Would members of Circle D please add your comments below, or email them to me along with a vote for your favourite photograph.
1) Bill A
Indefinit
One missed it, one made it, and one looked on: Panasonic G3 and the 1938 9cm Elmar.
Home: M8, 90mm f4 Elmar
4) David F
At speed on Lake Como: Leica M8.2 + Tri Elmar @ 18mm
5) David K
Steam Running Gear' (Brecon Mountain Railway): It was taken in the Brecons this weekend with my M9 with a 50mm Summilux f/1.4 Lens - exposed for 1/125 second at f/6.7 (ISO 160).
6) Del B
I have a special (if rather self-promo
Iris Flower Head: Leica X1 plus two Leitz Elpro V!b close up lenses , tripod, 1/2 sec f16 ISO 100 ... Lastolite Cubelite, daylight
8) Elaine J
Fan vault ceiling, Bath Abbey.
My Little Friend: Garden spider from the underside. It looks like it's smiling. June 2011 DMC L1 Summicron 50mm 4/3 adaptor. 2 elpro lenses A+B, hand held manual focus.
"The New Neighbour" (or "Under a Cloud"): Panasonic DMC-TZ20. Beach frontage, Poole.
Green power: Torness nuclear power station on the east coast of Scotland. Leica M6, 90mm Elmarit
Comments and votes from members of Circle D gratefully received. Many thanks.
1. A most interesting and mysterious picture. Certainly justified the ‘diversion’ to Bridlington
ReplyDelete2. Super action shot, which is particularly apt having regard to the ‘top; team action at Trent Bridge. I trust that the one who ‘made it’ was carrying a bat?!
3. A shot of a great old aircraft that brings back memories of the sounds of the engines and its contribution to days gone by
4. Fine action shot, notable that it was taken with an 18mm lens at the right speed to capture the waves and background in harmony
6. A very well structured and ‘amusing’ shot, being part of a panel, which we now know was well-appreciated by a RPS ARPS Distinctions Panel
7. A well lit and brilliantly framed photograph of a very beautiful flower
9. A fascinating shot of a common garden spider, superbly taken with the interesting note that the camera was ‘hand held’. However, I am not sure that I would want to meet your ‘little friend’
10. Great B & W image capturing a clearly dominating and ‘threatening’ development next door to the single story building. The sun’s reflection on the screening material on the scaffolding enhances the scale of the construction. Not surprisingly, the ‘dwarfed’ property appears to have a ‘For Sale’ notice outside?!
11. Excellent framing of Torness Power Station with the foreground vegetation (crop?) delightfully leading in to the ‘Green Power’ title.
1) Indefinite: I'm trying to figure out why the ND filter was used - Maybe to facilitate the use of a very high ISO thus enabling the grainy image? The grainy surreal image works very well and conveys a sense of mystery. The dynamics are super - I like the use of the diagonal - the photo could hang on my wall - and it could make a very interesting art print. Excellent photo Bill.
ReplyDelete2) One missed it, one made it, and one looked on: A good cricket story and very well caught by the photographer. The decisive moment which I imagine cricket enthusiasts would really appreciate - especially with the ball visibly flying through the air. The ancient 90mm Elmar has captured the scene very well - a small lightweight lens well suited to the G3 for capturing cricket pitch action - because the focal length in effect doubles on the M4/3 format.
3) Home: This is a powerful aeroplane but the too fast shutter speed has almost frozen the propellor movement ... A slower shutter speed would create more prop. movement and thus result in a more dynamic image with greater sense of the Lancaster taxi-ing. Interesting to see the 90mm Elmar in use on the M8 Dave - it's a very capable lens.
4) At speed on Lake Como: The boat is certainly creating considerable stern wake but the boat itself appears rather static - eg the flag is is not conveying much in the way of speed. Everything is sharp. I'm not sure what to make of this image.
5) Steam Running Gear: Plenty of atmosphere David but to my eyes there is insufficient contrast and I'd like to see more shadow detail. One for the steam enthusiasts who can probably comment far more expertly on the engineering content.
