2018 Project 52, 1st quarter by Sandy (skitterbug)

[skitterbug]

I made it through 2017 Project 52 (see info and participants' links here) and I really wasn't sure I would do one for 2018 BUT I may as well. It keeps me motivated. And thanks to Geoff's post, it gave me a push to try this one more time.

My goal(s) - I want to learn to use the new macro lens and EOS 7D Mark II camera. I also plan on adding another lens to the mix for birds. However, I may backslide from time to time and post pics using the Rebel camera. So I reckon I will call this a "combination of equipment year" with hopes of producing interesting photo work.

Let the New Year begin......

[skitterbug]

Wk 1

This one is an experiment using the Mark II and the new lens. I am going to be fumbling around with this setup for awhile so have patience!

I'll admit that I took this from our back door. I didn't venture out in the cold snowy conditions but I've been viewing this scene from our home and decided that I liked it.

The camera settings: ISO250 - f/4.5 - 1/2000ss - 100mm

Winter Wood Supply

[Geoff F]

Snow scenes are tricky, Sandy; although I rarely get chance to photography it here on the UK south coast.

A wide range of light levels there but you have coped well with those extremes and have a nicely focused log stack in the foreground.

[DanK]

Hi Sandy,

I sympathize about the cold. I gave up on a night shoot yesterday because the temperature with wind chill was predicted to be -7 F (-22 C).

If you want to play around with your new macro lens indoors in the winter, it's a great reason to try cut flowers or house plants.

Dan

[skitterbug]

A wide range of light levels there but you have coped well with those extremes and have a nicely focused log stack in the foreground.

Thank you Geoff. I'm not sure what this lens can do yet (EF100 f/2.8L Macro IS USM) so I was pleased that it captured what I was envisioning.

I really need to add one more lens but I can't decide what would be best. Decisions.... I'm not really good about making them! <chuckle>

[skitterbug]

Hi Sandy,

I sympathize about the cold. I gave up on a night shoot yesterday because the temperature with wind chill was predicted to be -7 F (-22 C).

If you want to play around with your new macro lens indoors in the winter, it's a great reason to try cut flowers or house plants.

Dan

Hi Dan - This morning in Ohio <gasp> it was -11 F, windchill -26 F. Way too cold to be walking anywhere!

You've offered a wonderful idea! I'm not sure how I'll get cut flowers home without them freezing but maybe when it warms a tiny bit, it will work! Our grocery has a large display of them. This will be the perfect excuse to be extravagant! Practice.
Thank you!

[Shadowman]

Nicely framed.

[skitterbug]

Thank you John! I appreciate your comments!

[skitterbug]

Wk 2 - We have below zero temperatures with wind chills to - 10 F, etc. so no outside pictures to display. I liked Dan's suggestion about getting some flowers but that also ended up being a lost cause for now. Not only was it too cold to get the flowers from the store into the vehicle and back home again, the fresh flower selection left a lot to be desired. So, for the fun of it, I hunted through my "junk" and found this rose (artifical of course ) and gave it a spray wash to rid it of dust accumulation! You'll be able to see that the flower has been "around the block" a bit since the edges of the petals are frayed.

My goal: to become comfortable with the 7D Mark II and its macro lens.
Auto focus/ manual focus is more complicated to me than the Rebel's system. The science behind it, of course, is still the same, but with the Mark II, I find I have to be ever watchful where the focus point is.

This is a single picture (not stacked) taken hand held. No flash.
Settings I used: 1/40ss - f/6.3 - ISO500

Red Rose

[Geoff F]

A difficult subject with many potential over exposure areas, but this shot has been well managed. Bright and without any harsh shadows in the wrong places.

[skitterbug]

A difficult subject with many potential over exposure areas, but this shot has been well managed. Bright and without any harsh shadows in the wrong places.

\
Thank you Geoff. I did have several rejects with leaves shining too bright, etc. This one was the best of the lot so I appreciate you confirming what I thought was a decent picture. Thank you!

