weekly Nat's Photo52 *2012* Week 51 Negative added 25 Dec

Nathalie

Nathalie

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Hello!

This is the first time I've ever committed to anything like this. I have to admit I'm nervous about posting pictures for everyone to see and comment on, but I do believe completing this challenge will help make me a better photographer and this is far more important than my pride! :LOL:

I'm hoping this challenge will make me more inclined to grab the camera and head out and explore my immediate surroundings for things of interest, rather than wait for an organised outing with friends to that special location where you are more or less guaranteed a few really good shots.

A bit of background information... I first took an interest in photography in 2008. I started learning on my (now ex-) boyfriends pro equipment and bought my very first DSLR about a year and a half later. Animals and flowers have always been what I like to photograph the most, but I have done some landscapes too and would like to develop this further, along with a bunch of other things.

My kit consists of a Nikon D90, a small number of lenses (50mm f1.8, 60mm Micro, the 18-105mm kit lens and 300mm f4) and one speedlight (SB800).

I may come to regret this later, but I’ve decided not to allow myself any Jokers.

Okay, here we go!

Edited to add:

Please feel free to give me honest and constructive critique. I won't be offended, as long as it's relevant.
 
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Index & Notes To Self

Slideshow: http://www.flickr.com//photos/cfredriksson/sets/72157628664203845/show/

Week 1: Direction
Week 2: Fear
Week 3: Sigh
Week 4: Sweet
Week 5: Secure
Week 6: Industry
Week 7: Root
Week 8: Handmade
Week 9: Money
Week 10: Win
Week 11: Shiny
Week 12: Magical
Week 13: Vice
Week 14: Entrance
Week 15: Soft
Week 16: Pride
Week 17: Short
Week 18: Flight +Reshot
Week 19: Authority
Week 20: Leave (Done, but private)
Week 21: Random
Week 22: Temperature
Week 23: Abstract
Week 24: Symmetry +Reshot
Week 25: Moody and Reshoot 1: Symmetry
Week 26: Joy
Week 27: Small
Week 28: Straight
Week 29: Letter
Week 30: Contrast
Week 31: Mineral
Week 32: Dark
Week 33: Time
Week 34: Body
Week 35: Reshoot 2: Flight
Week 36: Up
Week 37: Duo
Week 38: Flow
Week 39: Friendship (Done, but private)
Week 40: Change
Week 41: Natural
Week 42: Age
Week 43: Spread
Week 44: Together
Week 45: Pack
Week 46: Art
Week 47: Colour
Week 48: Shadow
Week 49: Glow
Week 50: Round
Week 51: Negative +Reshot
Week 52: Busy
 
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HI Nathalie, welcome to the forums! You have picked a great project to do and I look forward to seeing how you progress. No need to be nervous, the critique will help you, have fun and enjoy yourself. If this years team is anything to go by, you will get great support from everyone. I look forward to following your project through to the end (y)
 
Nathalie said:
I may come to regret this later, but I’ve decided not to allow myself any Jokers.
Click to expand...

May find that difficult with the lot on here :LOL:
Welcome and well done for taking part, look forward to seeing your pics.
 
Thanks. :) I haven't decided what I want to do for this week's theme yet, but I have a few ideas to try this weekend. Hopefully then I'll have a bit more daylight to play with.
 
Okay... All the ideas I had in my head for Direction could be described with the words up or down. I really wanted to photograph a circular staircase, but I haven't been able to find one. I also had an idea for an elevator shot, which I will still do if I get the opportunity. This would involve either walking into a hotel and asking if I can snap a few quick shots for a project (they might have the staircase I've been looking for, too) or going to the shops in town and see if I can manage to get a lift all to myself for a minute or two. The problem is, I've been working since Wednesday this week and I won't have a day off until next weekend.

The photo I'm posting for now wasn't something I'd thought of until I actually saw it. It was very much a rush job as I was about to sit down to dinner and the food was getting cold. I'm not happy with it because there's not a lot of interest in it. The idea was to expose it such that the branches of the tree I was shooting through would show up in the photograph, adding some perspective. As you can see, I didn't manage to get it right. Either the moon would have blown highlights or the rest of the image would go completely black. So the end result; just a picture of the moon and not a very detailed one a that. One positive thing though -- I tried something I'd never done before.


Week 1: Direction by C Fredriksson, on Flickr

1/50s (tripod) f9 300mm ISO200 (massive crop)
 
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Donnie said:
For what it's worth I still like it, the negative space just enhances the moon as far as I'm concerned.
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michael23 said:
Nathalie, I like it, I had the same idea but have had total cloud here! The framing of the moon is spot on for me and I like the exposure too. Very good for a massive crop. So well done from me (y)(y)
Click to expand...

Thank you both for the feedback.

I had to crop it down to almost 1/6, as most of the frame was black nothingness.

I don't usually mess around with funky borders - 99% of the time I'll go with a plain, thin black border. I felt this image needed something different.
 
Hey Nat ... commented on flickr .... I like this a lot, and it works.
 
Hi there, for me I really like the border.

Composition is spot on for me...loads of dead space.

I've never photographed the moon...longest I have is 200mm.

More detail, as you mentioned, would be the icing....

Cheers and welcome aboard.
 
Thanks guys.

