weekly GarethB's 52 challenge for 2019 - Week 51 & 52 - CHRISTMASSY & OUTTAKES - FINISHED!

Nostromo said:
Soft
When I first saw these, I thought they were marshmallows.
Very good concept, with great light. I really like the last one, with the added blue gel.
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Thank you Dominic, most appreciated!
Marshmallows would have been more appropriate for that look actually, since they can be toasted over 'hot coals'!:facepalm:
And of course they're soft too....well, squidgy anyway!:giggle:
 
very good, didn't have a clue what it was until I read your explanation.
I agree with Dominic above the last one works really well
 
Allan.H said:
very good, didn't have a clue what it was until I read your explanation.
I agree with Dominic above the last one works really well
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Thank you Allan, very much appreciated!(y)
D'you think I should be more guarded with my explanations?
You know....try to keep an air of mystery?!;)

michael23 said:
Ooh, I like those Gareth,I love how simple ideas can come across really strong, love all the colours, really like the last one with the added blue gel.
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Many thanks Michael, for taking the time to look and comment.(y)
Indeed, simple is good....I like simple!:LOL:
 
Liking the SOFT shots, I wanted to do something with dandelion seeds but didn't have time, those look great :)
 
Dave70D said:
Soft is a good take on theme Gareth, I think you put the right one in the main thread...
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Thank you kindly Dave!(y)
I started with one (yellow) gel, and I was worried that by adding more gels, I was going to end up with a muddy looking image, but I think it turned out well with three in the end.

Dave70D also said:
...and I actually thought it was one of those electric fire things.
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I know the sort you mean...my Gran had one of those...with the flickering light underneath to simulate flames, or something....never looked terribly convincing though!!:LOL:

rick448 said:
Liking the SOFT shots, I wanted to do something with dandelion seeds but didn't have time, those look great :)
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Many thanks Rick, appreciate the kind comment!(y)
 
Another first class image for Soft. Great creative use of light, and the cotton wool balls, really nicely done (as ever).
 
Week 37 - Old - Rule of Thirds Technique

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After a week of head scratching, I went out today and came across two interesting 'old' things.
The first is an ageing gasometer, located in Great Yarmouth - link.
It was built in 1884, and is looking quite forgotten with paint peeling and plenty of rust.
It is now a grade II listed structure.
Since the sky was pretty overcast today, I shot a close up of one of the support pillars, and gave it a subtle, period sepia wash with some contrasty punchiness....hope you like it.
(I was torn between this and the next image, but this isn't shot on the rule of thirds, so I chose the other one)


TP-52-2019 wk-37 - Old - Gt Yarmouth Gasometer by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr

Next is the Roman Fort located in Caister-on-Sea, about a mile north of Gt. Yarmouth - link
It was built around 200AD, so I'm confident that it is the 'oldest' thing for miles around!
Again, the sky wasn't playing ball, so I thought I'd make a feature of it.
The first image shows a stretch of cobbled walkway that was once traversed by Roman soldiers, over 1800 years ago
I had to fix this image quite a lot - cloned out some distracting houses in the background, and I wanted to highlight the chunk of flint that has fallen out of the wall, so a bit of burning was done.
I placed the piece of flint on a thirds point, so it conforms with the technique.
The other images are to give some context.


TP-52-2019 wk-37 - Old - Caister Fort 2 by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr

An overview of the main barracks building.
(Showing the cobbled footpath and 'my' piece of flint)


TP-52-2019 wk-37 - Old - Caister Fort 1 by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr

This shows the remains of the 'hypocaust' - the under floor heating system.


TP-52-2019 wk-37 - Old - Caister Fort 4 by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr

It's a fascinating relic....but what did the Romans ever do for us?:giggle:

...as always, thanks for looking folks.:)
 
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Not to keen on the sepia tint in the first one I perhaps would like to have seen it in colour with the rust and the flaking paint making an interesting contrast, but the second pic of the walkway is very good indeed I really like it, the pp really makes the stonework stand out.
my first thought was to do something Roman as I live in Chester but the city council over the last couple of hundred years have built over most of it, oh well you can’t beat a bit of mock Tudor.
 
Allan.H said:
Not to keen on the sepia tint in the first one I perhaps would like to have seen it in colour with the rust and the flaking paint making an interesting contrast, but the second pic of the walkway is very good indeed I really like it, the pp really makes the stonework stand out.
my first thought was to do something Roman as I live in Chester but the city council over the last couple of hundred years have built over most of it, oh well you can’t beat a bit of mock Tudor.
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Thanks for the positive critique Allan, most appreciated.
I'm actually quite pleased you said that about the first image.
I was playing around with the Nik Collection, and tried a 'one click' filter (can't remember what it was called now) when I should have left it alone.
The second image I did 'the old fashioned way' by taking my time and making adjustments manually without filters.

