Project 52 by Robert Farkas

[Ryogenetic]

In your house of cards how many lights are you using? I like the way the shadows fall around the base.

Ryo

[Goldcoastgolfer]

The cards look fantastic. The shadows at the bottom of the card create an interesting effect and it's a great finish that you've applied to the cards to give the scene a mood.

[PhotoRob]

Hi Rob. I love the color, shape and texture of the flower. The band of blur-sharp-blur on the boards is too abrupt to look natural to me. Softening the blur line could help some.

In one option to consider, how would you feel about seeing the flower in a square crop slightly offset to the right due to the location of the flower's stem. The portion of the boards closer to the viewpoint could be sharp, but fading to blur where it matched the blur on the flower's stem. That should start the eye at the blossom and still leave room for the eye to explore and to return to rest on the blossom. Your thoughts?

Thanks Frank, I like where you're going with it - will give it another go with that approach in mind

[PhotoRob]

In your house of cards how many lights are you using? I like the way the shadows fall around the base.

Ryo

There are actually eight pot/can lights overhead and two table lamps about 45 degrees to the right and left of center; was setup on a coffee table in the living room after the family hit the sack for the night...not too bad for a few cards, we'll see how it fares as they stack up...

[FrankMi]

There are actually eight pot/can lights overhead and two table lamps about 45 degrees to the right and left of center; was setup on a coffee table in the living room after the family hit the sack for the night...not too bad for a few cards, we'll see how it fares as they stack up...

LOL! By summer you may be pulling your hair out trying to keep your house from falling down!!

[PhotoRob]

The cards look fantastic. The shadows at the bottom of the card create an interesting effect and it's a great finish that you've applied to the cards to give the scene a mood.

Thanks Malcolm, appreciate that...hope to work up to a full one or two deck stack (if I can keep the workspace free of kids and canine's long enough)

[PhotoRob]

Hi Robert. I've missed a few of your shots so I will catch up.

Great timing on the drops, very good for a first attempt and certainly something to keep working on.

I love the concept of the Little Flower and it is very pretty as is, but I agree with the comments that have been made already. I really think it's worth reshooting, because the colours and textures are soooo nice.

I love the cards. I think you nailed it. I haven't read the feedback yet, but my initial reaction is that this one is a winner.

Wendy

Thank you very much Wendy, really appreciate it!

[PhotoRob]

Week 4 #1

Ok, here's building on my house of cards; finding out real quick that I really need to get a few lightboxes, some acrylic surfaces, etc... so as we pan back the backgrounds work. For now, I'm staying up close...

[PhotoRob]

Week 4 #2

...and here's #2. Do I have small kids? Naahhh, these are my actual car keys

This is actually an academic post as much as a late, late night break from stacking cards. This go around I'm posting the pic and the histogram to hopefully get feedback from folks in the know re: the technicals vs. just what I think looks right...of course, all other C&C is welcome...



...here's the histo for the keys:

[PhotoRob]

Week 5 #1

Was in the area with the family, snapped a few looking skyward - went with default B&W conversion vs. tweaking in Silvr FX. I've got plenty of 'left' side to work with but kind of like the low key in this version...will brood over it a bit...

[PhotoRob]

Week 5 #2

...and a nature shot. Again, went with the expedited default Sepia conversion vs. wrangling with it in an external editor...

[Goldcoastgolfer]

Hadn't realised that I'd missed your week 4 post - sorry about that!

Week 4 #1 - looks pretty intriguing. I'll be interested to see how this project goes - especially with what you do to get the light right.
Week 4 #2 - So I looked at it without the histogram at first and though that it needed a bit more exposure. Then I scrolled down and i guess that's what the historgram says. I think for me it would look better if the colours were more vibrant. But of course, it all depends on what it is you were trying to achieve

Week 5 #1 - Looks like you had some challenging contrasts to deal with. I think there's a bit of haloing at the top of the building. I think I'd like to see a touch more detail in the shadow of the building as well. But I like it otherwise.
Week 5 #2 - I like the composition and sepia conversion but would you believe the spider webs on the left are a bit distracting to me?

[PhotoRob]

Hadn't realised that I'd missed your week 4 post - sorry about that!

