1) Alan
French Flag Flying at Duxford: - Leica V Lux 3, 1/1300 sec at f/4.9, ISO 100
2) Bernd
Early Autumn Morning - My favourite spot at river Isar near the city center of Munich on a early sunny autumn morning. Taken with M9 and Summilux 35 ASPH with 6 seconds shutter speed.
3) Bill
4) David F
Angela and Jack taken on a D-Lux 5
5) David K
Too Close for Comfort - taken at Arnos Vale Cemetery in Bristol. It was taken with my Leica M9 with the 35mm Summilux f/1.4 asph Lens - exposed for 1/180 second at f/4.8 (ISO 160).
6) Dunk
Peterborough Autumn Show - Strongman Competition:
Leica R9/DMR, 21-35mm Vario Elmar-R Asph f4.8 1/180 ISO 100. Competitors were required to lift 4 x 110Kg balls (known as manhood stones) onto the table against the clock - followed by 1x 130Kg ball to be lifted onto an oil drum; thats 570 kg i.e. 1257 pounds (over ½ ton) lifted in less than 90 seconds.
7) Elaine
Teddy Bears Picnic, Lumix FZ100 with Leica lens
8) Jim
The Hundred Hills @ Glen. Torridon, The Moine thrust. some of the oldest rocks in the world.
L1 D Vario Elmarit.
"O" to be back in the Highlands again. but also glad to be back in Circle D.
9) Keith
Winter sun Leica M9/35mm Summilux
10) Malcolm
A Grey Day in London” - the Millennium Bridge and Shard on a wet day- Panasonic TZ60.
At 25 January 2015 march to commemorate the execution of Charles I in 1649. Taken in The Mall with my Leica M-P and the remarkable 50mm Apo-Summicron-M ASPH (lens courtesy of Leica UK)
12) Phil
Look right, Panasonic TZ40 with Leica lens
13) Rob C
Renard: one of my Western Fox Snakes - Leica V Lux type 114
14) Robert H
First Winter Snow - Llandenny: Leica M9P : 35mm Summicron : ISO 250 : 14/1/15
15) Theodore
Leica M6P Kodak 100G with Elmar 24mm 3.8
16) Tony
No entry this month
17) William
Harbour Dance: This was taken in Dun Laoghaire Harbour where the fast ferry arrives from Holyhead in Wales. Somehow the small boats from the local sailing school manage to get themselves into a tight circle while the ferry turns around in order to reverse into its docking position. It all resembles a tightly choreographed nautical dance. Leica M and 75mm Summarit.
Keith
ReplyDelete1. Alan
Great photo taken at just the right moment, which is no mean feat with the speed of the aircraft. Maybe crop of a bit from the lower half to put the subject central?
2. Bernd
Must have been a windless day to keep the trees so sharp. Lovely image.
3. Bill
Well exposed in difficult light. Personally would prefer it either monochrome or colour, and given the colour of the girls coat probably the latter.
4. David F
Superb casual portrait. Tricky one to focus, and well done Is Jack wearing a sling?
5. David K
Great composition and lovely colours. The brown twigs are a bit dominant.
6. Dunk
Good reportage shot and from description guess this is what you were after. A close-up of guys torso and the stone would be powerful.
7. Elaine
A fun shot.
8. Jim
Fabulous landscape with scale provided by the buildings. The light looks if it was gorgeous.
9. Me.
10. Malcolm
The colour in this “grey” scene looks natural and is well positioned. Nice shot.
11. Mike
Super composition. Interested to know about your view of this lens. Certainly lovely colour.
12. Phil
There is always one. Well seen and captured.
13. Rob C
A warm Welcome! You will soon get used to us and our different commentary styles. Please do not take comments to seriously,and take away any view that is useful a dismiss the rest! No one is right or wrong, only humble opinions.
Regarding Renard, I think I would like to see this cropped significantly and his head critically sharp with a more natural background colour. But as I said.....
14. Robert H
A lovely winter scene and unusual to see a straw bale used photographically at this time of year. Very well judged exposure.
15.Theodore
Very good use of 24mm lens to make a great “street” shot. Well composed.
16. Tony
No entry
17. William
Without knowing the facts this would look a scary situation! What a lovely deep blue sea.
Yes he had a broken wrist / arm at the time David
ReplyDelete1) ALAN: From my own experience I know how difficult it is to get shots like this-not only the correct focus but the composition is challenging due to the speed of the subjects. So very well done.
ReplyDelete2) BERND: Effective composition and good use of long exposure on the flow of water. Contrast is good too. Colour a bit rich to me and perhaps over edited but all in all a very pleasing shot.
