CHAT THREAD
This week's theme is Sky Included.
This may seem a broad theme - but it has one simple rule, the sky must be included in the shot in a noticeable manner. By that I'm going to say at least 1/3rd if using the rule of thirds.
The sky provides many a different backdrop from sunrise to sunset including clear blue skies and stormy clouds.
What you put in front (or behind if you're shooting from the ISS :tup:) is up to you.
No restrictions on Post Processing.
Pictures to be taken between 00.01am Monday 3rd March 2014 to 23:59 Sunday 9th March 2014.
Pictures to be posted in the entries thread no later than 23.59pm Monday 10rd March 2014.
Poll will be up Tuesday 11 March 2014.
Winner to be announced Saturday 15th March. 2014.
The Rules for the weekly competition are...
By entering you agree to take responsibility to
Post a topic on the Sunday following your declared win
Create an entries thread
Create a chat thread
Create a poll for that weeks comp and declare the winner on the Saturday
(if for any reason there is a problem and no subject is posted by the winner by Monday night admin will advise second place winner to post the topic asap, do the poll etc.)
In case of a tie, the first entry posted wins.
Photos to be taken during the specified dates, ie Monday xx to Sunday xx
Pictures to be posted in the entries thread no later than 23.59 Monday night.
Good Luck and Enjoy.
OK, haven't had to set up a weekly comp in a while - so if I've made any mistakes, please advise so I can correct them.
This weeks theme has been chosen with a view to make a choice of picture as easy as possible - and also to see what people do with the sky.
The sky is the one thing that occurs every day and can be viewed & photographed from indoors and outdoors. You can get a shot from home, work, shopping or during travels or holiday.
Enjoy - will be interesting to see what comes forth.
Couldn't see the sky tonight, as I was hiding under an umbrella.
But this is one, I should be able to enter. We have large, so called picture windows, so plenty of sky visible.
Certainly a broad theme. I need to have some better time management this week!!
Let's just hope that we get something other than a grey out all week, clouds and contrast required, well I think anyway.
This is probably going to be my entry. Tried 'Blue Hour' photography for the first time this morning and the blue hues were stunning. Here's my minimalist 'Blue Hour Over Roker Pier'. I know I did the pier last week too, but this fits brief perfectly.
(http://cameracraniums.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11291/normal_Blue_Hour_Over_Roker_Pier.jpg) (http://cameracraniums.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=15332&fullsize=1)
That's great Chris. The blues are amazing.
And you've really got in early this week.
Thanks Chris. I didn't realise you could get these colours before sunrise. Always thought it was reds and oranges.
Quote from: DigiDiva on March 03, 2014, 10:39:17 AM
Thanks Chris. I didn't realise you could get these colours before sunrise. Always thought it was reds and oranges.
Before sunrise and after sunset. On one occassion I even had a pink sky. :o
My entry is the total opposite of DD's.
Monochrome, threatening and wild!
It has been called 'A Battle of Britain' sky, but with a civilian aircraft.
I'm in with my 'Flight into the Light.'
(http://cameracraniums.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11140/normal_Flight_into_the_Light_res.jpg) (http://cameracraniums.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=15347&fullsize=1)
Have to say - i'm seeing different entries to what i expected from the theme, but liking them all the same.
Now if we can just convince Abers to enter one of his wonderful infra red images - we'd have a home run. :dance:
DD I really like the vast expanse of blue!
Thanks Kerry.It's the minimalistness (if thats a word) of it that appealed.
Andrew, what were you expecting?
Not an entry but there are all sorts of Sky about. ;)
(http://cameracraniums.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10216/normal_Sky_Galore_281_of_129.jpg) (http://cameracraniums.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=15349&fullsize=1)
Quote from: DigiDiva on March 05, 2014, 05:42:53 PM
Andrew, what were you expecting?
I was rather expecting some shots with something on the foreground and showing the sky in the background (probably blurred).
TBH, I think with this theme I was giving people the chance to get a picture at almost any time or place and under most circumstances - allowing for people to lead busy lives for most of the time.
As usual - "you know what thought thought" has come back and bit me.
And to really hammer that point home - Abers throws in his Sky Dish pic - which, whilst a curved ball, does very much fit the brief of the theme!
Maybe it says more about my photographic eye than the photographic eye of others :(
Not sure I`ll get a free day for an entry again - hectic here. Nice thinking Abers - was looking at a similar idea when I passed some flats in Bedworth the other day. Wasn`t sure it would fit the brief though Andrew as you very specifically state needs to include the sky at least a third. If Abers hadn`t beaten me to it I`d have still entered and let the voters decide though as ever as I like to live on the edge. Thanks for the well wished the other day when I was overcome with moaning. Things are not getting any better / clearer here - worse in fact but we are coping a little better. Of course as ever things happen when you have no ti me and I had 3 wedding booking enquiries come in in 2 days just when Id decided I`d probably stop in March 2015. They are for this year so will do them if they come off - one confirmed and 2 meets to come when I can fit them in.
