Project 52 - Kristianna-Marie (Kris V)

[Kris V]

Do you recall what focus settings you were using at the time?

Exif Data:
1st:
DateTimeOriginal - 2012:05:15 09:01:09
ExposureTime - 1/350 seconds
FNumber - 5.00
ExposureProgram - Aperture priority
ISOSpeedRatings - 400
DateTimeOriginal - 2012:05:15 09:01:09
DateTimeDigitized - 2012:05:15 09:01:09
ExposureBiasValue - 0.00
MaxApertureValue - F 4.92
MeteringMode - Center weighted average
LightSource - Auto
Flash - Not fired
FocalLength - 34.00 mm

2nd.
DateTimeOriginal - 2012:05:15 09:00:56
ExposureTime - 1/500 seconds
FNumber - 5.00
ExposureProgram - Aperture priority
ISOSpeedRatings - 400
DateTimeOriginal - 2012:05:15 09:00:56
DateTimeDigitized - 2012:05:15 09:00:56
ExposureBiasValue - 0.00
MaxApertureValue - F 4.92
MeteringMode - Center weighted average
LightSource - Auto
Flash - Not fired
FocalLength - 34.00 mm

One thing I try to avoid in most images is having things (like the close pedals) in the foreground out of focus but I think your biggest improvement will be to get the stamens in sharp focus and stop down the aperture size to get a larger DoF. Hope this helps!

I'll try again next year - all gladioluses (gladioli?) are bloomed out now. Darn Texas Heat!

[Kris V]

With the previous photo of the leaves and flowers, I wonder if you have included a little too much in the shot. Would just one set of leaves/flowers have been a more powerful image?

After looking at the picture again, I believe you have a valid point here.
Since it's way to hot to go find interesting things outside to photograph, I'm gonna work on improving my PP skills on this picture.
Thanks for the suggestion!

[johnbharle]

One more: I messed with the WB on this one

NIce water droplets. I like the WB. Makes the pink pop rather orange!

[johnbharle]

This tree caught my attention over the weekend. It's kinda on the edge where our property ends and the woods begin.
I have no idea what it is, but it looked unusual.
OOC with adjustments in LR4


I tried for more of a "nighttime look"

Judging by the leaves it's some sort of elm. What is the fall color? I want to get some cedar elms. I drove to central texas in December and their golds were magnificent! Also seem to be very drought tolerant!!!

[FrankMi]

Hi Kris, I'm sorry. By focus settings I was referring to things like Auto or Manual focus, Servo or Continuous AF, Tracking, that sort of thing. I'm not sure what your camera supports but usually there are a number of selectable options that might or might not be helpful for this type of shot. Thanks!

[Kris V]

Hi Kris, I'm sorry. By focus settings I was referring to things like Auto or Manual focus, Servo or Continuous AF, Tracking, that sort of thing. I'm not sure what your camera supports but usually there are a number of selectable options that might or might not be helpful for this type of shot. Thanks!

AutoFocus, Servo

[Kris V]

Judging by the leaves it's some sort of elm. What is the fall color? I want to get some cedar elms. I drove to central texas in December and their golds were magnificent! Also seem to be very drought tolerant!!!

Not sure about the fall colors. The light 'tingies' turn into regular green leaves after a few days. I believe it's just how new growth starts.
Sorry, can't be of more help - I'm a city girl born and bred, and I'm just now starting to discover "country life".
Mixed blessing for sure!

[Kris V]

I HAD to!
I have been following the threads about IR and B/W conversions religiously, and I finally could take time to seriously experiment. It was way too hot last week to venture outside, so I spent (wasted??) hours on my computer. Finally came up with the picture below.
That's the first IR conversion that I'm not too embarrassed to show!

The original colour picture was stitched together from 4 shots.

[johnbharle]

I HAD to!
I have been following the threads about IR and B/W conversions religiously, and I finally could take time to seriously experiment. It was way too hot last week to venture outside, so I spent (wasted??) hours on my computer. Finally came up with the picture below.
That's the first IR conversion that I'm not too embarrassed to show!