6) No title Congratulations Del on being awarded your Associateship ... ARPS ? This is certainly a very different type of image but I cannot see any real message. By itself It does not work for me but I imagine that my opinion might change if I saw the whole panel where all the images together make up the 'whole panel experience'
8) Elaine J : Image awaited
9) My little friend: Unfortunately the Garden Spider is not totally sharp and parts of its legs are 'chopped off' by the framing . Also the web is rather tatty and thus not so photogenic. As this was taken with a 50mm Summicron 'R' lens on 4/3 format there should be a much greater depth of field than if using APS-C or FF formats - but the depth of field is not showing - which makes me think that the lens was used at far too wide an aperture for this type of close-up photograph. The spider's 'pose' in the photo appears to be too vertical - it could have been a much more dynamic shot if the camera had been twisted/tilted so that the spider was laying more across the diagonals instead of appearing bolt upright. And the lighting leaves a lot to be desired too- the background looks too dark as if you might have used flash at close quarters? Sorry for all the criticism but I have to give my honest opinion - especially as it's essentially a natural history photo.
Regarding the Elpro A and B lenses ... TTBOMK there are only VIa, VIb , VIIa , VIIb - and the later types 1,2,3 and 4 ... As a matter of interest, did you actually use an Elpro VIa and VIb on a Mk I 50mm Summicron R lens?
10) The New Neighbour: Immediately drawn to the difference in scale between the dwelling and its new neighbour - and I'm wondering exactly what the new building will look like when finished .. Is it a hotel ? Is the old house due for demolition? Interesting architectural record photo.
11) Green Power: Not enough of the building showing for the viewer to realise that it is a nuclear power station ... but it's quite a nice composition. I cannot make out exactly what the foreground expanse in front of the building actually is ?? The 'blob' in the sky at the top LHS is a bit distracting.
1.
ReplyDeleteBill A. Well worth the trip. 10stop NDs have been popular recently and this is a fine example of the results from one. So simple with the strong diagonal and perfectly framed.
3.
Dave S. Super lighting, historical aircraft and strong sky have immediate impact. Strangly I dont feel that the two elements, the Lancaster and the sky conflict with each other, I suppose because of the strong link between them. What does disturb me is that the image seems a bit too clinical, there is always some small distraction in the background on an airfield but this is flawless. Very nice nontheless.
4.
David F. Wonderful weather with a great sensation of speed and having fun on the water. I’d be tempted to crop about half of the sky to put more attention onto the water.
5.
David K. Wonderful atmospheric shot, you can almost smell the engine. Excellent use of a Leica rangefinder as an autofocus camera would probably failed to find focus until the steam had dispersed. If anything it does need slightly stronger saturation.
6.
Del B. An interesting theme for a panel, certainly out of the normal run. It has that ‘Polaroid’ look’ which demonstrates some good computer work but is perhaps a little lost without some other supporting images.
7.
Duncan K. The X1 in close up mode strikes again! Indeed a very nice, sharp, colourful and well balanced image.
8. James C. This is a cracking image (Summicron R I presume) with the Elpros makes for a very sharp combination. A very good shot indeed considering it was hand held.
9.
Malcolm R. Great record shot. I do feel sorry for the people in the bungalow. The picture was well spotted and it appears the use of a red filter has really given it impact.
10.
Phil C. Great colours, a pleasant, simple,well framed scene. I would be tempted to crop the bottom to exclude the bare earth patch.
Duncan K. Hello and thank you for your comments. The Elpro lenses,V1a +V1b. The Summicron 50mm is a Canada lens. they have far greater resolution and extremely fine graduation in controlled conditions. ( studio R,G,B curved surfaces)
ReplyDeleteAs an ATM. I made my own 150mm mirror. it's a great lesson in optics. And very satisfying at first light.
The Canada Sum is not a favourite with collectors but the results speak loud and clear.
Duncan
ReplyDeleteThe 10 stop ND is to get the long exposure and so remove the waves from the picture.
The "grain" is applied in pp.