[purplehaze]

Reds can be so difficult, so good job, Sandy. And as Geoff says, no harsh shadows in the wrong places. If this were mine, I would lose the stray leaves on the right and perhaps try to darken down the beige-y bits on the left.

[mknittle]

That is a great image especially at those settings handheld. nice work Sandy.

[skitterbug]

That is a great image especially at those settings handheld. nice work Sandy.

Hi Mark - Thank you for the praise!

[skitterbug]

Reds can be so difficult, so good job, Sandy. And as Geoff says, no harsh shadows in the wrong places. If this were mine, I would lose the stray leaves on the right and perhaps try to darken down the beige-y bits on the left.

Hi Janis - I might be able to crop it a bit tighter to lose a bit more of those leaves but I like the basket. I agree that the beige color underneath could have been something a bit darker perhaps but it was the closest thing handy for my project.

This, I think, is where a Wacom pad and brush might be fun to try? It would be easier to edit delicate areas using a hand held instrument rather than a mouse. (My list of "I wants" is growing by leaps and bounds )

Thank you for your thoughts and confirmation that I am headed in the right direction!

[purplehaze]

Horrors! I never meant for you to cut into the basket. I love wicker too much for that. I have healing and clone brushes in my editing software that enable me to rid myself of things like the little leaf tips at upper right. Granted, it is easier to do when you have a solid background to work with. As far as a Wacom tablet goes, yes, it is easier to make fine adjustments, but in my experience, there is a weeks' long learning curve to adjust to it and I still reach for my mouse first. I am old dog, I guess.

[skitterbug]

Horrors! I never meant for you to cut into the basket. I love wicker too much for that. I have healing and clone brushes in my editing software that enable me to rid myself of things like the little leaf tips at upper right. Granted, it is easier to do when you have a solid background to work with. As far as a Wacom tablet goes, yes, it is easier to make fine adjustments, but in my experience, there is a weeks' long learning curve to adjust to it and I still reach for my mouse first. I am old dog, I guess.

OOOOOHHH.... I see the little greenery you are "pointing to" now... I thought you meant getting rid of the leaves at the bottom of the basket on the right. MY BAD for misreading what you had for a suggestion - and a perfectly good one it is! I totally missed those little pieces!

I don't mind learning curves. I'm trying to pack my brain with lots of information and hope I succeed in becoming proficient with my endeavor in photography. Learning something new is a perfectly good way to speed the winter downtime along!

Thank you for clarifying what you suggested! I think I am going to go "play" for awhile!

[skitterbug]

Taking Janis's suggestions back to the "darkroom" (and it is because I don't have any lights turned on), I think the little bits of leaves have been blown away.<LOL> I also tried a bit of "burning" but didn't do much because overdoing this task made the area seem unnatural. So my latest attempt is presented as......

.....No Leaf Tips and Just a Smidgen of Burning

[sachtjen]

Wow. I am quite impressed at how well healing and cloning worked with the leaves. Flipping back and forth it actually looks more like the leaves were added in the "with" photo rather than removed in the "without" photo.

[skitterbug]

Wow. I am quite impressed at how well healing and cloning worked with the leaves. Flipping back and forth it actually looks more like the leaves were added in the "with" photo rather than removed in the "without" photo.

Hi Mike - For the two "tips", I took the photo into Snapheal and "erased" them. Then I took this photo into Affinity Photo and used the clone brush to get rid of that bright little section on the bottom leaf closest to the edge. I also use the clone brush to help ease the look where I'd erased the tips of those leaves to help the basket look more realistic. Snapheal does a great job but still has to be touched up occasionally. Then finally, still in Affinity Photo, I used the "burning" tool to take just a bit of shine from the brown on the left side under the basket.

I guess in total, I used three programs. First LightRoom to check out photos and see what I wanted to keep. I may do a tiny bit of adjusting there. Then normally I'll move into Affinity Photo. With this photo, Affinity wasn't doing what I wanted so that is when I went back to Snapheal. And then back to Affinity Photo. Not sure I can say that my work flow is as organized as it should be but I do enjoy "playing".

I am glad you like the results. And thank you for commenting!