Project 52 by Dora

[FrankMi]

Dora, your "Ephemeral Jewels" shot is a real beauty! I'd love to get some ice and snow here but all we seem to get is a dreary cold rain and really tough sledding. I am tempted to drive to the mountains just to see some snow!

[dulceza]

I'd love to get some ice and snow

Oh, Frank , here shoveling is my "favorite" pastime, I'd love some ocean breeze in a sunny destination.
I'm glad you liked my ephemerals- thank you guys

[PhotoRob]

'Jewels' is a great shot - great work...

[dulceza]

Summarizing my 4 weeks
What I’ve learned:
I really need to set myself ongoing tasks and to keep track of what I achieved. My project is not only about taking pictures (which I enjoy) it is also about some self imposed discipline (like stop procrastinating, good timing and preparation for the shots).

After a night of freezing rain Saturday morning everything was covered in ice. I had an hour for my shots, after that the sun melted the ice away (good timing). It was a fantastic display of sunlight reflected from the ice

Iced cherries

Icey forest


C&C much appreciated. Thank you for your time
PS.Thank you Robert for your comments.

[Sam Smith]

Dora both are wonderful images. Both are sharp and well composed. I like #2 the best.

[Goldcoastgolfer]

Yes - both nice shots and I like the serenity and framing of #2. #1 is a great shot but I struggle to keep my focus on the cherries a little - more to do with how they look through the ice than the photo.

[FrankMi]

Hi Dora! I like both of them but #2 has a better 'feel' to it, possibly because most folks are more comfortable with seeing an odd number of subject objects. I don't know why it should make any difference that there are four instead of three or five cherries but for some reason it is less appealing with four. Perhaps someone can explain the psychology behind that?

[dulceza]

We would need an "introduction to semiotics" course to explain the symbolism and the spiritual significance of number three. As for the picture it won't make any difference You're just trying to find some colors in this ice covered land. The sun is reflected very strongly and I've found it difficult to focus. #2 was my main concern because of the framing and the DOF. I'm very happy that you liked it.
Thank you Sam, Malcolm and Frank for your kind comments

[PhotoRob]

Those frozen cherries look great - nice Dora -

[dulceza]

Hello Robert,
All four or just the bottom three ? J/K , Thank you Robert

[ScoutR]

Hi Dora, I like both of these shots, But I think the cherry shot would have been much better if you could have gotten around that V shaped branch in the foreground, or perhaps moved to the right a bit and had all the cherries in the V. With this type of shot I've found it's really important to pay close attention to the background and foreground and try to eliminate distractions. Not as easy as it sounds, I know, there is always something in the way, no matter which angle you try to shoot from. It's worth the effort though. I love the colours in this shot, and the way the ice shows up so nicely on the branches, it's just a little busy though.

The second shot is very nice too, but I'll bet it looked much nicer in reality. I've tried this type of winter wonderland shot and it's very difficult to capture the splendor of the moment. I like the composition but I think if you could lighten up the foreground (and all the whites) and darken the blue in the sky it might pop a bit more. Another thing I find sometimes works with this type of shot is playing with the clarity and contrast sliders. Strange as it might sound, I find that negative clarity seems to work with this type of shot, and also lowering the contrast, to my eye anyway ends up being more like what I saw at the time of shooting. I'm not sure what software you have, but if it's possible I'd play around with it a bit. Whiter whites, bluer blues, and if possible try to bring out the oranges and yellows a bit, anything to give it more punch. Then play with negative clarity - not too much - just enough to make the ice on those trees, especially the one on the right look thicker.

Wendy

[dulceza]

it's very difficult to capture the splendor of the moment

Hi Wendy,
Yes, this is another lesson from week 4- contain my excitement till I see the picture on my monitor. I considered myself lucky that I've seen such a splendor, but back home I had only 2 or 3 keepers. I have Photoshop CS5 , I'll try to rework the pics based on your suggestions Thank you for your comments.
Dora

[dulceza]

Or should I say work in progress .I try to stay committed to my project even in the face of no, or so-so results.
I had 2 days of practice at the rink for panning.I am not sure about how to choose the right shuter speed. I read that slow shuter speed are called for panning ( between 1/30 and 1/8 sec ). Is it based on subject's speed?
First pic ( first try at 1/8sec)



Second at 1/20 sec



Comments and advice much appreciated.
Thank you,
Dora

[Goldcoastgolfer]

I'm no expert but it looks like you did a pretty good job of it. Logically, it makes sense that the speed your subject is travelling at will have an impact for how long you should have the shutter open for to get the blurred sense of motion effect. The slower your subject, the longer you'll need to keep your shutter open.

Did you use a tripod because you get remarkable results for 1/8s and 1/20s? I tried it for my Project 52 thread a few weeks ago and struggled to use a shutter speed of anything slower than 1/50s by hand.

[Dave Humphries]

I had 2 days of practice at the rink for panning.I am not sure about how to choose the right shuter speed. I read that slow shuter speed are called for panning ( between 1/30 and 1/8 sec ). Is it based on subject's speed?
First pic ( first try at 1/8sec) and Second at 1/20 sec

Comments and advice much appreciated.

Hi Dora,

For those shutter speeds, these are very good pans, you didn't waste those 2 days

Yes, the subject speed and shutter speed are related.
In simple terms, a point of light in the background will streak for longer (further across the image) if;
a) the subject speed is higher (you will be panning faster, covering more distance in the shorter time), or
b) the shutter is open longer (you will be covering more distance in that longer time)

Given the lack of distractions in the background of these, especially behind the skaters themselves, I would suggest (for me at least) these are a little too slow, I am almost distracted trying to work out what is in the background

I appreciate these are panning test shots, but when doing proper photos, don't forget to consider composition, easier in cropping later I'd suggest (e.g. having more space in front of the skater).
Also getting a good and consistent exposure, white balance and levels between a series of shots is important.

Good work though,

[dulceza]

these are a little too slow

Hi Dave,
No, not completely wasted those 2 days, I learned how to move the camera parallel with the subject, smoooothly, as Rob mentioned in a previous post, but I know that I need more speed..and a more interesting background.
Thank you very much for your comments, they are very helpful.
Dora

[dulceza]

, Well, while I did manage to shoot a photo a week, I wasn’t up for the challenge of posting every week... mostly because I was reluctant about the results.
Good or bad, this is the picture from yesterday
C&C much appreciated
Memories

[Goldcoastgolfer]

Nice lines and composition overall I think. I can't help but feel that there's some detail in the chair itself that's hidden in the blacks and begging to be seen...

[dulceza]

Thank you Mal,

Nice lines and composition overall

. I struggled a lot with composition on this one. I went there several times ( a small church with 3 or 4 headstones), no visitors, a very quiet place. I'm still not happy with the results. Let's hope for a brighter idea for this week.
Dora

[dulceza]

This week I had plenty of visitors- spring is around the corner so I tried to capture some of the fun and excitement outdoors . My 200mm is too short for birding , a 300mm would be much better.
C&C much appreciated.
Thanks,
Dora

Cardinal


Woody


Chickadee