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ReplyDeleteBill A – Another beautiful picture Bill. The impact of the filter and your framing make for a very peaceful scene, and show how photography can change the way we see the world.
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Bill S – Great timing and a shot that captures the action well. I rather like the fact that the three of them are seemingly isolated with no other players in sight, adds a slight surreal edge to it.
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Dave S – A brooding sky adds drama, as does the choice of black and white.
4)
David F – Leaving the hustle of the city behind and escaping to open water. I like the feel this brings and Lake Como is a special place, somewhere I hope to return to one day.
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David K – Lots of power there, though perhaps a little too grey, though the feel of being enveloped in steam is well captured
6)
Del B - This made me laugh, so well done. It’s well seen and a photograph that has been made from nothing, clever stuff. And well done on the ARPS panel.
7)
Duncan K – Lovely flower shot, nicely framed with good colour, well done you and the X1.
8)
Elaine J – Bath Abbey is a beautiful building and this picture captures part of that very well. The balanced lighting adds depth and picks out the details too.
9)
James C – A spider that could strike fear in many people. I rather like the dark background, adds mystery and makes the spider seem not of this world, with nothing to scale it to it could be something from a Dennis Wheatley novel.
10)
Malcolm R – Neighbours from hell? I hope whatever is under the cover turns out to be a wonderful piece of architecture and not a block of flats – but if I were a gambling man.....
• 1 –
ReplyDelete• 2 Good timing to catch all the action with the players moving across each other in such an interesting manner. The clean background is such a bonus.
• 3 Superb tonal range and isolation of the subject combined with a good sky and just a bit of movement in the prop blades.
• 4 A fine view made better by fg interest and the lead line from the wake directs us to the main building. For me this just needs a bit more oomph in the contrast, particularly in the sky.
• 5 I suspect this has unrealized potential which again could be brought more to life with added contrast.
• 6 Congrats on getting ARPS. For me this image is made by the annoyed expression of the model at being robbed of his jacket. Oh to have such a fertile mind.
• 7 Very crisp result from your macro work with strong colours too
• 8 I’m a great fan of old architecture, stems from y father having been involved in some restoration work I suppose. You have captured the quality of the craftsmanship well.
• 9 Remarkably well focused considering this was both hand held and manual focus. Good detail, colours and exposure.
• 10 The bungalow is about to be dwarfed by it’s neighbour. The dark sky is a perfect contrast for the sheathing on the construction. Giving a strong graphic image.
• 11) A strange contrast between the brassicas and the atom fryer gives an “other world” feel to this. Better without the brown earth I believe.
1) This I like very much, conjures up the mystery of the sea. The subtle tones in combination with the grain combine perfectly to make the shot. Would have been oh so simple to have just captures the scene as was but the treatment lifts it from a straightforward picture to a real image, all in all very well thought out and execution has made out something out of nothing.
ReplyDelete2) Great timing again from Bill on this one. The camera and lens combo giving the effective 180mm reach works very well to isolate the action. Not an easy combo to make good use of but this one certainly cracked it.
4) Very nostalgic shot the muted colour and contrast bring about a style of images reminiscent of the 60's/70's. Brings back memories of the era.
A treatment that suites this type of picture.
5) A month of nostalgia this month. The introduction of the steam mutes the contrast. Only thing I would suggest is to cloned out the small light triangle (presumably the platform) at the bottom left as that is a little distracting and when removed lifts the image.
6) First off a hearty congratulations must be forthcoming too Del for attaining the associateship distinction. They don't give them away with cornflake packets and this image certainly highlights that. As an image there is most certainly no doubt that this was not an image that has been simply seen and taken, it has had considerable photographer input applied and it has been very well thought out and executed. From the initial seeing of the image in the mind the execution has been meticulously thought through from the positioning of the 'models' hand to the harmonious choices of the clothing and the nail varnish. First rate image and thought process.
7) Not my cup of tea this one, I find it a bit too stark and unnatural against the plain greyish background and I also find it difficult to find a comfortable resting place for the eye. Sorry, not for me this one.
