2016 Project 52, 3rd Quarter by Janis

[purplehaze]

Week 27

Am hoping to get some pics worth sharing at the Winnipeg Folk Festival this weekend, but meanwhile, here are some shots I took last weekend.

I had kind of abandoned my 70-200 when I acquired the new 18-35, but last Friday, I watched a Justin Reznick tutorial on landscape photography with a telephoto lens and it inspired me to switch partners again. Although the following images are not landscapes, they are illustrative of some of the techniques covered in the tutorial. I shot the first three on the cottage deck without leaving my chair. I stepped off the deck to shoot the fourth.

#1 Compression
This is one of a series of shots where I attempted to line up the foreground and background spindles. There is perhaps a better example of the compression effect, but I liked this one for the distribution of tonal values. This was shot at 200 mm.



#2 Isolation


#3 Isolation and Abstraction


#4 Intentional Camera Movement
Again, I shot a whole series of images of the flowers in the pots below the deck. This one was shot at .3 seconds and processed in CEP.

[Urbanflyer]

What fun! Love the last especially!

[Shadowman]

Nice captures and studies. I often try to wrap my mind around the compression caused by telephoto lenses, others recognize it before I would; perhaps because I still see the perspective created by the shooters position to their subject. I know the effects of compression goes further than size differential but I also look for shadow patterns and shapes to distinguish between shapes. It is after all 2-dimensional medium trying to emulate a 3-dimensional world.

[purplehaze]

Thanks, Judith. Yes, they were fun exercises and it is especially rewarding to learn that one doesn't have to seek out potential images; one only has to learn to see the potential that is offering itself up to us, whatever our environment.

Thanks, John. One of the best things about the tutorial was the demonstration of how the compression effect can create a composition that would not otherwise exist.

[Shadowman]

Thanks, Judith. Yes, they were fun exercises and it is especially rewarding to learn that one doesn't have to seek out potential images; one only has to learn to see the potential that is offering itself up to us, whatever our environment.

Thanks, John. One of the best things about the tutorial was the demonstration of how the compression effect can create a composition that would not otherwise exist.

Janis,

I'll have to check out the tutorial. I was reading another discussion on the compression of lenses and it was stated that short focal lengths distorts reality where longer focal lengths preserve; however some also think that 35mm/50mm are closer to our actual field of view. It will be interesting to see if Justin mentions those views.

[FootLoose]

Nice work, Janis. I like the tones in the first shot, too. ICM can yield very rewarding results if you have the patience for it - ie all the failures.

[purplehaze]

some also think that 35mm/50mm are closer to our actual field of view.

That was always my understanding, and Justin confirms it in this blog post on the subject of compression.

The tutorial is on the subscription site, lynda.com, but there may be free excerpts available. I see he has one on the use of wide-angle lenses in landscape photography as well.

[purplehaze]

Nice work, Janis. I like the tones in the first shot, too. ICM can yield very rewarding results if you have the patience for it - ie all the failures.

Thanks, Greg. I can swallow the failures, as they are par for the course.

[IzzieK]

I love experiments, Janis...I might bite the bullet for Lynda.com soon. Still busy at the moment. I like your last image...something going on there and it gets some drama as you stare at it. I like both Isolation shots too. But #1 is most interesting...

[bnnrcn]

#2 and #4 for me Janis, both nice and interesting IMO cropping #3 from the top to make a square frame might work nice too, then it would really look like an abstract image.

[joebranko]

Very nice images Janis. Just a few days ago I thought of bringing my telephtoto lens with me to the beach as I thought I could use it to create compression in a composition visualised. Thanks for sharing that shot as it motivated me to try some compression too. Having said that, my fave from this set is #4.

[purplehaze]

Thanks, Izzie, Binnur and Joe. Your suggestion works for me, Binnur. I'll be looking out for your examples of the use of compression, Joe.

[purplehaze]

Week 28

The weather was far too hot and humid to lug the big gear around the folk festival site for three days, so I elected to just take the pocket camera and focus on the music. Most of my shooting was done in the course of an hour or so on Sunday afternoon when I just wandered from stage to stage absorbing the sights, along with the sounds.

I haven't finished processing and sorting, and there probably isn't much worth sharing anyway, but this is one I like, of one of the many folk art pieces dotting the landscape.

#1

f/8, 1/125, ISO 125

#2 The festival has nine stages.


#3 This is one of my favorites. It hosts the Sunday morning gospel hour, which never disappoints.


#4 Toronto band Lemon Bucket had the entire crowd dancing...


#5 ...including this guy


The kids were entertained.

#6


#7


#8 There was spectacle everywhere one looked.


No folk fest experience is complete without a visit to the Handmade Village.

#9


#10


#11 Excuse me, but I think I need another look at that dress.

[IzzieK]

Wonderful event you went to...I would have fun just photographing since no one will object. I like that you took us with you on your journey. It sound exciting. The worm dress looks good but not my style because I kinda like fairy style and soft during summer. I like the colourful scarf though...and I like your artistic eye on image #1 and in #2 -- thanks for the inspiration. I wouldn't have thought of taking that shot, but now I think I will.

[purplehaze]

Thanks, Izzie. I have been trying to photograph this festival for years, but it is a challenge, what with light that is often harsh, rapidly changing scenes, people walking into the frame, competition from other photographers, and my shyness about photographing people in general. I missed some great shots due to too slow a shutter speed (it takes 1/500 sec. and above to freeze dance movement) and framing that was too tight.

The dress is an art piece, btw, a festival-inspired flight of fancy that the designer had stationed outside her booth. The clothing she actually sells is in fact divinely comfortable. (I can attest as I am wearing some of it right now.)

[Shadowman]

Nice series and good variety in shots.

[Geoff F]

Yes, they all work well.

[bnnrcn]

Nice set Janis Is #4 a bit tilted ?

[purplehaze]

Nice set Janis Is #4 a bit tilted ?

Thanks, John, Geoff and Binnur. I'm not sure about #4 being tilted, Binnur. The ground is sloped there and the trees are growing at a slant. When I try to correct, it looks to me like I am putting some people back over their heels.

I must say, I came away from this little sortie thinking once again that photography is really hard. Perhaps that shows I was challenging myself in ways I need to.

[IzzieK]

Nice set Janis Is #4 a bit tilted ?

Binnur -- it was the action of the people going to the right that makes it look tilted...I like that happy shot...