Project 52 by Dave Humphries

**Dave Humphries** · 2nd January 2012, 12:07 AM

I will (think positive, Dave) use this to publish at least one decent photo per week this year.

I have a huge backlog of unprocessed shots going back to 2009

Further, I add to them most weeks, so I must break out of the habit of keeping them to myself as unprocessed RAWs on a HDD.

Beyond that, I'd like to tackle more people photography and put to use a few things I have acquired over the years; reflectors, macro focus rail, flash gun, tripod, monopod.

Also; I now carry a small P&S with me (almost everywhere), I just need to use it as the opportunities present themselves, and show the results.

I also need to buckle down and learn how to use CS5 properly.

Thanks,

EDIT; adding an index here;
Week 1 Filling the coal scuttle.
Week 2 The bridge at Henley
Week 3 Water
Week 4 Plane Moon
Week 5 Squirrel
Week 6 Snowy fields and fences
Week 7 Ice and water
Week 8 Bushey Park (ducks and deer)
Week 9 Great Grey Owl (shooting at Birds of Prey flying displays)
Week 10 Salford by Night (Canon S100 handheld night shoot)
Week 11 Blue Tits (Making the most of bird feeder pics)
Week 12 Heron by the Thames (too close to a busy background)
Week 13 Swan fun
Week 14 S100 Eton walkabout
Week 15 Wood and Trees (Canon S100 in Black Park)
Week 16 Kingfisher (Comparing the Nikon P510 @ 1000mm FFE vs the D5000 @ 450mm FFE)

Continuing the catch up in 2013, now in separate threads

Week 17 Shooting an informal gig in open air

Week 18 Seven Sisters Country Park

Tentatively ...
Week 19 Woburn Safari Park
Week 20 Bushey Park
Week 21 Marsh Lane Swans
Week 22 Chasewater Railway
Week 23 Bray Lake

**Ryogenetic** · 2nd January 2012, 12:57 AM

Dave, you said you wanted to break the habit of keeping them to yourself, but I dont see a photo.

Ryo

**ScoutR** · 2nd January 2012, 02:04 AM

Originally Posted by Ryogenetic

Dave, you said you wanted to break the habit of keeping them to yourself, but I dont see a photo.

Ryo

Yes, Dave it's on the way RIGHT???

Wendy

**Dave Humphries** · 2nd January 2012, 10:16 AM

OK, OK

A people/person shot, done in ACR and CS5, where I used the lens profile distortion correction for only the second time (normally I wouldn't have bothered, as there were no obvious errors).

Filling the coal scuttle

Nikon D5000 + Nikon 18-200mm VR: 200mm, 1/60s, f/5.6, iso800 (214-44415)

A little cameo scene observed at a recent trip to the Mid-Hants Railway, Hampshire, UK. A Southern Railway (SR) employee filling the coal scuttle to feed the station's coal fires.

I am aiming for a period look (yes, I know it's colour), from memory, the SR existed between 1923 and 1948.

It was a dull day, as indicated by the exposure settings, there was significant subject movement blur, hence downsizing so small (700px from 3905px (after compositional cropping)) and fairly careful post downsize sharpening. So in many ways this is a 'rescue job'.

It was shot across platforms at Ropley station; see the line's gradient profile (pdf for train buffs). I was wide open at 200mm.

I had other shots taken at wider angles; 135mm and 170mm, but this one was the composition necessary to minimise 'out of time period' content - although he's wearing a modern watch and photochromic spectacles

The building behind I can almost get away with, it should be timber, but isn't - hopefully not too obvious?

Things I got right:
It didn't need to be leveled in PP; the concrete post and building behind are (good enough for me) vertical, the fence panel on left does slope downhill in real life.
Exposure is good; there is a slight blow out on his shirt cuff

Things to improve next time:
Use a higher iso to obtain a higher shutter speed and/or use a faster lens (ker-ching)

So, I think I've done fairly OK, but what have I missed?
Do tell all, you know I rarely hold back on other's efforts

Thanks for viewing,

**Rob Douglas** · 2nd January 2012, 11:48 AM

Hey Dave, you did a fine job of assessing your image. I see the blowout you're speaking of in the upper left of his cuff on the hand handling the coal. Very minor and would most likely be toned down fairly easy with a brush.
As for the building not being timber, you could use a brush to soften the focus on the background between & above the fence posts to minamize this. Might actually make the gentleman stand out a bit more.
Have you considered a high contrast B&W conversion or maybe even a sepia treatment? That might give you more of the period look you're after. Over all I like this shot. You did well to capture it in the lighting conditions you where in with the 18-200. How well would the D5000 hold up to ISO 1600? There really didn't seam to be any dark areas that would have created noise that PP couldn't handle.

