1) Alan
"Sergeant At Arms" Wells Pirate Festival Sept.2017
Leica V Lux 20, f/3.3, 1/800, 40mm, ISO 80
2) Bernd - No photo this month
3) Bill
"Relaxing" taken by the water feature outside Sheffield Railway Station. Fuji XE-2 with 1957 35mm f3.5 Summaron lens.
4) Cris
Leica SL + Zeiss 50mm f2.0 Planar
5) David F - No image this month
6) David K - No image this month
8) Duncan
Grey Heron Rutland Water, 31 August 2017. Leica T plus Canon FD 500/4.5 L lens with original Canon Camera Co., FD to EOS converter … plus 'EOS to M’ and ‘M to T’ stacked adapters. FF equivalent focal length 945mm at f8 (equiv. f10), 1/500sec, ISO 400. Heron was approx. 120m from the hide. The original and very scarce 5 element Canon FD to EOS converter used for this image has a 1.26x extension factor and offers much better IQ than e.g. the Canon FD 1.4x extender. The Canon FD 500mm f4.5 'L' lens is currently being converted to Canon EOS mount by ‘Lens Doctor' Eddie Houston http://www.thelensdoctor.co.uk/index.html … facilitating use with the Novoflex EOS to Leica SL ’smart adapter’ thus providing additional ‘aperture' EXIF data, and also enabling use of Canon EOS 1.4x and 2x extenders. Objective is to provide a good quality ‘budget price’ (compared to EOS AF tele lenses) manual focus telephoto lens for the Leica SL. There is not much point in using very expensive Canon EOS AF lenses with the Novoflex ‘smart’ adapter because by all accounts, the resultant AF is so slow that it’s better to use manual focus. Unfortunately, Leica Camera AG have no plans to introduce anything longer than the current Leica SL 90-280mm lens which is a too short focal length for bird photography. Also appears that Leica SL lens extenders are maybe impossible to design and thus a ’no go’ development. I have tried using the Leitz 560/6.8 Telyt ‘R’ lens with both the Leica SL and T but the lens’ focusing ergonomics are too awkward for efficient digital camera use - unless photographing static subjects. The Leica SL camera system is superb within its current and future lens design parameters … but very limited for sports and wildlife photography applications due to no planned SL AF lenses in excess of 280mm focal length.
3) Bill
"Relaxing" taken by the water feature outside Sheffield Railway Station. Fuji XE-2 with 1957 35mm f3.5 Summaron lens.
4) Cris
Leica SL + Zeiss 50mm f2.0 Planar
5) David F - No image this month
6) David K - No image this month
7) Dennis
Mount Bromo - SL with 90 - 280mm
Mount Bromo - SL with 90 - 280mm
8) Duncan
Grey Heron Rutland Water, 31 August 2017. Leica T plus Canon FD 500/4.5 L lens with original Canon Camera Co., FD to EOS converter … plus 'EOS to M’ and ‘M to T’ stacked adapters. FF equivalent focal length 945mm at f8 (equiv. f10), 1/500sec, ISO 400. Heron was approx. 120m from the hide. The original and very scarce 5 element Canon FD to EOS converter used for this image has a 1.26x extension factor and offers much better IQ than e.g. the Canon FD 1.4x extender. The Canon FD 500mm f4.5 'L' lens is currently being converted to Canon EOS mount by ‘Lens Doctor' Eddie Houston http://www.thelensdoctor.co.uk/index.html … facilitating use with the Novoflex EOS to Leica SL ’smart adapter’ thus providing additional ‘aperture' EXIF data, and also enabling use of Canon EOS 1.4x and 2x extenders. Objective is to provide a good quality ‘budget price’ (compared to EOS AF tele lenses) manual focus telephoto lens for the Leica SL. There is not much point in using very expensive Canon EOS AF lenses with the Novoflex ‘smart’ adapter because by all accounts, the resultant AF is so slow that it’s better to use manual focus. Unfortunately, Leica Camera AG have no plans to introduce anything longer than the current Leica SL 90-280mm lens which is a too short focal length for bird photography. Also appears that Leica SL lens extenders are maybe impossible to design and thus a ’no go’ development. I have tried using the Leitz 560/6.8 Telyt ‘R’ lens with both the Leica SL and T but the lens’ focusing ergonomics are too awkward for efficient digital camera use - unless photographing static subjects. The Leica SL camera system is superb within its current and future lens design parameters … but very limited for sports and wildlife photography applications due to no planned SL AF lenses in excess of 280mm focal length.