LC2 said:
#2 really is the winner for me. The low pov and the moodiness of the light. it gives it an Oct 31st feel.
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Many thanks Tim, glad you like it, I am quite pleased how it turned out, especially since it was relatively unremarkable to start with.
 
Week 36 - soft - Really like this. Made me think of hot coals
Week 37 - Old - my fav is the 2nd image of the cobbled path. Did you use OCF?
 
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PatrickO said:
Week 36 - soft - Really like this. Made me think of hot coals
Week 37 - Old - my fav is the 2nd image of the cobbled path. Did you use OCF?
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Thank you kindly Patrick, I really appreciate the positive comments.(y)
I didn't use any lighting at all on the cobbled path image, it was all pp: selective dodging/burning, curve adjustments, various gradient overlays etc.
Probably spent two hours fiddling around with it, I think it turned out ok...a lot better than the in camera image for sure!
 
Took me a whikle to get the flint - but I like it :)
 
-Oy- said:
Took me a whikle to get the flint - but I like it :)
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Many thanks Dave! Appreciate the comment!(y)

@Allan.H - I dug out the original of the rusty gasometer pillar, and I think you're right....looks better unmolested!


Gt Yarmouth Gasometer by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr

I don't mind the sepia treatment personally, but I suppose it's almost a crime to not show those rusty tones!;)
 
Old #2 - good shot, I like the low pov and the perspective it creates. Highlighting the flint stone is a clever idea.
 
rpn said:
Nice set of images, Gareth. I find it difficult to relate your main shot to the theme and the piece of flint is a bit distractions for me but understand you are trying to fulfil the technique. However, love the original Gasometer shot with the rusty steel and peeling paintwork.
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Thank you kindly Stan, appreciate the comment.(y)
I think I was going for an 'old place or location', but maybe it seems more historical than old....though history is old!
Perhaps it's a bit thin, and the flint is possibly a little contrived too, though I hasten to point out that I didn't put it there....it was like that when I found it!:giggle:
Glad you like the gasometer, I would have liked to get more of it in the shot, but the surrounding area is somewhat industrial, and not terribly photogenic!
 
Some nice images as ever. For me it has to be number 2 as I do like a more abstract and close in shot (and the mono processing really suits). Number 1 is a bit too extreme close up for me i'm afraid (but that's just my take), I don't mind the sepia, in fact I prefer it over the colour version. Looks like an interesting Roman site too.
 
FlyPhot said:
Some nice images as ever. For me it has to be number 2 as I do like a more abstract and close in shot (and the mono processing really suits). Number 1 is a bit too extreme close up for me i'm afraid (but that's just my take), I don't mind the sepia, in fact I prefer it over the colour version. Looks like an interesting Roman site too.
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Thank you Jim for the positive comments.(y)
I would have liked to shoot a wider image of the gasometer structure, but I would have been unable to avoid the surrounding area....and that is not pretty to say the least!!:giggle:

Dave70D said:
All great images for old from you Gareth, for me I really do like #1 and #2 but if I had to pick just one it would be #2 as the pow angle it`s taken at really makes it jump out nicely.
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Thank you most kindly Dave, #2 is my favourite too.
I spent quite a while in pp with it, and I think it turned out quite well, glad you like it.(y)
 
Loved the road one Gareth. It's a beautiful shot made out of very little. The low shooting angle is a winner!
 
2nd Old image for me, superb composition and treatment :)
 
Week 38 - Flower - Rule of Thirds Technique

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Bit of a quick one from me this week, and another tech image too.
These are the flowers of the Common Ivy (Hedera helix), and it's all over my back fence!
It seems to flower quite late in the year and is very popular with bees.
I'm no expert, but I think those brown, shrivelled bits at the end of the stalks, are the petals.

I harvested a small sample to photograph indoors with some speed lights and a yellow background.
I tried various BG colours, but the yellow was the clear winner in my opinion.


TP-52-2019 - wk-38 - Flower - Rule of Thirds by Gareth Bellamy, on Flickr

...as always, thanks for looking folks.:)
 
Yep, fantastic! great colour BG, bang on focus and composition. Nicely done
 
Yep - that graduated background really works, as does the focus falloff.
 
mdpF2 said:
That's a nice clean and creative image, I think the bg makes it.
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Thank you kindly Mark, most appreciated!(y)

FlyPhot said:
Yep, fantastic! great colour BG, bang on focus and composition. Nicely done
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Many thanks Jim for the positive comment!(y)

-Oy- said:
Yep - that graduated background really works, as does the focus falloff.
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Thanks Dave , really appreciate the comment!(y)
Glad you noticed the graduated background....it's a bit subtle isn't it?:giggle:

Allan.H said:
The BG does work well and a really interesting subject, well captured
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Thank you very much Allan, for commenting, always appreciated!(y)
 
Flower
Good background, it compliments the green. I like how it darkens on the right hand side.
 
Nice take on the theme, liking the background :)
 
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