Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/04/18
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]That would be the second rule "always come back with something different". I did look at the "To Let" signs above, but it's much more indicative of a recession to see that the letters are piling up with no new businesses moving in. George Lottermoser wrote: > Hi Philip, > > Thank you for showing additional photographs, > and for contributing more images to the "assignment." > > "Insolvent business, Pinner UK, 18th" > struck me as the strongest of the group; > for it's asymmetry and strong lines, > as well as for the "different" quality of the subject. > > Regards, > George Lottermoser > george at imagist.com > http://www.imagist.com > http://www.imagist.com/blog > http://www.linkedin.com/in/imagist > > On Apr 18, 2009, at 7:47 AM, Philip Clarke wrote: > >> >> So here's the funny thing, my wife's working and I'm not normally out >> alone, so on the way to pick up some medication from Tesco Pharmacy >> (British supermarket chain) I see the glassworks, feel the DLUX in my >> pocket and reckon I feel well enough to take some images. (the images >> are backwards in the portfolio and moving seems limited to between >> albums). >> >> >> Walking out of the Pharmacy and bearing in mind Daniel Ridings >> portfolio, I find this on the postbox advertising. Lucky Yes, but if I >> weren't looking... >> >> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Philip+Clarke/18th_April_2009/L1010241.jpg.html >> >> >> This was taken with the camera above my head as it's quite high on the >> wall, note the focal length is not to the full extent either way, I >> found the image moved into position and then chose the focal length. >> It's gracious that nervous people are always welcome but good to have a >> safety net. >> >> >> >> I walk along to the Glassworks, it's not really suitable, because it is >> a rare and beautiful sunny day in the UK, Really I need a polarising >> filter in front of the lens to reduce the distractions in the windows, >> but it's passable, and I'm slapbang in front of the door to stop my >> reflection being there. I'm using a 24mm equivalent and pointing the >> camera dead centre to avoid perspective shift (some of the floor and >> flat windows above have been cropped) although not 100% successful as >> can be seen by the slight divergent parallel line to the top right. >> >> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Philip+Clarke/18th_April_2009/L1010243.jpg.html >> >> >> >> As I walk back along Pinner Green (you can do a google maps search), I >> shoot the advertising sign for window blinds on a wall without windows >> that I saw when walking to the glasworks. The camera is above my head >> this time to avoid divergent bricks. This is at the 60mm setting >> standing on someone's lawn and has been cropped slighty to reduce the to >> the sign and wall, any different composition leads to the guttering >> above the sign being shown. >> >> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Philip+Clarke/18th_April_2009/L1010245.jpg.html >> >> >> >> Walking back towards the pharmacy I now shoot another insolvent >> business, this one has a big sign by the bailiffs in the window but >> that's too obvious. The piled up letters is a better picture, I use the >> diagonals and the cameras on 4:3, I'm continually having to use program >> shift because the camera wants a wider aperture. The reason the opening >> times sign stands out so much is because of an internal shadow in the >> shop, that was intentional it doesn't show from the other side. I did >> consider cropping this but then it doesn't show the emptiness of the >> shop. You'll notice the word closed appears distinct, I've joined it to >> an envelope but used the shadow and blank space on the floor to make it >> more apparent. None of these pictures have been "printed" btw, they have >> been adjusted for contrast and color balance slightly and had some >> reduction in saturation levels. >> >> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Philip+Clarke/18th_April_2009/L1010246.jpg.html >> >> >> >> The next one is just outside the Tesco and my back would have been to it >> when I walked out. I like the irony. This "new way" to shop on a old >> sign with an advert for "nearly new" clothes beneath, on an old wall >> with the shadow of a barbed fence (thereby making it impossible to >> shop), is just my subtle sense of humour. The image was taken from a >> bush that I had to climb into. I have three different shots, one of just >> the signs, one taken from over the barbed wire after this one (I gained >> access through the car park) and this one. The exposure is correct but >> looks wrong because the wall isn't white, this has had some burning in >> to reduce the patchiness of the paint. The tree framing the top and the >> bush at the bottom are deliberate to keep the eye in the frame. Viewing >> the EXIF data, you'll note that I'm not going to the extremes of the >> telephoto end (nor the wide), any further right and the tree trunk >> bisects the sign, any further left and edge of the spiked fence goes, >> there are some divergent lines, I could have tried holding the camera up >> a little higher if my arms were working after this walk. >> >> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Philip+Clarke/18th_April_2009/L1010251.jpg.html >> >> >> >> I got myself home and thought bugger it, I haven't done a flower photo. >> And about 50 metres from the house is a cherry blossom tree. It rained >> last night and the blossoms on the ground are past their prime, shooting >> the tree would have a view of a road and quite probably an H12 bus. We >> already know it's blue skies and 1/250 at f5.6 ISO 80 so I find the >> blossoms in the shade, hoping that I'm going to get a slow enough speed >> to let the wind add some movement and I fail to get a slow enough speed >> it's got even brighter and is now 1/250 at f8 ISO 80 in the shade and I >> have to underexpose by a stop to keep the picture dark as it's an >> entirely shaded area and start shaking the camera and you can see from >> the frame numbers that something's gone wrong because I've skipped from >> 10251 to 10263 for the last picture, I am shaking the camera at the >> longest telephoto setting and I'm not getting enough blur and then I >> work out that I've left the Image stabilisation on and I'm only moving >> the camera in one plane. Lots of fiddling with the menu and it gets >> turned off and I get the shot I want. The picture gets colour balanced >> in photoshop and then flipped horizontally because upwards moving lines >> are move attractive. >> >> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Philip+Clarke/18th_April_2009/L1010263.jpg.html >> >> >> >> I have Chronic Pain Syndrome level 8 complication by Complex Referred >> Pain Syndrome, so I feel the pain from my legs in my left arm and my arm >> in my tongue, which is something you really don't want to have. I can't >> lift my elbows up now from that little jaunt and my left shoulder will >> dislocate inside the next 24 hours. I'll be partially paralysed for 3 >> days now which makes me pretty useless as a professional. That area is >> one that I have never walked along, I visit the pharmacy every month so >> that's ten times maximum. We (as in me and some other professionals) >> used to play a game when we were young when we met up off-assignment, >> about going to an unknown place and fulfilling a brief, it kept the >> competition between us fierce and kept us sharp. Could I go to a bar in >> Barcelona and practice what I preach. I believe so. >> >> >> >> >> George Lottermoser wrote: >>> May we see some examples of your waiting and moving, Philip? >>> >>> Regards, >>> George Lottermoser >>> george at imagist.com >>> http://www.imagist.com >>> http://www.imagist.com/blog >>> http://www.linkedin.com/in/imagist >>> >>> On Apr 17, 2009, at 7:54 PM, Philip Clarke wrote: >>> >>>> All of these pictures could be improve by waiting or moving. >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Leica Users Group. >>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information