9) Elaine
11) Malcolm
12) Mike B
13) Mike E
Portrait of a Leica Dealer: Ivor Cooper of Red Dot Cameras at his desk in the new Goswell Road showrooms, August 2017. Taken with a Leica SL and 50mm Noctilux-M 0.95, 1/125s at f/2.
14) Phil
Yellow and black: Formula vintage on a wet day at Snetterton, Leica M-P, 50mm Summicron
17) Theodore
"Waiting for heaven" Panasonic with Leica lens FZ100
10) Keith
This Summer, Ivatt 2-6-2T 41313 steamed for the first time in fifty years following restoration.For one weekend only it was paired with sister engine 41312 at the East Somerset Railway,providing the rare sight of two consecutively numbered preserved locomotives. M9 / 50mm Elmar-M
11) Malcolm
"Molly Dancers" relaxing before a performance in the Market Square at the local Folk Festival. Panasonic Z60
12) Mike B
The French Ideal: Taken with the M240 and Zeiss 35/1.4 in the village of Le Wast, Pas de Calais close to the hotel that I have frequented over many years
13) Mike E
Portrait of a Leica Dealer: Ivor Cooper of Red Dot Cameras at his desk in the new Goswell Road showrooms, August 2017. Taken with a Leica SL and 50mm Noctilux-M 0.95, 1/125s at f/2.
14) Phil
Yellow and black: Formula vintage on a wet day at Snetterton, Leica M-P, 50mm Summicron
15) Richard
A quiet moment in the bowels of Tate Modern (London). Taken with a Panasonic GX8 and Leica DG Summilux 25/F1.4. ISO2000, F/6.3, 1/40 second, hand held.
A quiet moment in the bowels of Tate Modern (London). Taken with a Panasonic GX8 and Leica DG Summilux 25/F1.4. ISO2000, F/6.3, 1/40 second, hand held.
16) Shaun
Blockade of the River Calder: These boats spanned nearly the whole width of the River Calder Wakefield. Leica M10 Summicron M1:2/35 1/180 sec ISO 100 F11.
Blockade of the River Calder: These boats spanned nearly the whole width of the River Calder Wakefield. Leica M10 Summicron M1:2/35 1/180 sec ISO 100 F11.
17) Theodore
“Hearts” Gmunden, Austria - Leica Q - jpg unretouched
18) Tom - No image this month
19) William
Flying into the Storm. Leica M10 and 35mm Summicron. A team preparing for an upcoming airshow. The silhouette effect is deliberate.
18) Tom - No image this month
19) William
Flying into the Storm. Leica M10 and 35mm Summicron. A team preparing for an upcoming airshow. The silhouette effect is deliberate.
1)Alan - Sergeant At Arms:
ReplyDeleteNicely exposed Alan but I’m sure in retrospect you wish you had the opportunity to re-position your subject to avoid the background people and clutter, the harsh shadow across his body, and cap lost in the flag.
I do like the way that the breeze has opened up the flag.
2) Bernd - Awaiting Image
3) Bill - Relaxing:
A good opportunistic shot. Do you really need the guy on the left. I wonder if it would work better if he and some of the foreground were cropped out.
4) Cris - No title
The central character positioned perfectly in the light. I like it. The Zeiss Planar looks an interesting lens, but I daren’t buy any more.
5) David F - No image
6) David K - No image
7) Dennis - Mount Bromo:
I really like the layers in this and the subtle sun’s glow top right. Very nice.
8) Duncan - Grey Heron:
An impressive result from an equally impressive set-up.
9) Elaine - Waiting for Heaven:
A well controlled exposure but if it is the figure on the plinth that is doing the waiting then perhaps a little more light on him would have helped.
10) Keith - Steam locos:
A trainspotters delight! Very nicely presented. Would it have been worth cloning out the telephone wire/power cable above the roof line?
