Project 52 by Dave Humphries

[Dave Humphries]

Dave - These are, quite simply, a joy to look at. ~ I am full of admiration for them all, but particularly 13-1.

Thanks, on the whole I agree, although I felt 13-1 was a bit so-so, shot at max focal length and just cruising by, I have several more of the pass, this had the best combination of wing position and largest view of the reflections. On the river where this was shot, at the right time of day, you'd get 20+ opportunities in an hour.

My efforts at birds in flight are, in the main, miserable failures.

It must be lack of practice (on the right birds) Donald

Swans are about the easiest birds to shoot flying; slow and noisy, see 'em coming for miles, nice constant speed to pan with if they fly past you, good black and white bit on head to lock focus on, etc.

So I recommend you give it a try sometime - not that you'd have time to get your 40D off the tripod and swap lenses - they're not that slow, so it would have to be the purpose of the shoot (is that a challenge?).

The knack is not to over expose 'em, or they look soft.

I think 13-4 is a bit frantic, but that is just personal taste.

On 13-4 (and 13-3), I am annoyed there is not more feather detail, clearly it's not caused by blown highlights as it was so under exposed (detail not in capture either, so it wasn't PP that lost it), it must just have been the wings were moving too fast for 1/2000s Last time I go down to 200 iso

Thanks again for the kind words,

[Dave Humphries]

A bit of Father-Daughter competition with swans I see! Another excellent set of images. I love the reflections on the wing of the first one and the action in the remaining three. Great vision, Dave! I'm really enjoying the rivalry images very much as both you and Becky continue to push the bar ever higher.

Hah; as we're about 8 or 9 weeks apart (I'm all behind), I think it is more coincidence than competition Frank!

Thanks,

[jprzybyla]

A wonderful series...especially the splashing swans shot at camera level, a shooting angle to die for. You keep shooting and I'll keep viewing in awe. Nice images Dave.

[Dave Humphries]

A wonderful series...especially the splashing swans shot at camera level, a shooting angle to die for. You keep shooting and I'll keep viewing in awe. Nice images Dave.

Yes, in hindsight, perhaps I was a tad too low - might have been nice to get sideways shot half-bubbles on the surface, but I'm actually pointing up a bit here.

Good excuse to go back for a reshoot

Thanks,

[beckyhumphries]

Hi

Well done for getting another P52 done, sorry I missed it when you first posted a couple of days ago.

The water reflection on 13-1 makes for a really interesting picture, although perhaps could be cropped a bit tighter to the left and top (just a thought). I like the references you use in your posts, I must try this to make commenting easier!

13-2 is from a great angle and is nice and sharp, I like the depth of field you get from that angle too.

I think 13-3 is my favourite of the series. The pose of the swan is perfect and sharp even given all the water splashing going on, which you have also captured with the ideal shutter speed from the looks of it. The swan looks so calm and serene in this picture when compared to the chaos of 13-4!

13-5 is a great picture too, the swan looks like he/she has a cheeky look on its face as it plays. I still like the story of how they were playing devils advocate with the edge of the weir. The framing of this shot is very nice with the swan nicely between the two chains and the water flowing back across the picture.

Well done on a great Week 13 (you are quickly catching up now ).

Thanks, Rebecca

[Dave Humphries]

The water reflection on 13-1 makes for a really interesting picture, although perhaps could be cropped a bit tighter to the left and top (just a thought). I like the references you use in your posts, I must try this to make commenting easier!

You know; I think you're right.
I'll try to remember to show you how I do the references before you go home today

13-2 is from a great angle and is nice and sharp, I like the depth of field you get from that angle too.

Yes it works quite well, thanks.

13-5 is a great picture too, ~ The framing of this shot is very nice with the swan nicely between the two chains

Glad you think that works, this was one I wasn't too sure about.

Well done on a great Week 13 (you are quickly catching up now )

Hmmm, I seem to have let a week pass now, so "treading water" again (must have got that from the swans )

Cheers,

[Dave Humphries]

A few weeks ago (25 March), I was forced by circumstance to use my little Canon S100 (instead of my normal D5000) for a walkabout in Eton, here are the results.

Week 14-1:

Canon S100 at 26mm: 120mm (FFE) (and cropped), 1/500s, f/5.9, iso80, EC -1 (20120325_0471_ed1)

This is about as 'abstract' as I get
I was struck by the converging curved lines of the recessed brick arches above a doorway accentuated by the early morning light. The best effect was to shoot from a distance, so I shot (the whole doorway) at the maximum focal length, but in PP it became apparent that the doorway itself wasn't adding anything, so it got cropped off, leaving the viewer to concentrate on just the elements that attracted me in the first place - I shoulda known, shouldn't I?


Week 14-2:

Canon S100 at 5.2mm: 24mm (FFE) (but cropped), 1/640s, f/4, iso80, EC -0.3 (20120325_0484_ed2)

I have had my eye on this odd sculpture in Eton for months and this day, with the clear blue sky provided an opportunity. It is actually shot looking straight up the side of a building, but I thought it looked more appealing presented this way, as a statue enjoying the warm spring sunshine. I used a wide angle to get a wide base on the converging brick pattern and show some windows, but ended up cropping more than expected to present this 'take' on it. As you can see, I failed to get directly below it, resulting in my leading lines 'missing' the statue , so I'll have another go sometime, perhaps with a different sky one day.


