2020 Project 52 by Antonio Correia - 1rd Quarter

[Shadowman]

Nice storytelling image #3, viewer can make many assumptions, probably all would be incorrect but that's the fun and flavor of street photography.

[Antonio Correia]

John, she did not know I made these shots and I made some 8 from one side and the other but this one happened to be the one.
My first week of 2020 is saved in photographic terms.
Cheers !

[Geoff F]

With Project 52 - 2020 just do your own thing, as you are already doing here, Antonio. Post something to this personal thread each week and when it gets too long, after about 12 weeks, start another Project 52 - part 2 thread.

That is what other people will be doing; and I am about to begin my 2020 thread.

[Antonio Correia]

Today we went for a drive and I took some pictures with the same equipment as before.
Nothing fancy or nice. Most of them went to the trash.
My sensor is dirty. It makes me feel bad. I don't like that !
Or perhaps the lens have some dust even being carefully kept in a box. Perhaps the issue is in both: the lens and the sensor.
For this photograph I cleaned a few spots.
I almost forgot to mention as a side note: I used f/5.6 in all the shots.

[Shadowman]

Nicely composed, it is interesting to see how industrial equipment can look both militaristic and alien at the same time, I read an article that George Lucas got his inspiration for the AT-AT walkers from shipyard cranes.

[Antonio Correia]

John, good morning !

My wife told me and she is partially right, that a crane is missing on the right side.

Either I would copy one to that position, or erase the one on the left. I did not agree and kept the photo this way because it is not an image I am terribly interested in...

Thank you for your comment !
-
For this week I have something different, I hope to be able to do it !
But that is for later. It is too early in the morning now...

[Antonio Correia]

Change of equipment for this specific purpose. The day after tomorrow I hope to be able to repeat the session but with better conditions and taking care of a few details.
I will not photograph this area again but somewhere in this very building.

[Geoff F]

Just a thought about an alternative size to the cranes photo, Antonio. Go to a panoramic size and lose a bit from the right plus a crop and slight bit of clone work to the sky in order to lose those wires which would create a stronger image with the cranes ? Would your wife prefer that?

I can see a lot of sensor dust around the cranes; which I am afraid will require a professional clean.

[Antonio Correia]

Geoff, let me be honest with you.
Being an excellent idea Geoff, I am not intending to do what you are suggesting for the simple reason that the visible dust in the sensor would ruin my image, as I do not know how to clean the spots efficiently. A portion of them is already cleaned. Just imagine how many I do actually have on the sensor !
Anyway, thank you for your suggestion. Thank you very much.

On the other hand, my wife and I, we sometimes disagree about the images. Sometimes I think she is right and I change, move, whatever, the reciprocal also applying.

Like the one I just posted a few minutes ago: she does like it. Great !

The sensor dust is always a pain in the ass. I think I will clean it myself.

[Wavelength]

Fine shots, Antonio

[Antonio Correia]

@ Geoff, I kept thinking about your suggestion and the dust in the sensor in the last days.
I am going to re-think your suggestion and try it. But not now, as I do not have the time to.

The boring spots must be removed. For this reason or another which I can't remember, I came across frequency separation and saw 2 videos about this subject. One of them was showing the way spots could be removed using this method.
I tried once, I tried twice and land on a 3.th video. There he said something that I retained and bang, here I went to one photograph from today.
Unfortunately, I do not like them and all will go to the bin.

@Nandakumar
Thank you for your comment

[Geoff F]

When I have had problems with sensor dust I have used a Spot Healing Brush (Adobe) or a clone tool with the opacity reduced to something around 50% and where necessary work around the spot from two sides to create a natural looking blend where the spot used to be. A fairly soft edged brush is best.

It can be a bit tedious with a lot of spots but I am currently undertaking a project for my local history society where I have to scan and touch up over 2,000 medium format negatives which are 50 years old. There is a great deal of 'spotting in' work to be done on each image but once you get used to the technique it doesn't take too long. Adobe Photoshop CC has an auto Dust & Scratch Removing Tool which is just about acceptable for plain monochrome skies but produces a poor result on anything else.

I have successfully cleaned sensors which had one or two spots using a blower brush or one of the many sensor cleaning kits which are available. However, sensor cleaning can be tricky with persistent spots and it is so easy to totally mess up the job which results in permanent scratching. Which is why I suggested going to a professional camera repairer for your seriously spotted sensor. Yes it does mean being without your camera for a while and there will be a cost but if you attempt the job yourself and get it wrong it could mean having to fit a new sensor glass which will require a professional camera repairer anyway.

The last time I had serious camera problems, due to a great deal of use under harsh conditions, I ended up purchasing a newer camera before sending my previous one away for repair and now keep that one as a spare for use if my main camera has to be sent away.

[LenR]

Antonio, sensor dust is indeed an issue which many DSLR users will probably encounter at some point in time, particularly if you frequently change lenses. Although it is true that many spots can be dealt with using cloning or healing tools there comes the time that the sensor needs to be cleaned. I have successfully cleaned sensors on my Canons using swabs and cleaning fluid. The first time can be intimidating but by following the directions and taking care it can be easily done. Good luck!
Len.

[Antonio Correia]

Thank you Geoff and Leonard for your advices.
I have cleaned sensors before with success. I will do it again this time on the Sony !
My wife bought the other day a blower with filter at the entry end which I think it is good enough and I will have to buy some pads and liquid.
VisibleDust looks serious... I will have to spend some time on this matter.
But for now I am going to make the sensor to move with the camera itself (what the right word for it?) and see what happens.

Cheers !

[Shadowman]

Antonio,

By posting here and in the contest you create a conflict for yourself as any negative comments could influence voting for your image.

Notes: Please do not request feedback or comment on other images until after voting has closed, as it could be unfair to other entrants. Photos must be your own, and never entered into one of our prior competitions.

[Antonio Correia]

Antonio,

By posting here and in the contest you create a conflict for yourself as any negative comments could influence voting for your image.

Notes: Please do not request feedback or comment on other images until after voting has closed, as it could be unfair to other entrants. Photos must be your own, and never entered into one of our prior competitions.

Right, John !
Problem solved.

[Antonio Correia]

Last week I had to temporarily use another equipment.

I was waiting for someone when these ladies kissed affectionately. As I know one of them, I asked if I could photograph them embracing, which I got permission to.
But I didn't want to stop there and asked them to stand in front of a wall so I could take them a portrait.
So, I made this photograph.
When I was home I noticed that a lady had a nice pose in one shot and the other was also with a nice pose, but in another shot. I combined the two pictures and here is the result.
It is not as good as I would like: there is some halos around which I was not able to disguise as I tried to darken the background a bit with a mask and curves.

There is something else I did notice: a great difference in colours and rendering in this combo compare to the Sony's which I like far more !

I came to add the act that made me to ask them to be taken in photo

[Antonio Correia]

Back to Sony 7 III and 24 GM ! Simply gorgeous !

The boy may not be in perfect focus - which is true - but I like this shot.
The blue jacket was almost in fire !

[Shadowman]

Post #37, nice effort, which program or method did you use to blend the two captures, I ask because Photoshop/Elements has a blending mode filter that allows you to do this type of editing?

[Shadowman]

Post #38, nice effort, lighting is gorgeous.