11) Malcom - Molly Dancers:
Very colourful but I do find the slope on the blue fascia a little distracting.
12) Mine
13) Mike E - Portrait of a Leica Dealer:
I’ve yet to meet Ivor when I’ve been in the shop. Maybe next time. He looks quite a character from your portrait. It’s obviously hard to tell with a small image but the eyes do look a little soft or is that just the len’s rendering.
14) Phil - Yellow and Black:
Excellent timing to get the car positioned between the umbrellas, but do we need the guy on the right Phil? I would be very tempted to try a crop just to the left of the fence post.
15) Richard - Bowels of Tate Modern:
Interesting shapes, textures and lighting . The figure does look a bit stiff but I think you need him in the image, if not necessarily in that position.
16) Shaun - Blockade:
Well it is that to be sure. An interesting rendering from the camera/lens combination. At first glance it looks almost HDR.
17) Theodore - Hearts:
A very busy image Theodore, which may need a little p.p. to bring the best out of it and to provide a resting place for the eye. A narrower depth of field may have helped.
18) Tom - no image
19) William - Flying into the storm:
An interesting take on the airshow genre and almost abstract in its presentation, which is appealing.
1. Alan. Nice colour, Alan. Perhaps use of a wider aperture would have been more effective in separating the subject from the background.
ReplyDelete2. Bernd. Image awaited.
3. Bill. The relationship of the two figures works well with one seemingly looking on. I like the mute background colours.
4. Cris. An unusual subject. Atmospheric. Great focus, lighting and exposure.
5. David F. No image.
6. David K. no image.
7. Dennis. Reminiscent of a fine painting on silk! Restful on the eye. I like it.
8. Duncan. Good example of a wild bird in its natural habitat. To my eye, it would benefit from use of a wider aperture to better separate the heron from the vegetation. The focus on the head is rather soft. However, you seem to have done very well within the limits of matching a wide technical knowhow to the complexities of kit.
9. Elaine. The lighting conditions are challenging. Nicely framed. The lamp at low level adds a sense of perspective.
10. Keith. A lovely composition, perfectly framed. Of another age! I’m left wondering how much post-processing was applied to achieve the effect.
11. Malcolm. The colours “pop”. I think it may have been improved if you had caught one person, at least, looking towards the other, rather than out of the frame. Shadows under the brim of hats can sometimes be an issue, but not here where extreme make-up is the order of the day!
12. Mike B. This appeals. I like the visual tension between dereliction/decay and the more modern letter box, also having seen better times, but dating from a more recent age.
14. Mike E. Very effective. The viewer is drawn to an interesting pose. The “model” is very comfortable in the hands of the photographer. Additional light and shadow could have added tonal interest, though perhaps a big ask in the bowels of the store.
15. Richard. Mine.
16. Shaun. A busy scene that tells a story. Soft lighting - very painterly.
17. Theodore. A medley of colour that keeps the eye searching for information on those that have passed by. I think I would like to have seen one special lock made to stand out as the main item of interest, set amongst the others in the background. The heart-shaped lock is highlighted, but unfortunately sits right at the bottom of the frame.
18. Tom. No image.
19. William. Full of menace. The clouds are daunting. I like it.
Mike E above should be number 13... and then 14 is below...
ReplyDelete14. Phil. The play on punchy, contrasting colour in the umbrellas is very effective, and timely capture of the matching car works well. Was it a single shot or rapid fire? On a small point of detail, perhaps it could be improved if the chainlink fence didn’t sit between the eye and the racing car. I can see that there was no choice short of finding an elevated position.
ReplyDeleteKeith
1.Alan
Looks happy to pose.
2.Bernd
3.Bill
A nice shot. If there was space to left of lying figure a shot of her alone may be stronger.
4.Cris
Lovely b&w image. Great light on player facing camera but player moving out of frame distracts attention.
5.David F
.
6..David K
7. Dennis
Super recession shot. Light on top left horizon looks interesting.
8. Duncan
You sound like you had a lot of fun assembling the equipment for this shot. Often see a heron about ten yards away stalking our pond - not my favourite bird!
9. Elaine
Not sure I get the title but probably me. Like the way you have balanced exposure for the window, interior and light.