3) BILL: Technically clever and visually very appealing. I love the differentiated subject of the little girl in the chap in the near background on his phone-all in all a picture that draws one in and in which one sees more each time one looks at it. Very good use of depth of field too.
4) DAVID F: Very well and crisply executed. Love the skin tone, contrast and absolutely spot-on focus. Excellent technically and one cannot but smile when looking at it. That’s what family portraits should be all about!
5) DAVID K: Very atmospheric and technically very good. Excellent use of depth of field and great composition.
6) DUNK: A nice reportage shot well executed. Great colour.
7) ELAINE: Great fun, colour and composition. I would have blurred the background more but overall a fun picture-exactly what it should be about-FUN!!
8) JIM: I think this is a perfect shot by any measure. Superb composition and use of colour; great contrast and lots to see-it draws you in as only the best landscapes can. The cottages provide great balance and visual reference point. Superb technically and aesthetically. I would happily hang this on my wall.
9) KEITH: A lot going on-the more you look the more you see. Nice composition. Very good depth of colour. A good fun shot.
10) MALCOLM: Good composition-less is more. Nice contrast of grey sky and the colour of the umbrellas.
11) MIKE: Well executed portrait-good use of depth of field. Rich colour but not overdone-just right.
12) PHIL: Crisp, fun reportage-lots going on. Technically and compositionally good.
14) ROBERT H: Good twist on a winter landscape. Well executed nice contrast and composition.
15) THEODORE: Good composition and colour
16) TONY: N/A
17) WILLIAM: Good composition, technically well executed and good use of telephoto effect. Full of suspense. Colour is a bit rich for me but all in all the great shot
"Thanks Keith for your kind remarks I did not crop it further as I wanted to give the effect of a Flag and thought this position covered that well"
ReplyDeleteAlan.
1) Alan :
ReplyDeleteA good result from your V-Lux 3 camera. The coloured smoke makes the picture. Good and sharp where it needs to be.
2) Bernd :
The warm autumn light certainly picks out the bridge. I particularly like the texture of the river water with a well chosen shutter speed. This is a very pleasing photograph which is restful on the eye.
3) Bill :
A monochrome image with a twist. I like the idea of the little girl being depicted in colour my only worry is what the pair are actually looking at, other than the crowd. Nice quality through out the picture.
4) David F :
This is a very happy picture and you have caught the moment just right. Plenty of impact here due to you filling the frame with your chosen subject.
5) David K :
I have been round here myself as my step-daughter lives nearby. I think you have caught the atmosphere of the place as it is quite chaotic in places. The stones are certainly a bit of a jumble but you have depicted what this particular graveyard is like. Nice rich colours and the lighting has helped you here.
6) Dunk :
This looks painful! I like the way you have caught the expression of the competitors face you can really feel the pain. The colours are well saturated though the skin tones maybe a little too pink easily solved in Photoshop. However it I s a good record of this event.
7) Elaine :
An amusing shot which I guess was photographed at a heritage property. Nice rich colours and the picture has been framed to give full impact to the main subject. Would have liked to have seen the background thrown out of focus more but that is only a small point.
8) Jim :
Interesting lighting here which picks out the textures in the nearest hills. Good recession in the distant hills but I find the buildings somehow to my eye not quite right they seem to lack definition.
9) Keith :
A good sharp result and a pleasing record of this particular town. The winter light has helped you here to give an overall warmth to the picture.
10) Malcolm :
This is an interesting take on this iconic building in London. It certainly looks like a grey day but the inclusion of the colourful umbrellas gives the whole image a lift and a point of interest. Well spotted.
11) Mike :
Well captured and you have certainly filled the frame. The Apo-Summicron has done you proud. Lovely detail throughout the picture and I like the way you have thrown out the background to give full emphasis to your main subject.
12) Phil :
An interesting image of life in central London. The main characters are nicely framed by the lorry and taxi. However I feel it is not a picture that would hold ones attention for long which is a pity.
13) Rob C :
This is a fine specimen but your point of focus is slightly out as the nose of the snake is unsharp. The choice of the red background is a good contrast with the colour of the snake.
15) Theodore :
This photograph gives us a flavour of the recent demonstrations in Hong Kong. I think I would have moved around to the right more to dispense with the ugly shelving on the right of the picture. There also seems to be a bit of noise in the shadows.
17) William :
The ferry looks very threatening towards the small sailing dinghys they also give a sense of scale. Nice quality through out this picture with good saturated colours.