Quote from: jinky on March 07, 2014, 10:05:24 AM
Not sure I`ll get a free day for an entry again - hectic here. Nice thinking Abers - was looking at a similar idea when I passed some flats in Bedworth the other day. Wasn`t sure it would fit the brief though Andrew as you very specifically state needs to include the sky at least a third. If Abers hadn`t beaten me to it I`d have still entered and let the voters decide though as ever as I like to live on the edge. Thanks for the well wished the other day when I was overcome with moaning. Things are not getting any better / clearer here - worse in fact but we are coping a little better. Of course as ever things happen when you have no ti me and I had 3 wedding booking enquiries come in in 2 days just when Id decided I`d probably stop in March 2015. They are for this year so will do them if they come off - one confirmed and 2 meets to come when I can fit them in.
But if you look at Alans picture - i think I would be splitting hairs to say that doesn't include a third. I was trying to ensure some one doesn't just have a little bit of sky showing in the corner or a reflection in a car door mirror. 1 Sky dish probably wouldn't count - unless it took up noticeable space in the image.
As for my entrty - well I should be getting mine tomorrow or Sunday - all depends when the little girl called Sky is available :tup:
Yes as I said if I`d got the shot or been abers with it I`d enter it and leave it to voters. I love it when people go off piste with reading of the theme and think it adds to the variety of images.
Was out earlier and didn't really get anything great, so back to the drawing board. :(
Here is one from last night. Predictable, but a possible entry if I don't get the chance to do anything else.
(http://cameracraniums.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11327/normal_Night_sky_dodd_4.jpg) (http://cameracraniums.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=15366)
Took a load Friday but on viewing, not impressed, one poss: that will be my entry if nothing else appears.
Quote from: Reinardina on March 05, 2014, 11:00:30 AM
My entry is the total opposite of DD's.
Monochrome, threatening and wild!
It has been called 'A Battle of Britain' sky, but with a civilian aircraft.
I'm in with my 'Flight into the Light.'
(http://cameracraniums.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11140/normal_Flight_into_the_Light_res.jpg) (http://cameracraniums.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=15347&fullsize=1)
Looks like there is a Lion Cubs head in the bottom left of the bright area Reinardind, i'm not on drugs but i can see it.
HAHA I see it too
Have changed my entry to the full frame one, I decided the letterbox crop just didn't work. This is the full frame one:
(http://cameracraniums.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11291/normal_The_Blue_Hour.jpg) (http://cameracraniums.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=15369&fullsize=1)
Just could not make my mind up on an entry this week but ended up with this.
Seascape
(http://cameracraniums.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11290/normal_Big_Sky.jpg) (http://cameracraniums.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=15371&fullsize=1)
Hope theres gonna be a few more entries.
Here's mine, imaginatively entitled 'Skylights' on account of it being a picture of skylights in one of the local shopping malls.
(http://cameracraniums.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10146/normal_Skylight_P1010502_flickr.jpg) (http://cameracraniums.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=15376&fullsize=1)
Thought process - wandered about looking for something that fitted the theme without it being an exterior shot. Spotted this and decided it could work. Went with an angled shot rather than straight as it looked more interesting to me with the extra cross beams and the difference between the two skylights. Taken with my Panasonic LX5 on programme, 1/640 at f4 ISO 80. Editing was LR default adjustments, then opened in PS. First a minor straighten and crop, followed by a curves adjustment to darken the blacks and lighten the highlights. Next a brightness and contrast tweak to taste. Stamp layers below and then Topaz Black and White FX2 to get the toning and vignette. Finally a small amount of global sharpening. That took longer to type than it did to do . .
Well I did try to work up an idea but skies conspired agai nst me. The theory of the shot was to do a picture called "Blue Sky Thinking". The aim was to do a nice clear blue sky with clouds forming the model of Rodin`s the Thinker. Only trouble - almost perfect blue skies without a cloud for my starting image. Tried to use a shot with faint lengths of cloud but just not enough to make it work so I`m out this week.
Well, I finally got to post an entry - not what I'd envisaged - but then a lack of blue in the sky didn't help. Some times, a sky can be just a tad too bright for an idea. Thankfully, the Daffs are out, and Constable Country can usually be relied upon for a pic if you're prepared to look around a bit.
The over riding thoughts at the moment is that my thighs are complaining about doing a 28 mile bike ride including some fairly hefty hill climbs. I know Suffolk is presumed to be flat, but it has some really nasty little hills about, as Mick will atest - given the 1 in 8 he has in Manningtree and the few beasts he would have to navigate in getting to Ipswich (from a cyclists perspective).
Tomorrow, it appears my thighs could be in for another shock as I'm off to Felistowe - a round trip of another 30 miles approx :-X