8) A very nicely exposed image, captures the salient detail and shows the majesty of the place. Well executed capture
9) Brave man our Jim. The L1 is most certainly not the easiest thing to use for this type of work especially in MF mode and hand held. You have certainly made the best you could out of this one, great lighting and detail, very well done Jim.
10) I bet they are well chuffed with that going up there! Is that a For Sale notice in front of the bungalow, wonder why!? Not sure whats going on here, large crop from a much larger scene or was it shot in a very low resolution mode. Either way we are losing out on a fair degree of detail, overall crispness and the sky shows signs of pixelation. Conceptually fine but technically falling short of the mark to me.
11) Love the title, greenpeace would love it. As the old saying goes 5 years to build only 2 million to get rid of it! From a photographic perspective interesting choice of lens, the curvature of the horizon suggests a fisheye or 15/16mm of some description possibly?
In this instance for me it works though the slight curve seems to add something to the shot.
1) The long exposure resulting from the ND filter has smoothed the waves and given the flat mist calm that you were no doubt seeking to express. It is a very restful image despite the obvious grain and suspicious highlight exactly along the line of the groyne.
ReplyDelete2) Some odd poses by the slip and wicket keeper - still shots in these circumstances can be confusing and we have to interpret the action for ourselves- is the wicket keeper fielding the ball or returning it to the bowlers end? The dark background really makes the players stand out and the atmosphere of the local game well captured.
3) A very clean no-nonsense shot of the plane with the merest trace of movement in the propellers. It is interesting to note just how much light is reflected onto the underside of the plane by the concrete runway. There is an odd little "face" in the nose cone which somehow give the machine a personality.
4) This looks to be a good place to be on a hot day, the wake makes the picture and brings movement to it.
5) The strength and sculptural qualities of the loco are here and the escaping steam adds drama and brings the engine to life but I do feel that the contrast needs boosting.
6) Congratulations on your ARPS. This is something different and the use of the hand to catch the jacket is very imaginative. The image of the model certainly has the degraded look of a polaroid print, under normal circumstances that might not be considered to be A Good Thing but here it makes for a marked contrast with the natural colours and reality of the hand.
7) A striking image closely cropped and pin sharp, could almost be a hand painted book illustration.
8) I like the blue/yellow colour combination here and the sense of height and light in the abbey.
9) I tried a similar thing last autumn with a bellows and found that an imperceptible breeze meant that the spider was constantly being blown in and out of focus making the shot near impossible so you have done well with this capture. The colours are striking and the detail of the web adds to the "portrait".
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11) I like the simplicity of the brown, green and blue bands of colour. The gentle curve of the hillside is a strong contrast to the harsh angles of the powerstation in its isolation.The picture and its title conjure up a mental image of a world powered by brussels sprouts - now there's a thought!
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ReplyDeleteAnother superb photo, well worth the diversion! Love the calm and peaceful shot, well captured and manipulated in PS to get the lighter diagonals. Super picture.
2.
Great shot, well timed capture enhanced by the dark background.
3.
I love this shot, I think that the Lanc is ‘parked’ and just starting the engines as one is out of sync so no movement on three of the props? Super sky and well exposed.
5.
Very atmospheric and well cropped, you can almost smell the oil and steam!
6.
Sorry not for me, I don’t like the cut off arm / coat sleeve.
7.
Very nice flower close up, clean background.
8.
Well captured and exposed picture, would have liked to see more detail in the top right.
9.
What a monster, very well exposed super detail.
10.
Like the dark sky and the ‘whiteness’ of the buildings, almost IR looking, very nice picture.
11.
A beautiful landscape, I like the crop with the three main colours, I like nuclear power perhaps National Grid or the owners of Torness would like a copy to prove there ‘greenness’?
My first posting...
ReplyDelete1 Bill A - Nice use of a vanishing point with something interesting at the end. The shades of grey work really well.
2 Bill s - You have to read quite a bit into this one; but at least you can see the main players and the ball. Too far away though for my liking.