1. Alan: French Flag Flying.
ReplyDeleteLovely photo of an air display, not always the easiest shot to take. The aircraft are in just the right position to give the effect of movement from right to left across the frame.
2. Bernd: Early Morning Autumn.
Lovely light and good use of slow shutter speed to give an interesting movement effect.
3. Bill: People Watching.
The selective colour works well to highlight the young girl who is the main point of focus. This photo would not work well in colour as the MacDonalds sign etc would distract. Very nice photo.
4. David F: Angela and Jack.
This is a lovely natural family portrait. Everything is sharp and the photo captures a great sense of fun.
5. David K: Too Close for Comfort.
Graveyard shots are difficult to do well. This one is very good. The photo conveys a sense of an ancient sacred place that has suffered the ravages of time but still retains its essential characteristics.
6. Dunk: Peterborough Autumn Show.
Well taken at the ‘peak’ of the action. I keep thinking ‘what happens if he drops the ball?' Definitely a sport for tough guys.
7. Elaine: Teddy Bear’s Picnic.
Lovely playful scene well captured. Now who is going to pour the tea?
8. Jim: The Hundred Hills.
Lovely Scottish mountain scene with excellent lighting. The small cottages in the foreground provide a great sense of scale. I am not sure what I am seeing at the top of the photo, receding mountains or cloud patterns?
9. Keith: Winter Sun.
A familiar scene in Frankfurt. Nice winter sunlight on the fountain. It gives a great sense of the place.
10. Malcolm: A Grey Day in London.
An unusual view of the Shard. The figures in the foreground are looking at the building and lead the eye to the main subject. Very well observed and taken.
11. Mike: Charles I Commemoration.
Atmospheric shot of an historical commemoration. The APO-Summicron lens works very well here and the out of focus areas are very smooth.
12. Phil: Look Right.
Nicely seen. The youngest family member is relying on direction and leadership from the elders. Well captured.
13. Rob C: Renard.
Welcome to the Circle , Rob. I am sure that this family pet is not as threatening as he/she looks. Well taken at just the right moment.
14. Robert H: First Winter Snow. – Llandenny.
Very well composed and taken winter landscape. The snow covered hay bale adds foreground interest.
15. Theodore:
A very well taken shot of a vertical city. The various layers and levels convey a true sense of Hong Kong.
16. Tony: No Entry.
17. William : Mine.
1) Alan
ReplyDeleteWell caught and timed, having regard to the speed of the subject matter, and nicely composed with the ‘French Flag’ title in mind
2) Bernd
Nicely composed photograph of the water flow with warm colours and appropriate shutter speed
3) Bill
Clever use of the red colour in the girl’s coat to thereby enhance the monochrome photograph of an otherwise ‘ordinary’ street scene
4) David F
Really nice spontaneous family picture with excellent focus, contrast and composition
5) Mine
6) Dunk
Good action shot well illustrating the obvious weight of the ‘manhood stones’ and what some people will do for fun?!
7) Elaine
Fun picture of a ‘Teddy Bears’ Picnic’ with a difference, which the adults and/or children would have much enjoyed creating
8) Jim
Nice landscape of a dramatic mountain range scene, enhanced by the lake and cottages, which illustrate the scale of the backdrop, and by the strength of the light
9) Keith
Good street scene photograph, nicely composed and with warm colours, with the happy couple in the foreground enhancing the picture
10) Malcolm
An interesting picture of the Shard building, which looks almost monochrome but is enhanced by the colours of the umbrellas
11) Mike
Fine photograph of the ‘Reenactment’ march with strong colours and good depth of field to enhance the main subject
12) Phil
Well caught street scene shot, with lots happening and well composed
13) Rob C
Interesting picture of the snake, with Renard’s eye in sharp focus and his colours showing up well against the red backdrop [Whilst Renard is presumably a nice family pet, my time living in Australia does remind me of my farming friends there having the policy on snakes of ‘kill first and identify later’…?!]
14) Robert H
An attractive landscape scene in the light snow conditions, which is nicely composed and exposed [Fortunately no experience of snow yet in my area?!]
15) Theodore
Well composed Hong Kong street scene using the buildings behind to good effect and with nice colours. The picture might have been enhanced had it been possible to ‘hide’ the structure in the right foreground
16) Tony
No photograph
17) William
Well caught image of the ferry and the dinghies in the foreground, enhanced by the scale effect /size difference and the wonderful blue colour of the sea
1 Alan. A simple composition nicely timed just as the aircraft turned towards the camera.
ReplyDelete2 Bernd. Great lighting on the bridge/ weir. The long shutter speed has smoothed out and calmed the violence of the flow of water thereby apparently changing the character of the river.