Week 14-3:

Canon S100 at 5.2mm: 24mm (FFE), 1/1250s, f/4, iso80, EC -0.3 (20120325_0478_ed1)
Hit Kbd F11 and click image to see at 669px × 800px (recommended)

This is the Library, part of Eton College, just a nice building (one of many) asking to be shot!
As was that ornate lamp on the right ...


Week 14-4:

Canon S100 at 7.2mm: 33mm (FFE), 1/500s, f/4, iso80, EC -0.3 (20120325_0482_ed2)
Hit Kbd F11 and click image to see at 494px × 950px (recommended)

I had several goes (varying shooting angle and focal length) before capturing this with as little background clutter (trees and buildings) in shot as possible, what remained (around the base) was cloned out.


Week 14-5:

Canon S100 at 6.0mm: 28mm (FFE), 1/320s, f/5.6, iso80, EC -1 (20120325_0495_crop2_ed2)
Hit Kbd F11 and click image to see at 1,414px × 1,000px (recommended)

Another favourite building, which just has to be shot at this time of year (March) so you can see it through the trees. I had a couple of goes at arriving at the final crop on this, the foreground being the problem area, but I think this works.


All the above were processed from RAW captures - I nearly always shoot "RAW + jpg", so have both available.

Thanks for viewing, and hopefully, commenting,

[beckyhumphries]

Hi

I can't believe how nice the weather looks in these pictures; bright blue skies are a distant memory to me now!

14-1 is very nicely lit with the sunlight and shadows, although perhaps it lacks a focal point/subject?

I really like 14-2. Knowing that it is shot from below I get the feeling the guy is falling having jumped from the edge.

14-3 is a nice clean composition - I'm guessing a lot of cloning was involved to get it looking like this?

I like 14-4 and the gradual colour change of the sky and the detail of the ornate lamp.

Again 14-5 is very nicely composed and well lit, although I can't help but wish to see the top of that tree in the middle. The bin on the path perhaps could have been cloned out also.

Well done and look forward to the next P52.

Rebecca

[Geoff F]

Yes, I also wondered if 14-5 was a fraction tight on the top. Possibly showing the entire tree wouldn't be possible but I suspect seeing a fraction more might help the overall balance.

Exposure and focus are excellent on all these shots.

[FrankMi]

Hi Dave! Each of these images is unique in its own and go to prove that you don't need a DSLR to get great images, particularly at these web resolutions. I'm severely lacking in my understanding of abstract images so I won't embarrass myself by spouting uneducated patter on the first two.

The other three feel just a bit tight on top as if they could benefit from a little addition space?

I particularly like the last one with the shadow's interplay on the delicate stonework.

Nice use of the blue colour-bleed in the sky.

[Letrow]

Nice shots Dave. I noticed this as well, if you shoot in weather like you had even the small cameras give great results.
That sky is a bit weird though. I get this effect with my 12mm lens (on the Nikon) now and then, so my thought is that it is connected to the wide angle effect.
Why do you think you have it in these photos?

[Dave Humphries]

~ 14-5 is very nicely composed and well lit, although I can't help but wish to see the top of that tree in the middle. The bin on the path perhaps could have been cloned out also.

Yes, I also wondered if 14-5 was a fraction tight on the top. Possibly showing the entire tree wouldn't be possible but I suspect seeing a fraction more might help the overall balance.

The other three feel just a bit tight on top as if they could benefit from a little addition space?

There is a common theme here

This was caused by trying not to point the camera up any more than absolutely necessary so I had less, or no, perspective correction to do in PP - seems I cut it too fine though

Nice use of the blue colour-bleed in the sky.

That sky is a bit weird though. I get this effect with my 12mm lens (on the Nikon) now and then, so my thought is that it is connected to the wide angle effect.
Why do you think you have it in these photos?

The shading in blue skies is going to be more obvious with wider angles (24mm - 33mm FFE), I suspect that the Local Contrast Enhancement I usually apply may emphasize it more. The deep blue arises from being careful not to over expose, again, perhaps I went too far.

Thank you all for your comments, I'm sure I'll remember them when next out with S100.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi all,

Boy, do I have some catch up to do

This week's pictures were actually shot the day before the ones in Week 14, but since I don't often do this kind of thing, I thought it worth including. These were shot with the diminuitive Canon S100 and processed from RAW.

In this first, I liked the reflection in the foreground of the dead tree stump vs the live, sunlit trees on the far bank of the lake.
I remember jigging up and down to get the stump to end below the waterline on far shore, but in hindsight, I feel a little more separation would have been preferrable.

