Monday, October 22, 2007

Flambourgh Head


While I've got time, thought I'd slap another recent snap up. this one was taken in September whilst risking life and limb on. (Eos 5D 1/10 sec, F22, 17mm, ISO100, polarising filter, wet feet). Uped the saturation a little in Rawshooter. As ever, your thoughts gentlemen.

8 comments:

Gareth said...

This I *really* like. Were you hand-holding it at a tenth? I love the blur of the waves - you just have to see it large, though - the small version doesn't do it justice at all.

Ivan will probably say it'd be fine, if you could add a brown bear with a salmon in its mouth to it.

(don't ask. let's just say it wasn't a good night for the boys at camera club...)

Anonymous said...

I quite like this, but it doesn't really do it for me. It's pretty, but in a kind of chocolate box/postcard way.

I think the sky and cliff outcrop are nice, and with good interest, especially the sky kind of pointing towards the cliff, but there's a lot of empty space in the bottom 2/3 of the image.

I know there is the blurred sea, but, for me, it's at that level of blurring where it looks a bit more like out of focus rather than that nice creamy smoothness of longer exposures. There's not enough - for me - to latch onto with the eye in the foreground. The rocks to the left are too far to the edge of the image to be a good focal point. The light is also very middle of the day, contrasty, but you've managed to control exposure well, it's just not very flattering for this particular scene. A very good quality (technically) shot, but perhaps not as high on the aesthetic front as the technical front for me.

As G says, putting a bear with a salmon in it's mouth would have made it a winner; or a butterfly; or a frickin' moth.

[calm]

Ivan

stasher1 said...

Hi guys,

Thanks very much G. your right it does look much bettr large.

Blimey Ivan: never mind the bear with the salmon - don't you mean bear with sore head? Monopod held at 1/10 with no IS on this lens so I think it is quite good (also was a fair trek to the beach carrying my gear on dodgey ankle - I paid for this shot I can tell you). I actually like the blurring of the sea as I think it gives the effect of motion rather than a more 'misty look' (which indeed would be out of place at this time of day). (By the way Ivan, the empty space at the 2/3 bottom is called 'sea'.) In all seriousness, it does look as if it was taken in the middle of the day - 12:07 if I rember correctly - only time in the entire week there was anything other than flat light and grey skies. returned a few times to get a sunrise/sunst shot but nothing happening. More would be good but there wasn't, so there. Will ask the coast gurd or RNLI to do a 'sail by' next time.

Bring it on.

A

Anonymous said...

I only say it as I see it... ;-)

Anonymous said...

..and I did say it was technically well done, just not a scene that grabs me, that's all. I know what you mean about the sea, so it's not just empty space, but it's not filled with something that makes me want to keep looking. Nice shot though, and I do like the sky and cliffs as I said.
Ivan

stasher1 said...

....and indeed you are entitiled to your views, from which I do appreciate the feedback... :)

A

PS. what exactly did go on at the CCC last night?

Anonymous said...

I didn't do very well. Got nothing. Gareth did well, with both images getting "Commended" gradings.

I emailed the Judge today to get some feedback. His comments are below.
------
Hi
With such a large entry of overall high quality images, there will always be a few that don't quite make it.

I would really like to have had time to review the ones I'd held back and possibly take a few of them out.

I think with your two images, both had strong qualities, but were in with pictures that were more immediate in their impact.

With something under 60 seconds per image, there is not time to appreciate some of the images that are more subtle.

I much prefer less entries and more time to talk about and appreciate the subtleties.

In liberty we trust comes down to perception. You saw reverence, I saw disinterest. Maybe because I have sons who are always looking at their phones or video games whatever is going on around them.

Help is a strong pattern picture with a tiny human interest portion. It does convey the message you intended, but again, does not have the immediate impact of some of the others.

My suggestion for choosing competition entries in a club with such a high number of entries is to select images that grab you instantly. Simple powerful shapes like the Moorhen, or strong vibrant colours should do well.

So long as you like your pictures, and get enjoyment from your photography, it does not really matter what one judge thinks.

Dave Stewart LBPPA

stasher1 said...

Sorry to hear that Ivan. I guess you were unlucky in find a particular judge who didin't gel with your style, although i surprised that 'Help' didn't do better.

Many congrats to G though - really nice shots and well deserved.

A