I'd like to have a proper go at photographing the moon at some point. It would require some planning ahead, though. Ideally I'd want to borrow (or buy, but I doubt that'll happen in the next five years!) a longer lens + TC. I'm not on good terms with the tripod collar for the 300mm, plus my tripod head needs replacing BADLY. A ballhead that handles the weight of the 300 well and doesn't cost the earth is on my wish list.

I'll be aiming for a more on theme shot next week, as this was a bit far-fetched!
 
I like your moon!

I've made several attempts at the moon and they're bad.

The border's good to. For me it adds to the picture well.
 

Week 2 - Fear by C Fredriksson, on Flickr
1/20s (tripod) f5.6 300mm ISO200 (Edit version - brighter)

I started out trying to do this with the 60mm, but it didn't work. After a number of failed attempts and an aching back, I gave up. A few hours later I decided to try a different setup, this time with the 300mm, a tripod + remote and two different torch lights. Holding the scissors and the torch and pressing the remote at the same time was a little tricky... It's not meant to be super serious -- it is a sheep sitting on a sheepskin rug after all, about to be 'attacked' by giant pair of scissors, but I still wanted it to have that dark feel to it. Hopefully it's not too far off the mark. Oh, and I would have liked to have gone a little bit closer, but I was at minimum focus distance already.

I have a colour version of the shot too, which came out with a dark red backdrop instead of the black. Either I left the red piece of card I experimented with at the start too close, or the camera majorly messed up the WB. It does look interesting in a way, but I prefer the monochrome myself.
 
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Excellent idea. You really thought about that one!

This theme is a tricky one. Fear is an emotion, so my head's hurting as I figure out how to picture and emotion. I've a couple of ideas but not sure how to execute them.

So as I say, I think you did well getting this.
 
Well done, it is a tricky thing to photograph, but i think you've captured it
 
Hi Nat,

Brilliant start, and I love your moon shot. Difficult subject this week but you've cracked it ! For me, the jury is still out. I have been racking my brains all day to come up with a concept. Loom forward to seeing your images unfold over the coming weeks and months (y)
 
Thanks, all.

I found it really hard to come up with something to fit this week's theme. I wanted it to be a quite literal interpretation of fear but wasn't sure how to do that without convincing one of my friends to act / model for a shoot - or, worst case scenario, having to do it myself (now that would have been a disaster!). I'm relieved the sheep idea worked out reasonably well.

Next week, I'm aiming to use a different lens and also, go full colour. This is of course assuming the theme allows for it.
 
I like that one Nathalie, made me chuckle. Its nicely lit, but I do just wish I could see more of the scissors...

Looking forward to your remaining 50 (y)
 
I like the idea, but I can't really make out whats going on in the picture, it deffinatly needs the description.
 
I really like the fear shot.
At first I couldn't understand it but once I had read the explanation it all clicked and it really works, the eyes are looking in exactly the right spot!
 
Im also a beginner so not sure if my criticism will be spot on, I do like the moon shot as im not really good at taking shots, but i did ask myself what the fear pic was until i read your description. I do find it to dark to a point you cant really see whats happening. Looking forward to the next 52's.
 
Like the idea of that one , but could have done with a bit more of the scissors in view . but i do like the idea..

Steve
 
Thanks for the comments!

Nikon_Nick said:
Its nicely lit, but I do just wish I could see more of the scissors...
Click to expand...
tyredout2 said:
Like the idea of that one , but could have done with a bit more of the scissors in view.
Click to expand...
Though the scissors are small (as is the sheep - 3cm), I couldn't fit any more of them into the frame without going wider. When I tried a similar shot with the 18-105, the eyes got lost in the frame, and I wanted focus to be drawn to the eyes (like I said, if I could have gone closer still I would have). But I do see your point, and I agree about the scissors - I would have liked them in the frame in such a way that it was obvious what they are.

**********

Silent-Sam said:
I like the idea, but I can't really make out whats going on in the picture, it deffinatly needs the description.
Click to expand...

Rico said:
At first I couldn't understand it but once I had read the explanation it all clicked and it really works
Click to expand...

Point taken. I can't promise anything, but I'll try and come up with things that are more obvious for future shots.

**********

Donnie said:
I was the same, couldn't make out what it was at first, i think the lower right bit that's out of focus is too large and distracting my eye possibly. But love the shot overall.
Click to expand...

daryl1969 said:
Im also a beginner so not sure if my criticism will be spot on, I do like the moon shot as im not really good at taking shots, but i did ask myself what the fear pic was until i read your description. I do find it to dark to a point you cant really see whats happening.
Click to expand...
Feedback is always appreciated! I've not done anything like this before so it's definitely a learning process and the more I can learn, the better.


I've posted a slightly less dark version of the shot, though for some reason it turns up a lot darker on Flickr than it looks in Photoshop. :thinking: I can't go much brighter without noise turning up.
 
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Hey Nathalie

Welcome to the forum and go on you getting into a 52 challenge (y)

Your moon for wk1 is a great crescent, a pity we cant see the branches, but good no the less :)

Wk2 - really like your interpretation with this one !!!

Look forward to seeing what you come up with in the next weeks - Good Luck :)
 
Cheers guys. I appreciate the comments.

I'm slowly working my way through all the other Photo52 threads (whew, there's so many of them!) and if I've not made it to yours yet, hopefully I will by the end of this week.
 
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