Project 52 by Wendy (ScoutR)

[ScoutR]

My goal for Project 52 is to set some goals. A new one every week for 52 weeks. Of course some projects could stretch into the second week. I don't know, we'll see how it goes, but there are so many things that I have thought about but not tried - I'm hoping this project will motivate me into action.

[Dave Humphries]

I'll do you a deal Wendy, I'll motivate you if you motivate me

All the best,

[ScoutR]

Deal!!!! and I need some motivation for week one which is on the way

Wendy

[ScoutR]

My challenge for this week, weather permitting and assuming the subject has survived the last couple days of rain is to reshoot the shot below.

It was shot Dec. 30 and is similar to a shot I took over a year ago. I've been looking for an appropriate subject ever since that first successful shot, and I think I finally found the subject (maybe????) but I'm not happy with the outcome. Even though the exposure was better on this shot (the snow is white not blue), I'm just not happy with it.

I'd really like advice on how to make it better. Any and all suggestions are welcome. I don't know what it is, the angle of the shot, the subject itself, the composition, the detail, the colouring.... what can I do to make it better.

Let me know what you think. The subject is a 10 minute walk from home, so I will be over to reshoot numerous times if need be.


Winter Leaves 2011 Version I by Wendy FS, on Flickr

Thanks
Wendy

Oh and just for the record below is the shot from Jan 2010 that I am trying to emulate


WinterLeaves 2010 Version by Wendy FS, on Flickr

[Ryogenetic]

The 2010 version is so much better. I am thinking that the 2011 you have alot of blown out areas, making the snow look very unnatural. Trying a different time of day where the sun is not so high, or low might take care of that. Or perhaps an overcast day. IMHO

Ryo

[Shadowman]

Very nice image. The only thing I can think of as a change would be a lower angle and include some sky for contrasting color.

[Rohn]

Hi Wendy,
I really liked the 2011 shot until I saw the 2010 shot - they're both nice - I wouldn't change a thing - it appears to me that it could be a photo, a oil or a watercolor - artistic - creative

[ScoutR]

Thanks Ryo, she said while banging her head on the countertop, I got so involved in croping out some twigs that I didn't notice I had blown the whites when adjusting levels in Elements. Thanks for mentioning it. The whites are not blown in the original, but I'm so spoiled by the visual warnings in Lightroom, I always forget to check in Elements. I did tone it down a bit, and walla it looks much better. I'm still doing the reshoot, because I still think it can be improved but getting rid of the blown highlights and getting some texture back into the snow helped a lot. I'll post at the end of the week.

Thanks John, a lower angle will require me to get a little wet, but I think you are right it might work out better.

Thanks to both of you. If anyone else has any suggestions or tips please let me know. I'm not going to answer each post though because the thread gets too long. Don't think I am ignoring you. I will take all suggestions into consideration and post the reshoot at the end of the week.

Wendy

[Ryogenetic]

while banging her head on the countertop,

Wendy

And here I thought I was the only one who did that... The real question is will that count towards this week or next?

Ryo

[Shadowman]

Thanks John, a lower angle will require me to get a little wet, but I think you are right it might work out better.


Wendy

Can your tripod legs extend outward bringing your support setup closer to the ground?

[Kathy O]

Love them both Wendy! the 2011 version really catches my attention it looks like a painting -- Love it!

[wilgk]

Hi Wendy
I think it's not you, it's the twigs, the 2010 version just has the leaves in a much more balanced position with the bulk of them giving weight to the bottom of the 'structure' then your eye reaches the bare ends from there.
The 'new' version, the leaves seem too spread out & top heavy to me.
I hope that makes sense - if not blame the 42deg C heat down here!
They are both very nice abstract type images & I would be pleased with the results if they were mine..... Especially all the delicious cool snow!
Happy New Year & all the best with your project.
K

[Goldcoastgolfer]

Took me a while to figure out what perspective you were taking the shot from as we get no snow where I live

I haven't studied much composition yet but from what I understand westerners have a tendency to read from left to right - ie unless the lines of the photo lead otherwise most viewers naturally end up on the right side of an image. With the simplicity of your photo I found that I wanted to focus on what I think is the trunk where it meets the snow as I think there is more detail to look at there. However I found myself continuously drifting over to the branches on the right where there is less detail and more space.

I wonder if you flipped the photo or retook it from a different perspective such that the base of the tree and more of the branches are on the right with more negative space and the thinner branches on the left if that would improve the composition.

Take my advice with a grain of salt because landscapes, still life, and nature are styles of photography that I just cannot seem to get my head around

[wilgk]

Morning Malcolm, we posted at the same time with similar thoughts I think, so sorry Wendy if it sounds like we're repeating ourselves down here....

