2013 Weekly Photos - part 2

[Geoff F]

Because these Weekly Photo threads tend to get a bit large towards the end of each year, I've decided to split it into two sections. Part 1 is here Project 2013 - Weekly Photos

Week 26 - Bowcombe Creek

It was a bright still morning. But I was struggling to find a suitable angle with something of interest in the foreground.



7D with 24-105 lens 1/320 F11 Iso 200.

I have slightly twisted the reflection but I still think this scene lacks some foreground interest.

So I tried again from the other side of a narrow road bridge.



But I'm still not really happy with the result.

Returning two hours later, I found my foreground subject but by now the sky had clouded over and wind on the water was obscuring my reflection



1/250 F11 Iso 200

And, of course, by the time I returned home the sun had reappeared; but probably still too much wind for any decent reflection.

Maybe another day!

[geoz]

Geoff,

All are OK but I think the first one would be best if the water at the bottom was cropped off. Just up to about half the reflection of the metal post.

George

[NorthernFocus]

Geoff, your comments on your thought process on the three shots show that you know what you're looking for. Just a couple of comments. Take them with a grain of salt because I'm no landscape expert. Also I haven't been following your journey so may have missed your bigger purpose if previously explained.

Sometimes when conditions are less than optimal it may be best to just abandon your original plan and take what's offered. For example, the seawall looks like it has some character. In the morning when the water was calm there may have been some opportunities for closeups or mini-scapes around that wall. Similarly, in the third shot that's a pretty interesting looking boat. There may have been some opportunities for closeup shots of fitting, rigging, etc.

Another comment on the third shot. Vehicles, like animals, generally work better when they are facing into the frame. I realize that wouldn't have fit your overall idea for the shot but may have been another reason to re-think the situation.

[Geoff F]

I had considered several different crops for #1. This is a slight crop of the original.

If I crop closer at the bottom what do I lose from the sides as well? Maybe a little tighter on the right would be acceptable because the closest boat would still be facing towards the scene centre.

I took several shots of the boat alongside #3 from different angles. My first idea was a bow quarter view. But that meant shooting into the light, such as it was, so they were all rejects. I shot to show all of the mast; but the resulting area of dull grey sky forced a rethink. A blue sky with some nice fluffy clouds would have been different and a portrait orientation shot may have worked.

It is only the person standing on the quay and somebody rowing towards them that made this option the only keeper.

Trouble was, apart from insects, this was my only opportunity to photograph something else that week.

[Geoff F]

Week 27

Another week where, apart from insects, I struggled to find any suitable subjects.

Finally a dry windless day

On the way to an insect location. Is this the start of summer!



7D with 24-105 lens. 1/320 F14 Iso 200. Took several shots with slightly different angles but finally decided this was the only one with some slight merit. The wind sock represents the Malborough Airstrip Meteorological Station. That's all there is, a tatty wind sock!

And on the other side of that rough track . . .

Hay Bales



1/160 F16 Iso 200.

Once again I tried, and rejected, every possible angle before settling for this option. A flat field with little of interest, so I included part of the fence and an angle which showed some hint of perspective. I was going to remove those pieces of stray foliage in the foreground but eventually thought they added some extra interest.

Tiger Moth taking off from the airstrip.

This little, ex WW2 airstrip is in the middle of a cornfield.



1/250 F13 Iso 200. Shutter priority (Tv). I deliberately used 1/250 so that the propeller blades would blur.

Once again, I was just slightly out with my timing when I arrived at the scene. Two minutes earlier would have allowed me sufficient time to get to another position where I could have photographed the actual take off.

So then, anticipating a landing, after a little while I got into a suitable position, although without my first choice of lens.

Then changed my mind and moved to another position; which turned out to be worse.

Anyway, I shot the landing with the plane coming towards me. I'm sure I did everything correctly but the photos were all lacking in sharpness.