Week 15-1:

Canon S100 at 5.2mm: 24mm (FFE), 1/1000s, f/2, iso80, EC 0 (20120324_0419_ed1)
Hit Kbd F11 and click image to see at 1199px × 1000px (recommended)


Week 15-2:

On this; I couldn't find a tree this isolated, so I had to do a lot of cloning out of surrounding trees in the sky to get the simple composition I wanted. If I'm honest, I lost interest trying to make the sky look good, it still contains lots of 'cloning clues', not to my usual standard, so treat this as a learning shot rather than a finished example.

I had hoped to get the foliage sharper than this, but accidentally focused too close (only 1.06m up the trunk according to the EXIF data!) my excuse is that peering upwards, against a sunlit sky, squinting to see the LCD screen, prevented me checking all the options before taking the shot, for example; setting the aperture to something more appropriate than f/2.2, e.g. f/8, for a better DoF!

Week 15-2:


Canon S100 at 5.2mm: 24mm (FFE), 1/2000s, f/2.2, iso80, EC 0 (20120324_0435_ed1)
Hit Kbd F11 and click image to see at 973px × 750px (recommended)

I did rotate this in PP too, I think this looks more dynamic, what do you think?
Here's a small version of the capture to compare;



You can also see just how much I had to clone out, far too much, lesson learnt!


As usual, I'd be grateful for comments because you always see the (often blindingly obvious) things I don't

Thanks for viewing,

[FrankMi]

Hi Dave! I really like the sense of depth conveyed by both images. By not allowing the shore to be too prominent in the first one, the focus is really sharp on the stump providing a lot of detail to explore and the detail under the surface of the water really enhances the composition.

I think I would love to try to shoot the first one and experiment with the camera just inches off the water to see if I could get even more detail in the foreground under the water and also to see if it would be possible to get the stump to almost bisect the far edge of the lake.

I have tried, unsuccessfully, to get a shot like the second one and feel that the reason this one works much better is that you have been able to isolate the single tree. That is something I couldn’t do with the attempt I made. The angle really helps the composition IMHO! I would love to have been able to do this in the Redwood Forest but the trees there are way too close together. Nice pair of images!

It is great to see you back in the P52 frame of mind. It gets our creative juices flowing!

[Donald]

I have tried, unsuccessfully, to get a shot like the second one and feel that the reason this one works much better is that you have been able to isolate the single tree.

I was looking at it and trying to work out what made it work so well, and then read the comment above which I think has it spot-on. It does take on a much more dramatic feel when we see it on its own.

That question about where to place the top of the stump in relation to the far bank. I have often been in similar situations where I am bobbing up and down trying to get a feel for what's 'right' in a composition, be it water and banks, or trees and walls, or sheep and hilltops.

Whatever is decided, I think the important thing is that the end result in compositional terms is that a conscious decision is made and that the picture that we see is not the result of no thought having been put in to the matter.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Dave! I really like the sense of depth conveyed by both images. By not allowing the shore to be too prominent in the first one, the focus is really sharp on the stump providing a lot of detail to explore and the detail under the surface of the water really enhances the composition.

I think I would love to try to shoot the first one and experiment with the camera just inches off the water to see if I could get even more detail in the foreground under the water and also to see if it would be possible to get the stump to almost bisect the far edge of the lake.

I have tried, unsuccessfully, to get a shot like the second one and feel that the reason this one works much better is that you have been able to isolate the single tree. That is something I couldn’t do with the attempt I made. The angle really helps the composition IMHO! I would love to have been able to do this in the Redwood Forest but the trees there are way too close together. Nice pair of images!

It is great to see you back in the P52 frame of mind. It gets our creative juices flowing!

Thanks Frank.

I did try some lower shots, you lose the background completely then though and the foreground shingle wasn't that interesting, so something to remember and try at a different place I think.

Yes, its is surprising, at 24mm, how far apart the trees need to be to get one on its own!

Cheers,

[Dave Humphries]

I was looking at it and trying to work out what made it work so well, and then read the comment above which I think has it spot-on. It does take on a much more dramatic feel when we see it on its own.

That question about where to place the top of the stump in relation to the far bank. I have often been in similar situations where I am bobbing up and down trying to get a feel for what's 'right' in a composition, be it water and banks, or trees and walls, or sheep and hilltops.

Whatever is decided, I think the important thing is that the end result in compositional terms is that a conscious decision is made and that the picture that we see is not the result of no thought having been put in to the matter.

Thanks Donald,

Yes, I may not take quite as long as you do to decide on a composition, but I do give it some thought

No seriously, it shows in yours (and mine!) how long we each spend - I am taking longer these days to think things through (even when shooting wildlife), but I still tend to do it as an iterative process on site, shoot and review, reshoot - I think you called that "living on the edge" in another thread (that cracked me up too)

Many thanks,

[johnbharle]

All very nice. Looks like you've at least been in a cool (literally) location :-)

[KHarmon]

I really like the tree. You are a much more patient man than I when it comes to cloning.

KHarmon

[Letrow]

I like the angle you chose for that tree, letting it come out of the corner. I have a few tree shots I did with the 12mm lens and this reminds me of it, nice and slightly dramatic.