[Goldcoastgolfer]

Morning Malcolm, we posted at the same time with similar thoughts I think, so sorry Wendy if it sounds like we're repeating ourselves down here....

Oops So we did! Sorry Wendy!

[ScoutR]

Well the week is over and I'm not very happy with the results but that's the way it goes sometimes. I did lots of walking and looking for a proper subject, couldn't find anything so I resorted to cutting some twigs and sticking them in what little snow was left in the backyard. If nothing else I leaned how lucky I was last year to spot that first perfect little arrangement popping through the snow. I thought it would be soooo easy to find something similar and get an even better shot. Wrong again Wendy!!!

#1. For this one I wanted a long narrow format. I was thinking I'd like to have a set for printing with 1 in portrait mode and then 2 smaller landscape mode shots to hang beside them. This shot was supposed to be in portrait mode but it did not look right so landscape it is.
EXIF: 1/160s: f16: ISO 400: +2/3EV: 70mm


Winter Leaves 2011 Reshoot Ver 2 by Wendy FS, on Flickr

#2. I like the composition on this one and I did want the branches in the background to be out of focus - not quite so much though, I think I should have shot at f8 or f11.
EXIF: 1/1000s: f5.6: ISO 400: +2/3EV: 200mm


Winter Leaves 2011 Reshoot Ver 3 by Wendy FS, on Flickr

I wouldn't give myself very high marks for these. They look washed out and dull compared to the 2010 shot. I think the subjects themselves have something to do with that, but a lot of it comes down to the photographer, and I did not do a very good job. I will keep watching for better leaf formations BUT for this week I'm finished.

Thanks for all the feedback this week, sorry I wasn't able to put it to better use. Onward and Upward though, I'll post goals for Week 2 later this evening.

Wendy

[Dave Humphries]

They look washed out and dull compared to the 2010 shot. I think the subjects themselves have something to do with that, but a lot of it comes down to the photographer, and I did not do a very good job. I will keep watching for better leaf formations BUT for this week I'm finished.

I think you've hit the nail on the head here; last year's was a much richer, red colour, this year, perhaps the weather bleached them more? That being the case, a look in more sheltered and shady spots might turn up something with better colour.

The other thing I noticed about the 2010 version is that it has a simplicity of structure and shape; it starts at the bottom and everything is going up, left and right from there, nothing trails down back past the point of origin.

but a lot of it comes down to the photographer, and I did not do a very good job. I will keep watching for better leaf formations BUT for this week I'm finished.

Don't be too hard on yourself, if it were the colour alone, you could perhaps increase the red saturation (as you shown me before), but I think you're right, the shapes are so great either.

I'm rapidly running out of Sunday here and I haven't done this week's yet, so I'd better get cracking.

Cheers,

[ScoutR]

last year's was a much richer, red colour, this year, perhaps the weather bleached them more? That being the case, a look in more sheltered and shady spots might turn up something with better colour.

Exactly what I was thinking. Last years version was deep in the woods and the leaves were very sheltered which is probably what kept them in such good condition. This years versions were from specimens that were right out there in the wind and weather so they took quite a beating. Thing is though, with all the tromping around I've done, I've yet to see another example like the first one. I'm glad I stopped to shoot it.
I'm thinking with this years versions, if I want to keep them???? I should try to emphasize the brittleness and fragility and make that the point of the shot. That in itself could be another project. Different lighting I think might work better to that end..... so many projects not enough time...

The other thing I noticed about the 2010 version is that it has a simplicity of structure and shape; it starts at the bottom and everything is going up, left and right from there, nothing trails down back past the point of origin.

Yup, this has been a good lesson for me. The first shot was so easy, it was just there and nature set it up for me, I didn't have to do anything (except get a bit wet and cold laying down in the snow). I really didn't realize it would be so hard to mimic or find something similar. It's been a good lesson on composition and lines and how important every little thing is.

Thanks for the feedback.

Wendy

[ScoutR]

Week 2 - Freeze Action
For the next few weeks (or months) I will be trying to master more of the controls on my camera.

This weeks project is to utilize the different focus modes in the camera and freeze the action of a moving subject. I'll be practicing whenever I have time this week and will post my best result at the end of the week.

Wendy

[Goldcoastgolfer]

You know, I really like that second photo. I think I'd like to see the indentations in the snow cloned out and a touch more negative space below the main subject but there's something about that photo that works for me.

Week 2 - Freeze Action
For the next few weeks (or months) I will be trying to master more of the controls on my camera.

This weeks project is to utilize the different focus modes in the camera and freeze the action of a moving subject. I'll be practicing whenever I have time this week and will post my best result at the end of the week.

Wendy

That's my theme!