On reflection, I suspect the problem was due to heat haze. There was quite a bit of moisture rising from the cornfield and I was shooting along the length of the field.

But I did manage one keeper after the plane had landed and I was shooting at a closer distance.

[dje]

Nice set of shots Geoff. I think the hay bales composition works very well indeed. Looks like a lovely day.

Dave

[Cantab]

Because these Weekly Photo threads tend to get a bit large towards the end of each year, I've decided to split it into two sections. Part 1 is here Project 2013 - Weekly Photos

Week 26 - Bowcombe Creek

It was a bright still morning. But I was struggling to find a suitable angle with something of interest in the foreground.



7D with 24-105 lens 1/320 F11 Iso 200.

I have slightly twisted the reflection but I still think this scene lacks some foreground interest.

So I tried again from the other side of a narrow road bridge.



But I'm still not really happy with the result.

Returning two hours later, I found my foreground subject but by now the sky had clouded over and wind on the water was obscuring my reflection



1/250 F11 Iso 200

And, of course, by the time I returned home the sun had reappeared; but probably still too much wind for any decent reflection.

Maybe another day!

Geoff, I've only now stumbled across Part 2 of this thread. Somehow I missed the end of Part 1.

You mentioned in a later post in this thread about possibly cropping off some of the water at the bottom of the first photo. My immediate reaction when I first looked at it was that the pier/quay/land was obtrusive, perhaps because it wasn't sitting nearer the bottom of the image.

I like the last photo, partly because the yacht looks like a nice older style wooden boat.

[Geoff F]

Here are my thoughts about a slightly tighter crop; although there are a few other variations which may be possible.

[Geoff F]

Week 28 - The Plant Hunters.

Plant survey day at the nature site and I went along to help with insect identification.



7D with 24-105 lens. 1/100 F14 Iso 200. Fill Flash used.

Possibly risking it a bit with live subjects and 1/100 shutter speed (which was a mistaken setting) but it worked OK.

Took a few shots then realised I was getting dark faces so I added a little bit of flash. Always difficult to capture a group of people engaging in real life activities instead of a posed shot.

While I was photographing an insect I turned around to find this frog was using my open camera bag as a lookout post. It stayed there while I changed lenses and took a couple of shots. Eventually decided to hop off and discover another part of the meadow.



1/250 F14 Iso 400. I could have reduced the Iso and aperture but I was set up for insects and wanted a quick shot.

[Geoff F]

Week 29 - Salcombe Harbour looking south

A clear bright day in the morning. I've tried to show a fairly wide view but that has created a fairly 'busy' scene. But it looks better as a larger print.



1/320 F14 Iso 400. Canon 7D with 24-105 lens on a tripod. Needed a fairly fast shutter speed to cope with moving boats and a narrow aperture to give plenty of focus depth.

Renovations to the Fish Quay

Another scene where I have tried to show everything so it is also a little bit on the complicated side.



1/200 F14 Iso 200 on tripod. The slower shutter speed is risking the moving boat blurring a little but when I set up the boat wasn't moving. Then I was concentrating on waiting to get it in a suitable position and forgot about the speed. I think it has worked out OK from this angle.

Emma Jane through trees



1/200 F14 Iso 400 also on tripod.

I liked the composition but it meant shooting towards the light and causing some focus depth issues; so I shot from a bit of distance so there wouldn't be too much difference between the boat and foliage. I did try taking two shots with different focus points but eventually preferred this shot.

[NorthernFocus]

At first I thought the first shot was too busy but you are right in that the larger version looks better. It also helps that the boats in the FG are particularly photogenic. I also think a cropped version would work eliminating half of the FG harbor or so. No doubt some cloning etc would be needed due to no clear delineation among the anchored fleet. A very nice image of that location. Nicely done.

[Cantab]

Geoff, I enjoyed all three pictures. My favourite is probably the first one. What type of vessel is the Emma Jane? She appears to have more freeboard than most vessels of her size.