3 Bill. I like the odd stance of the little girl standing on her ball and being steadied by Dad but I’m not convinced that the red top (clever tweaking) really enhances the picture. To my mind there are too many people doing nothing especial and a crop up to the edge of the ball would concentrate the eye.
4 David F. Lovely family snapshot, crisp and cheerful - despite the sling.
5 David K. They certainly squeezed them in and the tight framing emphasises the point. Greater depth of field really needed for this type of subject?
6 Dunk. It never ceases to amaze me what people will do for fun. The effort that is going into the exercise is very apparent and the table is taking a battering. I notice that the one woman in the shot is keeping well out of the way.
7 Elaine. A fun shot and worth a frame or two. Pity about the canes in the foreground - or are they Pooh sticks?
8 Jim. The strong sidelight makes the most of a remarkable landscape and the buildings give it scale. The cloud formation above the hills on the left is rather strange?
9 Keith. Strong sun and a fast shutter speed have frozen the movement of water in the fountain. It’s not clear what the pair on the right are doing and for me the interest lies in the couple on the left enjoying a fine day.
10 Me.
11 Mike. Tight framing concentrates the eye on the two main figures (neither of which appear to be particularly happy). Whilst the focus on the foreground girl is spot on the other is carrying bokeh a little too far for comfort. The cherry red dominates the picture and I wonder if conversion to monochrome would not make a better picture.
12 Phil. I like the fact that they are all looking one way except the chap in red (with his counterpart on the traffic-light) who is looking the opposite way.
13 Rob C. Not much depth of field to play with here but the head and eye is about right. The foreground coil and hand(?) do rather detract and the blue reflection is unfortunate.
14 Robert H. It’s good to get out with a camera on a crisp morning like you show us here, The light is good so it is a shame the straw bale was in the shadow of the hedgerow.
15 Theodore. This is presumably the Hong Kong protest? - the double yellow line on the road is the clue. The architecture is quite striking - as is the contrast between it and the crowd beneath it. The holiday atmosphere belies the reality of the situation.
16 Tony - No entry.
17 William. A nice story here, imagine what is being said on the bridge of the ferry about all those little boats getting in the way. The difference in size is the important factor, the dinghies could almost sail under the ferry between the twin hulls.
Michael Evans
ReplyDelete1. Alan (Flag at Duxford): Fine colours and a well caught scene. Sharp planes, impressive for a small-sensor camera.
2. Bernd (River Isar): Good treatment of light and use of slow shutter speed creates a superb waterscape.
3. Bill (People Watching): You either like selective colour or you don’t. I have to say I’m not a great fan and feel this would have worked better in black and white. Nevertheless, it is well composed, striking and well executed.
4. David F (Angela and Jack): Lovely photograph with both subjects perfectly focused. The angle of Angela’s head works well int his shot. Nice monochrome rendering.
5. David K (Arnos Vale Cemetery): This works for me, good depth of field, excellent composition and beautiful colours.
6. Dunk (Storngman Competition): Good commentary on the day’s events, although the expression “manhood stone” is a new one on me. Live and learn. Would make a good reportage shot for the local newspaper.
7. Elaine (Teddy Bears’ Picnic): I love this shot as much for the humorous and well-arranged subject matter (is that a beehive in the foreground, honey on tap?) as for the composition and colours. Elaine knows how to play that FZ100 With Leica Lens.
8. Jim (The Hundred Hills): Stunning landscape and beautify colours, well composed and the dark clouds add just the right touch of atmosphere.
9. Keith (Winter Sun): Ah, if not much mistaken this is Kaiserplatz in Ffm and in the background must be the Steinberger Frankfurter Hof. A nicely captured group around the fountain and good use of the light playing on the central subject.
10. Malcolm (Grey Day in London): I’ve tackled the Shard from many angles with differing degrees of success, but this composition including the bridge is superb. The coloured umbrellas offset the full sky and almost monochrome main subject. I like this, and it is very well done.
11. Mine (Civil War)
12. Phil (Look Right): There’s a captive audience for the street-tog at every traffic light. I like the way the central group is following instructions while the man on the left is about to take his life in his hands. The taxi is a bit distracting, though.
13. Rob C (Renard): Wow! A man with snakes. I’d better be kind. But no need to try too hard because this is a nice portrait of Renard. Problem with snakes, I suppose, is that they disappear into bokeh at the flick of an aperture; but R’s face could have been just a tad sharper. I would also have preferred to see the human finger cropped out.