The original colour picture was stitched together from 4 shots.

Gives a rather wintery feel to things. Nice!

[Kris V]

Gives a rather wintery feel to things. Nice!

Especially considering that it was 90 degrees in the shade when I took these pictures,,,,,

[Dave Humphries]

I HAD to!
I have been following the threads about IR and B/W conversions religiously, and I finally could take time to seriously experiment. It was way too hot last week to venture outside, so I spent (wasted??) hours on my computer. Finally came up with the picture below.
That's the first IR conversion that I'm not too embarrassed to show!

The original colour picture was stitched together from 4 shots.

I like it Kris,

Although it is some decades since I looked at a real film IR.

Definitiely not "wasted time".

[Kris V]

I like it Kris,

Although it is some decades since I looked at a real film IR.

Definitiely not "wasted time".

Thanks Dave.
IR is really totally new for me, but I am fascinated by the result it produces in the right pictures.
I may just devote a few more tries in this P52 thread. (Until everyone gets sick of it!)

[Kris V]

I went through my folder of B/W conversions, and decided to have some fun with one of them - see if I could make something out of it. (Trust me, the real colour picture was just boring)
So, from boring colour, to so-so B/W, to ??, here goes:

[Kris V]

I'm not a "Portrait" photographer, so I went out of my comfort zone on this one.
This is a photo of a friend of mine who passed away 18 months ago. For about 4 years, he was a morning DJ at the radio station where I worked before I retired, and I snapped this with a P&S while he was on the air.
I would like some feedback regarding quality of the edit and suggestions for improvement would be greatly welcomed and appreciated.
For the record: Since the camera was a P&S, there's no RAW file. I saved the original jpg to tif, so I could work on the edits.

[Geoff F]

The B & W works fine, Kris.

The colour version seems a bit low on saturation and a touch on the yellow side. Try adding a touch of red mostly to the highlights.

A pity about the reflection lights on the left side but you can possibly tone that down just a fraction.

For the saturation, I would start by experimenting with a duplicate image layer with the blend mode at Soft Light and around 50% opacity or a little less. But that is if you have a layers option with your software.

Alternatively, try a little LCE. Maybe somewhere around 30% and 40 pixels for a first try.

It is a good camera angle and has worked well considering there were limitations on location and equipment.

Try to keep any extra adjustments on the low side. I suspect a somewhat soft and subtle approach will give the best results here.

[Kris V]

The B & W works fine, Kris.

The colour version seems a bit low on saturation and a touch on the yellow side. Try adding a touch of red mostly to the highlights.

A pity about the reflection lights on the left side but you can possibly tone that down just a fraction.

For the saturation, I would start by experimenting with a duplicate image layer with the blend mode at Soft Light and around 50% opacity or a little less. But that is if you have a layers option with your software.

Alternatively, try a little LCE. Maybe somewhere around 30% and 40 pixels for a first try.

It is a good camera angle and has worked well considering there were limitations on location and equipment.

Try to keep any extra adjustments on the low side. I suspect a somewhat soft and subtle approach will give the best results here.

Once I'm completely happy with the B/W, I'll start working on the colour version. Thanks for the recommendations.
Might be for next weeks' project

[Kris V]

Last weeks' project: continued. Worked on the colour version.
Started from scratch with the original jpg - cloned out the lens flare in the window, and played with layer blendings and masking. When I got to this version, I decided to leave well enough alone!

[Geoff F]

I like the darkened background with this version.

[Kris V]

I like the darkened background with this version.

Thanks, Geoff. I'm kinda satisfied with the way this came out, considering that I didn't have a RAW file to work with.

[johnbharle]

Last weeks' project: continued. Worked on the colour version.
Started from scratch with the original jpg - cloned out the lens flare in the window, and played with layer blendings and masking. When I got to this version, I decided to leave well enough alone!

It has a really nice feel to it. Good job!