Week 4 #1 - looks pretty intriguing. I'll be interested to see how this project goes - especially with what you do to get the light right.
Week 4 #2 - So I looked at it without the histogram at first and though that it needed a bit more exposure. Then I scrolled down and i guess that's what the historgram says. I think for me it would look better if the colours were more vibrant. But of course, it all depends on what it is you were trying to achieve

Week 5 #1 - Looks like you had some challenging contrasts to deal with. I think there's a bit of haloing at the top of the building. I think I'd like to see a touch more detail in the shadow of the building as well. But I like it otherwise.
Week 5 #2 - I like the composition and sepia conversion but would you believe the spider webs on the left are a bit distracting to me?

Thanks for the feedback Mal, and I like the avatar...

Here's an adjusted version of the keys with the exposure cranked up a bit:



and the histo. for it:




Week 5 #1, the carillon, I have plenty of exposure / detail on the left side of the tower to work with however at the end of the day those versions are pretty ordinary looking; going to chalk this one up to 'creative liberties'. I picked the darker version to break from the norm. a bit (my norm. at least). I see the halo'ing, will have to work on that for sure...

As for the spiderwebs in Week 5 #2, I think sanitizing images is starting to get to me a bit, particularly when it comes to natural subjects. Probably why I didn't take it into any external editors / let Aperture flip it to Sepia and moved on. Maybe it's just a phase, but I do appreciate the feedback, after all that's the point of the site, right?

One of my sideline rules is to spend no more than 20minutes PP'ing a photo for anything that's Project 52 related; we'll see how that goes...

[Donald]

Week 5 #2 - I like the composition and sepia conversion but would you believe the spider webs on the left are a bit distracting to me?

I'm okay with those webs.

Robert - Is it the original version of Silver Efex Pro you are using or SEP2? The reason I ask is that the fine structure control is available in SEP2 and I wondered about applying some. via control points, into the feathers of the bird? It would be an alternative interpretation and might not be what you want at all.

[sstracke]

I really like the flower shot! As the boards in front were beginning to blur (at the bottom), perhaps you could have cropped the shot less to better separate the flower (blur/sharp/blur).

I'm curious about your exposure/focal length data - can you provide it?

[PhotoRob]

I'm okay with those webs.

Robert - Is it the original version of Silver Efex Pro you are using or SEP2? The reason I ask is that the fine structure control is available in SEP2 and I wondered about applying some. via control points, into the feathers of the bird? It would be an alternative interpretation and might not be what you want at all.

Hello Donald, I've got SEP 2, and prior to this photo I haven't really dabbled in Control Points from anything other than Color Efex Pro, so thanks for that suggestion. Something like this, perhaps?

[PhotoRob]

I really like the flower shot! As the boards in front were beginning to blur (at the bottom), perhaps you could have cropped the shot less to better separate the flower (blur/sharp/blur).

I'm curious about your exposure/focal length data - can you provide it?

Thanks Steve, I appreciate the feedback - that flower is maybe 1/2 inch front to back and I just didn't get the DOF / angle of attack right - it's a whoops.

Exif:

ISO 320, "160", f5.6 @ 86mm, I was 24-36" away, camera resting right on the deck...

[Donald]

Hello Donald, I've got SEP 2, and prior to this photo I haven't really dabbled in Control Points from anything other than Color Efex Pro, so thanks for that suggestion. Something like this, perhaps?

Something like this, although having seen it, I don't know that it's improved on the original, because the brightness on the top of the body seems to have been pushed up as well.

I find that Control Points on SEP2 are really like fine tuning, especially the Structure and Fine Structure sliders. It's so easy to overdo them. I find myself making only very minor adjustments, if any. It's really a case of playing with them and learning what achieves what. For example, one of the SEP2 tutorials on the NIK site taught me about the effect up pushing Structure up at the same time as taking Fine Structure down. So, there are numerous combinations and permutations. It's all about practice and just finding something that works for you.

The other thing is when using the Fine Structure tool you should be viewing the image at quite a large size. I usually go straight to 100%

[PhotoRob]

Thanks for the details Donald, I'll keep at it. Appreciate the suggestion and references to tutorials on their site, good stuff...

[PhotoRob]

Week 6 #1

Ok, the cards are back...still lacking a proper rig, but as they say, the show must go on...