10. Me
11. Malcolm
They look like they are having fun and you have reflected this well.
12. Mike B
Good image very well processed. A great subject that looks to also have some good close up potential of the shutters etc.
13. Mike E
Nicely framed portrait of Ivor who has finally delivered my M10. Great focus with the Noctilux.
14. Phil
Perfect timing and colours work superbly. I could not resist a right side/top crop.
15. Richard
Great location and suites b&w. Shame the guy has his hood up,
16. Shaun
A busy scene that provides lots to look at. Very good colours.
17. Theodore
Not sure why “unretouched’ as more vibrant colours would have stronger impact.
18.Tom
19.Tony
20. William
Not easy to get a good ‘ground to air’ shot of planes with a 35mm lens, but you have succeeded well here. The timing with the dark clouds is excellent.
1 Alan. Sergeant At Arms. Enjoyable documentary re-enactment image but spoilt by visible modern artifacts and people. Distracting shadows could have been avoided by using different subject position. Footwear appears to be non-period?
ReplyDelete3 Bill. Relaxing. Might have more impact with a closer view of the lady and minus the OOF character on LHS. Interesting ‘comb effect‘ horizontal water fountain.
4 Cris Untitled. A title would help. Well exposed but without a title to ‘give us a clue’ not sure exactly what is being documented. As it is, maybe of limited interest unless a rugby enthusiast.
7 Dennis Mount Brono Difficult to assess an image when it’s displayed at this rather too small file size. Appears to be losing definition on RHS. I’d like to see it at e.g. recommended 1400x1050 pixels size thus enabling a fairer assessment.
9 Elaine. Waiting for heaven. I don’t understand the title or the composition but perhaps I’m missing something. I like the stained glass but would prefer to see it in close-up … maybe easily photographed used the lens’ tele end.
10 Keith No proper title? However, most interesting documentary / record photograph with heaps of atmosphere and perfect exposure / composition. I can hear the locomotives.
11 Malcolm. Molly Dancers. Amusing, colourful, fun, portrait record. A little tight in the frame on LHS.
12 Mike B The French Ideal Maybe a little too much to consider but a fair record of architectural decrepitude. Unfortunately as a whole, it looks too decayed and uninteresting. However, if certain elements were isolated e.g. the shutters, they might have interesting close-up photographic possibilities.
13 Mike E. Portrait of a Leica Dealer. The man who’s sold more Leica products over the past 40? years than any other dealer. Good pose, good OOF background, cheeky expression, and an image well executed.
14 Phil. Yellow and Black. The pictorial interest is in the umbrellas and the car in between; a severe crop to isolate same would strengthen the image.
15 Richard A quiet moment in the bowels of Tate Modern (London). Personally does not hold my interest; insufficiently strong message in the image and appears rather flat.
16 Shaun Blockade of the River Calder. A very severe crop to exclude the sky down to the roof and 20% of the foreground would strengthen the image and emphasise the title and vessels’ details. Good colours and interesting / pleasing ‘ship shapes’.
17 Theodore. Hearts. The non-hearts outnumber the hearts. Rather too many padlocks to hold my interest. OOF LHS distracting. An intruding ‘touchy feely’ arm/hand/fingers might create more of a story.
19 William. Flying into the Storm. As a standalone image does not really hold my interest as it’s too sombre. A crop and tilt might enhance the dynamics?
Image sizes are again very variable and if submitted for screen projection some might not ‘project’ properly and display at their best. Some of us have witnessed what happens at TLS GTGs when PDIs of varying sizes mess up the programme and cause disappointment. If Circle D members might be wondering how to resize to any approved PDI dimensions there are lots of demos online e.g.:
http://peterboroughps.org.uk/pps/content/resizing-pdi-images
http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/forums/threads/resizing-for-pdi-why.134617/
… and the AP Magazine Forum’s Q&A’s document (Answer No. 5) details the reasons why it’s sensible practice to conform to standard sizes. Perhaps worth publishing something similar in TLS Magazine and particularly emphasise the need to conform to a standard and usable image height. 1600 pixels high is too high.