**FrankMi** · 2nd January 2012, 02:06 PM

Hi Dave. I love the way the image tells a story. I'm not sure how close this is to the 'period' look you are aiming for but for options you could consider simplifying the background by continuing the green and brick behind the fence in place of the modern plywood that is there. I might be tempted to see what it looks like with the green and brick extending in both directions behind the fence. On the other hand, it's great composition just the way it is.

**Goldcoastgolfer** · 2nd January 2012, 07:32 PM

I like the story it tells as is but I think I'd be inclined to see what black and white versions look like - particularly if you're after an earlier period look.

Oddly enough, the most distracting thing for me was the weed in the bottom of the image - has something to do with my father's training of me in the garden

**ScoutR** · 2nd January 2012, 09:18 PM

Great shot Dave and thanks for including the details of the shoot and the exif. That is very helpful. I will try to do that with mine also. Knowing that I am going to post the shooting details will help to force me to slow down and think about the shot. That's a project in itself.

I'm wondering if toning down the green a little bit might help with the "period" look that you want. The reason I say this is because I don't think the paints back in those days were quite as vibrant as what we have now. Just a thought.

In Lightroom there is an "Antique Light" preset. I gave it a go on this shot. It needed a bit of tweaking, BUT when finished this shot looked like it could have come from my Grandma's photo album. You have really managed to capture the period, it's just the colour that gives it away. I really think you should try converting to B&W or sepia tones with a bit of a vignette. All the modern giveaways disappear.

If you are set on keeping the colour, I'm wondering if just a teensy bit of fill light might be in order. It might just be my screen but the mans suit seems just a little dark and the creases seem flat. I was also wondering if you are set on keeping the points on the picket fence and the horizontal bit of walkway at the front. Maybe it would be too tight a crop, but they are 2 extra things in the shot that draw attention and I'm not sure they need to be there.

Great start, and thanks again for the description and thought process on the shot.

Wendy

**Dave Humphries** · 3rd January 2012, 02:59 AM

Originally Posted by Rob Douglas

Hey Dave, you did a fine job of assessing you image. I see the blowout you're speaking of in the upper left of his cuff on the hand handling the coal. Very minor and would most likely be toned down fairly easy with a brush.
As for the building not being timber, you could use a brush to soften the focus on the background between & above the fence posts to minamize this. Might actually make the gentleman stand out a bit more.
Have you considered a high contrast B&W conversion or maybe even a sepia treatment? That might give you more of the period look you're after. Over all I like this shot. You did well to capture it in the lighting conditions you where in with the 18-200. How well would the D5000 hold up to ISO 1600? There really didn't seam to be any dark areas that would have created noise that PP couldn't handle.

Hi Rob,

Good idea on the blurring of the green building. The cuff has already been toned down a bit, I don't think it is quite in the clippers anymore. I did wonder about a B&W as I was typing the aim bit of post above

The D5000 would have been ok at iso1600, so yes, that's what I should have used.

Originally Posted by FrankMi

~ you could consider simplifying the background by continuing the green and brick behind the fence in place of the modern plywood that is there. I might be tempted to see what it looks like with the green and brick extending in both directions behind the fence.

Hi Frank,

I did consider trying to do something with the plywood (etc.) areas, but decided it was too difficult for the benefit (as I perceived it), perhaps I shouldn't have given up so easily

Originally Posted by Goldcoastgolfer

Oddly enough, the most distracting thing for me was the weed in the bottom of the image

You're spot on Malcolm; no self respecting station master of the time would have let a weed survive on the platform like this - see I knew I'd missed some things (see above also).

I had already spent some time cloning out some bright green nylon string tying back the rose bush to the fence and removing several stones from the foreground tarmac.