3 Dave S - Nice use of grey tones which makes you concentrate on the amazing plane.
4 David F - 'Big sky' always looks good and the flag makes this an interesting holiday shot.
5 David K - The smoke certainly makes this atmospheric but the crop is a little too tight for me.
6 Del B - I like this kind of 'playing' with images and this certainly makes you look.
7 Duncan K - I've given up on flowers but this is a good attempt. Perhaps the white makes it too 'clinical' though.
8 Elaine J - I like the column to the left, the dark at the top and the blue windows. I wonder if the back wall falls away too much though? However a nice shot.
9 James C - A difficult shot; must have taken ages. Nice detail.
10 Malcolm R - It looks like the house on the left is up for sale. You can understand why! Interesting commentary.
11 Phil C - I love this simple composition. Works really well.
Bill A:
ReplyDeleteSuper shot – simple, minimalist and very effective. I really like the dreamy effect created by the long exposure.
Bill S:
Nicely caught and at least your capture is better than the player’s! The interaction of the players works very nicely indeed.
Dave S:
Excellent control of light and contrast. I like the way the composition allows us to appreciate its size. I too would have liked to see a bit more spin in the propellers, but overall an excellent image.
David F:
Oh to be on Lake Como right now! I find this very relaxing but agree that a bit of a crop from the top would emphasise the main story.
David K:
I hope all that steam didn’t damage the lens! I found this shot fascinating as there is so much wonderful detail in it and I particularly like the reflections. I agree about burning in that triangle to draw the eye to the (gleaming) nuts and bolts of the image.
Duncan K:
Wonderful colour and lighting. The little drop of water makes this shot.
Elaine J:
Nice control of exposure in the main part of the image, but slightly at the expense of the top right corner. I love the shadows of the opposite windows and particularly the stained glass reflection in the pillars.
James C:
This definitely needs a health warning for pre-breakfast viewing! Although it’s a tad soft in places, I don’t think this detracts from the overall scariness of the creature.
Malcolm R:
I love the geometry of this, the juxtaposition of the buildings and the infra-red look of the sky. The edges of the roof look a bit fluffy to me, but it might be a blogger compression issue!
Phil C:
Until I read the description, I thought that this was somewhere exotic because of the vibrant blue and green! I love the abstract and geometric feel of this and the colour combo makes it.
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ReplyDeleteBill A.
Lots of input from Bill in creating this picture, The result is a superb image that shows not only pre-vision but an artistic and technical flair.
2
Bill S.
Full of action and interest. You must have faster reactions than the players.
3
Dave S.
Great Aircraft, the lighting of the underside of the Lanc., has produced a real dimension in the picture. The Rolls Merlins were the start of my hearing problems on a flight from the Uk—Egypt –Uk return.
4
David F.
You have captured the sensation of speed. The wake leads into the picture and you have retained the sharpness. Not an easy subject.
5
David K.
A completely new approach to engine pictures, The steam brings the whole thing to life. It has captured the power , I think I can smell the hot engine oil. Well taken.
6
Del B.
Amusing and so simple, which is always the mark of a great shot. The construction and ideas are brilliant, the skill is in seeing the possibilities.
7
Duncan K.
Excellent lighting technique has preserved the texture of the blooms. Maybe a complementary background would add even more to the picture.
8
Elaine J
The shapes and shadows from this viewpoint create a very interesting picture, far more than the conventional direct up or down the isle.
The sweep of the arches into the roof make it more dramatic. Well seen and produced.
10
Malcolm R
A small crop off the L/H side increases the plight of the poor soul in the Bungalow , is that a cloud of despair over his dwelling. Well seen, the story is all there in the frame, His frantic calls to the planning department!!
11
Phil C.
First thoughts. What is it?
It is very deep in my interpretation,
The Brown Earth.
The rock that is rolling round space.
The Green. Food to sustain us and absorb CO2 and provide O2.
Torness White Generator Hall, Potential disaster.
The Blue Sky and Infinity.?We still don’t the answer.
The picture asks many queations.