The PAGB standard is now 1600 pixels wide x 1200 pixels high … but clubs/societies with lower resolution projectors are still using the older 1400 x 1050 format … as previously recommended to Circle D members.
Best wishes
dunk
1) Alan – A strong portrait, the pose seems to be in keeping with the uniform, though it’s a shame about the signs in the background.
ReplyDelete2) No photo
3) Bill – Well spotted, and an interesting mix of modern body with a lens from the 1950s, looks good to me.
4) Cris – The is lovely, powerful stuff, both the photo and the players. The atmosphere is well caught in black and white.
5) No photo
6) No photo
7) Dennis – A very subtle photo, the tones work well giving the feeling of great depth, very nice indeed.
8) Dunk – Great to read about your lens experiments and mix and match kit, good results too. It’s a shame there are no plans for longer lenses, surely that is a hole they will eventually plug?
9) Elaine – Good light to capture the stained glass window in, the carved figure nicely against the light – where was it taken?
10) Keith – Just love your pictures of locomotives, this one is spectacular – all that power so well caught.
11) Malcolm - Looks like a fun event! Hope the festival was fun.
12) Mike B – This does feel like it is rural France, there is always something beautiful about decaying buildings.
13) Mike E – Nice portrait of Ivor, hope you enjoyed the Noctilux.
14) Mine
15) Richard – Great use of the concrete structure as a frame for the figure – the grey tones and the coat, and shoes, all fit well together. Feels like you want to know more, what happened next, who was he meeting?
16) Shaun – Good colours and dramatic light – what was the blockade about?
17) Theodore – These locks seem to be everywhere, not sure I quite get the idea of it all, but nicely caught.
18) No photo
19) William – Simple framing and few elements in the frame but this feels like there is a story attached, formation flying into the storm
1 Alan. A resplendent uniform and steely gaze from this would-be soldier. Re-enactments inevitably involve inappropriate background features so the sign post and lighting pole don’t bother me too much, the shadows across his impractically white trousers though could have been avoided by simply waiting for them to move out of frame.
ReplyDelete2 Bernd. No image.
3 Bill. I like the colour combination of the girl’s turquoise shirt and the orange of the florescent jacket reflected in the water wall. The figure on the left gives a degree of tension to the otherwise relaxed composition.
4 Cris. The end of the match but who won, neither side look very happy. The bruiser in the middle is particularly well lit whether by on-camera flash or the pitch lighting.
5 David F. No image.
6 David K. No image.
7 Dennis. Very ethereal feel to this. I like the simplicity of the colours with the touch of pink relieving the dominant blue. The trees on the silhouetted foreground suggest that the scale and distances involved in this shot are enormous.
8 Dunc. An intriguing collection of adapters needed to produce this shot but it obviously works. You appear to have been spotted (even from 120 metres) giving a slightly awkward angle to the birds head but it is different from the usual side on profile that we so often see.
9 Elaine. I suspect great care has been taken to place the figure on top of the newel post against the stained glass panel but as it is in silhouette and the panels are too small to show significant detail I don’t really think the shot has come off.
10 Keith. Trainspotters dream? Beautifully framed with plenty of smoke and steam. shame the two carriages were not paired as well.
11 Me.
12 Mike B. One to put the Estate Agent’s literary talents to the test! A pleasingly picturesque wreck and one that probably works as well in colour as in monochrome?
13 Mike E. A very acceptable casual portrait, the picture on the wall which might give a clue as to the character of the subject is thrown completely out of focus by the shallow depth of field which seems to be the in thing these days.
14 Phil Nicely timed with the yellow and black car framed between the matching umbrellas. Does the figure on the right add anything to the shot? I rather like a simple square format around the brollies.
15 Richard. It is the semi abstract curves that make this attractive, the figure positioned and posed as he is seems superfluous (not helped by his tonal similarity to his surroundings). Had you been able to position him on the stairway in the lighter area I think the composition would have been much stronger.
16 Shaun. The top half of this is quite idyllic and the bottom half appears to be total chaos especially with the two boats parked at first floor level on the right hand side. Whatever was going on here? Intriguing.
17 Theodore. Presumably this is the present day equivalent of carving names on tree trunks, easier and less damaging to trees but a menace to chain link fences. Doris and Michael will not worry that sharpness falls off to the left.
