the colour pics show him concentrating. I like the girl on the RHS on last picture, not sure if she is dreaming or bored

Funny you should say that Keith, I had cropper her out in a couple of shots. She's the sound technician and I don't think that she was too engaged with the performance...

seaodyssey said:
Some good shots there Bill, I like your Blurry Unsightly shot, as you say it's good to be different.

Thanks Pete.

Darkslinger · 1 Aug 2023

Week #30 - Windows

I managed to get some shots while attending a couple of events on the weekend. I had the intention of trying to capture some reflections in windows, with mixed results.

This was the first shot, not so much for the reflection shot but for how I liked that the painters tape mimicked the shape of the window frame.

I saw the round light in this window with reflections of the fair in the background and thought it would make a good subject. It wasn't until I got it back in post that I noticed the woman's face looking out through the window.