14. Robert H (First Winter Snow): Well constructed winter landscape with foreground emphasis on the straw bale. Nice colours.
15. Theodore (Leica M6P): Nice contrast between humanity and architecture. There are so many angles it’s difficult to be absolutely sure there isn’t something a little off in the composition but clearly you have taken the central building as a guide and it works well. Nice use of colour.
16. Tony (no entry)
17. William (Harbour Dance): Compelling harbour composition and wonderful contrast between the ugly modern ferry and the graceful sailing boats. I take it these are not Galway Hookers, nor even Currachs as you [describe so well in your story](http://goo.gl/m15l8F). More’s the pity. I like the strong colours and the overall treatment of the subject.
ref. The Hundred Hills. The Clouds are Rotor formed by Wave, As an old Glider Pilot I enjoyed Wave flying in the Lake District, it's the ultimate Magic. Rotor is bad News. In New Zealand it's famous for the Wave flying. The Rotor is very very strong. NZ is the land of "The Long White Cloud" .
ReplyDeleteAn old flyinging Pal was on Aero tow In NZ. As they hit Rotor TUG & Glider did a Barrel Roll. Quite an experience!!! It was the Rotor in Torridon that caught my eye, the rest of the picture is an accident!!!! caused by pressing the button.
1 Alan: French Flag Flying at Duxford Excellent decisive moment capture but could benefit from a crop to the lower sky. Very useful camera for this type of event e.g. articulated screen to compose above the heads of the crowd with its long lens.
ReplyDelete2 Bernd: Early Autumn Morning Technically and compositionally a superb image – but I’ve seen rather too many ‘flowing water /long exposure’ images in club competitions/ exhibitions and in magazines … thus they no longer have that ‘scarcity’ factor. Would prefer to see the weir looking more ‘natural’.
3 Bill: People Watching Interesting composition and treatment and good use of the legacy Leica lens – but would prefer to see the oncoming people a few seconds later and a little closer to the camera – especially the man with phone.
4 David F: Angela and Jack Excellent double portrait with very happy looking poses. Distracting background but difficult to render as more OOF with a compact camera.
5 David K: Too close for Comfort Good rendition/record of dilapidated cemetery to send to the local newspaper or city council - but the camera appears to have been twisted to the left rendering background with a rather unnatural angle … with the headstones’ “leans” thus over-emphasized. But plenty of impact with good colours.
6 Mine
7 Elaine: Teddy Bears Picnic I know some bear fans who would love this image. However, from a technical and compositional point of view the leaning verticals and sloping horizonatals suggest the camera was not held straight … but the image could be straightened up to good effect with some PP. And as with all compact small format cameras - difficult to throw the background out of focus to emphasise the main subjects.
8 Jim: The Hundred Hills @ Glen Torridon Beautiful lighting and excellent composition but cloud highlights could maybe be toned down with some PP. And I’m wondering if the camera has a spot on its sensor? See circular smudge in sky at 2 o’clock position?
9 Keith: Winter Sun Excellent composition and record with spot-on exposure. Very picturesque backlit water flow from the fountain and very pleasing range of tones throughout. Good verticals and horizontals.
10 Malcolm: A Grey Day in London A fair record and well exposed but the foreground’s angled bridge support is distracting and too dominating … and detracts from and obscures the ‘umbrella-ed’ figures.
11 Mike: Would prefer to read a short title? Good record in what appears to be difficult lighting conditions. Excellent differential focus.
12 Phil: Look Right A fair record but the message is not so strong or obvious as the title suggests … and could be sharper? But looks as if there might be a lot of potential in the scene/area for other pedestrian studies.
13 Rob C: Renard A fair record but given the fact that the creature has been photographed under captive conditions with plenty of compositional / arranging time, a sharper result should be possible.
14 Robert H : First Winter Snow The submitted image appears to be resized rather too small thus detail cannot be fully appreciated. The slimy looking hay bale is not picturesque and sky rather empty.
15 Theodore: No title and confusing elements do not really suggest any particular theme – and figures are OOF. A rather untidy scene which does not convey a story to those unfamiliar with whatever is happening.
16: Tony: No entry
17: William: Harbour Dance Excellent well exposed record but LHS dinghies and sky could be cropped to good effect – thus giving emphasis to the RHS dinghies’ sail reflections and the ominous looking leviathan vessel in the background.
Another very interesting set and again difficult to choose an overall No. 1 photo. Looking forward to some better weather in March and some longer afternoon light.