18 Tom. No image.
19 William. A few moments later and they would have been lost against the dark cloud, the silhouette treatment is right - and any other treatment tricky - in this situation.
1. Alan: Sergeant at Arms.
ReplyDeleteI love the way he is proudly standing under the flag. A lovely shot
2. Bernd: No Photo
3. Bill: Relaxing.
Is this fountain or a reflection? Either way there is an air of mystery here.
4. Cris: Rugby. A fine body of men here with even the winning side looking determined after the game. Well captured.
5. David F : No photo
6. David K: No Photo
7. Dennis: Mount Bromo.
I love the layered effect in this one leading the eye to the horizon.
8. Duncan: Grey Hern Rutland Water.
I believe you showed this lens to me in Chester. You put a lot of work into getting such great results and you deserve a lot of credit for that.
9. Elaine: Waiting For Heaven.
Lovely photo. It reminds me of being in dark churches in my childhood.
10. Keith: Train.
Another great train photo Keith. You must do a lot of travelling to get all of these great railway shots.
11. Macolm: “Molly Dancers”
Nice colourful photo of dancers. We have a lot of similar dancers and Mummers on this side of the Irish Sea.
12. Mike B: The French Ideal.
Lovely textures in this. Works well in black and white.
13. Mike E: Ivor.
A well known figure in the world of cameras and photography. I think you have captured his personality very well.
14. Phil: Yellow and black.
The matching colours work well on what seems to have been an overcast day.
15. Richard: Tate Modern.
The shapes in this work very well and the sole figure is in just the right place.
16. Shaun: Blockade of the River Calder.
Nice colurs in this one. I wonder what was the reason for the blockade?
17. Theodore: “ Hearts”.
I have seen these around the place, but I am not sure what they are about. I think I see the lock from my garden gate there somewhere.
18. Tom: No photo
19. William: My Photo
1. Alan
ReplyDeleteGood placement of figure in frame and good colors; the shadow on the ground distracts a little bit.
2. Bernd
No image
3. Bill
The background reminds me of a French impressionist painting; it took a second to understand what I was looking at. Nice shot; one figure seems a little too far to the left for my taste.
4. Cris
A great, atmospheric image with power; I do think it would have been stronger still if not so many feet and legs were cut off?
5. David F
No image
6. David K
No image
7. Dennis
Beautiful shot; I imagine there was a lot of time spent to find the exact right moment?
8. Duncan
As always a technically perfect and meticulous approach, well done! My only comment is that the lighting seems very harsh (high noon?) and therefore the bird’s feathers seem a bit flat.
9. Elaine
Difficult lighting for sure….I find the lamp a bit distracting as the only direct source of lighting as it takes away from the drama of the stained glass.
10. Keith
I always love Keith’s train shots; they are like time travel passports as well as being technically perfect. The subtle gradation of gray tones in the smoke is mesmerizing. Why even bother with color photography when you can do this? It also shows how damn good the little Elmar 50 is, the perfect travel lens for a Leica. A magnificent shot and fully Leica in its manifestation of what the camera was made for.
11. Malcolm
A quick moment capture; it would have been nice to have the lady on the left turned more towards the camera? A small flash would have lessened the shadow on the neck, collar and hat brim of the subjects giving a bit more detail.
12. Mike B
An effective shot, well done. I do ‘feel’ the crop, which makes my eyes search for what was the original viewpoint.
13. Mike E
The Noctilux is a killer lens of course, but the danger of DOF sharpness is always skulking around @ 0.95. The face is nicely separated from the background, but the left side of the picture is juts too soft for my taste.
14. Phil
Nice shot; if the yellow car had been a titch further down the track, it would have pulled the eye into the distance following the race master’s view, as well as creating an interesting angle with the two umbrellas.
15. Richard
Wonderful shot, great use of light and shadow. A ‘simple’ shot that has a story – hard to achieve, well done!
16. Shaun
Nice composition and colors; I only would have cropped off more from the right hand side as the bit of boat on the lower right distracts.
17.
Me
18. Tom
No image
19. William
A dramatic shot, difficult to time exactly and with extreme lighting, but well executed here.