[Geoff F]

Thanks for comments.

Bruce, the Emma Jane is a crab fishing boat; but with a sea water well below decks for catch storage. They usually work for around 5 days before returning to harbour to unload and replenish.

They will work somewhere around 2000 pots in strings of 100 or more pots per line.

Many modern fishing boats now have a totally enclosed working deck space like this, with just a small hatch for bringing the catch aboard.

Helpful for keeping the decks, and fishermen, dry during bad weather but more like working in a factory during good weather.

When you try to squash too much into a limited space I'm afraid the overall appearance suffers. But they do have the ability to continue working during rough weather.

[Brownbear]

Hi Geoff,

I adore the grass and hay bale landscapes... Gorgeous! I've also been admiring your macro insect shots... incredible photography

[Geoff F]

Thanks for the comment.

That hay bale shot did take a bit of trial and test shots to get a suitable composition with the distant bales in the required positions. I wasn't keen on the other option of pushing the bales around.

Eventually, I shot from another field across the rough track.

I must get around to editing my growing pile of macro shots. But lately I have been spending quite a bit of time with our local history society recording then editing the memories of our older residents. Which is in danger of becoming a full time, unpaid, occupation.

We have been doing 3 recordings a week lately.

[Geoff F]

Week 30 - Yucca Flower in my garden

The UK summer didn't last very long and it's back to wind and heavy showers now!

So I have been struggling to find any photographic inspiration this week.

I have been intending to photograph this little flower from my garden but kept putting it off. Finally thought the sky looks reasonably interesting and if I don't do it now it will be too late!



7D with 24-105 lens 1/160 F20 Iso 200 on tripod with flash. Sunlight from the left.

Not much choice over camera angles and I was trapped against a low wall, rather close to the flower. Used some fill flash to lighten shadows on the right. But still a lot wrong with the scene.

Some years ago, I planted a yucca in the wrong place; which didn't get enough sunshine. Also, it was too close to the path and those sharp pointed leaves became a problem.

So three years ago, I cut it down then took some cuttings from the regrowth.

This is the first flowering from a cutting.

[Cantab]

Geoff, your little yucca flower looks like it may be a couple of feet tall? Congratulations on growing it from a cutting. I took some rose cuttings a few years ago. The plants are now fully mature and producing a good crop of flowers -- a very satisfying feeling.

[Brownbear]

Hi Geoff, I think that is an amazing photo, amazingly beautiful... Love the perspective.

[Geoff F]

Thanks for the comments.

And now, some more photographic struggles. It's Regatta time again, and my first event, to set up and photograph was the greasy pole. In the rain!

Salcombe Regatta - Greasy Pole.

Showing the overall scene.



1/500 F6.3 Iso 400 High Speed Flash

Impossible to get a good result here but I have done what I can. The flash produced an oversaturated bright foreground with very dark and noisy background.

I started by making two different conversions from the Raw image and merged them with a mask. Then several adjustment layers to make individual tweaks. When using a Curves layer I switched the blend mode to Luminosity in order to alter just the brightness, not the saturation as well.

Some closer shots of the action; with similar problems.



Once again I used high speed flash but increased the shutter speed to 1/800 in order to freeze the action. But getting this correct for the exposed areas of pale skin meant everything else went dark.

And black wetsuits against a dark sea gave more problems.



One problem which I should have realised was that when I turned the camera on its side to give more vertical space I was concentrating on the action and overlooked the fact that the pole was really at an angle to me.

So the background often appeared at an angle. And I don't always have sufficient space for the required amount of rotation.

About another 100 shots to edit; and another event tomorrow. Still looks like rain though. I had to keep the camera underneath my coat then just bring it out for a quick shot. Still had a few problems with rain spots on the lens.

[Brownbear]

Wow, great shots and captures, beautiful colous. I remember your regatta photos from last year, loved them all...